Video Game Athletes with Their Own Games

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 16 August 2023

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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Sports Stars with Their Own Games

• First Athlete-Named Video Game
• First Athlete with a Video Game
• Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour Series
• David Beckham Soccer
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Series
• Venus & Serena Williams’ Tennis
• Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to today’s blog where we look at video game athlete series. These games feature big-name athletes, who are usually named directly in the game’s title. From soccer fields to tennis courts, the gaming industry has brought our favorite sports personalities right into our living rooms.

On this page, we’re exploring the journey of these games, delving into the tales of the first athlete-endorsed titles, featuring legends like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and more.

First Athlete-Named Video Game

The worlds of sports and gaming have always been ones that work well with one another, and from almost the first gaming consoles, we saw game developers releasing games based on sports – and, later, around specific athletes. The journey began with a unique collaboration and, over the years, has seen several icons leave their mark in the gaming world.

Today, we’ll show you the first sport video game endorsed by an athlete, along with five of the biggest games from the past that were named after an athlete.

Our website also has lots of sports betting content; for example, if you want to find betting apps with boxing wagering you’ll want to check out our boxing betting page, while soccer, football, and basketball also all have their own sections.

First Athlete with a Video Game

The history of athlete-endorsed video games is fascinating. The first known instance dates back to 1979 with the launch of Pele’s Soccer on Atari 2600, featuring the legendary Brazilian soccer star Pele. This groundbreaking move started a brand-new era in the video game industry. It allowed fans to connect with their sports heroes in a whole new way, by controlling their actions on the screen.

This concept was soon adopted by other sports genres. Basketball, tennis, golf, and even skateboarding games began featuring renowned athletes, and many of these games proved to be near instant hits with players. As the games became more advanced, the likenesses of the athletes improved, making the gaming experience even more immersive, and today, the number of sports star video game releases is higher than ever!

However, today, we’re going to focus mainly on classics; games which generally aren’t played today, but that set an important precedent in the development of the first athlete video game titles. Here’s a quick rundown of the games – and athletes – we’ll be covering.

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City

Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City was released in 1994 by Electronic Arts (more commonly known as EA Games) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game, when released, broke the mold by veering from traditional sports simulation, instead building a fictional story where Jordan embarks on a mission to rescue his NBA friends from an evil scientist.

Equipped with special basketballs with varied powers, Jordan navigates through some pretty diverse levels, taking on fierce enemies with his renowned sports skills. If you’re thinking it sounds like a weird theme for a video game – you’d be right!

The game received mixed reviews, although it did show that it’s possible for game studios to do more than simply develop a cookie-cutter sports game that’s predictable – something you’ll see with most of the other games on this page.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour Series

The Tiger Woods PGA Tour Series significantly influenced golfing video games, and to this day, it remains the most popular golf-based video game ever. This series, introduced by EA Sports in 1998, spans over 15 editions, with each one boasting improved graphics and unique technological advancements designed to make the gameplay more realistic and immersive.

With Woods on the cover, the series became synonymous with quality and authenticity, accurately mirroring the strategy of golf. Each release brought enhanced graphics, better game physics, and an expanded roster of professional golfers, ensuring a realistic golfing experience for players.

Some editions of the game allow players to build and customize their own course, changing everything from the green conditions to the position of the bunkers. This addition proved really popular with players and is one of the factors that helped make the game the thriving success it is today.

David Beckham Soccer

When David Beckham Soccer was released in 2002, it made waves in the gaming world. The soccer game, focusing heavily on Beckham, aimed to recreate an authentic soccer experience in the gaming universe. It was praised by gaming critics for its unique training mode, where Beckham himself would guide players through different techniques.

This personalized touch, along with detailed gameplay and a wide variety of match options, set the game apart from many competitors at the time – although ultimately, it would be FIFA that would come out on top.

Still, it was one of the first major athlete named video game releases around soccer, and with a name as famous as David Beckham it’s no surprise to learn that it did incredibly well, selling millions of copies in the early 2000s.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Series

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is, without a doubt, one of the most popular and successful sports video games series of all time – still going strong today. Launched in 1999, the series brought the thrill of skateboarding into the mainstream gaming community. Hawk’s personal involvement in the game’s development ensured a highly realistic portrayal of skateboarding, offering the best gaming experience for players.

The game featured a plethora of real-world tricks, iconic skating locations, and a soundtrack that perfectly captured the punk rock spirit of skateboarding culture. Many of the songs had to be heavily censored to ensure the game retained a Teen rating.

Each successive release in the series further refined the gameplay, adding new tricks, skateparks and locations – as well as introducing more realistic graphics and gameplay. Like Tiger Woods’ games, Tony Hawk’s games give players the chance to build their own skateparks, customizing pretty much every inch of space – choosing the ramps, designing the walls, and everything in between.

Venus & Serena Williams’ Tennis

Venus & Serena Williams’ Tennis, introduced in 2003, brought the world-renowned tennis sisters into the virtual world of tennis. While it’s a game that not everyone remembers today, it was, at the time, pretty popular – and it was an unusually important release as it was one of the first mainstream sports video games to feature female sports stars.

The game allowed players to step into the shoes of Venus and Serena, playing through various tournaments and facing off against other professional tennis players. One of the selling points when players were able to play as one of the Williams sisters was the strong and aggressive playstyle that was easily capable of defeating opponents. As a result, some critics argued the tennis stars were overpowered in the game.

However, this was a minor downside; most loved the game, and it was packed with great features. For example, there was a doubles mode, allowing players to pair the Williams sisters together, something that hadn’t been seen in other tennis games up until that point.