Dante Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Times Magazine: Top Videogames of the year. 1. WII SPORTS (for Wii) There is no possible way to say this enough times: great graphics don't make great games. Perfect Dark Zero looked like a Titian, but it was a snooze. Wii Sports—a mini-sports anthology that includes golf, boxing, tennis, baseball and bowling—looks like Colecovision. The little guys on the screen don't even have arms. But it's hilarious, and it shows off the power of the motion-sensitive Wii controller to put you right in the game, sweating and yelling and trying crazy spins and lunges and angles. The tennis game alone is worth the price of admission. Which is nothing, since it comes free with the Wii. 2. GEARS OF WAR (for Xbox 360) 2006 was the year that the overhyped, oversold, long-overdue Gears of—oh, snap, wait a minute, I can see heat ripples rising off my gun barrel. No, seriously, you gotta check it out—after I fire I can see heat ripples in the air over my gun. It is just bizarre that a game can be this detailed and look this good. I have more quibbles than most with the gameplay—oh my God, CliffyB, don't make me hit X every time I want to pick up ammo, just make it automatic like in every other damn shooter in history! But the graphics make it deeply immersive, the voice acting is actually pretty good, and—I'm sorry, I could just stare at those heat ripples all day. 3. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. (for Nintendo DS) It's OK for a game to be derivative—when it's derived from awesomeness. This is the same loopy, addictive side-scrolling action Mario has been serving up for some time now, but it's never looked better. The graphics are bright and clean, with just a touch of 3D, and the music is funky-fresh. And there are still surprises—you never know when you're going to pop up through the clouds, or slip down an ice-slide, or crash down into a cave or an underwater seaweed forest, or pop open an entire new secret world. Although now every time he says "that's-a so nice!" he sounds just a tiny bit like Borat. 4. LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS (for Wii) I prefer to finish a game before I review it. That hasn't been possible with Twilight Princess, because it's really, really long. That's a good thing: Zelda games are like novels, you want to get lost in them. The plot finds our young friend Link doing farm-type things in his peaceful little hometown. Strange creatures, fantastical journey, imperiled princess, you get the basic idea. This is basically a GameCube title redeveloped for the Wii, and a lot of the game's freshness comes from the clever new uses Nintendo found for the Wii-mote—aiming a bow-and-arrow, landing a fish, and so on. A ringing endorsement of the Wii platform, and a worthy addition to a hall-of-fame series. 5. RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN (for PS3) Yay for Resistance, the only PS3 title that's actually worth all that money, kind of, almost. The concept is high: It's 1951, but not your 1951, human. In this version of history earth has been blighted by an alien threat called the Chimera, and you're slugging it out with them in a grim, deeply atmospheric, retro-futuristic version of Europe. Lots of really ingeniously deadly weapons, palls of doomy smoke, colossal levels—this is what major computational power is for. Plus, the multi-player is dope. Vive la Resistance. 6. PREY (for PC, Xbox 360) OK, you're a Native American guy, and you're bummed because a bunch of frankly pretty gross-looking aliens just flew and down and slurped up your whole reservation, including your sweetie. Not cool. It's rare that we get any genuinely innovative takes on the shoot-'em-up genre, but Prey has some really smart ideas about how to use the dangerously realistic Doom 3 engine—watch for fun with teleportation portals and some gnarly firefights in variable gravity. The alien ship blends the organic and the technological in really disturbing ways, and unlike in Doom 3 they don't go overboard with the shadows—you can actually see the full horror before you kill it. 7. ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS TABLE TENNIS (for Xbox 360) They must have been drinking something other than hot coffee (get it? get it?) over at Rockstar Games—best known for its ultra-violent Grand Theft Auto series—when they committed to a ping-pong game. Except wait, it's actually good. The jangly caffeinated back-and-forth rhythm of ping-pong is oddly adrenalizing, and there's enough shot and spin variations to make this a real heads-up strategic battle. The visuals are spot-on—love those dreary high-school gymnasiums, complete with spooky gym acoustics. Plus, it's cheap. Please, gaming gods, let them port this to the Wii. 8. GUITAR HERO 2 (for PS2) Probably the greatest novelty-controller-based video game of all time, Guitar Hero 2 will make you feel like you're a rock star. You are not. You're just pressing buttons on the neck of a little plastic guitar as color-coded notes stream by onscreen, but wow, it feels so good! There's also some co-op action, where one player handles lead, the other the rhythm or bass tracks. Guitar Hero 2 comes with 64 songs, including some legitimately eternal anthems like Guns'n'Roses "Sweet Child o' Mine" and The Police's "Message in a Bottle." They're covers, but come on—use your illusion, people. 9. LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY (for Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, PS2) It's like a mashup: The sci-fi grandeur of the original Star Wars movies (this game is blessedly midichlorian-free) with the winning charm of Legos. You play through a bizarro version of the first three movies, where everything—Leia, Boba, Dagobah, Jabba, Jawas—is made of Legos. Shoot them, and they spring apart into their component Legos. It's a double-shot of nostalgia for parents and just hilarious for kids à all the violence is played for laughs. And you have to give it up for George Lucas, who lets you commit Star Wars blasphemy. Haven't you always wanted to stick Greedo's head on Leia's body? Search your feelings. You know it to be true. 10. BULLY (for PS2) The thing non-gamers miss about Rockstar, who make the controversial Grand Theft Auto games, is that they're storytellers. Graphics-wise their games are nothing special, but they use games to tell rich, branching, hydra-headed stories, and that's what makes them interesting. In Bully they take that narrative sensibility to a private school dominated by warring cliques: jocks, nerds, bullies, girls, etc. You play Jimmy, and your job is to scuffle your way through the social hierarchy, righting wrongs and shutting down the bad kids (put your outrage down, folks, this is an anti-bullying game). Bully throws new characters and storylines and mini-games and environments at you so relentlessly, it's impossible to get bored, and the script is witty and playfully self-aware. Plus, you can make a dude kiss another dude. Those Rockstar folks have got stones. Do you agree with time magazine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 NSMB is too high. That game was far too easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 1. WII SPORTS (for Wii) 3. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. (for Nintendo DS) 5. RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN (for PS3) 7. ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS TABLE TENNIS (for Xbox 360) 8. GUITAR HERO 2 (for PS2) 9. LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY (for Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, PS2) 10. BULLY (for PS2) Those games should not be there, Zelda should be at the top. OK, you're a Native American guy, and you're bummed because a bunch of frankly pretty gross-looking aliens just flew and down and slurped up your whole reservation, including your sweetie. Wait....theres arse-raping in Prey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solitanze Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Wii Sports a nice free pack in, but not a great one in terms of the actual quality of the game. The only reason this games number one is due to the different control method. Bowling is the only "good" game in the pack, Baseball isn't too bad either but is overly simplistic with the ball going in certain positions having a fixed number of runs you get and automatically out if it doesn't pass the diamond pitch, also the speaker with that hissing sound is just damn annoying. Tennis has "broken" controls that are extremely easy to exploit. Boxing is sluggish and unresponsive and Golf is just mediocre in every respect, 9 holes only, it should've at least had 18 for a complete course, but most people won't have the patience to master the suprisingly difficult controls with the ability to time the swing/putt in just the right place, a lot harder to do with motion then it is with a button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pit-Jr Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 how does he go from ''great graphics dont make great games'' to jizzing himself over ''heat ripples'' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motion Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Those games should not be there, Zelda should be at the top. Shocking isn't it? People outside this forum not claiming Zelda is the greatest game ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Shocking isn't it? People outside this forum not claiming Zelda is the greatest game ever made. Not at all. I was asked if I agreed with the list, I posted what I thought. It isn't shocking that TP is not top of the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stocka Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Good. I'm glad Wii Sports came first. Was it my personal game of the year? No. However the impact it has had and will have on videogames is tremendous. Us gamers in general are of course not going to think it as the game of the year as we want more epic games with depth, but there is a huge amount of people enjoying Wii Sports that have never played any game before and therefore it has without a doubt brought many non gamers into gaming. A massive achievement that should definately be highlighted when remembering 2006 gaming wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabookerman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Everything is all good, now to sort something out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solitanze Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 DANTE I SENT YOU A PM HAVE YOU SEEN IT? Deletion courtesy of an N-Europe moderator is imminent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Wii Sports a nice free pack in, but not a great one in terms of the actual quality of the game. The only reason this games number one is due to the different control method. Bowling is the only "good" game in the pack, Baseball isn't too bad either but is overly simplistic with the ball going in certain positions having a fixed number of runs you get and automatically out if it doesn't pass the diamond pitch, also the speaker with that hissing sound is just damn annoying. Tennis has "broken" controls that are extremely easy to exploit. Boxing is sluggish and unresponsive and Golf is just mediocre in every respect, 9 holes only, it