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…)

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Title: LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PC, Mac, 3DS, DS, PSP)

ESRB Rating: E10+

Publisher: Disney Interactive

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The latest franchise to be stamped with the LEGO makeover is Pirates of the Caribbean, following the release of the fourth film in the series. Fans of previous LEGO titles (like Harry Potter, Star Wars and Indiana Jones) already know what to expect here, and the Pirates franchise proves a great fit for the zany LEGO characters and stories. Players can, as usual, go solo or play with join-in/drop-out co-op, working through 20 stages divided evenly between the four movies, with cutscenes done only the way LEGO can. Port Royal serves as sort of an expanding hub in this one, where players can accomplish more by earning characters of differing abilities, the most noteworthy of which is the addition of underwater elements. All in all, it’s a great addition to both franchises, and fans of the series will get a kick out of the game, even though the later films undeniably sucked. (more…)

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Title: Madden 12

Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PS3, 3DS, PSP)

ESRB Rating: E

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: EA Tiburon

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

In the college vs. pro football discussion, there have always been purists who side with college football because of its focus on young athleticism over the money-hungry pro superstars and the showiness of the NFL. Of course, the NFL has star power, big-time television coverage and endorsements, and a better playoff structure in its corner. But in the world of video game football, it seems Madden’s collegiate counterpart may have finally won the debate.

Over the last two years, I have absolutely fallen in love with the NCAA Football series, from its style of pure football gameplay to its incredibly deep franchise mode and fantastic recruitment process, playing to the strengths of the four-year college rotation, rather than its weaknesses. And NCAA Football 12 gets closer than ever to making the player feel like he is in the coach’s seat. Madden 12, on the other hand, does everything in its power to remind me of why I’m growing tired of professional football. (more…)

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Wii U – Impressive tech, destined for failure?

By Bill Jones

So by and large, the biggest news to come out of the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year was the announcement of Nintendo’s successor to the Wii, the Wii U, followed in a close second by the debut of NGP, er, PS Vita. With an unexpected controller design offering another new way to play, the floor at E3 was buzzing with excitement over the new console, but the announcement left this writer wondering whether Nintendo is destined for failure this round…and not just because of Wii U’s horrible name.

Don’t get me wrong — I was as impressed by the technology as anybody. When I first saw the controller — which features a 6.3-inch touch screen in the middle of a large unit that has two analogs, a D-pad, face buttons and triggers — I was immediately, and happily, whisked back to memories of the Four Swords set-up in which gamers used Game Boy Advance as a controller to have a second screen for some unique gameplay. I also, of course, thought about the screens on the memory cards for Dreamcast. And both evoked unpleasant thoughts. (more…)

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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…)

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Title: Babysitting Mama

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E

Publisher: Majesco Entertainment

Developer: Cooking Mama Ltd.

Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

The Mama series is again stepping outside its cooking comfort zone, and this time it’s to practice babysitting skills. However, this is no ordinary Mama game. This game comes with a stuffed baby doll that becomes a part of the action. The player fits the Wii Remote into the back of the doll (where the motion control will be used to determine if the player is performing the actions correctly) and attaches a nunchuck to use for navigating the menus and playing. (more…)

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Title: Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes Del Ring

Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PSP)

ESRB: T

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Immersion Software & Graphics (360, PS3), Larva Game Studios, Sabarasa Studios (Wii, PSP)

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Flipping through channels on a Saturday afternoon doesn’t usually bear much fruit. There may be an infomercial here, a CSI rerun there, but not much to really entertain. Every now and then, however, there will be something that catches the eye on Univision or Telemundo. Seeing a wrestling match is nothing new, but a ring with six sides and a giant Corona ad in the middle is something different. This is Lucha Libre. The Luchadors run around this ring (some in masks, some without), and put on a show the likes of which the WWE wishes they could. Finally, after years of anticipation, XBox and PS3 gamers get a taste of this fast-paced action first hand. The only question left is: do the Luchas stand a chance of toppling the 900-pound giant that is Smackdown vs Raw? (more…)

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Title: Gunblade NY & L.A Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack

Platform: Wii

ESRB: T

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

Anyone that has fond memories of 1990s arcades will most likely remember Sega’s Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns games. While both games are essentially high-action arcade rail shooters, both were mindlessly fun quarter munchers in their time. Although there’s no way to truly replicate the arcade cabinet’s memorable rumbling machine guns, this collection does a great job of faithfully reproducing both games for the first time. Even though the 90s era low-poly graphics haven’t particularly aged well, the gameplay is still as fun as it ever was. Just as in the original, players whiz about the city on flying machine gun-equipped vehicles frantically blasting everything in sight. Although both games’ hectic pace and near motion sickness-inducing cameras may turn some players off, the simple rail shooter gameplay is remarkably easy for anyone to pick up and play. Conversely, because these were arcade games, neither is particularly long, as both can be beaten fairly quickly. Even though it’s a decidedly no-frills affair as far as bonus content or updates are concerned, the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns: Arcade Hits Pack is still a fun arcade shooter that nostalgic gamers will definitely get a kick out of. (more…)

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#6 Rock Band 3 (360, PS3, Wii)

Publisher: MTV Games – Developer: Harmonix

Rock Band 3 takes on critics who use the argument “just learn a real instrument” by making the game capable of teaching the players, note for note, how to play keyboard, drums, bass and guitar. Gamers who don’t want to turn their Rock Band experience into a tutorial will still enjoy the most streamlined music game made. Harmonix has added so many “no brainer” features, like allowing the band to finish a failed song anyways, song sorting/navigation, rewinding the song after a pause to avoid missed notes and more. (more…)

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#7 Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Publisher: Nintendo – Developer: Nintendo

Super Mario Galaxy was arguably one of the best games in the famed Mario series, reinventing the series once again in phenomenal fashion. At the same time it reminded us of some classic Mario titles, it didn’t rely on nostalgia and references to win us over. Its spherical platforming took the series to new heights. But in providing such a fantastic experience, it definitely set a high standard for a sequel. (more…)

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