Posts Tagged ‘year in review’
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Revisiting the Top Stories of 2012: Disingenuous Marketing and Unfulfilled Features
There are always going to be games that fail to deliver on promised features or those that disguise issues in order to avoid negatively affecting sales. There are likely even elements of that going on with every game that releases these days. Companies have generally been able to get away with them because reviewers don't identify the issues and media in general avoid holding them accountable for providing the features and support that consumers rely on. In 2012 there were a few significa...
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#10 of 2012: NFL Blitz
As the field of sports games has contracted over the years coming up with legitimate entries for a top 10 list has become increasingly difficult. #10 no longer represents a very good game but one in which might present some value or level of enjoyment but with greatly limited appeal. That is the case with NFL Blitz which is the only true arcade style major sport representation to make the list for 2012. (more…)...
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Revisiting the Top Stories of 2012: The Disastrous Road Towards NBA Live 13
With two years off to construct NBA Live 13 following the swift demise of the NBA Elite 11 reboot there was a cautious optimism about the product back in February. There was no way that Live could challenge NBA 2K13 but the opportunity was there to reestablish itself and take advantage of some of the openings that the competition had left it. It wouldn't take long however for everything about the title to start crumbling down and expose yet another fraud. (more…)...
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Vote for the 2012 Community Choice Awards
Kicking off the year-in-review period is the third annual Pastapadre Community Choice Awards. Last year FIFA 12 walked away with the top honors but there was much more competition present in the field than when NBA 2K11 swept just about every award in 2010. This year appears to be competitive yet again as there are a number of titles that offer outstanding aspects but find themselves deficient in some other way. There is no clear standout that would sweep the awards or is a sure thing to ...
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2011 Year in Review Recap
2011 doesn't necessarily have to be viewed as a down year for sports gaming but it may end up better described as having been a transitional one. Some series struggled to follow-up on well-received iterations while others regained footing that could position them to be among the best of 2012. FIFA 12 won the official Sports Game of the Year Award for the site as well as getting the nod from the community but there was a healthy mix of titles that excelled in specific areas even if they didn'...
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#1 of 2011: FIFA 12
Joining the elite class of Pastapadre Game of the Year winners is 2011's top entry FIFA 12. Though not without its own issues what it offered was the most well-rounded and fully-featured experience embodying everything one could ask for out of sports title. FIFA 12 also gets credit for taking a chance by introducing new technology and innovating in a time where companies have become more risk-averse than ever. (more…)...
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#2 of 2011 – Tiger Woods 12: The Masters
Last year NBA 2K11 transcended the typical sports game genre by beginning to tap into the rich history of the league and featuring Michael Jordan - resulting in a special feel to the edition of the series. With Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters it was the inclusion of Augusta National, which had never before been featured in a video game, that took the series to new heights. It may only be a one-year bump but Tiger 12 was one of the most compelling sports games of the year possibly even f...
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#3 of 2011: Madden NFL 12
Madden NFL 12 faced a number of obstacles on its way to release - from the uncertainty over the league lockout to a number of defections at the EA Sports Tiburon studio. It also followed up a largely disappointing iteration the prior year with the prospect of two disappointing releases in a row doing some irreparable long-term damage to the series. Despite some glaring areas of weakness Madden NFL 12 was the most complete and well-intentioned version of the series to arrive this generatio...
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