Best Sports Game of the Generation Tournament: Round of 32 Regions A&B
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The Best Sports Game of the Generation Tournament continues with the field now trimmed to 32. Regions A and B saw the favorites in most pairings advance. Two that might be considered surprises are WWE 13 knocking off UFC Undisputed 3 and NCAA Basketball 09 toppling The BIGS 2. A total of over 83K votes were cast in the first round.
The second round in these two regions offers match-ups that include NBA 2K11 taking on challenger Fight Night Champion and Tiger Woods 12: The Masters squaring off against 2010 FIFA World Cup. The remaining regions will have their voting open later this week. Continue on to cast your support and leave any thoughts in the comments!
Fight Night Champion vs NBA 2K11
Taking a new approach Fight Night Champion introduced a compelling, though short, story mode in the first M-rated sports game from EA Sports. The game also featured revamped right stick controls and expanded roster. It was 2K11 that launched the series to a level that some believed wasn’t possible for a basketball game in terms of consumer reception and sales with the featuring of Michael Jordan. New “The Jordan Challenge” mode, “Creating a Legend” mode, and historic teams were big winners.
NBA 2K12 vs NHL 09
NBA 2K12 continued to build on the success of 2K11 with “NBA’s Greatest” mode, more historic teams, and improved commentary. Introduced in NHL 09 was the incredibly fun and popular EA Sports Hockey League which was coupled with excellent online performance.
NCAA Basketball 09 vs Madden NFL 10
NCAA put a focus on making teams play like their real-life counterparts by differentiating their styles. It also featured 64 classic teams which led to Ed O’Bannon’s lawsuit that would ultimately bring an end to college video games. In what was the most encouraging Madden release in years for the “sim” crowd the game focused on presentation, gameplay, and authenticity. It may have actually peaked this gen in realism and graphics with this release. Introduced was the Pro-Tak animation system and Online Franchise.
NBA Street Homecourt vs NCAA Football 14
Homecourt was the last in the NBA Street series and introduced some advanced technology that ended up being integrated in other sports games. NCAA Football 14, which it turns out will be the last entry in the series, improved significantly in gameplay and Dynasty mode while bringing in a surprisingly intriguing Ultimate Team mode.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters vs 2010 FIFA World Cup
The debut of Augusta National in a golf video game made Tiger Woods 12 transcend its more typical limited appeal. Online Live Tournaments, Road to the Masters career mode, and caddies (to help make the game more accessible) were introduced. This World Cup offering was lauded for its accessibility, fun factor, and turning even non-soccer fans into loyal FIFA gamers. It included every national team and South African stadium, incredible atmosphere, and the “World League Ladder” online – an early look at what would evolve into Online Seasons.
UFC 2009 Undisputed vs Wii Sports
The debut of the UFC series from THQ was a smashing success both in terms of sales and critical response. The gameplay, differentiated fighter styles, roster, and graphics were all exceptional for a first entry with fights often exciting and rewarding. Packed in with every console Wii Sports was largely credited in making the Nintendo system a huge success. The game helped capture a new segment of more casual consumers with bowling the standout of the multiple different sports included.
NBA Live 10 vs WWE 13
On par with the competition in 2009, and in the opinion of some the best basketball game that year, NBA Live 10 represents the last basketball game to release from EA Sports. Sim gameplay was coupled with what might still be the best atmosphere ever in a league licensed sports game. With a focus on the “Attitude Era” WWE 13 was able to tap into a rich history and and the nostalgia of wrestling fans.
NHL 11 vs FIFA 12
The big addition for EA’s NHL series was real-time physics. Be a Pro and EASHL were improved upon, Hockey Ultimate Team debuted, and the CHL first appeared. With FIFA 12 EA Sports debuted the new physics engine which pushed the series forward. Online Seasons mode made its first appearance and Ultimate Team became part of the base product.