{"id":234044,"date":"2012-09-15T23:00:03","date_gmt":"2012-09-16T04:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nicekicks.com\/?p=234044"},"modified":"2022-09-16T09:56:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T14:56:29","slug":"video-game-sneakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/video-game-sneakers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Sneakers in Video Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
Over the years, we have seen a number of advancements in the sneaker game, from lighter shoes to more responsive insoles. But what about the sneaker game’s digital counterpart – video games? Basketball games have existed since the late 80s\/early 90s, and the G.O.A.T. himself even has a number of memorable video game appearances. In this feature, we archive the history and development of sneakers in video games. What video game kicks do you remember most from your years of gameplay?<\/p>\n
Over time, gamers and Michael Jordan fans alike always yelled, ?Why wasn?t MJ in any ?fun? video games?? Well, he was in a few, including Bulls vs. Lakers<\/em> (pictured above), Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City<\/em>, and others. Due to the low graphic attainability, all a gamer saw were monochromatic sneakers, but none too distinct from the others in terms of a signature kick.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As time has progressed, video game systems have become more sophisticated, adding more detail to digital characters and their attire. The first notable sneaker (sort of) was in the classic Space Jam video game made for Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn. We all know the story of the film – Aliens invade, steal NBA players? essence, challenge Looney Tunes, play a game of basketball, etc. One of the most notable scenes to sneaker enthusiasts is when Daffy Duck has to get MJ?s jersey and his shoes, the Air Jordan 9, but then magically change into the?Air Jordan 11 ?Space Jam? in the final game. That scene was playable in-game with Jordan?s dog chasing after you.<\/p>\n At the turn of the millennium, we saw some of the greatest game systems in history from all manufacturers; Sega, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Standing out on all systems was the NBA Street series, which had playable versions of Michael Jordan and all of the popular NBA players at the time. In the first NBA Street, you had to play MJ in the final game and what was he wearing? None other than the Air Jordan 1 Black\/Red<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo Courtesty of?IGN<\/a><\/p>\n In 2001, probably one of the best conventional basketball games of all-time, NBA Live, 2002 released. There were plenty of reasons why this game had significance: Michael Jordan was a standard playable character with the Wizards, while the 90?s Jordan was an unlockable character. Also, this was the first game to feature noticeable signatures from all brands. These included the Answer IVs, the Air Jordan 16<\/a>, and the adidas Kobe I<\/a>. After successful campaigns in the early 2000s, it?s surprising that the NBA Live series hasn?t had a presence in the new decade with the exception of NBA Live 2010. NBA Live 2010 showcased Dwyane Wade in Air Jordan sneakers, which it is how news broke that “Flash” was moving to Jordan Brand from Converse. 2K Sports and Visual Concepts brought a whole new beast to the next generation of systems, NBA 2K11. Shining on the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBOX 360, this game brought what every sneaker enthusiasts wanted, a playable Michael Jordan Chicago Bull?s teams with the ability to wear his signature kicks on court. Including an arsenal of Jordans, you could also choose to wear any of the signature sneakers from adidas, Nike Basketball, Converse and Reebok. Also exclusive to XBOX 360, you were able to dress your avatar in Air Jordan kicks.<\/p>\n In NBA 2k12, you were offered a greater variety in terms of basketball sneakers thanks to system updates. As new sneakers released, they became available for you to wear in the game. So if you missed the Nike Zoom Kobe VII ?Cheetah? Christmas release, you had the ability to wear them in the game. The same went for the KD IV ?Galaxy? and LeBron 9 ?Galaxy?, but sorry, no Foamposites. Finally, if you made it far enough in the ?My Player? mode, you were offered the option to create your own signature that included your choice of colors and branding.<\/p>\n Now in NBA 2k13, set to release October 2, 2012, you can use the Nike iD option on a number of Nike Basketball shoes in the game. In addition, you can actually purchase your digital creations to wear on the real hardwood. Oh, and how could we forget, you also have the option to play as the 1992 Dream Team. We all loved the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series – defying gravity, achieving combo points, skating the ?Leap of Faith?, etc. But when it came to customizing your own skater, that?s where EA?s Skate series came in. Not only were you able to grind out the full capabilities of your Playstation 3 and XBOX 360, you were able to choose the clothes you wore all the way down to your kicks. All iconic skating brands were included in this game, ranging from adidas to Nike SB. The coolest thing about the Skate series, however, was you got to see how your kicks would look beat-up in game rather than in real life. It wasn’t until later in the series Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was able to present the same customization capabilities as EA’s Skate.<\/p>\n There was a time when there wasn?t a ?Race for the Heisman? mode in NCAA, or a create-a-player feature in Madden. It wasn?t until the mid-to-late 2000s that these game features were added with the option of choosing what branded cleats you wanted to wear. The earlier games let you choose ?Generic? while the latter lets you can choose between adidas, Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Digital Kicks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":234654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[618],"tags":[],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Late 90s and Early 2000s<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nAn Arsenal of Digital Kicks<\/h2>\n
\n<\/p>\nBonus: Popularity of EA’s Skate and Madden\/NCAA Series.<\/h2>\n