OS Awards: Team-Based Game of the Year

Feature Article

Submitted on: 01/01/2010 by

This year was an excellent one for team-based sports games with several highly rated games making their way onto consoles. MLB '09: The Show, NHL 10, FIFA Soccer 10, Madden NFL 10, NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 10 were all well received by fans and critics alike.

However, the game that won this category stood out among the rest as being head and shoulders above the pack, at least in our voting results. MLB '09: The Show ran away with both the staff and reader's vote. With deep gameplay and realistic presentation, The Show had just about everything you could look for in a sports game. For a variety of reasons, MLB '09: The Show is our Team-based Sports Game of the Year.

Team-based Game of the Year: MLB '09: The Show

Caley Roark: It is my Game of the Year pick, and wins here, too. MLB '09, for me, was the most polished and fun team game out there. I enjoy FIFA, but I find that the gameplay can get a little repetitive (though there is a lot to like). Madden has been a fun but Maddening experience -- waiting for patches and tuning sliders being the main reasons why. And after all these months, I still have not found settings that make for a truly authentic experience. With MLB '09, the gameplay is just the beginning. Custom music, Road to the Show, roster options -- all of these things make this game the most complete and realistic team game out there.

Christian McLeod: This was definitely a tough call for me as I really enjoyed Madden 10, NHL 10 and FIFA 10. But in the end, I felt that NBA 2K10 provided the best overall experience when compared to the competition. The combination of hundreds of signature-style animations, daily ratings updates and buttery smooth controls created a near photo-realistic atmosphere during a game of 2K10. Throw in the astounding dynamic commentary, and it is easy to mistake the game for a real NBA broadcast. Once most of the nagging game issues were ironed out after the initial patch, NBA 2K10 emerged as the best playing, best looking and best sounding offline sports gaming experience to me. It is a shame that the online components are still not working correctly, otherwise this would have been my pick for game of the year as well.

Jayson Young: Even though it was not as great a sequel as many had hoped, I still have to give my vote to NHL 10. The game's Be a Pro mode remains my favorite all-around feature despite the fact that it took some steps backwards this year in the online department.

Matthew Coe: I voted for MLB 2K9 because -- wait just kidding. I voted for Madden 10 because finally(!), I felt like I was playing a next-gen football game from EA. Madden 10 has been both praised and destroyed by the community, but in the end it has provided me with more enjoyment and game time than any other sports game this year outside of UFC 2009.

Dustin Toms: This was not even a question for me. Madden 10 finally did what next-gen games are supposed to do: deliver. I have not thoroughly enjoyed a Madden title since '06 on the Xbox, but this year the Madden development team changed things for me. The gameplay was greatly improved and the tweaked speed settings really amped this game up beyond belief.

Reader's Choice

Winner: MLB '09: The Show

Voting Results: MLB '09: The Show (43%), NBA 2K10 (20%), NHL 10 (10%)

Reader Comments: I have to go with MLB 09: The Show because I really like the team aspect of controlling the players - Huskerfan4life

I own FIFA, NCAA Football, Madden, NHL -- and those were all great -- but I bought a system for MLB '09: The Show and have not regretted it. NCAA Football was second due to the Online Dynasty, but MLB '09: The Show was hands down top dog. - jethrotull

The Show. I also bought a PS3 back in May for this game and have not stopped playing it since. - Cubfan23

MLB '09: The Show Videos

Member Comments

# 1 stlstudios189 @ 01/01/10 07:13 PM

I kinda feel the same way the show is great but, w/o a true measure against it how great is it really? I think overall this was a great year for gaming. 2010 will just be better.

# 2 SDwinder @ 01/02/10 02:18 PM

Morons. How can you even comment on a game you have never played! MVP PC with the mods was great, but The Show is better. Also, The Show has 25 years of baseball video games as a measuring stick. If you know baseball, have played baseball at a high level, and understand all its nuances, then you realize how great The Show is. They don't have to market it. People who have spent time with it and have bought the PS3 specifically due to this game, are all the marketing The Show needs.

With that being said, Sony needs to step up to the plate and deliver with the online aspect of the game. This has been a big disappointment in the series. Hopefully, that will be fixed this year. Also, I look forward to the Classic Stadiums this year too.

# 3 jyoung @ 01/02/10 08:22 PM

Almost all modern sports games have flaws that make them something you only play offline or only play online.

The Show may fall short in its online experience, but then again, so do many other great offline games.

The same can be said of games like Madden, NHL and NCAA that are played almost exclusively online because the offline play has so many major issues.

# 4 GlennN @ 01/02/10 09:34 PM

I think I am in the vast minority. The Show disappointed me. I play on the PSP, and the inability to check swing, combined with the frustration of judging the location of pitches made my play time with The Show pretty short-lived. I guess the gameplay must be much better on the PS3.

# 5 SDwinder @ 01/03/10 04:12 PM

GlennN,
Those are not issues on the PS3 and that is what is being awarded here. Thanks for the info on the issues on the PSP though. I wasn't aware of that, not having a PSP.

# 6 Rishawn @ 01/04/10 05:45 PM

awww man mad i aint get ta vote ohhhhhhhhh well i woulda voted madden 10

# 7 Skyboxer @ 01/18/10 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDwinder


	GlennN, Those are not issues on the PS3 and that is what is being awarded here. Thanks for the info on the issues on the PSP though. I wasn't aware of that, not having a PSP.

Actually if he played the Show 09 he'd have the same complaints. Many people complained when The Show 09 came out for those same reasons. The game was altered from 08 to make it harder to check swing with the players who really don't have the "ability" to check swing as easily as others.
Even those that can check swing better didn't mean the check swing was as automatic as in 08 version. Timing is more critical.
After you get used to the change you see though that all is well and works as it should.

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