This is a portable version of EA’s FIFA Soccer. At points in the game, you can use both the front and back multi-touch screens to navigate. Content includes 30 licensed leagues and 500 licensed clubs in 11 v 11 matches in authentic stadiums from around the world. Online features are available which we were not able to test. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Looking for a serious soccer game? Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) delivers plenty of sharp, realistic graphics and mixes it in with a set of intuitive controls. PES 2012 features include a more detailed career mode, improved teammate AI (artificial intelligence) so the players work better, better zonal marking and positional defending, and a new collision detection system. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This pocket-sized edition of Madden NFL for the Nintendo 3DS brings virtual football to the 3D screen. Content includes 32 NFL teams and stadiums, with three types of playcalling. GameFlow automatically selects the best play for the situation based on authentic NFL team gameplans; Arcade gives you more control over plays; and Classic lets you experience your favorite team’s playbook. There are both 11-on-11 games, or 5-on-5 games that have no penalties and no play clock — the winner is the first team to score a set number of touchdowns. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This second version of Kinect Sports contains six sports: tennis, golf, American football, baseball, skiing and darts. Each game has three difficulty levels, with the starting level (rookie) designed to make sure that a child can succeed. Sharing is possible either online (an XBox Gold membership is required, sold extra) or with as many as four other players in your living room. Noteworthy features include in-game voice commands and much better motion tracking than last year. Also new is Challenge Play for Xbox Live, which lets you send a challenge to a friend for later when they log on. You can also log onto KinectShare.com and download photos and videos capture in-game and share with friends and family, and for the first time, post these directly to your Facebook wall. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This collection of resort games takes place on a trip to Kawawii island, a virtual family resort. The game features co-operative and competitive events, and you can play with up to four players. Activities include sky diving, surfing, white water rafting, beach volleyball, tennis, miniature golf, snowball fights and shooting water guns. It is also possible to explore the island on horseback, through scuba diving, or riding snowmobiles. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This playful baseball simulation features a roster of Nickelodeon characters that take on professional players from 30 MLB teams. The Nicktoons roster includes SpongeBob SquarePants, ZIM, Dudley Puppy, Fanboy, Chum Chum, and Ren and Stimpy. Major League players include Matt Holliday (St. Louis Cardinals), Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers), Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers), Jason Heyward (Atlanta Braves), Cliff Lee (Philadelphia Phillies), and Robinson Cano (New York Yankees). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
If you’ve played any of the Oceanhouse Media books, you know how this app functions. The app features Read to Me – words are highlighted as they are read, Read it Myself – read the book in its traditional form, and Auto Play – plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages. In the story, Tacky and his penguin friends, Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect are training to represent the Nice Icey Land in the Winter Games. When the games begin, Tacky and his friends find unusual ways to compete, like riding Tacky down the hill in the Bobsledless race. Based on the 2005 book by Helen Lester and Lynn Monsinger; published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Mario Sports Mix brings four sports to the Wii console. The games — volleyball, basketball, ice hockey and dodgeball, can be picked up and played with 1 – 4 players, with or without a Nunchuk (although a Nunchuk is preferred), in tournament or exhibition play, or against other real players, online. You can play as one of 12 Nintendo characters or as one of your Miis. There are some usual Mario style twists, for example, you can collect coins while you play to earn extra items, like a Koopa Shell to use as a shield in Dodgeball. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This game features play-by-play announcing by Tim Kitzrow, two campaign modes (Classic and Remix Tour), realistic looking players modeled after famous NBA players, Boss Battles against basketball legends, the rosters and logos of 30 NBA Teams, plus 100 unlockable items that include teams, characters, privileges, and mascots. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Ever wonder how many players can be on a defensive formation at once? This interactive quiz is designed to teach you the fundamentals of US football in an interactive and easy to understand way. Content is organized into quarters. The First Quarter – Who’s Who – introduces each player’s position on the field; Second Quarter deals with features on a football field; Third Quarter is all about downs, and Fourth Quarter – Know the Score – shows the points for touchdowns, extra points, field goals, etc. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Five sports — for 1 to 4 players — are designed specifically for Microsoft’s Kinect controller. After you sign in, you can choose from skiing, horseback riding, hang gliding, football, soccer and boxing. As you play, commentators evaluate your progress, and your photo is taken, displayed on billboards after each challenge. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
One of the original set of Kinect games available at launch, this a collection of six sports: soccer, table tennis, volleyball, track & field, bowling and boxing. There are both one and multiple player modes, including a Party Mode. Developed by Rare for Microsoft. See also Kinect Motion Sports from Ubisoft. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This one-player game for Microsoft Kinect (required)features fights inspired by illegal free fighting tournaments to compete against opponents who are trained in different fighting styles. Fight settings include rooftops and alleys and content contains 70 moves that can be mixed and matched. The more you win, the more you unlock; and progress is saved automatically. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Ten fun, typical sports games come to Kinect, but are buried behind a frustrating setup menu. The sports include boxing, skating, skiing, tennis, snow boarding, volleyball, fencing, archery and shooting. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This football edition of Backyard Sports on the Wii continues the legacy of providing an easy-to-use and kid-friendly experience, although the controls can be initially hard to learn. Unlike previous Backyard Sports titles, there are no famous names on the roster, but that doesn’t decrease the play value in any way. After you choose one of the four player profiles, you use a well-designed main menu to select a mode of play. You can jump directly to a minigame, or start a long-term tournament, with a customized roster. The team rosters have been refreshed, and there are a dozen themed fields, along with nine power-ups with such names as Banana Peel, Twinkle Toes, and Stinky Pants. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This snowboarding simulation for 1 or 2 players contains a good tutorial and up to seven themed courses. As you move down the hill, you can do tricks, leaning left or right to steer. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review.
