...are crap. Most of the time, anyway. Actually they sort of get worse the better the technology.
Robin Smith's International Cricket (C64).
Somewhat rudimentary. But it was Robin Smith's game, so awesome. As with all games, some surprisingly good bowlers. Devon Malcolm used to land it on the cut strip. I seem to remember the Judge's leg spin was almost as good as his batting. And quite right too.
Cricket 97 (PC).
Amazing graphics for the time. Intricate bowling system. Timing the ball largely a question of guesswork, thus making it quite realistic for the CC. Surprisingly good bowler: Mark Butcher. Bowled boomerangs.
Brian Lara 2005 (PS2)
This is the absolute daddy. Either by accident or design, most games since have had a simple flaw. A ball down the leg side is bad, right? The batsman should always find it easier to hit, right? Fine, but in most cricket games since this one that's meant if you're playing two player the guy batting just stands just outside off stump, flicking anything vaguely near the stumps for four. You end up playing a bizarre version of French cricket, with the bowler alternating wide outswingers with inswinging yorkers and the batsman only playing a cover drive or a glance. And because the batsman knows where it's going to pitch before the bowler's even bowled it you're left using obscure medium pacers who swing it the width of the pitch to stop every ball going for four.
Brian Lara 2005 stopped that shit from happening by simply not letting the batsman move so far across. That said, the fielders never ever throw it to the bowler, which certainly made running a single to mid off less stressful than it might have been. Surprisingly good bowler: Nathan Astle. And Brian Lara, obviously. And I seem to remember Abdul Razzaq was capable of bowling at 110mph for some reason.
Ashes Cricket 2009 (Wii).
Should be awesome. Isn't. Good stuff - bowling - you really do spin it or swing it determined by how vigorous a flick you give the remote. Batting - you do have time the ball with a swing of the remote. Bad stuff - worst graphics I've ever seen. You have no control over fielders and it's two every time you hit it to one on the boundary. You're not really in control of the shot as much as you think you are. Aforementioned French cricket tactic still a winner. Tendonitis. Surprisingly good bowler: Tillekeratne Dilshan. Turns it more than Murali.
International Cricket 2010 (PS3)
Massive 'French Cricket' issue. As well as the fact that if you throw it to the keeper's end he takes the bails off and appeals almost every time regardless of where the batsman is. And it's very easy to inadvertently try to run a bye because the run button is right next to the 'hit' button. This wouldn't be such a big deal if the batsman weren't up for stealing a quick one even when the keeper's standing up to the stumps. Slip catching a nice feature, but absolutely impossible. Also, I'm utterly rubbish at it. Any surprisingly good bowlers? Not that I can think of, but there's a surprisingly good tactic - if you bowl incredibly short with a spinner and land the ball exactly where the umpire's hat obscures the pitch then it won't bounce above stump height and the batsman can't see which way it's spinning. It's in no way a childish response to getting hit for six.
Robin Smith's International Cricket (C64).
Somewhat rudimentary. But it was Robin Smith's game, so awesome. As with all games, some surprisingly good bowlers. Devon Malcolm used to land it on the cut strip. I seem to remember the Judge's leg spin was almost as good as his batting. And quite right too.
Cricket 97 (PC).
Amazing graphics for the time. Intricate bowling system. Timing the ball largely a question of guesswork, thus making it quite realistic for the CC. Surprisingly good bowler: Mark Butcher. Bowled boomerangs.
Brian Lara 2005 (PS2)
This is the absolute daddy. Either by accident or design, most games since have had a simple flaw. A ball down the leg side is bad, right? The batsman should always find it easier to hit, right? Fine, but in most cricket games since this one that's meant if you're playing two player the guy batting just stands just outside off stump, flicking anything vaguely near the stumps for four. You end up playing a bizarre version of French cricket, with the bowler alternating wide outswingers with inswinging yorkers and the batsman only playing a cover drive or a glance. And because the batsman knows where it's going to pitch before the bowler's even bowled it you're left using obscure medium pacers who swing it the width of the pitch to stop every ball going for four.
Brian Lara 2005 stopped that shit from happening by simply not letting the batsman move so far across. That said, the fielders never ever throw it to the bowler, which certainly made running a single to mid off less stressful than it might have been. Surprisingly good bowler: Nathan Astle. And Brian Lara, obviously. And I seem to remember Abdul Razzaq was capable of bowling at 110mph for some reason.
Ashes Cricket 2009 (Wii).
Should be awesome. Isn't. Good stuff - bowling - you really do spin it or swing it determined by how vigorous a flick you give the remote. Batting - you do have time the ball with a swing of the remote. Bad stuff - worst graphics I've ever seen. You have no control over fielders and it's two every time you hit it to one on the boundary. You're not really in control of the shot as much as you think you are. Aforementioned French cricket tactic still a winner. Tendonitis. Surprisingly good bowler: Tillekeratne Dilshan. Turns it more than Murali.
International Cricket 2010 (PS3)
Massive 'French Cricket' issue. As well as the fact that if you throw it to the keeper's end he takes the bails off and appeals almost every time regardless of where the batsman is. And it's very easy to inadvertently try to run a bye because the run button is right next to the 'hit' button. This wouldn't be such a big deal if the batsman weren't up for stealing a quick one even when the keeper's standing up to the stumps. Slip catching a nice feature, but absolutely impossible. Also, I'm utterly rubbish at it. Any surprisingly good bowlers? Not that I can think of, but there's a surprisingly good tactic - if you bowl incredibly short with a spinner and land the ball exactly where the umpire's hat obscures the pitch then it won't bounce above stump height and the batsman can't see which way it's spinning. It's in no way a childish response to getting hit for six.
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