The Minds Behind Sports Games

Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by Nintendo, Disney and EA Sports. Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments

Foreword by Michael Brook

Preface

Introduction

Aaron Cammarata, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3: Simply the Best, Better Than All the Rest

John Salwitz, Rob Rowe and Don Traeger, 720: Build It and They Will Come

Don Goddard, Transworld Surf: Third Time’s a Charm

Pascal Sahuc and Nick Doran, Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer: Making Waves

Martin Edmondson, Destruction Derby: Have Your Cake and Break Stuff, Too


Jon Spencer, SSX: Big Delays, Big Thrills

Mark McArthur, Links 2004: Xbox’s Hole in One

Stephen Chaplin, Virtual Pool: Calling All the Shots

Alan O’Brien, Ten Pin Alley: A Turkey for Its Time

Benjamin Johnson, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis: The Little Experimental Project That Could

Sanders Keel, Pride FC: Fighting Championships: A Sleeper ­Tap-Out

Loren Lemcke, Super Blood Hockey: An Indie ­Hip-Check

Craig Broadbooks, NHL FaceOff ’98: You’re Beautiful, It’s True

Michael Mendheim and Sam Nelson, Mutant League Hockey: When Glenda Shaved the Ice

Clint Forward, NHL 2K: Sega’s Black Box Special

Mark Flitman, WWF Royal Rumble: The Original ­Six-Pack Wrestling Challenge

Mark Flitman, WWE RAW: From Royal to Mega

Justin W. Withers, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling: A ­Semi-Charmed Kind of Life

Sanders Keel, WCW/nWo Revenge: Just Too Sweet, ­4-Life

Michael Rubinelli, Toughman Contest: Butterbean’s Brawling Bonanza

Dan Kitchen, Boxing Fever: A Forgotten ­First-Person Knockout

Chris Razmovski, Boxing Champs: An Uppercut from Mobile Phones to Mobile Consoles

Kevin Sheller, NBA Inside Drive 2000: Codename Rock

Jules Burt and Perry Rodgers, NBA ShootOut: A “Total” NBA Experience


Michael Brook, NBA Action ’95: Air ­Brook-Ziomkowski Ready for Takeoff

Don Traeger and Carl Mey, Lakers Versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs: Exchangeable Heads and the Birth of EA Sports

Mark Flitman, MLB Slugfest ­20-03: No Arcade? No Problem

Eddie Dombrower, Earl Weaver Baseball: EA’s First Triple Play

Peter Lipson, RBI Baseball: The Silicon Valley Survivors

Jules Burt, FIFA International Soccer: From the Beach to the Pitch

John Salwitz, Cyberball: The Lost Summer and Atari’s Explosive Gridiron Experience

Mark Flitman, NFL Blitz ­20-02: It’s Too Late Baby, But Still Damn Good

Michael Brook, NFL ’95: Jay’s Fridge Strikes Back

Cam Weber, NCAA Football 2014: Goodnight EA’s Football Prince

Michael Brook and Don Traeger, John Madden Football: How EA Got in the Game

Conclusion

Afterword by Sanders Keel

Index