History Main / IKnowMaddenKombat

* [[FragileSpeedster The Scout]] from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is baseball-themed -- he can run especially fast, use a bat as a weapon, become invulnerable from an energy drink, and even stun enemies with baseballs. Many of his taunts and all of his achievement titles are references to baseball, and he wears a baseball cap, hand wraps, and long socks tucked into rolled pants (which is characteristic of old-fashioned baseball uniforms). "Yo, I oughta be on a baseball card!" Promotional items for ''VideoGame/FootballManager 2012'' give him a soccer fan's scarf, change his running shoes to soccer cleats, and cause him to spawn with a soccer ball. Basically, if you don't have a baseball bat equipped as your melee weapon it completely changes the character's theme sport.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', some of the best enemies to fight if you want to [[LevelGrinding get a lot of AP very quickly]] happen to be the hockey teams in Galbadia Garden.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'':
** Wakka uses his blitzball skills in battle, and all of his weapons are blitzballs. It should be noted that during a blitzball match, you will regularly see people roundhouse kicking each other, punching each other in the face, and actually knocking each other unconscious. And since the sport takes place underwater, a blitzball would have to weigh a lot to overcome water resistance.
** Tidus as well, also being a Blitzballer. Tidus' Ultimate Overdrive, Blitz Ace, finishes a series of sword attacks off by having a Blitzball served to him by a party member, and performing a "Sphere Shot" (essentially a full flip bicycle kick) to drive a blitzball that explodes right into the enemy's face. In the Blitzball mini-game it self, he also can learn Jecht Shot, and Jecht Shot II, moves where he intentionally hits two or three opposing blockers out of the way with the ball for him to take a shot at the goal.
*** Jecht Shot and Blitz Ace carry over to his appearance in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'', the former as an HP attack and the latter as his [[LimitBreak EX Burst]].
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' features Chargin' Chuck, a variety of [[{{Mook}} Koopa]] decked out in gridiron football gear, who attacks by rushing, lobbing baseballs, and punting footballs. They tend to appear near the curiously goalpost-shaped stage goal.
** ''Super Mario World 2: VideoGame/YoshisIsland'' had a level full of two special kinds of Shy Guys, one who could bat thrown eggs at an angle and one who could catch them (or pick them off the ground) and then chuck them back at Yoshi. They'd also try to do the same with watermelon seeds.
** Chargin' Chucks reappeared in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', but their fighting style is more limited to "chargin'" than in their debut appearance. Playable characters however put their [[VideoGame/MarioStrikers soccer]] and [[VideoGame/MarioSuperSluggers baseball]] skills to good use, utilizing soccer balls (or bombs made to look like them) and large baseballs as weapons.

