Sports simulation games are among the most popular games in the industry. One cannot forget, however, how these simulation games are the direct descendants of the arcade powers. Titles like NBA Jam and Tecmo Super Bowl paved the way for the popularity of sports games. Bit Fry Games Studios has taken the sports genre back to its roots. The Ultimate Rivals series takes favorite players into a variety of sports and sees them compete in territory unknown to some.
Athletes from the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, WNBA and the United States Women's National Soccer Team laced up their skates, grabbed their sticks and hit the ice in Ultimate Rivals: The Rink. The rink allows players to choose from over 50 athletes and participate in two-on-two hockey shows exclusively on Apple Arcade. This makes it a much different team building experience from simulation games like Madden's Ultimate Team.
Extension Ultimate Rivals
Image via Bit Fry Games StudiosAnnounced with the release of Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, the Ultimate Rivals: The Court basketball game is on its way, going from ice cream to paint. The expansion does not end there, however. Bit Fry Games Studios has struck a deal with the NFL Player Association and OneTeam Partners to bring the rivalry to the grill.
“Bit Fry's games continue to impress, offering fans the ability to create virtual team mashups while including players like Alex Morgan, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Trout and Skylar Diggins-Smith,” said the Interim President of NFL Players Inc. Steve Scebelo. “As we research new ways to connect with sports players, especially in today's climate, this is an exciting development for fans and the future of the game.”
With athletes from many different sports participating in hockey, basketball and football, further expansion seems inevitable. During the initial announcement, Apple said Ultimate Rivals is a brand new sports game franchise. This could very well lead to crossovers across all of the sporting genres depicted in the series. This leaves an opening for the football and baseball versions.
Image via Bit Fry Games StudiosUltimate Rivals: The Rink is currently available for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. Ultimate Rivals: The Court was slated for release in Spring 2020, but has been delayed. He's still on track for a 2020 arrival. The newly announced NFL draft is set to be released in 2021.
