We already published the list of best original Xbox games of all time, now it’s time to discover the best original Xbox sports games of all time.
With amazing titles available, the original Xbox definitely has a great library of sports games.
So, if you’re a fan of both the original Xbox and sports games, there’s a chance you’ll like this list.
And some of you may already know some of the games mentioned in this list.
#25. ESPN NHL Hockey
- Release Data: Kush Games/Sega, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Ice Hockey » Sim
Though it’s not impossible to find fault in ESPN NHL Hockey, you’d be hard-pressed to find enough faults to call this game anything but excellent.
If you’re a fan of the sport of hockey, you owe it to yourself to add ESPN NHL Hockey to your collection, as it’s simply too good to pass up.
#24. NCAA Football 06
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2005
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
While a bevy of new features has been added to this title, the best aspect of the game is probably its re-tweaking of the usual NCAA game balance.
The actual nuts and bolts of playing a game of NCAA 06 make it feel just right, and for veterans of the series, playing this will evoke warm memories of NCAA 04.
#23. NBA Street V3
- Release Data: EA Canada/EA Sports Big, 2005
- Genre: Sports » Team » Basketball » Arcade
NBA Street V3 offers a fantastic amount of content, from tons of unlockables and customizable options in the single-player game to the addition of an online mode.
If you’re a fan of basketball, you owe it to yourself to check out NBA Street V3.
#22. Top Spin
- Release Data: Pam Development/Microsoft Game Studios, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Tennis
Top Spin would not exist had Virtua Tennis not come before it. This is an undeniable truth.
But Top Spin comes with more features, deeper gameplay, significantly better graphics, and an experience that, overall, promises to be even longer-lasting.
In the end, this is as close to flawless as a tennis video game has ever been.
#21. NCAA Football 07
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2006
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
There simply is no way to underestimate the passion fans have for the game of college football.
By once again capturing that electric atmosphere in NCAA 07, and combining it with an ever-evolving set of control tweaks and gameplay modes, EA Sports has created a game that no fan of football video games will want to be without.
#20. Fight Night Round 2
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2005
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Combat » Boxing / Martial Arts
There’s a lot to like about Fight Night Round 2, most obviously a deep and involving boxing mechanic that allows you to be creative in your approach to the sports.
As a sequel, the game improves on many aspects of its predecessor and ends up as one that will continually challenge your skills the longer you play it.
#19. World Soccer Winning Eleven 9
- Release Data: KCET/Konami, 2006
- Genre: Sports » Team » Soccer » Sim
It certainly plays a more realistic game of soccer than FIFA 06, but it also lacks many of that game’s great features, such as official licenses across the board, the multiplayer lounge mode, and its innovative playing-style feature.
However, the game represents a significant enough improvement over its predecessor that it’s impossible not to recommend it.
#18. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003
- Release Data: EA Sports/Electronic Arts, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Golf » Sim
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is a well-rounded game of golf that should prove to be completely playable by both hardcore and casual fans, as well as those without any interest in the sport.
And now Tiger Woods, along with more than a little help from EA Sports, has raised the bar for excellence in the field of golf games.
#17. NCAA Football 2005
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2004
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
Overall, NCAA Football 2005 offers a fine overall package and should appeal to just about any hardcore college football fan.
The new home-field advantage and composure ratings do a lot to give the game a true college sports feel, and the core gameplay has evolved to a satisfactory degree as well.
#16. Madden NFL 2002
- Release Data: EA Sports/Electronic Arts, 2001
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
In the end, Madden 2002 is a great game of simulation-style football for the Xbox.
If you’re trying to decide between Madden and NFL Fever, it really depends on what type of football game you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for a simulation that has incredible depth, Madden 2002 is your game.
#15. MVP Baseball 2004
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2004
- Genre: Sports » Team » Baseball » Sim
Assuming you do decide to pick up a copy of MVP Baseball 2004, you’ll likely be satisfied no matter which version you get.
The core fundamentals are spot-on, the variety of options and control choices is spectacular, and the presentation totally draws you into the experience of being front and center at an actual ballpark that’s filled with screaming fans.
#14. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
- Release Data: Neversoft Entertainment/Activision, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Skate / Skateboard
The deeper single-player and improved multiplayer modes makes Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 the most tightly-packed installment in the series to date, and the slightly refined gameplay is still unmatched in the action sports arena.
In short, anyone with even a remote interest in either the genre or the real-life sport should get this game as soon as possible.
