Photo credit: Matthew Young | The Breeze
The sports world is going through unprecedented times as the novel coronavirus spreads and wreaks havoc worldwide. The Olympics have been postponed, the NHL halted play just weeks before its playoffs were set to begin, the NCAA canceled March Madness, the MLB postponed the start of its season and on April 6, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the 2020 Draft will be completely virtual.
Sports have long offered comfort for many people in times of crisis. While they’re put on hold for the foreseeable future — creating a content void for sports lovers — video games can fill part of that void and serve as a way for friends to maintain relationships while practicing safe social distancing; no matter your sport of choice, there’s a video game available for you to enjoy.
EA Sports
EA Sports is a video game developer that publishes annual versions of Madden NFL, FIFA, NHL, NBA and MBA. With most popular sports leagues included and its wide availability, its games are some of the most popular in the sports category.
EA Sports games are available for most standard gaming consoles, including Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC; some older games are available for systems such as Gamecube. Most of the newer platforms offer online services that make it easy to play with one’s friends while participating in friendly banter.
When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the season would be pauseddue to the coronavirus, some teams shifted their season online, using “NHL 20” to play simulation games. The Washington Capitals are an example: The team followed its same schedule, and players even participated in post-game phone interviews to chat about the games and how the simulated version of themselves performed.
MLB: The Show
If one’s missing baseball and owns a Playstation, “MLB: The Show” is the perfect game. The Playstation-exclusive game released its newest version on March 17, which features the ability to create a custom online league — including the option to rename and change the logos of teams — with one’s friends.
Some teams are using “MLB: The Show” to engage with fans and provide entertainment. Teams such as the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels have simulated their home openers and other games while waiting for the real games to begin.
Mario Kart
An oldie-but-a-goodie, “Mario Kart” combines go-kart racing and animations with classic Mario characters, making this game a popular choice for decades. With varying difficulty levels and multiple modes of play, anyone can play this game and be entertained for hours. “Mario Kart” might also be nostalgic for younger generations who played the game during their childhood, which will add to the fun if one breaks out their old Wii and speeds down Rainbow Road.
Wii Sports
Now that the Wii is out, “Wii Sports” is the perfect game for anyone who misses the physicality of playing sports. It features tennis, boxing, golf, bowling and baseball, and it’s a great option for staying active during quarantine. If one spent hours playing bowling with their family and friends — and playing oneself when everyone else got tired of playing it with them — the game might be nostalgic for them.
Backyard Sports
“Backyard Sports” was a highlight of many childhoods for kids born in the 90’s and early 2000s. The game provided the feeling of coming home from school, turning on the computer and entering the clubhouse before heading to the bleachers to draft a team.
First released in 1997, “Backyard Sports” has five versions — baseball, soccer, football, basketball and hockey — and features kid versions of famous athletes as well as original characters. If one has one of these games packed away in a box somewhere and they still have a computer with a CD-ROM, this game can keep them entertained for hours and probably make them forget they still have homework to do.
As coronavirus continues to seep through the country, people are stuck inside as states extend stay-at-home orders through the beginning of June. The entire world has come to a halt, and people have had to get creative with their entertainment; these games allow people to continue enjoying their favorite sports while staying safe and preventing further spread of the virus.
Story originally published by The Breeze.
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