Competition has always been a huge part of video games. This is even more true when it comes to sports games. Sports are the essence of competition, and sport video games, are further evidence in proving that. Playing a sports game is as close as you can come to the real action of participating. These games blow the minds of non-gamers due to their high level of realism. They’re more a simulation than an actual video game. There comes a time though, where certain athletes are portrayed as superhumans in these games. Some athletes were designed in such a way, that the advantage one player gains when choosing that athlete, is almost laughable. This has become easier to correct in modern times with the advent of updates and various patches. Still, some of these athletes are beyond the point of fixing. Either that or the real-life athlete is that dominant. Here are some of those athletes that made your friends hate you for having the nerve to choose them.
Lamar Jackson (Madden 2020)
We start our list with an athlete from the most recent Madden. Lamar Jackson was coming off an excellent rookie year for the Baltimore Ravens, giving him an initial rating of 76. Not too bad, but not eye-popping. Even with a 76 overall, he still was given a 91 speed rating. As the weeks progressed in the NFL however, we saw his rating go as high as a 93 upon entering the playoffs. His speed also peaked at 96, the highest rating for a quarterback in Madden history. To complement this even further, all of the major passing attributes saw a steady rise over the course of the season, making him the ultimate dual threat quarterback. It’s already difficult enough to stop a mobile quarterback in Madden. Try stopping one with a 96 speed rating.
LeBron James (2K14)
I sort of lucked out during this era of NBA 2K, since I am a Miami Heat fan. I was mostly dishing out the punishment with LeBron James in this game. You could put LeBron at any of the 5 positions and would see the same positive results no matter what. If a center was guarding him, you would just blow right past him. If a smaller guard or wing player was defending him, all you had to do was take that player into the post. He was the actual definition of a matchup nightmare. LeBron James was one of many cover athletes that gave you an unfair advantage while using them.
Dez Bryant (Madden 17)
This one might strike some people as a bit of a surprise. Dez Bryant was most likely forgotten about by the average fan. Aside from being a 90 overall, what made Dez so dominant in this version of Madden, was the new receiving styles that were implemented. When a ball was on its way to a receiver, the player has the option of hitting 3 different buttons. Each button would cause the receiver to go for the catch differently. The three styles were aggressive, possession and RAC. The former being what made Dez so dominant. When a ball was on its way to Dez, all you had to do was hit Y or triangle, and that ball was as good as yours. He also had a mean stiff arm that he could use on defenders.
Jon Jones (EA Sports UFC)
Some say Jon Jones is the most dominant fighter in the history of the UFC. So, it’s no wonder that using him in a video game would get downright comical. The list of Jon Jones’ tools was near endless. He was incredibly difficult to take down and submit. You wouldn’t dare take him into the clinch, otherwise, you risk getting hit with his knees. When the fight was standing up, there was nothing he couldn’t hit you with. Jon was a swiss army knife in the truest of fashion. If you were willing to pick him when going against your friend, you better watch out, in case they try to fight you in real life.
Marshall Faulk (Madden 2003)
When people talk about the greatest running backs to ever play football, it isn’t often that people mention Marshall Faulk. This is a travesty in my opinion. Marshall was the engine that made the “Greatest Show on Turf” what it was. I consider him to be the best receiving back to ever play the game, and that was clearly displayed in Madden 2003. His speed was electric, and his spin move was otherworldly. There was simply no defender that could keep up with him. Marshall was what made your chances to win against your friend a near guarantee.
Stephen Curry (NBA 2K18)
You could pick any NBA 2K in the last five years, you would find an unfair Stephen Curry sitting there, waiting to be used by anyone desperate for a win. If you go and play any version of an online multiplayer that 2K has to offer, chances are, you’ll be playing someone with Steph on their team. You essentially must block his shot in order to have any effect on his 3-point shooting. He is also quick, so therefore he can get by a lot of defenders and finish with a floater. You are never able to take a breather when defending Steph, and over a course of an entire game, that can become mentally exhausting for any player. Your best bet is to smother him up close and try to force him to drive into the paint. Obviously, this is easier said than done.
Michael Vick (Madden 2004)
Whenever you think of athletes that were overpowered, Michael Vick is the guy that comes to most people’s minds. His skill set is similar to Lamar Jackson from earlier in the list. The difference is Vick’s arm strength and the way that Madden was played back then. The thing with older Madden games was that it was easy to simply outrun your opponents. The CPU wasn’t nearly as smart as it is now. They didn’t know how to fill the gaps as well. They couldn’t react as quickly to the moves that players would use. It was an easy puzzle to learn that was made even easier with the extremely broken Michael Vick. He could bomb it downfield, or he could just outmaneuver the opponent. The only fair thing to do was to have you and your friend both pick the Falcons.
Muhammad Ali (Fight Night Round 3)
Boxing games have been neglected for so many years now. It is such a painful thing for the true boxing fans out there. Fight Night Round 3 was the pinnacle of combat sport video games. The great Muhammad Ali was, of course, the best boxer on the roster of fighters. He was as fast as a featherweight, and his speed never let up for the entire 12 rounds. Ali was incredibly quick when it came to parrying as well. In this specific game, that was a very important thing to be good at. When you parried your opponent in Fight Night Round 3, they were stunned for a very short period. This allowed you to rattle off a combo, that your opponent could do nothing to stop. Ali’s speed and strength never wavered. That’s why he was the greatest of all time. In real life, and in the virtual world.
