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Lots of companies tried to cash in on the popularity of college sports, but not everyone was able to truly bring the experience home. Time Warner’s effort featured a recognizable name but not much else, and the game attached to it wasn’t really much fun to play.
A longtime publisher of sports titles, Sega ramped up its simulations to compete with the wares of Electronic Arts and other companies. The Sega Sports brand was born and covered the gamut of sports, from football to racing. Tennis was also in the line up, but while it had an official license, it was still a step down from the competition.
Electronic Arts has long been associated with quality sports games, but some of its releases have flown a bit under the radar, and with good reason. The NHLPA Hockey series evolved into the popular and long-lived NHL juggernaut, but did EA hit the rink running with this initial installment or serve up a body check? Read on and see!
Coming to America as World Championship Soccer, World Cup Italia ’90 originally saw a release in Europe, where it featured a few differences from its U.S. counterpart. Aside from some realistic player names (and a new title and box art, obviously), it also boasts an official FIFA license, something the American version lacked. Primitive when compared to EA’s efforts, it can still be fun with a friend.
Cute takes on standard genres are common in video gaming. Shooters with cute characters are a sub-genre all their own, and the trend even extends to sports. Namco made some of the better known examples, and its World Stadium series was highly popular in Japan. Sadly, the west saw it only in the first R.B.I. Baseball game and Batter Up on the Game Gear.