Your favourite sports game commentary

[Nick R]

The commentary that's most impressed me is probably NBA2K on the Dreamcast. I've only played one later basketball game since then (NBA 2K7 on the original Xbox) and I was surprised by how little the quality and complexity had advanced during that time (although presumably it was better on the 360/PS3 versions).

SOCCER 97'

Oh what memories.. " WHACK! "

I didn't know that Olympic Soccer had a club team sequel. The presentation looks very similar, and it shares some of the same commentary: "We're under way" at kick off, "He took the man not the ball!" and a very big delay on "A wonderful save!" In fact most of the sound clips lagged way behind the action...

Best of all was "I don't think they'll be exchanging Christmas cards!" after bad tackles.

[therealjohnpeat]

I'm not a sports game fan but Most Tigers Woods game I've played would have been worse without the 'sarcastic' comments you get when it goes awry

[Vulgar Monkey]

'That was closer to the corner flag!' - when you miss the goal by a couple of feet. Fuck. Off.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Reminds me of that old Codies snooker game on the PS1, I think. World Championship Snooker. The commentary didn't even match the game play.

"Looks like he's going for the pink..." ... as the computer player slams the black into the corner pocket.

As for football ones, I remember FIFA International Soccer on the SNES and other FIFAs back then when they had the button bashing goal celebrations.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!!"

You'd start smashing the pad up to make all the air horn noises, chants and stuff. Brilliant. And you couldn't see anything because the screen was filled with this flashing sign with GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAL scrolling across it at high speed.

[bigbrick]

ISS Pro on ps1 had multiple commentary languages but shared the odd sample regardless of what one you picked.

select English as your language and every time the commentator said "Nigeria" is was clearly not his voice. he gained a thick accent and deep resounding voice for that one word. also they only seemed to record the word "Greece" in a shouty excited way.

[therealjohnpeat]

On a related note - do any of the Darts games include the genius that is Sid Waddell and if not , WHY NOT!!

I'd pay real money just to have random Sid quotes thrown at me with or without a darts game tbh

[Fry Crayola]

"In think the word from the crowd was 'rubbish' about that, far be it from me to use such an expression."

Ah, Barry, you use that line about six times a match, you foul mouthed, loveable bear.

[Hoodedclaw]

another one from NBA JAM

"Is it the SHOES ??"

[sir stiff_one]

Hah, I was thinking of that one last night.

"Re-jected!"

[sixbuttons]

Another vote for NFL2K5.

"THIS IS DAAAN STEVENS HERE WITH PETER O'KEEFE"

My only regret is that they never built on it with APF2K8 and just reused all the same annecdotes and everything. In fact there are a lot of things that I loved about NFL2K5 that made me hate APF2K8 :/

I can't seem to find a good video demonstrating the commentary of Sega Worldwide Soccer 98 on the Saturn though. An ex-Football Italia commentator, a drunken Jack Charlton, and failure to buffer the commentary properly = hiliarity.

[Fry Crayola]

I believe it was All-Star Soccer on the PS1 that had Alistair McGowan providing the commentary. No clips on YouTube that I can find though.

[Rev]

Quite surprisingly FIFA 10 is earning a nomination, despite being at least a decade older than lots of the ones in here.

"Tevez, with his bulldog like approach"

Was said about 15 times while I was playing yesterday. I wasn't even Man City. I just played them a couple of times.

I believe it was All-Star Soccer on the PS1 that had Alistair McGowan providing the commentary. No clips on YouTube that I can find though.

Is that as genius as it sounds? I think I *might* have got that at home, unplayed. If so, it's straight on tonight.

[Girth Certificate]

JAAAAMS it in!

[anders limpar]

I loved the no-mark that they roped in for the first couple of PES games, with 'the sun is shining and the wind is shooting through the stadium' being a personal highlight. Marvellous. Who was he? Did he man the security desk at Konami? I wonder what's he up to these days.

