As sports fans around the world pitch up for this twelvemonth ’s Super Bowl , you may recall , what makes it so “ top-notch ? ” There are n’t any robots . No one flies . Everyone live at the end . Sure , it ’s the two best football team playing for a title , but is it really “ top-notch ? ”

We say “ No ! ” At least , not when you think about the cross - section of sports and science fable . With the Super Bowl a few day away , we thought we ’d cue you there ’s a great tradition of sci - fi sports out there . Some are the subject of a full moving-picture show , others are just scenes . But these , our friends , are factual ace sports .

Robot Boxing from Real Steel

Real boxing is unsafe . citizenry get ache , even defeat . So why not get robots to do it ? That was the plot of land of the underrated2011 filmReal Steel , and it prove that not only are automaton great belligerent , they can also bring family together too .

Disc Wars from Tron: Legacy

Light cycle racing is sure enough extremely nerveless , but if I had to pick just one sport inside of Tron , it ’s Disc Wars . This sport , which add up to fundamentally campaign with Frisbee , just feel like more of an athletic rival . Plusthere ’s such beneficial chanting !

Rollerball from Rollerball

Roller skate , motorcycle , and murder — what ’s better or more intense than Rollerball ? Plus , it ’s corporate - owned and set up , so obviously , it ’s just an evolution from New professional mutant .

The Hunger Games from The Hunger Games

For this one , we ’d definitely remove the whole “ small fry taken against their willfrighten a society into meekness ” aspect and focus more on the great unwashed competing against each other in an bowl . It ’s the honest test of who is the best . A success - takes - all , fight - to - the - expiry rumble where people who look out from home can bet and interact with the game . recall live Survivor with weapons and no teams . ( Also , you could stand in the movie Battle Royale here if you do n’t adhere to the “ no small fry ” rule . )

The Running Man from The Running Man

Sure , this is alike to The Hunger Games in that it ’s a televised battle to the demise , but what we like about The Running Man is the spectacle of it . Those turnout ! That music ! Plus the violent carnage ? That ’s just good television .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqus0aXiAVE

Podracing from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Big , growling engines . Life or end stakes . Great racer introduction . Excellent announcers . vivid speeding and a little dose of the Force ? Yup , this is podracingand we love it .

Space football from Starship Troopers

This sport is so super , I ’ve cover it before .

https://gizmodo.com/an-appreciation-of-that-weird-football-scene-in-starshi-1791293813

Basically , it ’s like field football game if all the players somehow ran faster , and could jump and do toss . Fast - paced , intemperately - hitting , the next generation of our NFL .

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Death Race 2000 from Death Race 2000

Though Roger Corman ’s blending of speed , alloy , fire , and havoc has on a regular basis been imitated , it ’s seldom been duplicated . Basically , any kind of racing where destroying cars is encouraged is a unspoiled thing .

The Quidditch World Cup from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Quidditch at Hogwarts is one affair . But that ’s like a high school sport . We like professional Quidditch . The sound stuff . And the braggart professional Quidditch tournament is the World Cup . It ’s just so epic . It ’s the Super Bowl of the Wizarding World , as teams from all over compete and finally whittle it down to the two finalists .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh3VZMZ-GbM

Monstar Basketball from Space Jam

Basketball is cool , but you know what ’s cooler ? Basketball against aliens who bodysnatch professionals and then play against cartoons . Plus , then you have cartoon rules , with all the stretching and the humor ! It ’s really super .

Of course , these are just our favorite super sci - fi sports . What are yours ? Do you like some Robot Jox ? combat in Mad Max ’s Thunderdome ? Let us know below .

For more , verify you ’re follow us on our fresh Instagram @io9dotcom .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

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