Wednesdays with Will: ’90s Game Systems: The Great Ones

I have returned!

After a couple weeks of traveling the twist and turns of the advertising world, I’m back to supply you all with a little throwback tech fun! (Who says we can only throw it back on Thursdays?)

I would say I played my fair share of sports video games while growing up. I wouldn’t necessarily say they were my ultimate go-to games as a kid, but, none the less, there was nothing better than getting a group of friends together and talking obscene amounts of 12-year-old smack. As college rolled around, it became clear that it was going to be a renaissance of all things virtual sports. From “FIFA” and “NBA Live” to, my current personal favorite, “NHL,” there was no lack of yelling and screaming when it came to gaming.

Today I will share my top 5 old school sports games growing up.
P.S Happy 20th Anniversary to “NHL ‘94”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fllyc-19B3s

5. “Madden ‘96” (Super Nintendo)

Although “Tecmo Super Bowl” is every one’s favorite old school football game, I was completely enslaved by “Madden.” From creating your own players and putting them through camp to playing as the powerhouse 49ers (I’m a HUGE Jerry Rice fan) this game could do no wrong.

4. “Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey” (N64)/ “NFL Blitz” (N64)

These two games were my N64 go-to games (as well as “Golden Eye”) in the late ’90s. Super violent and fast paced, you could play seasons and seasons of these two games in only a couple of hours. Once again, playing as your favorite team/ player always was a big plus in my book: Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) and Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers).

3. “NHL ’94” (Super Nintendo)

The second hockey game on this list and an absolute gem of a game, “NHL ’94” has every hockey fan who grew up around this time remembering how ridiculously awesome this game was. Legends like Gretzky, Lemieux, Modano, Hull, Sakic and Yzerman all made this game one of the treasures, if not most treasured hockey game ever. Shout out to Jeremy Roenick for being the most dominating player in the game.

2. “NBA Jam” (Super Nintendo)

Are there any words to describe this game?! Maybe one phrase… “HE’S ON FIRE!”

1. “FIFA ’98” (N64)

As a massive soccer fan, my first soccer game was “FIFA”, and boy did I take advantage of it. This game had some many cool little facades to it that I could never put the controller down. First off, the game starts with Blur’s “Song 2”… unbelievable start to any game. Then, it had such an insane supply of teams (I always played with Dominican Republic), and gamers could play on an indoor field that had walls… I can’t say enough good things about this game.

What are your favorites? Share them with us in the comments below!

Cover Photo Source: By Muband / PiaCarrot, from Wikimedia Commons

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Will.jpg[/author_image] [author_info] Wilhelm Lawrence is an Account Executive at SJG. He graduated from DePaul University in 2011 with a BA in Marketing and a BA in Management. The devious mind behind Wednesdays with Will, Will considers himself a jack of all trades whether that be sports enthusiasts, film guru or grand master of pop culture. Will always enjoys learning and stepping up to the challenges of the world we live in today. [/author_info] [/author]