For players looking for a great sports game, iOS has an incredible selection. Many sporting games are available, but with hundreds of titles to choose from, it can be a competitive sport trying to find the cream of the crop.
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Almost every type of sporting event has a game equivalent on iOS, from soccer and baseball to more specialist pastimes like skateboarding and fishing. It could take a lot of time and money to sift through them all, but luckily help is at hand. The following sporting games on the app store are some of the best to check out.
10 Soccer Superstars
A Perfect Balance Between Footballing Fantasy And Reality
Soccer Superstars is a charming throwback to classic 80s titles like Sensible Soccer, with some modern-day RPG mechanics thrown in to give it a fresh twist. Teams, and even individual players, can be upgraded and micro-managed and there are some fun 'super-power' special moves like flaming footballs, which give the game a more fantastical touch.
This is a perfect title for soccer lovers who want to find an ideal middle ground between football manager games and the more immediate fun of the FIFA series.
9 Icebreaker Hockey
High-Speed Arcade Action On The Ice
Icebreaker Hockey
With all the thrills and spills of ice hockey, but without the risk of serious injury, Icebreaker Hockey offers an adrenaline-filled experience that wastes no time in throwing players into the thick of it. The emphasis is firmly on offensive play, with the goal being to get the puck squarely in the back of the net as quickly as possible.
With great use of motion controls, stunning graphics, and an enticing game-play mechanic, Icebreaker Hockey captures the frenetic atmosphere and breathless speed of the real thing.
8 True Skate
Board-flipping Realism At The Touch Of A Fingertip
True Skate has a style and feel different from other skateboarding games, focusing on real-world physics and control to replicate the intricacy and skill involved in skateboarding. The player's only avatar is their deck, and they must make nimble use of their fingers to manipulate and guide it so that they can pull off spectacular tricks and stunts.
There are a slew of modes to try out and the game has been regularly updated since its release, making it great value for money.
7 What The Golf?
Comical Visuals And Ridiculous Fun For Golf Fans
WHAT THE GOLF?
An irreverent spin on an esteemed sport, What The Golf? Takes the titular activity to ridiculous lengths, with great comic effect. Everything from golf balls to cats, and even entire houses, must be hurled down the fairway, and the game squeezes in plenty of video game references and puns along the way.
Some truly absurd visuals and rag doll physics make a strong first impression, later revealing one of the best puzzle games, with engaging mechanics and plenty of replay value.
6 Grand Mountain Adventure
Skiing and Snowboarding Thrills On The Go
Grand Mountain Adventure accomplishes something rare in video games - the satisfying replication of a real-world feeling. In this case, it's the smooth feel of gliding over snow, whether on a snowboard or a pair of skis.
The game uses an open-world system that gives players free rein to travel down a mountainside however they like, meaning that no two people will play the same game the same way. Whether the emphasis is on speed or style, unique gameplay makes this a must-have.
5 Rocket League Side Swipe
A Great Adaptation Of A Modern Classic
Rocket League Sideswipe
One of the most popular games of its generation, Rocket League makes its transition to iOS in style. The portable iteration keeps the concept of vehicles in battle over a ball in a sports arena but strips it down to its fundamentals.
The result is an ingenious distillation that retains the quintessential Rocket League experience but delivers it in a way that is more accessible and more immediate than its cousins on PC and consoles, with enough intricacy to reward players who persevere.
4 NBA JAM
A Crown Jewel Of Sports Gaming Fits iOS Perfectly
Basketball fans need not worry about how NBA Jam will fit on iOS devices. The beloved and long-running series is a perfect fit, delivering all the flair that players have come to expect with one of the best games in the franchise.
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Series veterans will know the drill: control basketballers in a 2-on-2 match and score as many hoops as possible. The game's portable iteration is well suited to its quick thrills and there are plenty of modes available, from classic campaigns to online and local multiplayer.
3 Table Tennis Touch
Fast-paced Action With Plenty Of Charm
The lightning-fast reflexes needed to play ping-pong in real life are the inspiration for one of the very best sports games on iOS. An endearing robot trainer assistant named Wiff Waff leads the player through a variety of trials and matches designed to test - and develop - their skill with a bat and ball.
Once Wiff Waff's job is complete, a career in ping-pong beckons. Table Tennis Touch enables the player to enjoy a quick match or something longer, making it a perfect portable title.
2 Pocket Run Pool
Intuitive Controls Make For A Superb Pool Experience
There's no need to find a pub, Pocket Run Poo l delivers the whole experience in a portable form. Zach Gage, the iOS auteur responsible for titles like Really Bad Chess and Typeshift, has made a game that uses a less-is-more approach.
The solo player must shoot pool balls into holes to score points. That's it. However, the fluidity of the gameplay and the variety of different game modes on offer provide a surprising amount of depth, which ensures that the game has staying power.
1 Super Stickman Golf 3
A Novel Twist On Golf With Fiendishly Engaging Gameplay
One of the most enjoyable sports games on iOS is also one of the best portable titles available, thanks to Super Stickman 3's free-to-play price point (unlockable elements deliver a fuller experience).
The core gameplay involves using physics to get a golf ball to its ultimate destination, but there are plenty of tricky landscapes and obstacles that will test the most devoted players. Power-ups and special tricks can help, and the reward for persevering over the more fiendish levels is an immense sense of satisfaction.
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