This Is The Final Four Of The Best Sports Video Game Tournament

After nearly a month of upsets, underdog stories, and old games coming back for one last hurrah, we’ve made it to the Final Four of the Best Sports Video Games Tournament from our original field of 32 traditional games and 32 non-traditional games. The Links 386 run that captivated a nation is over, finally eliminated by the only No. 1 seed left — Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2.

The rest of the Final Four is rounded out by Wii Sports, which eliminated Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, MLB The Show ’16 (which stopped Ken Griffey’s run), and NBA 2K12, which defeated NCAA ’07.

Who will head to the championship?

No. 4 NBA 2K12

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird graced the cover of NBA 2K12, one of the truest love letters to a sport in digital form. It bridged the gap to the next generation with a painstaking attention to detail and endless ways to play.

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No. 4 MLB ’16: The Show

Few games flirt with perfection as often as The Show series. The animations are impeccable, the features are deep, and the graphics have been making a passerby think a real baseball game is on TV for nearly a decade. It’s truly one of the best.

No. 8 Wii Sports

Even if you skipped the boxing minigame completely, Home Run Derby, Bowling, and Tennis could entertain a household for years. Say what you will about the Wii, Nintendo caught lightning in a bottle with Wii Sports. The fun was probably enhanced if you were living with a bunch of roommates at the time.

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No. 1 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Improving on the first THPS in every way, THPS2 was more of everything — more control (manuals) more hidden secrets, a bigger and better soundtrack, and one of the most addictive combo-chaining mechanics in gaming. The game would refine itself and add much-needed features in later years, but THPS2 will always be loved forever. The level design is perfection.

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