Best Fall Sports Games
A huge number of sports games have been released, just in time for the holidays. But which should you choose? Here are three superior games that wonât fail you. While they were all played on the Xbox 360, these games will shine no matter what console or computer you have.
FIFA SOCCER 10: OLE, OLE, OLE!
FIFA SOCCER 10 Electronic Arts for PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS, PSP, PC, iPhone Graphics: 8.5 Gameplay: 9.0 Sound: 9.0 Replay Value: 9.0 Overall Score: 9.5 Pros: 360-degree play; add a photo of yourself to a player; high replayability. Cons: Ads are present in the game; there’s so much to do, it can be confusing. |
EA made this yearâs FIFA Soccer gameplay so intriguing and exciting, even those who donât play soccer will be impressed. And real players will simply go ga-ga over the new stuff.
The first thing thatâll get you going is the amount of personalization in FIFA Soccer 10. You can upload your own photo and place it on the player you create. Yes, thatâs you playing against the greatest players in the game.
What really makes the soccer offering so cool are the small things. Check out the coaching portion of the game, for instance. Manager Mode alone has added 50 new upgrades. The Player Transfer System isnât just about money. Itâs about a cornucopia of stats. In fact, this portion, along with the Player Experience and Growth System, almost feels like a role-playing game in which you level up and increase strength.
Most players will just want to hit the field and feel the thrills of offense, defense and scoring goals. This year, you can move in a full 360-degree circle. It doesnât sound like much, but upgrading from eight ways to move the ball to nearly limitless ways adds a lot of joy to the game. FIFA 10 feels more real because soccer is all about precision and angles. After all, this is a true simulation, not an arcade game.
Youâll also be witness to a massive number of teams throughout the worldâalmost 600 of themâalong with 50 stadiums. You can play online among as many as 20 people. That may be too many, but you get your moneyâs worth with this game.
NBA 2K10: SO REAL!
NBA 2K10 2K Sports for PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, PC Graphics: 8.5 Gameplay: 8.5 Sound: 9.0 Replay Value: 9.0 Overall Score: 8.75 Pros: Real-time scores and standings add serious reality. Create online teams of up to 15 with pals. Hip-hop soundtrack. Cons: Way too many ads. Minor glitches appeared in first hour of play. Could be faster. |
Itâs all about reality. As you play NBA 2K10, you get real-time updates of basketball games from a ticker and, yes, from the announcers. To witness it, you have to be signed into Xbox Live. Itâs just one thing that makes the game feel ultra realâjust as if you were watching the game on TV and playing at the same time. If a player gets injured in real life, heâll be injured in the game, too.
I saw two problems, which actually appeared in my first hour of play. First, there are too many ads during the game, even more than you see on TV in a game. Also, when a graphic came on the screen with the leaders in the division, it stayed up there during gameplay, obscuring vision on the court. So the Mavericksâ Dirk Nowitzki hit a 3 pointer from way downtown. Ouch!
You can just play a season, or you can start low in the ranks as a hungry, undrafted player whoâs sweating it out on the Summer Circuit. As you gain strength, move up to a shot at the big leagues in training camp. Then, move up the ladder to become a superstar.
Top players like LeBron have what 2K Sports calls Signature Style. That means the superstars act and play like the real person, more so than ever before. Every quirk before free throws is there. So is every annoyed facial expression the players have when hearing they got a foul.
Sometimes, you feel like the players should move more quickly. Again, itâs just the game being real. Players get tired like they do in real life, and the really big guys generally donât speed up and down the court like Dwyane Wade. Still, you wish they were speedier.
Pull and hold the left trigger to start Intense D, which should help with blocking if your team isnât one of the best. Pulling off alley oops and hop-step spins can be done, too. There are a lot of moves to learn with the controller. Once you get them down, youâll be on your way to superstardom.
NHL 10 SKATES STRONGLY
NHL 10 Electronic Arts for PS3, Xbox 360 Graphics: 8.5 Gameplay: 8.5 Sound: 9.0 Replay Value: 9.0 Overall Score: 8.75 Pros: Wild animations; online play; over 200 tweaks in gameplay since last year; great soundtrack.. Cons: Ads are all around the ice; not as much of a leap forward as last yearâs game. |
Itâs not the big makeover that the game got last year, but itâs still a terrific experience. And NHL 10 is not easy. Even in Pro mode, which is just one step up from Rookie mode, itâs hard to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins and even the Ottawa Senators. And there are a lot of buttons to remember. Unless youâre playing against a ringer, however, you should be able to do decently by moving around with the left stick and shooting with the right stick.
You can also use the left stick to aim for a place in the net. Sometimes, youâll freak out a goalie with a shot that doesnât seem possible in reality. For instance, I was Drury, the center from the Rangers. I stood parallel to the net near the boards. The goalie was on the right side of the ice. A well-aimed slap shot got so close to a sliver of space between the goalieâs pad and the net that he kicked the puck in with his skate. Score!
The announcers add thrills, more so than in the basketball and soccer games. Theyâre accurate with names and facts almost all the time. The crowdâs enthusiasm is pretty infectious, too. That and the soundtrack definitely get you going when youâre down a goal or two.
Customization makes the game even more fun. You can decrease the number of penalties the ref gives (and he does give a lot of them on the default mode). You can turn on a goalie mode, which lets you block the shots instead of the gameâs artificial intelligence. You can change the camera angles from birdâs eye view to a view thatâs closer to what a player would experience. You can even add plays via the D pad.
Just like FIFA 10 and NBA 2K10, thereâs a huge amount of depth here. Not only can you play in the AHL, you can also play European teams. Thereâs a fantasy draft, online play with up to 12 players and a new way to battle it out on the boards for possession of the puck. All these make the replay value of NHL 10 very high. Itâs so good, you can almost feel the spray of the ice.
i got both games
nhl 10 is the best
mlb 10 is the best u can get it at gamestop.
they should have more 4wii
I got Fifa soccer 2010 for christmas onthe Wii, and I have to say, usually I don’t play video games to often, but I have been playing this every time I get the chance. And the reporters are incredible, it really feels like you’re at a real stadium.I just can’t imagine what next year’s version will be like!
(P.S. Although, it does make your arms sore after a while!)
I definatly think that Madden 10 is better than nba Ive played them both on my uncle’s ps3 and the madden game is totaly better.
Ps. Colts are going to win.
PPS. Go Steelers
What about Madden NFL 10?
The best team in the NFL is the COLTS.
Their ok but not as good as the G-men.
Why is Madden NFL 10 not on there? I am sure its a much better game than the ones they have here!
GO TITANS!
yeah madden 10 is better than nba 2k10
Saints are going to win the superbowl
I wish there were more sports games for Wii):
FIFA IS AWESOME!!!!!
I cant believe they dont have Madden NFL 10 on the list
I completely agree with you! Madden NFL 10 should be on this list.
madden nfl 10 rocks
i know, i love madden 10 for the PSP
it looks cool!
I wonder if they still make rugby games….
I think that Fifa soccer 10 is really cool and also nhl 10 is cool even though I only played 2k 10