Posts Tagged ‘year in review’
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#1 of 2012: FIFA 13
The FIFA series repeats in the top spot even though it does so somewhat by default as the field in 2012 simply did not do enough to knock it off the throne. FIFA 13 capitalized off the excellent prior iteration by making important refinements and building on already established strengths resulting in the best overall product of the year. (more...)...
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#2 of 2012: NBA 2K13
For quite a while NBA 2K13 was slotted into the top spot as the Pastapadre Sports Game of the Year. NBA 2K was set to be the first series to have won twice since the awards began in 2006 (2K11 won in 2010). It had it in its grasp but ultimately it slipped away when justification of the entire product as the "best" of this year's crop was made more more difficult. NBA 2K13 arrived on the scene with welcome changes to controls, terrific presentation, an excellent career mode, and much impro...
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2012 Community Choice Award Winners
After being open for a month and collecting over 26K votes it's time to announce the winners of the 2012 Pastapadre Community Choice Awards. Former Community Game of the Year winners FIFA, NBA 2K, and Madden fittingly found themselves up for the big one this year as well. Continue on for the results and brief analysis for all the categories! (more...)...
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Revisiting the Top Stories of 2012: Former Madden Developer Rips EA Sports
One of the most fascinating developments of the year came late as a former Madden NFL developer went on an unprecedented Twitter rant regarding the state of the franchise and the stifling environment in which he had departed from. It was insight into the ongoing process and frustrations that may be faced by those who work on the games that the public rarely if ever hears. Certain elements of that are true of all major corporations but with it being Madden in particular it struck a nerve with...
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#3 of 2012: Madden NFL 13
The Madden NFL series is easily the most heavily scrutinized of all the sports video game franchises. As the biggest seller in North America - only FIFA tops it worldwide - much of the criticism it receives is justified but some of it is not. EA Sports has to accept that the product will be held to the highest standard and produce on a level to meet expectations. There are no excuses why they should not be able to do just that. Yet this generation they've come up short more often than not...
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Revisiting the Top Stories of 2012: MLB 2K12 Perfect Game Contest Controversy
The $1 Million Perfect Game Challenge entered its third year with MLB 2K12 and 2K Sports finally got the structure right by turning it into an actual challenge rather than a race. The first two years had the winner complete the task on the first day essentially ending the promotion prematurely. That would no longer be the case as 2K12's competition involved a month long window where any perfect games completed would be "scored" based on a number of factors with the top eight earning a spot i...
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#4 of 2012: SSX
Attempting a reboot of SSX was a daunting task for EA Sports. They faced inevitable backlash due to the inherent nostalgia fans of the series carried - which could naturally have inhibited creativity and use of new technology - and a shrinking base of consumers open to arcade-style games in general. The end result however was the best sports related offering in the first half of 2012. SSX delivered great gameplay, innovation, and superb post-release support. (more...)...
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Revisiting the Top Stories of 2012: Death of MLB 2K Series Leaves Void on 360 and Possibly Beyond
It came as no surprise that Take Two would pass on renewing a third party exclusive agreement with Major League Baseball thus signalling an end to the 2K franchise. MLB 2K will end up being the only officially licensed "sim" game to have appeared on the Xbox 360. It was a predictable conclusion but one that leaves plenty of uncertainty going forward and has damaged the potential of another series appearing in its place. (more...)...
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#5 of 2012: UFC Undisputed 3
UFC Undisputed 3 had potential to be right there in the discussion on what was the best sports game of the year. A few design decisions, and the disruption that came with the sale of the license to EA, ultimately ended up burying any chance at consideration. In some ways UFC 3 benefited from the struggles THQ had been having as they attempted to make the series more appealing - and hopefully profitable - but it also encountered issues that otherwise would not have been present and ultimately...
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#6 of 2012: Forza Horizon
It's rare for a racing game to emerge from an end-of-year list such as this one. Forza Horizon however delivered such a completely pleasant and enjoyable experience that it couldn't be overlooked. Rich in features and fun factor, and with some incredible scenery and ambiance, it is well deserving of recognition. (more...)...
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