* The American Sports team members Lucky Glauber and Brian Battler of ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters''. Half of Lucky's moves involve him lobbing a basketball at his opponents, some of which include him doing jump shots. Lucky also does a couple dunk inspired attacks. Most of Brian's attacks are inspired by ProfessionalWrestling, but he also has several football attacks including tackles, a chop block and a punt.
** Also from ''King of Fighters'' (well, ''VideoGame/FatalFury''), Terry Bogard has a move called "Power Dunk" ([[GratuitousEnglish POUWAH DAANHK]]) which is a jumping mid air skill-cracking punch which is said he modified from the basketball move.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and the ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'' series:
** Sean from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' has a taunt where he does a jump shot with a multi-colored basketball that does [[CherryTapping a single pixel of damage]] if it hits. It's useful for setting up combos, as it can't be blocked low.
** Eagle from ''[[VideoGame/CapcomVsSNK2MarkOfTheMillennium Capcom Vs SNK 2]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX]]'' has a move called St. Andrew's Green, which has him swing his two batons like a Golf club [[AttackReflector to reflect the opponent's projectiles back at them.]]
* Bobby from ''VideoGame/AggressorsOfDarkKombat'' uses his basketball skills and ball to fight.
* ''[[http://bootleggames.wikia.com/wiki/Top_Fighter_2000_MK_VIII Top Fighter 2000 MK VIII]]'' is a bootleg fighting game for the Mega Drive (AKA Genesis) with UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan as a playable character. Granted, he's pretty much an {{Expy}} of Lucky Glauber but nevertheless.
* ''Fight Fever'' has Magic Dunker, a basketball player probably named after Magic Johnson. His projectile is a basketball, but he jumps into the air and throws it with a dunking motion.
* The students of the very sports driven Gorin High School in ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'' best represent this trope. Shoma (baseball), Natsu (volleyball), Roberto ([[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]), Nagare (swimming), and Momo (tennis) all have moves that heavily involve the sports they play, including stances, positions, most of their attacks and projectiles that are balls in their respective games. They all even fight in their sports wear.
* Johnny Maximum from ''VideoGame/WorldHeroes'' has a heavily football inspired fighting style which includes, rushing attacks and energy footballs as projectiles. Justified in that he works officially as a quarterback, just...a very violent one. He's also based on Joe Montana (note the initials and his default uniform colors).
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
** Princess Peach uses a golf club and tennis racquet, inspired by her appearances in the ''VideoGame/MarioGolf'' and ''VideoGame/MarioTennis'' games.
** When Waluigi appears as an assist trophy in ''Brawl'' onwards, he uses a tennis racket to reference his debut game.
** In ''Wii U/3DS'', Wii Fit Trainer knows ''yoga'' combat. All of her moves are yoga poses - struck with enough force to damage her opponents.
* There are a number of 2D platform games in which the main character kicks a football as their main weapon, including ''Marko's Magic Football'', ''Soccer Kid'' and ''Go Go Beckham'', the latter starring a cartoon version of RealLife footballer David Beckham.

* The ''Mutant League'' games were about this trope ratcheted up to the level of BloodSport. The short-lived cartoon based on them tried to make it LighterAndSofter by a TechnoBabble HandWave form of GoodThingYouCanHeal, and even a VerySpecialEpisode about how humans can't be regenerated like Mutants and should not imitate the really cool graphic violence that made up the bulk of every episode. Guess how well that went over.
* ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'' had Hulk Bryman, a washed-up baseball player, defeat an evil monster using his baseball skills (with the help of cheering from the EBA). Can he kick butt? "[[CatchPhrase You bet, kid!]]"
* ''VideoGame/ShaqFu'', starring famous basketball player Shaquille O'Neal.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', Junpei Iori holds his sword with the wrong foot forward, meaning that he's essentially swinging it like a baseball bat. His critical hit even has him yell '''''"HOME RUN!!"'''''. As befitting ''TheLoad'', he falls over a lot doing so.
** Taken to a logical conclusion in ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' in its sequel, where he fights with a baseball themed moveset and mechanic of gaining homeruns.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Kamoshida's Shadow, the demon Asmodeus, will often order his slaves to launch volleys of volleyballs as projectiles at the Phantom Thieves. His most powerful attack, the Gold Medal Shot, involves spiking a giant golden ball hard enough to generate an explosion on impact.
* Any characters from sports manga in ''VideoGame/JumpSuperStars''.
* Raiden from the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series is a former American football player who adapted certain moves to fit his later career choice as a wrestler. For instance, he will take a lineman's three-point stance before launching into a vicious shoulder tackle.
* Travis Touchdown of ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' mixes his apparently professional sword training with Mexican luchador wrestling moves learned by watching video tapes, as well as special attacks learned from his favorite fictional ''moe'' ''anime'', 'Pure White Lover Bizarre Jelly'.
** Subverted with Charlie [=MacDonald=] who despite being a football player (with two dozen cheerleader minions) actually fights Travis in a HumongousMecha showdown. He has ''one'' attack where he throws a giant football at Travis and his mech's main body is shaped like a football, but the theme isn't really all that strong.
* A fighting game based on 80's TV show ''Series/SpittingImage'' has a playable fighter whose style is "adapted from the dance moves of Creator/JohnTravolta". The fighter? ''Mikhail Gorbachev''.
* In ''VideoGame/UrbanRivals'', this is the [[GangOfHats angle]] behind the All Stars gang each member of whom is a fighter who uses skills from their specific sport to beat ass like a pro. While the standard hockey (Alexei), football (Randy), soccer (Striker), baseball (Lamarr), and basketball (Mikki) types are present, more esoteric examples include Bhudd, the zen martial arts master and ace bowler; Dan, ping pong expert and channeler of dark forces; and Robb, a legendary champion at darts who uses his flinging skills as a guerrilla.
* One of the potential encounters in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' is an ice-hockey themed gang named "[[http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Sudden-Death_Overtime Sudden-Death Overtime]]". All they really know about hockey is that it involves ice and fighting, though -- the sport died a long time ago after all.

