Madden 2005 is my choice and generally regarded as the series peak.ĢK: ESPN NFL 2K5 is the vaunted champion of football gaming among reviewers and internet dorks. Everything from 2004 to 2012 is very high-quality. Madden: PS2/Xbox was the golden era of Madden, hitting just the right balance of technology and taste, with the best football gameplay out there (Yeah I said it!). March Madness: EA usually did something unusual with the college series, and March Madness 06, although way out of whack with itself, offered some short-lived fun. NBA Live 2005 was popular for its Slam Dunk Contest mode. NBA Live 2003 is good for unrealistically fast action. Live: EA’s sim series is just okay on PS2. I’m not sure on the best version, perhaps NBA 2K8. 2 is the best choice.ĢK: Revered at the time, this generation of NBA and college 2K games really hasn’t held up. People seem to agree that NBA Street Vol. Street: PS2 doesn’t have great basketball sims or something close to NBA Jam’s arcade appeal, but EA’s Street series stands out. Only FaceOff 2001 is worth a try for some simple, early-gen hockey action. They switched to a 5-on-5 game for NHL Hitz Pro, which I like but definitely has some issues.įaceOff/Gretzky: Sony’s series got worse and worse. Hitz: NHL Hitz 2002 and NHL Hitz 2003 are both FANTASTIC 3-on-3 arcade hockey games. I think NHL 2K6 is the strongest of the series. I happen to prefer the much different NHL 07 and its odd control scheme.ĢK: In my opinion, this series was always second banana to EA, but some people praise ESPN NHL 2K5.
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007ĮA Sports NHL: The series got good starting with NHL 2004, which introduced the skill stick and is generally regarded as the best on PS2. See all PS2 sports game reviews 15 Best PS2 Sports Gamesįor starters, here’s my ranked list of the top PS2 sports games, listing only the best version of each series: Madden NFL 2005