End of Year Community Awards: Best Sports Game of 2016
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The 12th and final category in the annual Pastapadre Community Awards is the big one – Sports Game of the Year. A variety of franchises have won the award in the past including Madden, FIFA and The Show but the last two years have gone to NBA 2K. The 2016 field is strong, with no clear standout, and arguments able to be made for and against each one of the nominees.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017Â was able to overcome any licensing shortcomings thanks to its fantastic gameplay which addressed its few flaws of the previous year. PES finished with two nominations in the Community Awards including that for Best Gameplay.
MLB The Show 16 continued to build on gameplay and visual strengths while further expanding the appeal of Diamond Dynasty and in doing so remained the most steady sports gaming franchise in existence today. The Show finished with five nominations in the Community Awards.
NBA 2K17 adapted to the changing landscape of the league while also offering the most content found in any sports game helped by its two great franchise modes and compelling story mode. 2K17 tied for the most Community Awards nominations with seven.
Madden NFL 17 finally leveraged some of the most exciting plays in football by making special teams matter and mostly avoided gimmicks in favor of addressing long-running areas of deficiency in the series. Madden tied for the most Community Awards nominations with seven.
FIFA 17 offered a well-rounded product through extensive licensing and several different ways to play including the new story mode, excellent online features and performance, along with accessible gameplay. FIFA finished with six nominations in the Community Awards.
Vote on the other categories as well
Best Gameplay
Best Mobile Game
Best Career/Story Mode
Best Presentation
Best Team-Building Mode
Best Online Play
Best Franchise Mode
Best Racing Game
Best Post-Release Support
Best New/Non-Yearly Game
Best New Feature