should've at least had 18 for a complete course, but most people won't have the patience to master the suprisingly difficult controls with the ability to time the swing/putt in just the right place, a lot harder to do with motion then it is with a button. How are the tennis controls broken? They are near perfect and do exactly what they were meant to do. Wiisports is basically, the most innovative game of all time, and deserves to be number 1, especially in a non gaming magazine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blender Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 How are the tennis controls broken? They are near perfect and do exactly what they were meant to do. Wiisports is basically, the most innovative game of all time, and deserves to be number 1, especially in a non gaming magazine... You dont have absolute, precise control. Doesnt matter in wii sports but I really wonder if rock star table tennis could be translated to the wii. The subtlity of the moves is very important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goron_3 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 NSMB was awful. How it's even in the top 10 is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 You dont have absolute, precise control.Doesnt matter in wii sports but I really wonder if rock star table tennis could be translated to the wii. The subtlity of the moves is very important. Not of movement, but that overcomplicates things, and that doesn't make them broken. And you do have control over the way the ball goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flameboy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 How are the tennis controls broken? They are near perfect and do exactly what they were meant to do. Wiisports is basically, the most innovative game of all time, and deserves to be number 1, especially in a non gaming magazine... I think he is referring to the way you can apparently flick your wrists real fast and make great shops without any real movement...I havn't tried it myself but apparently it makes it pretty hard to play against as they return balls with so much curve etc.. on them... glad to see wii sports so high, only real mistake I think in there is super mario bros being so high it was way toooooo easy! happy to see table tennis in there aswell, if rockstar were ever to make wii games this is the one I would want to see the most honest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I think he is referring to the way you can apparently flick your wrists real fast and make great shops without any real movement...I havn't tried it myself but apparently it makes it pretty hard to play against as they return balls with so much curve etc.. on them... But it works perfectly if you play it how it was meant to be played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flameboy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 But it works perfectly if you play it how it was meant to be played. yeah i know but solitanze was saying it was broken because it could be exploited in this way... its debatable though just like snaking is on mario kart... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanman Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 yeah i know but solitanze was saying it was broken because it could be exploited in this way... its debatable though just like snaking is on mario kart... Broken means it doesn't work, and it does work. It still works when you use the flicking technique, which isn't great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaijin von Snikbah Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 2006 wasnt the bestest of years. And there will probably be more people playing and enjoying Wii Sports any other game on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKOB Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Shocking isn't it? People outside this forum not claiming Zelda is the greatest game ever made. shut up and do something productive . . . like what i'm going to do after i make this really non productive comment . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blender Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 The good thing about the wii and wii sports is that it will motivate sony or someone to perfect the technology. (nintendo on the wii 2 even). e.g. dual shock analogue > n64 controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domstercool Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Guitar Hero 2 certainly derserves to be there. BLOODY AWESOME GAME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellfire Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Take prey out and put sotc in's change the order put Tp in n1 and its not too bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddage Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 dual shock analogue > n64 controller. Personally I don't see how anyone would rate the dual shock above any other controller, its horrible! But anyway, I would put Zelda at the top of my list, but then I've played very few games this year (Zelda and the Wii actually got me back into gaming)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goron_3 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Personally I don't see how anyone would rate the dual shock above any other controller, its horrible! But anyway, I would put Zelda at the top of my list, but then I've played very few games this year (Zelda and the Wii actually got me back into gaming)! yeah i agree. The dual shock controller is absolutely terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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