* Strike Man (who looks like a baseball, no less) from ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' throws "Rebound Strikers", [[HyperDestructiveBouncingBall fastballs that bounce all over the place and get more deadly per bounce]]. The enemies in his stage are also sports-themed, including pitchers who throw curveballs and baskets that bounce balls at you. You could arguably count the skier Blizzard Man, too.
** Mega Man 8 has the Mega Ball weapon (which appears to be the game's equivalent of Rush Coil, of all things). It summons a ball that Mega Man can kick, which bounces a number of times. "Classic" series Mega Man also uses it in his VideoGame/CapcomVs appearances.
** In the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' games, there's Gridman.exe (football) and Bowlman.exe (bowling). Interestingly, both of them were fan submissions. There's also Blizzardman.exe if, again, you think that counts.
* ''Knuckle Bash'', a BeatEmUp by Creator/{{Toaplan}}, has a boss character named Kyaputeso (which is a pun on "Captain" that's kind of hard to explain succinctly), a football player, who becomes playable after you defeat him.
* ''VideoGame/BrawlBusters'' features as playable classes the Slugger, a baseball player who slides and wields an odd bat that shoots balls when swung, and the Blitzer, a football player who uses pump fakes (fake passes) in his combos and can perform a variation on a GroundPound by spiking his ever-present ball.

* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', Imagawa Yoshimoto fights with a sword and a Kemari ball and his attacks tend to involve a lot of ball-kicking, though the moves he does with his ball look a lot more like high-level soccer tricks than kemari.
* ''VideoGame/UndercoverCops'' features as one of its playable characters Matt Gables (or "Bubba" in the English version), a former pro football player who can shoulder tackle, punt, and spike enemies to the ground.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsNEO'' has the cast from ''Anime/ShippuIronLeaguer'', which is originally a sport anime. As the major theme of the game is about robots fighting each other, the units from it take this trope in order to fit in.
* ''VideoGame/Asuka120Percent'' is a FightingGame based around a tournament held by various clubs at a girls' high school. The fighters thus include a rhythmic gymnast (Kumi), a tennis player (Tamaki), a volleyball player (Ryuko), and a softball player (Kiyoko).
* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' 2 and 3 lets you pick a character named Skate, whom fights hoodlums using his roller-blades.
* The protagonist of the PlatformGame ''Soccer Kid'' is a kid who kicks soccer balls at enemies.

