I came to a realization the other night while sitting in my basement. As I sat on my couch enjoying yet another great game of NHL 11, I glanced over at my growing gaming collection. Nestled cozily in between my copies of NBA 2K11, NCAA Football 11, UFC Undisputed 2010, MLB 10 and FIFA 11 were barely touched copies of Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2. It was at this moment that it hit me like a ton of bricks: 2010 has been the year of the sports game.

Halo Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2 are three of the best video games I have ever played. The problem is that with a plethora of great sports games currently available, it is downright impossible to invest the proper amount of time into these other gaming masterpieces. For the first time during this console generation, sports gamers are being rewarded with top-notch triple-A games. This year's crop of sports games can stand toe to toe with the likes of Call of Duty, Uncharted and Halo.

The Good

NBA 2K11 is a prime example of everything that is right with this year's crop of sports titles. The game captures the NBA better than any game has been able to do in almost 30 years. It so successfully captures the essence of the NBA that it is often difficult to realize that it is indeed just a video game. The dynamic commentary is mind boggling; the player animations, nuances and routines are stunning; and the on-court controls feel quick and responsive. 2K's overall package this season is so good I would not be surprised to see the game pick up some "game of the year" votes from other websites that don't just cover sports games.

NBA 2K11 is the cream of this year's sports gaming crop.

Both NHL and FIFA were also good once again this year. These titles have been stalwarts during this generation, and while they did not make gigantic leaps this year, the amount of polish added to each title puts both into my personal sports gaming hall of fame. I've dumped hours into both titles, and I still feel like I have not even scratched the surface of what each has to offer.

However, what's probably the best sign that this year has been a standout one for sports games was the release of two good baseball games back in February. While MLB 10: The Show raised the bar for the possibilities in a hardball title, there is no denying that MLB 2K10 was a worthy alternative, especially for those without a PS3. Both games gave baseball fans something to enjoy, and I still find myself investing solid chunks of time into each title.

It would be criminal to not mention UFC Undisputed 10 when discussing standout 2010 sports titles. I know many were disappointed by the lack of progress the series made this year, but UFC 10 was still a very good game, bordering on the brink of being a great one. Even EA Sports' recently released MMA title provides one of the better experiences I've had with a fighting/boxing game this year -- not to mention the fact that it includes a downright revolutionary online suite that every future title should emulate.

Last but not least, I have to show some love to a game that has consumed my life since I received my review copy in mid-June: NCAA Football 11. As a die-hard fan of the series who was completely disillusioned by every iteration of NCAA Football during this generation of consoles, I now find it difficult to pull myself away from an NCAA Football title that is actually worthy of the series' name. The NCAA team down at EA Tiburon deserves a ton of credit for resurrecting this series because, in the eyes of many, the series unofficially died after NCAA Football 10.

NCAA Football 11 is one of the most improved sports games in years.

The Bad and the Ugly

First off, let's all agree that the NBA Elite no-show would go in the "ugly" category. With that out of the way, you probably noticed I also omitted one top-tier title from the above list of 2010 greatness: Madden 11. In a year where other sports games pushed the boundaries of commentating, online play and franchise logic, Madden gave us relatively polished gameplay and left every other mode of the product virtually untouched. Sure, we got an Online Team Play mode that was fun for all of about five games, but this is simply not enough innovation for a title that carries as much weight as Madden.

Like the 2010 Vikings, Madden 11 is a disappointment.

I don't understand why one of EA's flagship sports titles is lagging so far behind FIFA, NHL and even the EA MMA series in terms of online features and innovations -- not to mention its offline franchise and career modes. For a title as big as Madden, shouldn't the game be driving online and offline innovations? After all, NHL has done just that by gathering groups of gamers online in unique ways. NCAA Football has done just that by delivering a great Online Dynasty mode. NBA 2K has done just that by delivering authentic gameplay and signature animations. And both MLB titles have done just that by delivering TV-style presentation. Madden is not pushing the sports genre forward as it once did in the mid-1990s, which is a tough pill to swallow for this long-time fan of the series.

A Sports Gaming Renaissance

I remember having a discussion a couple years back with a close friend of mine about whether sports gaming on the current generation of consoles would ever match the greatness that was the PS2/Xbox days. At the time of the discussion, neither of us had an answer but the future was looking bleak. Both football games were complete garbage, hockey was fun but lacking any depth, basketball was either a complete disaster or a run-and-gun dunk contest, and the soccer games could only be understood by the super hardcore.

I will admit that I became jaded. I turned my back on my beloved sports titles by seeking enjoyment from the seductive mistresses known as first-person and third-person shooters. Heck, even the XBLA version of Uno had a tighter grip on my gaming schedule than most sports games at that time.

Thankfully, the dark times appear to be over, and sports gaming this generation is now exceeding my expectations. In fact, if you are the kind of person that buys into Metacritic, this year's "big four" crop of sports games (with UFC thrown into the mix) carries a combined Metascore of 87, which is the highest in the history of the site -- but the history only goes back to the '06 versions of sports games.

As much as it pains me that I have not been able to dive into future classics like Reach or Red Dead, the pure bliss and enjoyment found within this year's batch of sports titles has softened the blow. Who needs those games anyways. I'm a hardcore sports gamer, it's October 2010, and I'm in heaven.

So what is your assessment of the 2010 crop of sports games so far? What games have you shelved in favor of a sports title this year? Sound off below.


Christian McLeod is a senior staff writer here at Operation Sports. One of the site's resident Wii experts, he is also a connoisseur of classic sports gaming on the NES, SNES, Turbo Graphix 16 and Genesis. Follow him on Twitter @Bumble14_OS, talk to him on the forums via Bumble14, or challenge him on XBL/PSN via the handle Bumble14.