(Along with 5 that should be left behind)

Lyle Morissette

Sports Editor

If one were to truly boil down sports to their core basics, they could ascertain the fact that sports have much more in common with the videogame and movie industries than what commonly meets the eye.

Yes, videogames do have their yearly sports tie-ins—Madden ’10, NBA 2K10, and so on—as well as numerous sports dramas like *61 and Miracle that are “based upon actual events”. But at the basic level, sports also have sequels, reboots, character changes (trading), and twists in common with these two entities.

These events not only shock the immediate viewers, but they often change the dynamic of the way these industries cooperate as well as the way people utilize and combine them in hopes of making the overarching sporting experience that much more insightful and engaging.

Think for a second: don’t teams put out “sequels” every year, hoping for a different ending? They usually return favourite stars and introduce new actors (players) to the fold; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. This sure sounds familiar. As do series reboots in the entertainment industry, they can most certainly be likened to the sports equivalent of cleaning house or rebuilding a franchise.

So, where is this all going? Well, now that this “sports universe is not much different than the video game and movie universe” mind-frame has been put in place, this question beckons to be answered: What videogames based on sports deserve a reboot or sequel? Here is an arguable top 5:

NBA Jam (SNES, 1993):

Not surprisingly, this arcade basketball classic actually already is in the process of (re)development and will be hitting a console near you sometime this summer. Oh, the yearning for the renewed days of “he’s on fire”, “boomshakalaka”, and triple front flip summersault dunk are coming close to an end. With revamped and updated rosters and team databases, along with the likelihood of a homage or two to the original game and its contingent of NBA stars (the Seattle Supersonics and Shawn Kemp anybody?), the “new” NBA Jam looks primed to charm and captivate fans once again with some 2 vs. 2 action. Fast fact: The original arcade release generated revenue of $1 billion in quarters alone at arcades.

Barkley Shut-up and Jam (Sega Genesis, 1994)

In what was really a prelude, or prequel if you prefer, to the NBA Street series that most recently has catered to the street-ball crowd, Barkley’s Shut Up and Jam had some enjoyable game-play mechanics. These include trash-talking and street-ball style action at its best. It stayed close to the formula that NBA Jam introduced —tournament style play as a means to an end—and included colourful teammate choices such as “Sweet Pea” and “Stonewall”. When “Sir” Charles or Charles “The Round Mound of Rebound” Barkley endorses a game, you know it should be ripe with controversy, laughter, and fun.

Blades of Steel (Nintendo Game-Boy, 1988)

Do you covet the Konami Cup? How about the chance to play as any one of the NHL’s…8 teams (what)? Despite these oversights, the game was one of the first of its kind and it provided a fun waltz through the hockey universe while on a long road trip (batteries pending). Regardless of a lack of teams, and stone-age graphics, the game was nevertheless a blast—it needs an update.

Tecmo Super Bowl (NES, 1991):

While Madden has the monopoly over NFL-licensed football games these days, this original was one of the first sports games to sport the full licensing privileges of both the NFL and the players association. It was named one of the Top 100 video games of all-time by various magazines and outlets and was really the predecessor for the popular Madden franchise. A remake of this would not only appease its fans, but it could also cater to those looking for an alternative to the sole video-game football dictator that is Madden football.

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City (SNES, 1994)

Google it (Wikipedia) and then laugh at its premise; Jordan as Super Mario says it all.

Games that should never see the light of day again (nor should they have in the first place):

- Shaq Fu (SNES, 1994)

- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup (PS2, 2003)

- Any type of fishing or horse racing related game

- Brett Hull Hockey (SNES, 1994)

- Olympic associated tie-ins