The lucrative success of the likes of EA's FIFA series and 2K Sports' NBA 2K series assures the sports genre stays relevant in gaming, but it also has plenty of titles for just about every demographic. That includes kids, with many of these games opting for the arcade-style approach to provide a more colorful experience as opposed to realistic sports-simulation titles.
As expected, the Super Mario franchise dominates the kid-friendly space with its arcade sports spinoffs. But there are others, like Knockout City, that have injected a welcome level of creativity.
Mario Tennis Aces
It's no surprise that a gaming mascot as vibrant as Mario has expanded into several sports. Mario Tennis Aces continues the series on the Switch, as with Battle League, and features an expectedly similar arcade-style approach to the titular sport.
On an aesthetic level, it's more than enough to catch the eye of kids looking for an engaging sports game, as this title is dripping with a stunning neon-lit presentation. More importantly, though, on the gameplay front, Aces has fun gameplay modes and stylized (but less aggressive) tennis mechanics that will surely keep young players busy.
Knockout City
Over-the-top, outlandish sports games make for the best titles for all ages, in addition to kids. Publisher EA and developer Velan Studios' Knockout City successfully targets those demographics, as well as refreshing ingenuity in what sports games can accomplish.
Based on dodgeball, the game sees two teams compete on unique sci-fi-like maps to knock each other out using the standard balls and the superpowered ones found around the arena. Given the fun premise and the fact that dodgeball is a popular recess sport, this is an exciting pick for kids.
Super Mario Strikers: Battle League
The overall Super Mario franchise has many excellent spin-off games, and the Strikers sub-series is a worthy shout. Super Mario Strikers: Battle League is the latest in the dormant series, basing itself on the world's most popular sport. Especially for kids, this game is a more than viable alternative to the aforementioned FIFA, as its colorful and over-the-top gameplay loop knows not to take itself seriously.
The game mixes in the core elements of soccer but combines them with bombastic and high-octane action that will make for countless fun sessions, especially with the different game modes available.
Nintendo Switch Sports
It isn't among Nintendo's umbrella of Mario sports spinoffs, its titular Switch Sports is an easy recommendation within the genre for kids and families alike. A long-awaited and full-blown sequel to the Nintendo Wii launch title from 2007, the aptly titled Nintendo Switch Sports gathers a collection of sports to play.
Played entirely by the custom-made avatars on the console known as Miis, players can take part in tennis, badminton, bowling, swordplay, volleyball, and a more arcade-like version of soccer. It also emphasizes motion controls through the console's Joy-Cons that culminate in an easy pick-up-and-play-style gameplay loop that the household can enjoy.
Rocket League
Arguably one of the biggest sensations in the arcade sports subgenre is developer/publisher Psyonix's Rocket League. The game takes two wildly contrasting concepts (rocket-powered karts and soccer) and somehow manages to execute the idea as a genuinely entertaining time.
It's blossomed into one of the most compelling esports to watch, but Rocket League's gameplay loop is similarly structured to be fun for all ages. The game is easy to learn and hard to master, but the latter point is what makes this a great choice for younger audiences thanks to its quick pacing and stylish movements -- in addition to being a free-to-play title.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Though it might stretch the boundaries of what a sports game entails, the Mario Kart series still qualifies as such and is even among the most popular Mario games in general. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a remastered Switch port of the original Wii U version, and it's easily made itself the definitive way to play the game.
The series in general is an excellent choice for kids, and Deluxe boasts the most value out of the series. Players can choose from a wide variety of associated characters, customizable karts, charming tracks, and fun powerups to play alone or with friends. What's more, the recent DLC season pass added even more race tracks from classic entries in the spin-off series.
Trials Rising
The Trials series is a cult-classic arcade sports franchise of games. They have a simple, yet effective gameplay structure that gives it great longevity to keep any audience thoroughly engaged. Trials Rising was released in 2019 and is the most recent release in the series, giving the arcade-style treatment to motorcycle trials professional sport.
It has players race to beat their times or those of online opponents, with a strong selection of creative obstacle courses, all while heavily incorporating physics-based controls. Trials Rising is great at encouraging the "one more run" approach, making it easy for kids to pick up and play for short or long bursts.
Forza Horizon 5
Playground Games' Forza Horizon 5 easily established itself as one of the best Xbox exclusives of the current console generation. The game -- and the series in general -- certainly takes a more grounded approach to racing, but it's still accessible enough to younger audiences.
That's because the Horizon sub-series is the more "arcade-like" of the two ongoing series, with Motorsport being the more professional-oriented, complex game. Forza Horizon 5 will be excellent even for young car enthusiasts, as it features streamlined controls, game modes, and an impressive catalog of customizable cars and next-gen graphics that'll assuredly dazzle players.
Gran Turismo 7
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo series. Gran Turismo 7 is the latest entry in the long-running series, and it's exclusive to PlayStation consoles. The game wasn't as emphatically well-received as Playground Games' corresponding titles -- in part due to the initially aggressive implementation of microtransactions -- but was still positive nonetheless.
Young gamers and car enthusiasts should also enjoy Gran Turismo 7 for similar reasons as Forza Horizon 5, though, perhaps with a skew toward pre-teens. The game features an engaging selection of game modes, stunning visuals, and (after correcting the microtransactions) a deep progression system.
Golf Story
Australian indie game developer Sidebar Games took an interesting spin on the conventional sports genre formula. Golf Story is an adventure and role-playing game that centers around a player attempting to impress his estranged wife by playing on a professional golf tour. The game features a mellow, relaxed tone along with a cast of endearing characters and a cartoonish approach to the sport itself.
Its RPG mechanics are fairly simple, but in the case of appealing to younger audiences, this can be seen as an incentive. Golf Story will make a solid pick for young players that are interested in a sports game with as much (or more) emphasis on light storytelling as it does with gameplay.
Source:gamerant.com