EA Ended This Franchise 14 Years Ago, And It’s Time They Brought It Back

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For decades, EA Sports has been a leading name in gaming, largely thanks to popular franchises like Madden. However, they haven’t released many fast-paced, arcade-style games recently. While titles like Madden, EA Sports FC, and EA Sports PGA Tour offer realistic sports simulations, they’re missing the fun, accessible, and competitive multiplayer experiences that the older EA Sports BIG games were known for.

EA Sports BIG was a popular gaming brand that ran from 2000 to 2010, known for its fun and over-the-top sports titles. Many gamers fondly remember the energetic intro music and exciting gameplay of games like NBA Street, NFL Street, and FIFA Street, where pulling off unbelievable moves was a key part of the experience. It’s been 14 years since a new game in the “Street” series was released, and many fans believe it’s time for EA to bring back that arcade-style sports action.

How The Street Series Became Some Of EA Sports’ Best Games

Honestly, the Street games from EA Sports are seriously underrated and deserve a remake. I remember when EA Sports BIG first blew up with SSX, but they didn’t stop there. They made a bunch of over-the-top sports games like Freekstyle, Shox, and Sled Storm – which were awesome for motocross, racing, and snowmobiles. Then there was Def Jam Vendetta, which was a really cool mix of wrestling and the whole gangster rap vibe. But out of everything they did besides SSX, the Street games were the biggest hits, in my opinion.

Unlike EA’s realistic sports games like Madden and NBA Live, the Street series was inspired by classic arcade sports games and focused on fast-paced action. Each NBA Street, NFL Street, and FIFA Street game brought together current players, sports legends, fictional stars, and unexpected characters for intense street basketball, football, or soccer. These games simplified strategy, ditching complex playbooks in favor of a few key moves and relying on skillful gameplay to decide the winner.

The games focused on exciting, skillful plays and special moves that could catch opponents off guard. Designed to be easy to pick up and play, even for those unfamiliar with sports, EA Sports titles prioritized fun and simplicity. The goal was to recreate the experience of playing with friends, but with over-the-top, spectacular moves. Ultimately, these games favored enjoyment over strict realism, making them a blast to play.

Why The “Street” Series Would Be Great In The Modern Era

The Street series gradually lost popularity, especially after EA Sports BIG stopped making games in 2008. While the publisher has tried to recapture the fun of those arcade-style games since then, nothing has quite lived up to the simple controls and surprisingly rich variety of game modes found in the originals. NBA Street 2 and NFL Street 2 were particularly successful, offering smooth gameplay that made playing with friends incredibly enjoyable, alongside plenty of content for solo players.

Over time, sports games have moved away from the over-the-top, arcade style and focused more on realism. It’s unfortunate, because there’s still room for games like the old “Street” series, particularly with how popular online gaming is now. A new NBA Street or NFL Street would be fantastic to play online, imagining players’ created characters joining pick-up games with people from all over the world.

Sports games could be much more exciting with a mix of current stars and legendary players. Bringing back past greats – like NBA Street 2 did with basketball icons – would be a great way to celebrate their careers and introduce them to new fans. The popular “Street” style of gameplay could work well with many different sports, and including more female athletes would expand the game’s appeal. EA’s “Street” series was a standout, and it’s time they revived it.

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2026-01-18 00:11