#13. NCAA Football 2003
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
There’s a lot of selection of college football games on the Xbox, but that really doesn’t matter because NCAA Football 2003 offers the complete football experience.
The rivalry games are incredibly entertaining, and the dynasty mode adds a tremendous amount of replay value to an already great game.
#12. NBA Street Vol. 2
- Release Data: Electronic Arts/EA Sports Big, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Basketball » Arcade
While it may have a little too much in common with the previous game in the series for some of the more-casual NBA Street fans to swallow, NBA Street Vol. 2 is a great game.
Any fan of basketball who isn’t necessarily sold on the complexities of your average NBA simulation will find plenty to love here.
#11. World Series Baseball 2K3
- Release Data: Blue Shift/Sega, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Baseball » Sim
Minor criticisms aside, World Series Baseball 2K3 is spectacular. It’s easy to play and deep enough to lose yourself in.
The ESPN branding may seem like a gimmick at first, but it’s really just one part of a thoroughly enjoyable product.
#10. Madden NFL 2004
- Release Data: EA Tiburon/EA Sports, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
Unfortunately, the Xbox and GameCube versions of Madden NFL 2004 don’t have any sort of online play, but that really doesn’t detract much from how great Madden NFL 2004 really is.
All the new features have been integrated so well into the preexisting framework that it seems like they’ve always been there.
#9. ESPN NFL Football
- Release Data: Visual Concepts/Sega, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
In the end, ESPN NFL Football is truly the best playing football game available for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
That said, if you’re a fan of the off-the-field options and gameplay modes found in Madden, you might find that ESPN’s franchise mode come up a bit short on the simulation side of things.
#8. Madden NFL 2005
- Release Data: EA Tiburon/EA Sports, 2004
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
When all is said and done, Madden NFL 2005 is still Madden.
That is to say, it’s another superb game of football that continues Madden’s long legacy as one of the best in the business.
Also, the additions to the franchise mode easily make the mode the best of its kind.
#7. Madden NFL 2003
- Release Data: EA Tiburon/Electronic Arts, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
Madden NFL 2003‘s abundance of modes and the amount of detail in them are sure to keep you busy for quite some time.
But the few minor issues in the gameplay prevent it from being the best, though it’s still certainly one of the best football games out there.
#6. NFL 2K3
- Release Data: Visual Concepts/Sega, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
There’s very little, if anything, to really complain about in NFL 2K3.
The graphics look great, the commentary is interesting and sounds natural, and, most importantly, the game features balanced offensive and defensive gameplay that does an excellent job of mimicking the nuances of the actual sport.
#5. SSX 3
- Release Data: EA Canada/EA Sports Big, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Ski / Snowboard
The game’s new, open-ended structure, excellent audio, enhanced trick system, and improved graphics combine to make this a superlative sequel to a series that’s always had high standards.
Regardless of whether you’ve played SSX or care much about snowboarding, you’d be doing yourself a favor by checking this game out.
#4. World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International
- Release Data: KCET/Konami, 2005
- Genre: Sports » Team » Soccer » Sim
If you can manage to play without official licenses and are looking for the most realistic soccer game available for the original Xbox, in addition to an all-consuming career mode that you can play when your friends aren’t around, then Winning Eleven 8 is definitely the game for you.
#3. ESPN NFL 2K5
- Release Data: Visual Concepts/Sega, 2004
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
Again, another great title from Sega that offers gamers something different than the standard EA game.
ESPN NFL 2K5 may be the last but it is a worthy end to a franchise that should still be making games.
Pick up this title, and do so with the peace of mind that you’re getting no less than the deal of a lifetime.
#2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
- Release Data: Neversoft Entertainment/Activision, 2002
- Genre: Sports » Individual » Skate / Skateboard
The first game reinvented a genre and set off a series of clones that still flood the market today.
The second game refined the formula, but its higher level of difficulty and steeper learning curve turned off casual players.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 brings it all together in one package that makes everything before it almost unplayable by comparison.
#1. NCAA Football 2004
- Release Data: EA Sports, 2003
- Genre: Sports » Team » Football » Sim
If you’re a casual college football fan and you already own the previous game, then there really isn’t a huge reason for you to buy this game.
But if you’re a hardcore fan, then you will certainly enjoy all of the features that EA Sports has added to make an enjoyable game even better.
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See also: Best Gaming Chairs & Best Xbox 360 Games
Are your favorite games on the list?
Deciding which original Xbox sports game is the best is no doubt a never ending topic, but it’s fun to do!