[Fry Crayola]

Is that as genius as it sounds? I think I *might* have got that at home, unplayed. If so, it's straight on tonight.

I don't know, unfortunately. It's the one thing I remember from it being reviewed in OPM back in the day. It was an arcade-style football game, where it seems having an impressionist provide the commentary was the right choice. It's just a question of how well it worked.

[Fry Crayola]

I loved the no-mark that they roped in for the first couple of PES games, with 'the sun is shining and the wind is shooting through the stadium' being a personal highlight.

I'm pretty sure that line came from Peter Brackley, who couldn't be classified as a no-mark.

I can't remember the name of the previous commentator though.

[anders limpar]

A quick Google reveals it to be Chris James, ably assisted by Terry Butcher. What a don.

I'm pretty sure it was him who delivered the killer line - can anybody with more time/interest find anything on Youtube?

[MojoChin]

My favourite line of commentary in any game ever is from Gaelic Games Football on PS2. At half time you were more than likely to hear:

"And the players will be looking forward to their banana, and cup of tea at half-time."

It is made all the better by the line being from GAA legend Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh in his inimitable style. No doubt most of you have never heard of him, or this game, but it is the one saving light of a dreadful, dreadful game.

[poppa_f]

"...and the wind is whistling round the stadium"

from Pro Evo (4?)

Dunno why that stuck in my head

[Alex W.]

Murray Walker, F1-98. Somehow the commentary algorithm manages to capture the insanity of Walker's commentaries better than real life.

[Sonic.Mirrorz]

all-star soccer on the playstation, that had fun cometary

"some people are on the pitch, They think its all over, but it's not really just thought it would be fun to say"

[bradigor]

"...and the wind is whistling round the stadium"

from Pro Evo (4?)

Dunno why that stuck in my head

Was it because it was repeated 2 to 3 times per match in the Amsterdam ArenA

[youngbob]

Murray Walker, F1-98. Somehow the commentary algorithm manages to capture the insanity of Walker's commentaries better than real life.

I remember the murrays commentary used to get stuck sometimes:

"AND!... AND!... AND!... AND!"

My favourite just lately was from Fifa 09. Just kicked off a match and 5 seconds in the commentator pipes up something like 'Both teams are so far pretty evenly matched'

[Arc'Tan'Gent]

NBA Jam, again:

'THROWS UP A BRICK – NO GOOD!!!!!!!11111!!shft&one1!!11'

I also, hopefully, remember getting to the very last match on that game. You play this fucking tough team and he goes, 'It's Boston versus OINK AIIIIEEEEEEE!' Or something.

Sorry to sound vague but I know I'm not imagining it!

[ElNino]

I'd go with "REJECTED!" or "From down town"

[Ratso2005]

It is 1996 and I am playing the long awaited Actua Soccer on PlayStation and wishing it was anywhere near as good as my beloved ISS Deluxe on the SNES. Or even Sensible Soccer.

Barry Davies is telling me that one of the players was, "...already on the next page he read that so early" over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[Vimster]

On a related note - do any of the Darts games include the genius that is Sid Waddell and if not , WHY NOT!!

I'd pay real money just to have random Sid quotes thrown at me with or without a darts game tbh

Your dreams have been answered:

It's totally random commentary on this one:

"You can cut the atmosphere with a chainsaw"

"There's only one word for this: nafforama!"

[deerokus]

Haha, that game looks so amazingly poor.

[Troublegum]

Murray Walker, F1-98. Somehow the commentary algorithm manages to capture the insanity of Walker's commentaries better than real life.

[Martin Brundle's only line in F1 97] You're right there, Murray! [/Martin Brundle's only line in F1 97]

[Arc'Tan'Gent]

Ha, F197 is full of them.

(after small contact)

'That's terrible, they must be both of out of the race by now!'

*sets fastest lap*

'HANG ON! OH NO, OH DEAR.'