The Top 5 Worst Athlete-Endorsed Video Games
For every "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!," sports video game junkies are also thrown titles like "James 'Buster' Douglas Knockout Boxing."
Below are five of the worst video games crafted to capitalize on the reputation of a sports star.
Michael Phelps: Push The Limit (2011) – Xbox 360 Kinect, Blitz Games
After blowing everyone out of the water during the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning eight gold medals, Michael Phelps was the natural choice to attach to a sports video game. And the Xbox 360 Kinect seemed like a perfect console to immerse players into the world of pro swimming. One little problem: No one wants to virtually swim.
Sterling Sharpe: End 2 End (1995) – Super NES, Jaleco Entertainment
Sharpe's career with the Green Bay Packers was sadly cut short due to a neck injury in 1994. But what's the second best thing to winning a championship ring with the Packers' 1996 team? Getting a weak "Madden" knockoff named in your honor.
Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball (1991) – Super NES, Hudson Soft
Laimbeer was the NBA player every other player loved to loathe in the 1980s due to his violent playing style. His assault-friendly reputation was parlayed into Super NES' first basketball game, where Laimbeer takes control of the NBA in 2030 and opens to game up to ref-free ultraviolence – complete with futuristic weapons. Luckily for mankind, Laimbeer has calmed down thanks to his gig as coach for the WNBA's Detroit Shock.
Tommy Lasorda Baseball (1989) – Sega Genesis, Sega
Lasorda was such a prominent pop culture figure in the 1980s and 1990s that it seemed like he was a natural fit for a video game franchise. But the "Slim Fast" pitchman's Sega-produced game was so darn hard, it sent gamers into a Lasorda-like rage.
James 'Buster' Douglas Knockout Boxing (1990) – Sega Genesis,Taito
After shocking the world by knocking out Mike Tyson in 1990, Sega quickly changed the name of their 1988 game "Final Blow" to "James 'Buster' Douglas Knockout Boxing." But the blatantly opportunistic move couldn't conceal the fact that "Final Blow" was a decent-looking-yet-crummy game – with perhaps the most pain-inducing sound effects.
