If you're going to play a sports game nowadays, chances are it's going to be on a Playstation of X-Box. But it wasn't always like that. At one time, people used to play games that you had to take out of a box. You may or may not have partook in some of these games, but chances are you are at least familiar with them.

With that in mind, we will hop in the time machine and take a look at the best of the bunch.

Strat-O-Matic Baseball


You can still play Strat-O-Matic today, and in virtually any sport, but the best is Strat-O-Matic Baseball. The gist of the game is simple. Every MLB player (you can buy every player or just a single season) has a unique card based on their skill set. Basically, dice are rolled, there is a corresponding result on the card, and so on. This game has been, and still is, wildly popular. Of course, there are also versions that can be played on the computer now.

Bas-ket


Bas-ket is an old game that has 6 holes on either side of the court, and two baskets. The floor is angled so the ball will drop into one of the holes. Spring loaded levers are pulled, and it must be done with the right amount of touch to get the ball through the hoop.

Electric Football


Electric Football is a game where you put all the men on the magnetic field, turn it on, and the field vibrates. When the game was initially released, there was virtually no control of the players. They just went wherever - backwards, forwards, sideways. Now, there are controls allowing game players to control their men. This game is still a very popular, as there is an Electric Football Convention every year the weekend before the Super Bowl. This year's will be January 25-27 in Detroit. (Thanks to Ira Silverman of Silverman Media & Marketing for the info.)

Table Top Hockey


There are many different versions of this, including Pro Action Hockey and, of course, bubble hockey. This is not air hockey, but a version where a big plastic puck is dropped, and rods move each player. There is no area on the ice that a player can't get to, and wicked slapshots are common, as is the puck sailing 20 feet away from the board.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots


Is there anyone who didn't love Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots? Simple enough concept. Grab the joystick, stick and move until one of the boxer's heads popped up, signaling the loser. Still great today.