Play Brian Lara Cricket 96 (Europe) (March 1996) Online

Game Overview

Man, Brian Lara Cricket 96 was the reason I spent half of '96 arguing with my brother about whether that last shot was a six or just a really lucky four. This wasn't some stuffy cricket sim—it was fast, chaotic, and weirdly satisfying even when you totally mistimed a shot and sent the ball trickling to mid-off. The controls just clicked after a few overs, and before long you're pulling off ridiculous late cuts or accidentally skying one straight to the keeper (who'd dive like he was saving the World Cup).

What I loved was how it balanced arcade energy with little nods to real cricket. Lara's cover drive animation felt like a reward for good timing, and the rivalry mode turned every match into a full-blown Ashes series in our living room. That umpire was definitely biased though—no way my mate's LBW shout was hitting middle stump. Even now, the chunky Mega Drive graphics and those crowd noises take me right back to summer holidays with too much soda and not enough sunscreen.

If you never played it back then, you're in for a time capsule of 90s cricket gaming at its most fun.