Play As Your Heroes
We all expect to see famous athletes selling sneakers. But video games named entirely after them? Now that's interesting (and lucrative) territory. The history of athlete-branded games spans multiple generations of consoles and sports and has given us some of the most iconic gaming franchises of all time. Here are 20 video games named after prominent athletes.
Mike Tyson Tries to Beat Himself in Punch-Out!! by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Hawk’s involvement in this beauty went far beyond licensing his name. He rejected early prototypes until the physics felt authentic. Launched at skateboarding's cultural peak in 1999, the game introduced millions to underground bands through its iconic soundtrack and sold over 30 million copies.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4: First Impressions of the Remake by IGN
2. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Originally released in arcades without Tyson's name, his addition came after his 1986 heavyweight championship win. Nintendo secured Iron Mike for their 1987 boxing classic before controversy shadowed his career. His reported payday? A modest $50,000 for a three-year licensing deal.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) Playthrough by NintendoComplete
3. John Madden Football
"If it's not 11-on-11, it's not real football." This insistence on realism stunned everyone when Trip Hawkins approached Madden in 1984. Despite development beginning in 1982, the coach-turned-commentator's perfectionism delayed the original release until 1988. The franchise would eventually become EA's flagship series.
MADDEN NFL evolution [1988 - 2024] by Video Games Evolution
4. Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey
The Great One's involvement helped establish hockey in the gaming world during the early 3D era. Its development team consisted mostly of non-hockey fans who studied countless hours of footage to understand the sport's flow. Exaggerated gameplay and blazing speed made it an instant hit at launch.
Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey Nintendo 64 Gameplay HD by igcompany
5. Michael Jordan: Chaos In The Windy City
Jordan's temporary retirement from the NBA in 1993 forced a creative pivot in development. This bizarre action platformer has basketball's greatest player fighting evil scientists with magical basketballs. Apparently, when Electronic Arts first began work, they had planned a traditional basketball simulation.
Longplay of Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City by LongplayArchive
6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour
"He will do for golf what Michael Jordan did for basketball." This bold prediction from Earl Woods convinced hesitant EA Sports executives to sign Tiger before his first major win. The partnership would span 16 years and 14 titles before ending in 2013.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 -- Gameplay (PS3) by GamePlayStation
7. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
His perfect swing animation required special compression techniques to fit within the system's memory limitations. Without MLB licensing, developers created fictional teams based on real cities with made-up players. Nintendo chose Griffey due to their Seattle connection. The company had owned the Mariners since 1992.
Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball (Super Nintendo) by VideoGaming4U
8. Shaq Fu
Despite its notoriety as one of gaming's worst titles, developers spent an unprecedented six months on Shaq's character animations alone. The premise has O'Neal traveling to another dimension to rescue a young boy. Electronic Arts captured Shaquille's motion during his rookie season with Orlando.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn - Date Announce Trailer | PS4 by PlayStation
9. Bo Jackson
What makes this title historically significant is its pioneering use of battery backup to save on portable hardware. The multi-sport phenomenon signed on during the height of his "Bo Knows" Nike campaign. THQ released this baseball game exclusively for Nintendo's Game Boy system in 1990.
Bo Jackson Baseball © 1991 Data East - PC DOS - Gameplay by The VideoGames Museum
10. Barkley Shut Up And Jam!
Charles Barkley had just won MVP and reached the NBA Finals with Phoenix when this game launched. The build-uo faced numerous obstacles, including last-minute SEGA Genesis hardware limitations requiring feature cuts. Accolade's 1993 basketball title featured the outspoken NBA star in street basketball action.
11. John Elway's Quarterback
Quarterback rushing plays made this title unique among football games when it was released in 1987. Melbourne House secured Elway's endorsement before he became a Super Bowl champion with Denver. The game originated as a completely different project before publishers demanded a football star attachment.
John Elway's Quarterback (NES) Playthrough by NintendoComplete
12. David Beckham Soccer
Released in 2002, this soccer title prominent features the famed English footballer. A unique "Train with Beckham" mode offers tutorials and progressive difficulty to help players learn this famous game. While playing, folks can customize teams and participate in various tournaments, including recreations of famous matches.
David Beckham Soccer - Gameplay Xbox HD 720P (Xbox to Xbox 360) by John GodGames
13. Magic Johnson's Fast Break
The controller's turbo button mimicked Magic's famous fast break style—an innovative feature for 1990. Johnson’s Showtime Lakers' playing style dictated the entire game design philosophy. This man even personally provided input on playbook strategies during early development sessions at Lakers practice facilities.
Magic Johnson's Fast Break (NES) Playthrough by NintendoComplete
14. Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing
This boxing video game was developed by Park Place Productions and published by Virgin Interactive in 1992 for the Sega Genesis. Legal negotiations for Ali's likeness rights took longer than the actual game development. Here, punches affected fighters differently based on their momentum.
Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing - Sega Genesis Gameplay HD by FSXNOOB - GAMES ﹠ AVIATION
15. Michael Owen's World League Soccer 99
Talk about a game that balances arcade-style action with some simulation elements. It features leading international teams and around 200 domestic teams from Europe, Japan, and the USA. The gameplay includes set pieces controlled by moving a line to direct the ball.
Michael Owen's World League Soccer '99 (PSX) by oldisCOOL
16. Pelé's Soccer
Atari secured the soccer legend's name for this 1980 Atari 2600 cartridge. The primitive hardware could only display three players per team simultaneously on screen. As the first celebrity athlete endorsement for a console sports game, it pioneered the entire concept.
Pelé's Soccer (Atari 2600) - Gameplay Clip [HD] | RetroGameUp by RetroGameUp - TAS Videos
17. Michael Phelps: Push The Limit
The well-known Olympic swimming champion personally demonstrated stroke techniques for motion capture sessions. Its swimming mechanics were completely reimagined from previous sports games. Blitz Games Studios even consulted Olympic coaches to ensure competitive accuracy while maintaining accessibility for casual players.
Michael Phelps Push the Limit (Gameplay) - Quicklook by AdamUPN0w
18. Daley Thompson's Decathlon
Button-mashing gameplay mechanics led to countless broken joysticks across Britain when released in 1984. Thompson's gold medal performances at two Olympics made him ideal for Ocean Software's first celebrity endorsement. Additionally, the Commodore 64 version became notorious for its difficulty curve.
Daley Thompson's Decathlon Longplay (C64) [QHD] by AL82 Retrogaming Longplays
19. Jonah Lomu Rugby
This was the first rugby union game available on PlayStation and Saturn consoles. It is named after the legendary New Zealand All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu, who was a key marketing figure for the game. Up to four individuals can play simultaneously.
20. Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour
Connors' famous two-handed backhand required special animation work that pushed the hardware capabilities of early 16-bit systems. The 1993 game saw adaptive difficulty that secretly adjusted based on player performance. Blue Byte reportedly recorded hundreds of actual tennis sounds at Roland Garros.
Retro Gameplay (104) SNES Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour (Antarctica) by Sporefrog08