* Boom Jet in the ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' series starting with Swap Force. He throws bombs as if they were footballs; in-game they're actually called "football bombs", and a number of his abilities have football-related names (like "Tight Spiral"). Also introduced in that game are Roller Brawl, who has a roller derby theme, and Freeze Blade, who is an ice skater. On the fictional sports side, Scorp is a former sting ball player, and Bouncer is a Roboto-Ball champion.
* In the crossover FightingGame ''VideoGame/DengekiBunkoFightingClimax'' we have Tomoka Minato from the LightNovel ''Ro-Kyu-Bu!'': Her fighting style is based on her position as captain of her basketball team, as she uses basketballs in battle, whether by throwing them as projectiles, or passing them to her pertners for various attacks; one of her super moves is even a reference to her Scoop Shot SignatureMove, as [[BeTheBall she catches her opponent into a basketball]], dribbles and throws him/her high above, all while wings sprout from her back.
* Buffalo Van Dyke from ''VideoGame/LisaThePainfulRPG'' is a former pro-football player who has become obsessed with perfecting his game even [[AfterTheEnd after the White Flash]] [[{{Gendercide}} killed the world's women]] and set mankind on a path towards extinction. As expected, he fights with a series of football tackles.
* ''VideoGame/TheQueenOfHeart'' series has Saori Shincho and [[VisualNovel/ComicParty Mizuki Takase]]:
** Saori incorporates volleyball in her fighting style, she can throw volleyballs as projctiles, and some moves are volleyball-related.
** Mizuki uses a tennis racket in battle, and she includes some moves such as forehands and backhands, and can also shoot tennis balls as projectiles.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon 2}}'', one of the sub-weapons available to use is the Curling Bomb, a curling stone that slides along a straight line, bouncing off walls, and eventually explodes. From the same game, the Bomb Launcher special weapon resembles Nintendo's Ultra Machine, a pitching machine.
* The Bitball weapons in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', while not resembling any type of sports ball in particular, utilize moves inspired by various ball sports, with your party members throwing, kicking, punching, and even dunking the ball into foes, and some of their arts bear sports-inspired names like Touchdown. Common blades with the weapon will even talk more like they're in a ball game then a fight on top of this.

* ''VideoGame/MichaelJordanChaosInTheWindyCity'' features [[UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan His Royal Airness]] kicking ass with various powered-up basketballs, and his insane arieal abilities.

* Raiden from the ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' series is a former American football player who adapted certain moves to fit his later career choice as a wrestler. For instance, he will take a lineman's three-point stance before launching into a vicious shoulder tackle
** Duck King also breakdances.

* [[spoiler:Senator Armstrong]] from VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance, despite his Navy training, fights like a football player. [[MemeticMutation Played college ball, you know? Not at some cushy Ivy League school either. Try University of Texas. He would have gone pro if he hadn't joined the Navy.]]

* And the jai alai themed ComicBook/BlueBeetle Overthrow, as well.

* And the jai alai themed Overthrow, as well.

* Episode "Unnatural" of ''Series/TheXFiles'' involved an old-timey baseball team protecting a Negro League player (who is an alien) from a mounted Ku Klux Klan member (who is also an alien; [[ItMakesSenseInContext it's complicated]]) by chucking high-speed pitches at him. It was the only time the spectacled pitcher ever threw his fastball accurately.

* Kimberly from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' used a [[SheFu mixture of gymnastics and martial arts]] for her fighting style, as did Billy. Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost actually ''were'' champion gymnasts, Yost earning several state championships and Johnson almost making the U.S. Olympic team before suffering a career-ending injury. Zack, similarly, incorporated [[DanceBattler breakdancing]] into his fighting style. Walter Jones is a professional dancer, who has worked with [[Series/DancingWithTheStars Cheryl Burke.]] Also Kat, once Catherine Sutherland began doing her own fight scenes, used ballet in her fighting style. The [[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Wild Force]]'s SixthRanger uses a finisher [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il9Afv8i-so inspired by billiards]]. ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo'' introduced Carlos, who is a great, yet clumsy, soccer player.

* Inverted with the “Flying Wedge” play that was very briefly used in the late nineteenth century. A Princeton coach was inspired to use this formation from flying wedge formations used in infantry and cavalry assaults and adapted it. However, it became classified as a DangerousForbiddenTechnique because defenders risked serious injuries trying to stop the wedge from advancing.

* Inverted in ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}''; Orio Tokashiki of the Teikoku Alexanders uses his skills as a boxer to better play American football. Makoto Otawara, Daikichi Komusubi, and Futoshi Omosadake all use their sumo wrestling talents in the sport, as well.

* In ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', during the [[CookingDuel epic dodgeball match]], the girls in going with the lead's advice to use their skills in this environment, used a number of unorthodox sports techniques including a soccer kick, a swimming stroke, a basketball dribble and ''rhythmic gymnastics''. The number of things that Makie can do with a gymnastics ribbon is limited only by her imagination.

* Among the main characters in ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' is Takeshi Yamamoto, a swordsman who substituted his initial lack of formal training with his mastery of baseball, even using a baseball bat that turned into a sword when swung fast enough for a while.