EA’s promise of “simpler, quicker, and deeper” has come true with Madden NFL 11. The new GameFlow playcalling system automatically selects the best play for your team based on authentic NFL game plans. This means you can now spend less time in the huddle and more time on the field, and play a full game in as little as 30 minutes. The Dual Stick Control allows you to play using only the two control sticks for easier play. Developed by EA Tiburon. Prices are $60 for Xbox 360 & PS3 versions, $50 for the Wii, and $40 for PS2 and PSP. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour lets you play as either the U.S. or European squad and play your way through the Rider Cup tournament on the Celtic Manor Course, taking on the role of the team captain if you like as you participate in various competitions including foursomes, fourballs and singles. An online mode lets you play with or against up to 24 players. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Sports Champions is the game that comes bundled with the Sony Move controller, which is required in order to play the game. You start by choosing an avatar, and then choose from Disc Golf, Gladiator Duel, Beach Volleyball, Archery, Table Tennis and Bocce. Each controller must first be calibrated — a 30 second or so routine in which you line yourself up with an animated figure on the screen. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This fitness game for the Wii features 18 games. After a brief introduction by a real personal trainer (Brooke Burke) you are asked to sign in and design an avatar. Next, you can choose a mode of play; either quick play or routine. The quick play option lets you jump right to a game; the routine mode gives you a sequence of activities. If you play in two player mode, you see a split screen — this could be fun for parents and children to play together. The game requires a Nunchuk, and a Balance Board is optional. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This action-arcade racing game is set within a reality TV show, in a made-for-TV city. As you race, you try to collide with other vehicles to send them off the track, in order to trigger events that change the race. The game features a variety of game modes in 2-player split screen, along with online racing for up to eight players. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Join the world’s largest soccer tournament from the comfort of your home, as you battle your way through 199 teams from around the world. The World Cup is the largest sporting event and this is the only official and exclusively licensed video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. You can take your home nation team from qualification through a virtual re-creation of the World Cup Final. And, for the first time, you can play out the World Cup in a full online tournament mode against fans from other countries. You will compete under the same conditions that your team will face in South Africa, from the group stage through the knockout rounds, to the chance to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Athlete View
Vancouver 2010 contains 14 Winter Olympic events including ski jumping, short track speed skating, snowboard cross and more. You can compete with up to three other players in your sport to try and earn a gold medal for your country. You can toggle between third person or a first person “Athlete View” that allows you to feel the speed. The game also features new single player challenge modes including Outrun the Avalanche and Beat the Blizzard. We tried the XBox 360 version. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In PES 2010, you take your team to the Champions League. Your roster can include real life players, each with unique characteristics. The improved AI will now help your offense to build attacks or close down your opponents attacks. Other new features include a Master League where you can create and manage your team for a longer period of time. Prices are $40 for the Wii version, $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and $30 for the PS2 and PSP versions. Developed by Winning Eleven Productions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
After you choose your NBA team, you can tweak the roster, or just jump into the tip off. The teams are based on the current rosters, which are checked online. While there are thousands of details, it is still possible to pick up and play the game, and a novice player can have fun with basic passing and shooting. A Dynasty Mode lets you control your favorite team throughout the season. There are 24 teams who can compete in an international tournament. There’s no shortage of sponsored content, including ads for Sprite (the soft drink). Prices are $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, and $40 for the PSP. Note that the purchase includes a password good for one year of a service called “Dynamic DNA” and “Dynamic Season.” Both download the latest stats for your players and teams. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In this seventeenth edition of FIFA, you first create an avatar using a 3D head using the Photo Game Face. Then you can join a club and play as yourself across any mode, and grow your player attributes through 200 accomplishments. Next, you can take your game online, competing against up to ten other players in online competition. You can assign a specific role to each outfield player, and then combine them. The AI allows players to avoid passes not intended for them, avoid blocking teammate shots, and throw themselves in the way of attacker’s shots in defense. A practice mode lets you work on individual skills before taking the field. Prices are $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, $50 for the Wii, $40 for the PSP, and $30 for the Nintendo DS and PS2 versions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Alpine Skiing Downhill
This is a collection of 27 games for 1 to 4 players, set in a cartoon rendition of Vancouver, Canada, the host city of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
After you choose from the four game-save slots, you select an avatar — either one of your Miis or a Nintendo or Sonic character — and your country. If you have other players, you can play either cooperatively (e.g., from the same country) or head-to-head in competitive events.
Events include Alpine Skiing Downhill, Speed Skating, Figure Skating, and more. Most games are easy to pick up and play, although it is hard to win without good times. The game was developed by Sega of Japan, under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto. All in all, this is a fun collection of games that is well organized into a playful Winter Olympics theme. Borrow or buy. Made by Criware and Weathernews for Sega. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
New features of this edition include: Game Styles, which give you control over the way the game is played using a slider bar that ranges from casual to serious; and a board play physics engine that lets you shield the puck with your body along the boards, kick-pass it to teammates, or pin an opponent.
Other features include a new Battle for the Cup Mode, a GM Mode that puts you in charge of your favorite NHL organization, and an enhanced Be a Pro Mode that includes a prospects game before heading to the draft. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.