My Year in Lists…

January 25, 2009

My year in lists…

I have been away for awhile, I’m sorry, but moving house and a distinct lack of internets will break a man’s ability to blog, for this I apologize. For all the other months I have been away…LEAVE ME ALONE!!

So anyway, to celebrate my glorious return I bring you the first annual “mapoo Awards for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Excellence”. They will mainly focus on computer type games and general geekery, but I may branch out if a whim grabs me.

Best Multiplayer.

Close but no cigar-           Burnout Paradise, Left 4 Dead, Rock Band 1&2

OK, so this one could be considered controversial, but my multiplayer game of the year award goes to Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise. I know probably everyone reading this will disagree with that but for me the co-op in VP was just so different and dare I say it, relaxing, compared to all the other offerings it managed tp literally sucked up about 50 hours of game play, and each of those flew by as BIGsheep and I dutifully tended to our gardens, battery farming all the colourful critters and tinkering like never before.

The ease in which the multiplayer works was also a big plus for me. If you wanted you could spend all day in your garden, letting visitors come and go as they please; doing anything from just having a look around in awe of your higher level fare, or actually mucking in a helping you catch those illusive piñata.

As good as the more “traditional” multiplayer offering that ran this game close are concerned, they are all fantastic experiences, it was just the breath of fresh air that VP brought to LIVE that ultimately tipped the balance in its favour.

Best land to wander.

Close but no cigar-           Fallout 3, GTA IV

For me the key to any open world is how much fun it is to run around it, and to me Fable 2’s Albion was simply the most enjoyable.  From buying up the whole place and taking out all those pesky gargoyle to running around dressed as the Master Chief destroying all who crossed my paths, there was always something to do. Add to that a world that constantly changed with my character, certain areas crumbling as I ignored their plights while others prospered if I was a little kinder to them, and you have my number one virtual holiday of the year, Fable 2.

Pretty as a picture.

Close but no cigar-           Prince of Persia, Mirrors Edge

Oh how pretty I thought Braid was when I first saw it, still images didn’t really do it justice as it turns out but when I first saw it moving I was blown away.  It may not be in super fancy photo-realistic 3D, but if you think you need that for a game to look good go hang your head in shame, the simple brush art styled background moves along beautifully and mix perfectly with the sprite based action.

I couldn’t possibly begin to justify the visuals in this anywhere nears enough, head over here for a little bit of a more detailed look at it all.

OK, so that’s the end of part one…stay tuned for part two very soon.

Filed under: awards, games, xbox |