Summary
Sports gameshave provided gamers with the opportunity to explore the world’s most exciting athletic activities without breaking the bank on membership and equipment, paving the way not just for replications of popular matches but also simulations on how to “play” and even manage teams of players. With hits such as theNBA 2KandMadden NFLbeing mainstays in the genre, fans have been accustomed to sports games centered around their simulation appeal.
However, devs have taken strides in developing more personalized sports game experiences to the point of incorporating RPG mechanics into them. While other sports titles have become notable for including RPG-style customization and progression, other games have ventured into fullSports RPGterritory by focusing on players making a name for themselves in the game’s sport of choice. However, just which Sports RPGs are must-tries for players?
Platform
PC, Mac OS
Despite the idea of amonster-tamerand sports being an uncommon genre combination,Beastieballmakes the concept work with a game that puts players in the shoes of a coach training Beasties that love volleyball. The sports title transforms the volleyball court into a “board” that Beasties occupy, with sports commentary dividing moments into turns that “pause” time for Beasties to make their move.
Beasties can “tank” hits but get decommissioned after taking too much damage, or simply let the ball fall to give the enemy the point. Matches only need a range of one to three games to win, with Beasties possessing unique abilities based on real volleyball moves to turn the tide. Beasties level up certain stats (Power and Defense across Body, Spirit, and Mind) after matches to improve the strength of their moves, with their rapport affecting performance if they’re Besties, Partners, Rivals, or Sweethearts.
After a cataclysmic event bans soccer and causes the hero’s father to go missing,Soccer Storyis set in a world where only the evil Soccer Inc. allows matches to happen. When protagonist Kai or Leo becomes motivated to look for their father, they begin a quest to recruit teammates, improve their skills, and slowly liberate their home of Soccertown and other areas to bring soccer back to the world.
As with typical RPGs, players roam around areas, talk to NPCs, and complete quests, with soccer always becoming a common point in tasks, regardless of if it’s fighting mushrooms or collecting items. Matches play like traditional soccer titles where players run, pass, slide, and shoot the ball. However, this time around, their specific Speed, Shooting, Energy, and Strength stats across characters allow them to tailor-build their team to specific playstyles.
Despite its retro appearance,Legend Bowlattempts to upgrade the appeal of hardcoreMaddenmatches with the tactical prowess of team planning. Unlike “smoother” 3Dfootball games, the 2D graphics ofLegend Bowlpay homage to clunkier classic titles, forcing players to pay closer attention to how the team’s technical components play off each other’s strengths to maximize time on the field.
The game has a myriad of settings for players to tinker with to ensure they get precisely the best views in matches, which is essential for the title’s fast-paced gameplay. Players need to stay aware of their team’s individual strengths and stats, which they can improve as they progress in the game. This, combined with the game’s reliance on the proper combinations of formations and plays gives players a real-time RPG-esque experience.
PC
Moving away fromNBA 2K’s traditional simulation of the NBA is the casual appeal ofFreeStyle 2: Street Basketball. Instead of formal jerseys and precision plays,FreeStyle 2encourages players to enjoy street-level balling as they create stylish characters with an assortment of flashy outfits that more closely resemble anime protagonists than professional athletes.
However, whereFreeStyle 2shines as abasketball experience is its gameplay. On top of following traditional basketball rules,FreeStyle 2gives characters opportunities to select Roles based on real terms (e.g., Shooting Guard) that possess unique Skills and Freestyle super moves, allowing players to tailor-fit their playstyles to their preference. Moreover, the game also locks complex movements and chance-based upgrades in a skill tree system, giving a sense of progression to characters.
Android, iOS
Japanese football fans owe it toCaptain Tsubasafor popularizing the sport in the country during the manga’s serialization, andCaptain Tsubasa: Tatakae Dream Teamattempts to capture that same allure with a mobile strategy-based sports RPG title. As with the story’s main plot, Captain Tsubasa aims for the Japanese team to win numerous championships, and it’s up to players to take the mantle of coach to ensure players make it to the top.
The gameplay ofTatakae Dream Teamattempts to capture the allure of controlling Tsubasa and other popular manga characters from the perspective of a player-made team. Characters improve in terms of stats and skills across matches, while team formations are arranged before games begin. Actual matches take place on a court where characters move as per the player’s formation, with characters engaging in aturn-based “battle”when encountering foes. Based on their stats, the success of moves such as Blocks, Intercepts, and Tackles may determine the fate of both the ball and the match.
Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
The impact of the originalInazuma Eleventitle spawned not just a video game series but a franchise entirely, with concurrent anime, manga, and card game tie-ins that ran in conjunction with its story. However, amongInazuma Eleventitles to be released, it’sInazuma Eleven 2that had the most cohesive combination ofengaging mechanicsand a riveting story involving an alien soccer team.
Building upon the first game’s mechanics, players now travel the country and recruit teammates from the new Inazuma Bus hub location. Matches maintain their 4-a-side kickabouts and 11-a-side full setups, as well as command duels that determine the ball’s fate depending on the participants’ stats and elements. However, spicing things up are new mechanics such as any-time long-distance shooting and blocking based on special moves, as well as pre-match alter egos that swap a character’s set stats to alter their in-game performance.
Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S
When it’s one player against an entire team in a no-holds-barred dodgeball match, the flashiest slides, jumps, and comeback throws resemble a shonen protagonist’s path to victory. This is the same energyreleased byDodgeball Academia, where protagonist Otto aims to prove himself worthy of the prestigious Dodgeball Academia after dropping out of school. Similar to a school-based RPG,Dodgeball Academiatakes Otto to classes where he learns about dodgeball, training that takes the form of minigames, and quests that give various rewards.
However, where the game shines is its twist on real-time dodgeball. When Otto enters Dodgeball Academy, his potential is “determined” when a ball from the Great Dodgeball War unlocks his latent power (an elemental ball blast). Likewise, players need to take note of their character’s strengths while making their three-man team, especially since the game’s objective is to use one’s abilities and Balltimate Moves to eliminate all the HP of the opposing team via the aforementioned dodgeball.
Game Boy Advance
Improving uponMario Tennisfor the Game Boy Color isMario Tennis: Power Tour, a sports RPG where youngsters Clay or Ace of the Royal Tennis Academy have to train to fight mysterious masked challengers who defeated the previously-unbeatable Academy.In typical tennis fashion, much of the game’s RPG mechanics are intermixed with tennis concepts, where the main story and even mini-games have something to do with the sport.
WhileMario Tennis: Power Tourplays like a traditional tennis title, its RPG mechanics add a vibrantMariospin to the game. Matches give players a lump sum of EXP, which they can use to specifically tailor either their protagonist or partner’s stats. Considering the game’s addition of special Power Shots, players need to pay close attention to how their character’s Power, Control, Side Spin, and Speed may affect their moveset.
Compared totraditional golf titles, the integration of RPG mechanics inMario Golfmakes the casual sports game a standout among its peers. Across its entries,Mario Golf: Advance Tourmaximizes the processing power of the Game Boy Advance with its integration of a full RPG story and deeper RPG mechanics. The story is simple enough: trainees Neil, Ella, Buzz, and Helen go to Marion Clubhouse to train under the tutelage of champion golfer Kid from the firstMario Golfgame in their desire to defeat the world’s best golfer, Mario.
While the game features both traditional golf matches andMario-style mini-games, the title’s main appeal lies in its RPG mechanics. Whenever players complete game modes and reach certain thresholds, they can use earned EXP points to improve Drive, Trajectory, Height, Impact, Control, and Spin. However, while these stats already affect the way their characters handle the ball, the game is constantly subjecting players to unique mini-games that focus onAdvance Tour’s specialized mechanics, which serve as an innovative real-time training ground for players themselves.
The Trials inPyreresemble a sort of fantasy basketball, and it just so happens to be the only way for criminals of the Downside to get back to the Commonwealth. WhilePyrehaving a gripping story is no surprise for Supergiant Games, who also made hits such asHadesandTransistor, the game shines in its mechanics. At its core, the player’s three-person team has to ensure the ball in the center of the field hits the opposing team’s Rite.
However, there are two catches: teams only move one character at a time, and all characters have special abilities.In this MOBA-meets-RPG-meets-basketball twist, players need to manage the interplay between interactions of character types as well as their available skill sets. Based on how players develop certain characters, their overall playstyle may change - be it fast-paced enemy eliminations, absolute power-crushing offense, or hard defense.
