Matrix Games Forums

So, given Shaun's announcement, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who took a quick look around to see what's out there in the genre. I started this by sharing what's on my hard drive that I would endorse, but as people have chimed in with their recommendations, the list has grown

Please limit yourself to touting the merits of the games you do like - I'd hate to have started a thread that turns into a "bashing" thread [;)].

Baseball:
PureSim 2007
Out Of The Park Baseball 2006
OOTPB 6.5
Diamond Mind Baseball (manager focus, not GM focus)
PC Action Baseball

Soccer:
Worldwide Soccer Manager 2007
(a.k.a Football Manager 2007 in Europe)

Pro Football:
Front Office Football
Second And Ten Football (coach focus, not GM focus)
PC Action Football

College Football:
Bowl Bound College Football
Front Office Football: The College Years

Hockey:
East Side Hockey Manager

Pro Basketball:
Total Pro Basketball 2005
PC Action Basketball

College Basketball:
Gary Gorski's Total College Basketball

Horse Racing:
Quarterpole Plus

Other Sports:
Wrestling Spirit 1

Nostalgia:
Premier Manager '98
One-Nil

Coming Soon:
Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball
Greydog Sport's Pro Football game

I'll continue to update the list as you guys post your recommendations, and I'll bold anything that's getting a significant number of recommendations.

Great, what a surprise, we play ALL the same freaking games except for bowlbound.
 
For basketball there is jumpshot and I think wolverine studios is releasing a new one.
 
Nostalgia... well I remember my first career sim, it was one-Nil and I still have the 5 1/4 diskette somewhere. Luckily I burned it onto a CD way back when too, so I still have it. Played the hell out of that game, which is amazing since I knew absolutely NOTHING about the sport.
 
EHM's latest patch is due put very soon.
 
I wish I had the time for FM, but it's just so involved and I know way too little to even start. Plus when you couple my DMB baseball and leagues, puresim, FOF and ehm, there's just not enough time

forgot to add in all the time spent posting on the DMB forums [;)]

Pro Football: Second and Ten Football. It's my current addiction and I don't seeing it end anytime soon.

I got FM2007 a couple weeks ago.  I haven't done anything since, including work.[:D]

Baseball:
PureSim 2007 << By far my favorite but I have dabbled with Baseball Mogul 2005 I think & OOTP 6.5 I think.

Soccer:
Not a soccer fan.

Pro Football:
Front Office Football&nbsp;&nbsp; << Considering buying this.. not sure yet though.

College Football:
Bowl Bound College Football
Front Office Football: The College Years&nbsp;&nbsp; << Might buy one of these two but not sure.

Hockey:
Don't like Hockey

Basketball:
TPB2005&nbsp; << Best basketball sim out til Gary puts out his new one which will blow all other basketball sims out of the water.&nbsp; His new game is called Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball.

College Basketball:
Fast Break College Basketball.. I'm considering buying Gary's Total College Basketball TCB

Nostalgia:

ORIGINAL: akcranker

Baseball:
PureSim 2007 << By far my favorite but I have dabbled with Baseball Mogul 2005 I think & OOTP 6.5 I think.

Soccer:
Not a soccer fan.

Pro Football:
Front Office Football << Considering buying this.. not sure yet though.

College Football:
Bowl Bound College Football
Front Office Football: The College Years << Might buy one of these two but not sure.

Hockey:
Don't like Hockey

Basketball:
TPB2005 << Best basketball sim out til Gary puts out his new one which will blow all other basketball sims out of the water. His new game is called Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball.

College Basketball:
Fast Break College Basketball.. I'm considering buying Gary's Total College Basketball TCB

Nostalgia:

Just a piece of friendly advice.........don't let not being a soccer fan keep you from trying Football Manager. It's one heckuva game. You'll be amazed.

Ok, so that's 2 votes here, and about a zillion votes elsewhere on the net that proclaim FM the king of sports sims. I hate soccer. Only the World Cup peaks any interest in me whatsoever, but only because of nationalistic pride, not because I find the games interesting. What is it about this particular game that has people singing it's praises? Can someone enlighten me?

I will say that the whole promotion/demotion idea is intriguing, but other than that the games are slow [>:], the players piss and moan like babies when someone trips them , and the way the clock works just ticks me off. [:@]

Who, me? I think you have me confused with some other poster [:D]

Although, to be fai, I probably would be able to finish a season of FM a night if I cut back to only about 3 hours a day on those forums [:)]

Baseball:
PureSim 2007 << PS 2007 is my favorite, but I still have High Heat 2003 for a graphics fix and Miller's Broadcast blast and Diamond Mind 9 (which I can never really into to) and OOTP 6.5 (which is to sterile for my taste).

Soccer:
Not a soccer fan.

Pro Football:
Front Page Sports Football 1998 << I own Madden and Max Football (which could be promising, but FPS FB is still the best. >>>

College Football:
No College

Hockey:
Don't like Hockey

Basketball:
TPB2005 << I agree that this the best Pro BB sim out there, I will purchse his new update when it is available >>>

Baseball - PureSim, OOTP, DMB & PC Action

Football - Second & Ten, PC Action & Bowl Bound

Basketball - PC Action, TCB & possibly the new offering by Wolverine

Don't like or understand Hockey or ugh Soccer

ORIGINAL: dneely

Basketball - PC Action, TCB & possibly the new offering by Wolverine

Have you seen the new info on DDS:PB? The screenshots & list of features has me drooling. This is going to be the best basketball sim out there!!!

ORIGINAL: akcranker

ORIGINAL: dneely

Basketball - PC Action, TCB & possibly the new offering by Wolverine

Have you seen the new info on DDS:PB? The screenshots & list of features has me drooling. This is going to be the best basketball sim out there!!!

Does anyone know when it is suppose to be released?

No they haven't posted a release date. If you check the wolverinestudios.com forums daily you can check up on updates about the game.

I currently have OOTP4, 5, 2006 on my PC along with Puresim 2007 and Bowl Bound College Football on my PC (oh yeah I forgot I have Wrestling Spirit 1 too). I can definiely recommend Bowl Bound for anyone that likes football, and especially the recruiting aspect of the college game. Im not even a big college football fan (love pro football but dont follow college much) and I have DEFINITLY spent more time on this game than any other game on my HD (including things like Oblivion, Gothic 3, Neverwinter Nights 2, etc....)

Here is a fantastic Bowl Bound online league Im in (and maybe a couple of others of us. Im Syracuse)

http://www.gridiron-glory.net/

Thanks Nukester, I was thinking of trying that one out...

What is Second and Ten Football? Can you play with fictitional players? Does it offer career-based leagues?

ORIGINAL: PadresFan104

Thanks Nukester, I was thinking of trying that one out...

And to make it even better, Arlie (the developer) is in the process of making a pro game, and it will have the abilty to import your graduating players from the college game into the pro game for the amateur draft

Second and Ten (SAT) is not a career or fictonal player game. It offers season replay, or draft seasons. Every NFL team from 1950 is included. The game is for people who enjoy coaching, not for people who enjoy running the front office.

I'm currently finishing up a 1981 Replay that has been incredibly exciting. You can check it out from my link below.

Puresim for baseball, Second and Ten for football. Quarterpole Plus for horse racing.