Pads & Panels

Best Video Games of 2011 – Honorable Mentions

Pads & Panels will soon be counting down its Top 10 Video Games of 2011, but before we get to that point, we’d like to pay mind to 10 other games that stood out as top contenders for the year. They were all part of our discussion and all deserve some recognition for their achievements in gaming, even if they didn’t quite make the cut of the illustrious Top 10. All 10 of these titles were games that earned our attention and respect in one way or another in 2011, the list of them effectively serving as our 11-20 choices, presented here in no particular order. (more…)

 Print This Post

Title: Just Dance

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

The Wii has yet another game in its repertoire that asks up to four players to get up off the couch and move. In Just Dance, over 30 tracks are available from many decades and genres of music. However, they are all designed to get a person shaking their groove thing. During the song, a coach dancer demonstrates the moves as they are to be performed. The players hold the Wii remote and follow along as if looking in a mirror. There are also stick figure prompts that appear at the bottom right side of the screen to show which moves are coming up. The players’ moves are rated as Bad (shown as an “X” on the screen), Okay and Great. Several Great moves in a row count as combos and earn the player more points. All songs can be danced to in either a quick version or the full song. There are also three game modes where players can challenge each other to a set number of rounds and goals for the dances. (more…)

 Print This Post

#9 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (360/PS3/PC)

Publisher: Ubisoft – Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is a direct sequel to Assassin’s Creed II, continuing the story of Ezio Auditore, and the major game mechanics are largely the same as its predecessor. But the changes made go a long way in making Brotherhood the Assassin’s Creed game we’ve wanted from the very start. Recruiting assassins and either sending them on missions or having them aid in big moments is a stellar addition, and the multiplayer elements bring the classic Assassins game to the digital realm in grand fashion. (more…)

 Print This Post

Best Games of 2010 – Honorable Mentions

Creating a Best of List for Pads & Panels is no easy task. It involves everyone putting in feedback, a get-together and copious amounts of drinking, when we argue our cases for what belongs where on the list. Inevitably, fantastic titles don’t make it to the top of the tower, and we’re left feeling bad for not honoring the enjoyment some of these games provided us throughout the year. So that’s where the Honorable Mentions come into play. These are the list of games that didn’t quite make our Top 10, but we think you should be playing them nonetheless. Plus, it’s always kind of fun to make our readers wonder, with titles this great on the honorable mentions list, what is going to make our Top 10. They are essentially our #11 through #20 picks, but are presented in no particular order. Enjoy! (more…)

 Print This Post

2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the Digital Download Fan…

By P&P Staff

.

Super Meat Boy

(XBLA, PC)

This game is alternately heaven and hell for platforming fans, but it manages to toe the line well enough to always be stuck in that sugary sweet spot that makes it so addicting players don’t even mind dying a few thousand times in the game’s 300-some levels. Plus, the Xbox Live version is going to have regularly-updated free downloadable levels added, which only makes the game even better! (more…)

 Print This Post

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up

Platform: Wii (PS2)

ESRB Rating: E

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Game Arts

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a perfect example of cashing in on a popular franchise without having to do anything creative or fun. The game unabashedly flaunts itself as a game in the same fighting vein as the Smash Bros. series, but it is clearly an inferior title, due to lame voice acting, muddled animation and just a poorly-executed fighting system.

The game offers an array of modes, ranging from arcade beat-em-up to a convoluted story. Unfortunately, it all plays relatively the same, save for the addition of some terrible cutscenes that provide an abhorrent plot and an earful of some of the crappiest dialogue performances one would ever want to sit through. (more…)

 Print This Post

Title: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Platform: 360 (PS3, PC)

ESRB: T

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Rating:

Review By: Eric Stuckart

After what was considered by popular opinion to be a misstep in the series’ canon, the Prince of Persia series has been brought back to its platforming roots. That can be taken with a grain of salt, for by going back to its roots the series is also going back to the insanely unforgiving traits of past games. (more…)

 Print This Post

Title: Rabbids Go Home

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

The adorably maniacal Rabbids from the Rayman series have finally emerged in their own epic platformer/adventure game, Rabbids Go Home. Fans of the Rabbids’ mischievous mini-games series Raving Rabbids will be disappointed, but following these freaks through their misguided efforts to reach their home is an entertaining and endearing effort, albeit a bit boring after all of the comedy and action starts getting looped. (more…)

 Print This Post

Game of the Month – April

Splinter Cell: Conviction (360, PC)

Publisher: Ubisoft – Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is arguably the best installment in the series, and definitely the most accessible. It allows players to tackle it as an action game, but rewards them for stealth execution. And Conviction is a case of the entire package being greater than simply the sum of its parts, with campaign, co-op and competitive multiplayer offering plenty of value.

–Bill (more…)

 Print This Post

Title: Splinter Cell: Conviction

Platform: 360 (PC)

ESRB: M

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Splinter Cell: Conviction is not only the best Splinter Cell title to date, but also the most accessible entry in the covert ops series. Sam Fisher, the series’ protagonist, is old and graying, out of the game (officially) and fed up with his old agency, but that’s not stopping him from looking for answers to a series of betrayals. It’s this backdrop that allows the game to be a lot more action-oriented and less overly-complex stealth-focused as its predecessors. It’s a great balancing act Ubisoft Montreal pulls off. Those looking to shoot their way through can get through it on Normal difficulty in most instances, but skilled players employing the stealth tactics present are rewarded through a great upgrade system. The campaign is also presented in a super-stylish manner, and keep things fresh throughout. The single-player is good, but what makes Conviction great is the total package. There’s a robust co-op prologue, and a number of great “Deniable Ops” modes for extended play, such as Hunter, Infiltration, Last Stand and Face-Off, which buck recent trends by being offered both in online or split-screen modes. These modes are also created with great care, extending the Conviction experience, and allowing a friend to get in on the action with another campaign that doesn’t feel tacked on, but integral to the game. (more…)

 Print This Post