The Top 15 Sports Games of 2009
- June 30, 2009 11:04 AM PST
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GamePro fields an all-star lineup of the best sports titles of the year. Batter up!
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The sports genre doesn't get the love that it deserves sometimes from video game journalists. Aside from Madden and a few notable releases like Punch-Out!!, most sports games are treated like yesterday's newspaper.
You can probably blame the yearly production cycle and the "updated rosters are the only real improvement" letdowns for this; also contributing is the sheer glut of sports titles that get jammed won our throats every year. It's enough to make even the most dedicated sports fan throw in the towel and announce an early retirement.
But much like a power hitter going on an extended hitting streak, the sports genre's been a tear lately with bona fide hits like MLB 09: The Show and UFC 2009 Undisputed hitting the shelves. Offering stellar gameplay and unrivaled realism, these titles give us hope that 2009 will be a monster year for sports gamers. We put in the call to the bullpen and had Scott Pytlik , editor of our sister site GamePro Sports pinch hit for us on this one.
He put together a sweet countdown of the 15 best sports titles of 2009 and one thing's clear: if you love sports games, you have a ton of options at your disposal no matter what sport you follow. And be sure to stick around at the end for an early look at next year's roster of future all-stars: it's more fun than the NFL draft!
#15: Yahoo! Fantasy Football
Sure it's not technically a video game, but the millions of people who play it during the NFL season can't be wrong. There is perhaps no other game on Earth that makes grown men manically walk the halls of their offices while others sit in their swivel chairs depressed because Tom Brady just got laid out for the season.
Indeed, it is the trash-talker in all of us that fuels the success of fantasy sports in general. Most can't even be bothered with updating their rosters weekly and yet they continue to sign up to play year-afteryear like a brainwashed caveman. What console game has that kind of power?
#14: Quick Hit Football
In June, I visited the Quick Hit studios in Foxboro, Mass. for some hands on time with Quick Hit Football. I was surprised by how easy to play this game was. A free-to-play browser-based game, Quick Hit Football likens itself to EA Sports' NFL Head Coach and bills itself as a "freemium" game-meaning it possess "premium" quality but is available for free.
It is one of a crop of free-to-play games that have caught my eye lately. The team behind Quick Hit Football has a ton of industry experiencing having worked the Madden franchise, the NFL 2K football series, and NHL 2K9; their goal is to create a game that appeals to both Madden fanatics as well as casual fantasy football players, and to that end they succeed. Gamers simply log on to quickhit.com and field a team.
They then customize their playbooks, manage their depth charts and spend "coaching points" to rank up individual players like you would in an RPG. When it's game time, players will be taken to a top-down screen where they can call plays and then watch how their choices play out on the field against other users online. More advanced gamers can choose to call plays to specific players on specific routes. Quick Hit Football shows some interesting innovation for a browserbased game and best of all, it's free to play. What more could you ask for?
#13: World Golf Tour
GamePro Sports correspondent Nate Lindeberg previewed World Golf Tour back in early May, and this free-to-play browser-based game caught our eye because it looked so damn good. Never before have I seen HD visuals like this in a browser-based game. Come to find out it not only looks great, but it's authentic-so authentic that WTG claims their courses are accurate to within 1.5 inches of the real thing.
If you think that's good, than you'll love to know that WGT has partnered with the USGA and has created a virtual course identical to that of the 2010 U.S. Open course at Pebble Beach. And while the USGA Virtual U.S Open Championship has come and gone, and you've already missed your chance to win a trip to the 2010 U.S. Open, you can still play the course online at worldgolftour.com. Thousands of people throw away money every day playing Golden Tee Golf in arcades and bars around the country. World Golf Tour is every bit as good and oh, did I mention it's free?
#12: Skate 2
Skate 2 continues where the original title by the same name left off and offers a great alternative to the Tony Hawk series which, let's face it, has steered away from simulation style skateboarding (though the just announced Ride looks intriguing). Though Skate 2 has a steep learning curve, the control scheme is innovative and rewarding when you actually land a trick.
While Skate 2 still falls short on some level design issues, it makes up for the loss with solid multiplayer action and new modes like Hall of Meat (which challenges you to see how badly you can wipe out). Allin- all, this title is a fun choice over the repetitive Tony Hawk franchise I once loved, and thus is an easy choice for our list.
#11: Punch-Out!!
Little Mac is back! It took 15 years for Nintendo to resurrect this nearly forgotten franchise but Punch-Out! returns and packs a wallop. Garnering an Editor's Choice Award from GamePro (it scored a 4.5 out of 5.0), Punch-Out! keeps to the tried and true formula of having to figure out and counter your opponent's unique fighting pattern if you plan on having any success.
While it's certainly not original, Punch-Out! proves that flashy graphics and innovative wacky gameplay isn't necessary in order to provide entertainment. It's proof that the classics can thrive in this "next-gen" world and what was fun 15 years ago is still fun today. In fact, the addition of the Wii Remote's motion controls and the Balance Board support just makes it that much more entertaining.
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- Jun 29 2009 at 05:35:04:PM PST
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that's great but where's my objective review about THE CONDUIT?????????????????
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maranda wrote:
that's great but where's my objective review about THE CONDUIT?????????????????
Drop it about the fucking Conduit review...you seem to be the only one who fucking cares...
KEEPING WITH THE TOPIC AT HAND...already have Skate 2 and UFC and both are excellent...looking to also buy NCAA football '10 and possibly Tiger Woods
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goldberg_evan wrote:
maranda wrote:that's great but where's my objective review about THE CONDUIT?????????????????Drop it about the fucking Conduit review...you seem to be the only one who fucking cares...
KEEPING WITH THE TOPIC AT HAND...already have Skate 2 and UFC and both are excellent...looking to also buy NCAA football '10 and possibly Tiger Woods
eeeeeeeeeeasy fella...
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Tell him again Goldberg, LoL. Anyway, I got Fight Night and it's ..... meh! Can't wait for 010 Madden, I never got 09. Ok list nothing to get excited about.
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maranda wrote:
goldberg_evan wrote:maranda wrote:eeeeeeeeeeasy fella...that's great but where's my objective review about THE CONDUIT?????????????????Drop it about the fucking Conduit review...you seem to be the only one who fucking cares...
KEEPING WITH THE TOPIC AT HAND...already have Skate 2 and UFC and both are excellent...looking to also buy NCAA football '10 and possibly Tiger Woods
HAHAHA, lets keep language to minamum here,There's girls here... ChokaDaChicken's right there!!!!!!!!!! ^
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denveraic wrote:
titomister10 wrote:not a single soccer game?Nope, this is America
maybe, but that is just lame.
soccer is the biggest sport in the world and fifa 10 looks like a stunner.
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I really think Punch Out!! needs to be at LEAST in the top 3... the game is absolutely amazing!
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Ashkorsair wrote:
denveraic wrote:titomister10 wrote:maybe, but that is just lame.not a single soccer game?Nope, this is America
soccer is the biggest sport in the world and fifa 10 looks like a stunner.
If you get the magazine, there's a sidebar with the Top 5 upcoming games of 2009 (one's that aren't out yet) and FIFA 10 is in it
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