Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • God of War Laufey
  • PlayStation State of Play
  • Summer Game Fest 2026 schedule
  • New Games 2026
  • Summer Game Fest
  • Best gaming tech
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Action

Gaming's greatest blood sports

Features
By GamesRadarTylerWilde published 10 March 2009

Proof that the most dangerous game is also the most fun to murderize

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Blood Bowl (1995)

Blood Bowl is a DOS adaption of the figurine board game of the same name. Again, it’s a more violent version of American football, except this time with fantasy characters and dismemberment.


Above: Since when is having more limbs than usual a “skill?”

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

A modern version is in currently in development by Cyanide Studios (based on the board game, not the original videogame).


Above: The latest adaptionis to be released this year

Bill Laimbeer's CombatBasketball(1991)

It would be pointless to write a synopsis of this game when it is so well encapsulated by this product description, which seems to appear everywhere the game is referenced:

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"When Bill Laimbeer played in the NBA, he wasn't exactly known for his sportsmanlike conduct. Now he's brought his rough-and-tumble style of basketball action to the SNES with BILL LAIMBEER'S COMBAT BASKETBALL. It's the year 2030, and Laimbeer is the commissioner of the pro basketball league. Seeing as he's in charge, he fires all the refs and throws the rulebook out the window - basketball the way he likes it. Now the players wear armor as weapons and mines are thrown from the stands, adding a whole new element to the game of hoops. You can create your own league of combat basketball by buying and selling players with up to seven other people in the league. Forget everything you know about the modern game of basketball, and get ready for a futuristic look at the game with BILL LAIMBEER'S COMBAT BASKETBALL."

For fun, here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

“The game predicts ascience-fiction version of the year 2030 in which there are only robot basketball players (excluding Bill Laimbeer).”

Robots… possibly, or maybe people in metallic armor. It can be hard to tell the difference. Actually no, they’re humans. Check out the super fast-paced gameplay:

Barbarian (Death Sword) (1987)

Another controversial game, Barbarian (Death Sword in the US) was scolded for depicting violence (including decapitations - no!) and women in bikinis (even worse than decapitations!). Mostly it was about barbarians fighting each other, and free posters.


Above: Free poster!

Pit-Fighter (1990)

Pit-Fighter was looking stupid years before Mortal Kombat was using digitized characters. In spite of its lack-luster console ports, the original arcade version stands tall as one of those games people remember liking. Just look at these spastic crowds and super-generic fighters!

While pretty much any fighting game could be categorized as a “blood sport,” if we included all of them we might as well have written “A bunch of fighting games” and left it at that. Pit-Fighter gets inclusionbecause the office insisted, so go play it.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4

Current page: Page 3

Prev Page Page 2 Next Page Page 4
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Nintendo PlayStation Xbox Platforms
PRODUCTS
Quake 4 Unreal Tournament III Manhunt 2 Quake Live MadWorld Manhunt Twisted Metal Black Quake
GamesRadarTylerWilde
GamesRadarTylerWilde
Associate Editor, Digital at PC Gamer
Latest in Action
God of War Laufey
God of War Sony's Cory Barlog compares God of War Laufey's gods to billionaires: "They're all a**holes"
 
 
God of War Laufey warrior Faye mid air with sword
God of War Sony says "God of War Laufey can be enjoyed completely standalone," but you should play the first two games anyway
 
 
GTA 4
Grand Theft Auto GTA San Andreas devs "regretted" adding stealth, Rockstar veteran says: "We ended up stretching ourselves too thin"
 
 
God of War merch on a snowy forest background
God of War The 9 God of War collectibles to see you through the wait for Laufey
 
 
Palworld pal Cattiva looks excited in official animated short Finders Keepers.
Grand Theft Auto As games flee from GTA 6, Palworld lead jokes Pocketpair will launch all its projects alongside it
 
 
GTA 5
Grand Theft Auto GTA 5 Michael actor says person who sent a swat team to his home will be jailed for 4 years
 
 
Latest in Features
Someone with a gas mask, body armor, and a gun, turning to run across a flooded grey post-apocalyptic scene from Metro 2039
Games Summer Game Fest 2026 predictions: 5 games I'm convinced we'll see
 
 
A cropped image of Logan examining fibers in Marvel's Wolverine as he tracks kidnap victims, with the orange GamesRadar+ Summer Preview 2026 frame
Action Games I'm glad PS5's Wolverine is a comic-accurate deadly predator, and not just a mindless hack and slasher
 
 
A man with glasses stand behind someone else in Until Dawn 2, with the orange GamesRadar+ Summer Preview 2026 frame
Horror Games Until Dawn 2's campy teen slasher vibes proves there's nothing like old-school horror
 
 
Faye stands on a cliff overlooking Everwhen holding a sword with a ribbon attached and standing next to a jelly cube in key art for God of War Laufey, with the orange GamesRadar+ Summer Preview 2026 frame
God of War God of War Laufey is exactly how I want the series' combat to evolve, from classic air combos to ruthless soul-punching
 
 
God of War Laufey protagonist Laufey lying on a stone altar surrounded by butterflies, shown during the June State of Play which is recapped in this article
PlayStation 5 State of Play announcements that stole the stream
 
 
God of War Laufey
Games God of War Laufey: Everything we know about the new adventure game
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Scramble Knights Online character looks off-camera through large slits in his plate helmet
    1
    "The haters were right," RPG devs decide after spending 3 years on a battle royale only to cancel it and pivot on Steam
  2. 2
    Path of Exile 2 devs narrowly prevented an in-game economic disaster by nerfing a broken money-making strategy
  3. 3
    No Rest for the Wicked boss says the Xbox Series S is the reason the PS5 version is out first
  4. 4
    Sony's Cory Barlog compares God of War Laufey's gods to billionaires: "They're all a**holes"
  5. 5
    Backrooms director says Valve is an inspiration: "Don't make it if there's not a meaningful reason"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...