5 Classic Cricket Games That Have Stood the Test of Time

Cricket video games have been around, well, for as long as there have been video games. All the way back to the 1970s, we can find examples of (rudimentary) games that have challenged players with ball, bat, and wicket. But despite some missteps along the way, the video games industry has churned out dozens and dozens of cricket titles to satisfy fans who like to feel part of the action.

Below we want to highlight some of those classic games, ranging from 16-bit games on 1990s consoles to cricket casino games and more modern titles on PlayStation. Everyone will have their favorite cricket video games, but we have picked out five that have stood out over time:

1. Super International Cricket (1994)

The first truly great cricket video game? The sequel to International Cricket landed on the Super Nintendo in 1994. Back then, it felt like we were witnessing the future of video games. Even now, it feels like before its time, allowing players to play fast-paced T20-style games before the format was widely popularized. There were a few attempts from Nintendo to create a franchise based on the game, but none of the sequels really took hold. The popularity of emulators of this game that you can find online holds true to the consensus that this is a veritable classic.

2. Shane Warne Cricket ’99 (1999)

The end of the 1990s became a watershed moment in gaming. We knew that the technology was getting better with the arrival of PlayStation, but we also knew it was an era that fans demanded more authenticity. Shane Warne Cricket ’99 is a good example of a game that ticks those boxes, heralding in a new era of gaming. Of course, graphics on a PlayStation 1 title aren’t going to hold up compared to those you find on the 9^th-generation consoles of today, but Shane Warne Cricket ’99 was endlessly inventive. Even today, cricket game fans are discussing cheat codes and other nuances of this all-time classic.

3. Don Bradman Cricket 14 (2014)

Don Bradman Cricket has become synonymous with cricket video games. Released by Big Ant Studios in 2014, the studio used the legendary player as the frontman for its big foray into the gaming market. Since then, there have been several other releases by Big Ant Studios that have become smash hits, including Don Bradman Cricket 17 and Ashes Cricket. But for our two cents, Don Bradman 14 remains the best of the lot.

4. Cricket Star (2015)

Few gaming studios have done more than Microgaming to augment the rise of online casino games. Created in the 1990s, the company has provided 100s of online slots to international brands like Mr Green Casino. Cricket Star was one of Microgaming’s best sports-themed games, released in time for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. As with video games, slot games can feel out of date all too quickly, but this one still holds up in 2023 thanks to its fun graphics and innovative gameplay features.

5. International Cricket Captain (1997)

What we like about this one is that it provided something that all die-hard cricket gaming fans wanted – a game to rival the incredibly popular Football Manager. Like that soccer game, the idea here is to manage your team over the seasons, building it up so that it eventually becomes successful. Fans will be aware that there have been a couple of dozen sequels, with the current iteration Cricket Captain 2022 available now, but this 1997 PC game was where it all began. While the graphics are rudimentary compared to what we have today, the simulation of the seasons is still a lot of fun. Worth downloading on PC for some retro fun.