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Why Aren't Arcade Sports Games More Popular?

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 NBA Jam. NFL Blitz. NBA/NFL Street. NHL Hitz. MLB Slugfest.

These games were all staples in my childhood. They caused friendships to turn into rivalries, egos to inflate, and more trash talk and catchphrases than you can imagine. But why didn't their success translate over to the digital age? When you think about being able to play Blitz against ANYONE in the world, it sounds incredible. I'm not sure if the appeal of playing against someone right by your side was lost once simulation sports took over the online space but I just don't get it. Quick game types seem perfect for the modern styles of play we have now. Most of these matches took 5-10 minutes to complete and always ended up with a "just one more" type of feel to them. Whether it was activating superpowers, making an impossible play, juggling three fumbles on one play, fighting your fellow hockey opponent, or launching a 600-foot fireball homerun, these were always "OH SNAP" moments. 


Over the course of the last decade, we got some Xbox Live Arcade versions of NBA Jam and NHL-type games but none of them really did well. It was a fun nostalgia trip for sure but nothing too much more than that. NBA Playgrounds made a really solid attempt recently and it was such a fun game to play. It had all the makings of these gems: Arcade gameplay, special moves, power-ups, and cartoony graphics. I thought this could be it! But I found myself playing more of the single-player modes than anything else. The career mode was fun, going through a season, but I never got that hype or high as we did back in the day. This very well could be the lack of players with headsets online or the amount of TOO much trash talk. It could even be the fact that being online meant I couldn't pause the game to go to the bathroom or make a late-night Taco Bell trip to return and continue the game where we left off.  Either way, the magic has left. The tournaments we had at home while having snacks and sodas all laid out were no more. 


The late 90's and early 2000's were a fantastic time that simulation and arcade sports games could exist together. I know I sound like a boomer since there are SO many exciting games to play nowadays. I just want to experience the thrill of being "on fire" or having my friends tremble in fear as they knew their Quarterback was going to get tackled into oblivion over and over again. There are absolutely some buzzer beaters to be had in NBA 2K, some 90 yard runs to be had in Madden, and some walk off homeruns in MLB the Show, sometimes you just want a little bit of the extreme.


Related - NBA 2K24 CONFIRMS Crossplay


Maybe we will see a resurgence in these games with the upcoming Wild Card Football from the 2K Playgrounds team. I certainly hope so as this looks to be the exact thing needed to reduce the simulation fatigue that we seem to get every year.



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