Every year the gaming world is treated to a flurry of new licensed sports games thanks to the likes of EA and 2K. While these releases can sometimes be repetitive, they're certainly the best way to experience the sports you see on TV in video game form, but they aren't the only way. There are plenty of other games that also provide sporting experiences, even if it's not their main selling point.

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Typically, these sports feature as side activities or mini-games in a larger title - usually one that's open-world. While they don't often have the depth of those seen in EA or 2K's yearly offerings, they can still be fun ways to pass the time. And this is a collection of games that include them.

7 Grand Theft Auto 5

GTA V Screenshot Of Michael Playing Tennis

Ever since the Grand Theft Auto series transitioned to 3D, the games have included plenty of things to do outside of the main story missions. And in GTA 5, some of those activities are sports. For instance, you can play darts, tennis, golf, and even participate in triathlons.

They aren't just rudimentary additions to pass the time, either, as there is some depth to them. There are different shot types in tennis and a range of clubs to use in golf. Plus, one game of either of those sports takes a lot of time to finish. The darts and triathlons activities aren't quite as expansive, but they're enjoyable nonetheless.

6 Mario Party Superstars

Mario Party Superstars Baseball Minigame With Four Players

The Mario Party series is known for its mini-games. And to say these games are varied would be a massive understatement. Over the years, Nintendo has come up with so many different ones, from games where you do some gardening to tank battles. In Superstars, there are plenty of sport-based games.

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Golf, ice-skating, baseball, football, and motocross are just a few of the sports represented in this title. Naturally, you don't play full games of each sport. Instead, the mini-games provide you with little snippets of them. And they make for some of the best mini-games that Superstars has to offer.

5 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Screenshot Of Home Run Game Mini-game

As the Dragon Ball franchise is about superpowered beings with the ability to destroy planets, you wouldn't expect any sports to feature in the games. However, Dragon Ball Z Kakarot has a few sport-based side activities.

For one, you're able to go fishing, which is a mix between a hobby and a sport. Yet, no professional angler would want to compete with the Dragon Ball characters as they regularly catch abnormally large fish with either their own tail or a standard rod. Another sport you can play is baseball. It's not the full game as it's just a simple challenge, where the objective is to hit home runs. It should be easier than it is as you're playing as someone with superhuman powers.

4 Watch Dogs: Legion

Watch Dogs Legion Screenshot Of Bare Knuckle Brawlers

Watch Dogs: Legion takes place in a fictional version of London. As it's set in England, there are plenty of British things in the game. Not all of the country's biggest sports feature, though. So, anyone looking for cricket or rugby will need to go elsewhere.

But the game does include a sampling of its most popular sport, football (aka soccer). It's represented in the Kick-up activity, where you have to keep a football in the air, using everything but your hands. If you do prefer sports where your hands come into play, there are plenty of places to play darts and bare-knuckle box in this title.

3 Bully

Bully Screenshot Of Jimmy Hopkins Dodgeball

Few open-world games are as underrated as Rockstar's Bully. Not only does it contain strong story-telling, but it includes plenty of activities and mini-games. Interestingly, two of them revolve around soccer.

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The first is Keep-ups, where the target is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. The other game is Penalty Shots, in which you attempt to knock somebody out by kicking the ball at them several times. They aren't the only sports in the game, though. You can also play dodgeball and even have some boxing matches.

2 Yakuza Zero

Yakuza Zero Screenshot Of Kiryu Completed Pool

Like with every Yakuza title, Zero gives you the chance to do plenty of weird and wonderful things. As such, it can feel strange when you're doing something normal like playing a sport. Yet, Zero provides you several opportunities to do just that.

You can hop into a bar to play pool and darts or head to the batting cages to partake in a bit of baseball. There's even a bowling alley if you fancy knocking down some pins. All of these activities are well-designed and a fun way to kill time.

1 Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

aiai and baby sitting in super monkey ball banana mania

Super Monkey Ball's main single-player experience has always been about navigating levels and reaching the end goal. However, a lot of the fun in these titles comes from the additional party games they offer. There is a whole host of them in the Banana Mania title of varying quality. Several of the best are the sports-based ones like pool, golf, baseball, bowling, soccer, and tennis.

Even though Super Monkey Ball is a wacky game, it somewhat accurately represents each of those sports. It still adds the monkey ball flavor, though. For instance, when you settle down for a game of pool, you may notice that the balls contain monkeys.

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