It’s not quite the same, but it’s worth remembering that sports video games can help fill the void left by traditional sports being postponed or cancelled due to the current health crisis. Retro or modern, arcade or sim— there are options out there to help fans cope a little bit.

Baseball: Sony’s MLB: The Show series is the best bet for modern consoles. The modernized RBI Baseball games are a mixed bag. Plenty of retro options, from RBI on NES to World Series on Genesis... the MLB games on PlayStation and the MVP series for PS2/Xbox/Gamecube.

If football doesn’t happen, aside from the modern Madden games, older consoles offer plenty of options. Tecmo Super Bowl (NES/SNES/Genesis) is great. NFL Football ‘94 on Genesis is decent. Check out the GameDay series on PlayStation or the NFL 2K series on Dreamcast/PS2/Xbox.

College football fan? From PlayStation to PS3 & Xbox 360, the NCAA Football games are plentiful. Check out the Bill Walsh series on the Genesis, too! There haven’t been more modern ones in years, but deep customization options help bridge the gap!

Hoops fans are still waiting— and there’s a ton of titles for them to get their game on. The NBA 2K series is where it’s at on modern consoles, but older systems have a range of titles from NBA JAM and NBA Live to NBA Street— or maybe Tecmo Super NBA Basketball for SNES/Genesis.

Hockey fans aren’t left in the cold. EA’s NHL series is dominant for modern consoles— and it also has great versions on the Genesis, SNES, PlayStation, and the N64. Don’t overlook the NHL Hitz games for the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube, either!

Most consoles (and many handhelds) have plenty of sports video gaming options— and I’ve only shared a few in this thread. If you’ve been missing sports, like I have, these games are a fun way to keep them going in the interim. Give them a chance!