* In some ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfics (crossover or otherwise), [[BewareTheNiceOnes Canada]] uses a [[CanadianEqualsHockeyFan hockey stick]] to beat people up, usually in one-off incidents. In a crossover with ''Literature/HarryPotter'' - ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10514631/26/Hear-No-Evil-See-No-Evil-Speak-No-Evil Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil]]'', it was briefly mentioned that a Dark wizard tried to use the [[DeathRay Killing Curse]] against him, failed, then at last turned himself in, to quote the source, "for fear of the Canadian's hockey stick".

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', Junpei Iori holds his sword with the wrong foot forward, meaning that he's essentially swinging it like a baseball bat. His critical hit even has him yell '''''"HOME RUN!!"'''''. As befitting ''TheLoad'', he falls over a lot doing so.

* Any characters from sports manga in ''VideoGame/JumpSuperStars''

* The backstory of Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro of ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', involves him using his tennis skills to take revenge on TheMafia for killing his family by killing them with steel tennis balls.

* ''Ultimate Spider-Man'': When the symbiote assimilates with Flash Thompson, he integrates his football techniques and gear into Agent Venom's attacks.

''Ultimate Spider-Man'': When the symbiote assimilates with Flash Thompson, he integrates his football techniques and gear into Agent Venom's attacks.

''WesternAnimation/Ultimate Spider-Man'': When the symbiote assimilates with Flash Thompson, he integrates his football techniques and gear into Agent Venom's attacks.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyDucks'' combat skills, weapons, gadgets and way of thinking are mostly based off hockey. Their whole planet's culture revolves around hockey.

* Rookie from ''Critter'' is a sports-themed superheroine with the ability to form hard light constructs in the shape of sporting equipment. Baseball and ice hockey seem to be her favourite sports.

** A sorta kinda example in Wrestling/JohnMorrison, who incorporates Capoeira into his moveset, which is as much a dance technique as a martial art. Also they bring up that he is a practitioner of LeParkour a lot.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon 2}}'', one of the sub-weapons available to use is the Curling Bomb, a curling stone that slides along a straight line, bouncing off walls, and eventually explodes.

* In ''Webcomic/GodOfHighSchool'', J-Doggy, a member of Team USA, fights a MasterSwordsman like Mi-Ra with nothing but his football skills.

** Mega Man 8 has the Mega Ball weapon (which appears to be the game's equivalent of Rush Coil, of all things). It summons a ball that Mega Man can kick, which bounces a number of times. "Classic" series Mega Man also uses it in his VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever appearances.

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and the ''VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever'' series:

* The {{Novelization}} of the film {{Film/Tron}} explains that Kevin Flynn was as good as he was on the lightcycle arena and jai alai matches because he wrote those game programs based on sports and skills he already knew, making it a cross of this and IKnowMortalKombat. ''Film/TronLegacy'' establishes [[SpinOffspring Sam Flynn]] as being an extreme sports junkie and expert motorcyclist, skills that translated all too well into {{Cyberspace}}.

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[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* The Golden Boys mercenary squad in ''{{TabletopGame/BattleTech}}'' is somewhat related to this trope; they used to be an actual basketball team, are commanded by their old coach, employ masseurs and physical therapists to ensure they're always ready for "game-time", and keep their morale high with a group of cheerleaders.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}} Australia'' features the Sportsman O.C.C., a talented athlete in a sport of your choice who adapts the skills from his chosen profession into combat maneuvers. Note that, being ''Rifts'', many familiar sports are barely not gladiatorial combat.

* Jake from ''WesternAnimation/{{Bakugan}}: Gundalian Invaders'' uses football tactics in his Bakugan fights.
* Since the Summer 2003 ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' setline put such a big emphasis on action features based around their FictionalSport of Kohlii, the makers of the movie ''Mask of Light'' decided that the big showdown at the end would consist of TheHero and the BigBad playing a more furious and deadly version. In the end, it was a Kohlii move that struck down the villain (if only temporarily). Meanwhile, the main ''BIONICLE'' story writer thought this was a stupid and cheap way of cheating the viewers of a real fight.