After mentioning some video game teams in my NHL Eastern Conference Finals preview, that got me thinking about which were the most exciting video game teams of all time. For the purpose of this exercise, I’m going with just the base rosters for each game mentioned (except when I talk about a created player I liked to add to the Boston Bruins). The teams aren’t ranked in order.
Most of the clubs listed have at least one of two traits. Almost all of them had at least one transcendent talent that could single-handedly win you a game (the 1994 Expos are the only exception). Almost all of these teams were much more potent in the virtual world as opposed to real life (the only exception being the 2006 Colts, which are the only team mentioned on this list that won a championship in real life).
Feel free to write in the comments section teams that I have left out. I’ve played quite a few sports games over the years, but certainly haven’t played them all. Now on to the list…
1988 Los Angeles Raiders (TECMO Bowl) – Bo Jackson was so overwhelming in this game, he was the most dominant force in the game even though there was only one play you could call for him. For video proof, check out this TECMO Bowl highlight where Bo Jackson runs 99 yards and kills the entire 1st quarter (for those that didn’t play this game, he’s the dude running with the flashing “1” over his head).
1999-2004 Minnesota Vikings (Madden 2000-2005) – There will never be a more dominant video game wide receiver than Randy Moss during this time span (he wasn’t too shabby in real life in this era either. If you forgot, watch this). The Vikings always had plenty of weapons around him that made them much more effective on Playstation than in real life. Robert Smith and Cris Carter were there the first two years, but things went to another level with the arrival of Daunte Culpepper and Michael Bennett. Culpepper was a huge dude with a cannon arm that could also run (in other words, he was the kind of guy you would create to play quarterback), and Bennett was between a 96 and a 98 in speed. Bennett was the classic guy who’s speed made him a much better Madden player than a real life one (former Broncos runningback Tatum Bell was another famous one). Minnesota was a juggernaut for online play.
2002-03 Boston Bruins (NHL 03) – This Bruins club was based on the season after they earned the top seed in the east, but ended up choking against the Canadians in the first round. Anchored by Joe Thornton, this team had a fleet of goal scorers in Glen Murray, Sergei Samsonov, Brian Rolston, and Mike Knuble. Things were even better offensively when 18-year old super phenom Cam Muir was added to the mix. Muir’s ability to skate in circles around the net almost resulted in my friend Ethan punching my television on several occasions. Muir’s exploits on the ice were almost as prolific as his efforts on the gridiron playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Someday, his multi-sport efforts will be recognized (oh wait, they all happened in video games…nevermind).
1994 Montreal Expos (TECMO Super Baseball) – If the 1994 strike had never happened, there would still be a baseball team in Montreal. They were selling home games out every night while turning every game into a track meet. This was the club that the current day Tampa Bay Rays most closely resemble. In TECMO Super Baseball (the greatest baseball game ever made in my opinion), the Expos have speed to burn. Larry Walker, Moises Alou, and Marquis Grissom formed the fastest outfield in baseball. Even their first baseman, Cliff Floyd, has the speed to steal 25 bases in a season. A very young Pedro Martinez anchored the rotation, and they also had the best bullpen in the game. You don’t mess with the ’94 Expos.
(EDITORS NOTE: I’ve owned TECMO Super Baseball for almost 15 years now. One of my goals in life before I croak is to play every single game of a 162 season for every team. I pick which team to use in a given match-up based on who’s pitching or which team is at home. So far I’ve made it through roughly 18 games for each club. The estimated ETA for finishing this project is 2039. Is this a good time to mention that I was somehow able to produce an offspring?)
2006 Indianapolis Colts (Madden 2007) – This was the first year that Madden introduced the passing cone, where you had to use the right analog to highlight which area of the field you would be able to throw an accurate pass. The size of your cone (or in other words, the size of the area you could throw an accurate pass) was based on how high your quarterback was rated in both awareness and accuracy. Peyton Manning was rated a 99 in both awareness and accuracy in this game, so his passing cone was roughly the size of Alaska. Compare that to what JaMarcus Russell’s cone, which was the size of a thumbtack.
1992-93 Chicago Blackhawks (NHLPA ’93) – You could probably put this team down for any hockey game from 1992 through 1995 because of the most destructive on-ice force in video game history, Jeremy Roenick. Roenick was a very good NHL player, but his video game exploits were made legendary by the 1996 movie “Swingers” (that movie is rated R, for those that do not want to see adult content). After winning a game against his buddy, Vince Vaughn stated, “It’s not so much me as its Roenick. He’s good.” It was the truth.
2005 Philadelphia Eagles (Madden 2006) –Donovan McNabb was coming off his best season in the NFL, which gave him the highest rating in the game he ever had. Terrell Owens was the second best wide receiver in the game. Throw in Brian Westbrook (a runningback that you could use quite easily as a receiver, which made him a nightmare to match up with) and a great defense, and you had yourself one of the greatest Madden teams of all time.
2006 Team USA (NHL 06) – A friend of mine and I were able to complete an entire “World Tournament” in this version of NHL (the “World Tournament” was essentially the game’s version of Olympic hockey). On paper, Canada was far and away the best team, with Russia and Sweden tied for second. However, when the real games were played, the United States was unstoppable. Led by grizzled vets Brett Hull, Mike Modano, and Brian Leetch, Team USA cruised to the World Tournament victory. It had to have been a programming glitch by whoever made the game.
2004-05 Houston Rockets (NBA Live ’05) – My college roommate put up an 84 point, 34 rebound game with Yao Ming against me one night. That performance was enough to earn the Rockets a mention in this column.
2004 New York Yankees (MVP Baseball 2004) – The Yankees lineup was so ridiculous that it makes it all the more amazing that the Red Sox were able to come back from a 3-0 deficit in real life. Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Hideki Matsui were all All-Stars in real life. Throw in Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, and Kenny Lofton, and you end up with 8 out of 9 guys capable of doing damage. Pitching to them in MVP was like navigating a minefield.
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