Feature: Games.Net's 2006 Year in Reviews Subscribe to this RSS feed
With two new consoles and plenty of industry-shaking news, gaming media outlets sure had their work cut out for them this year. After all of the awards we've handed out, isn't it good to give back to ourselves?
Official PlayStation Magazine
Isn't this a bit of a cop-out? Kinda like awarding Gerald Ford a posthumous "Man of the Year" award? Not really, because the staff at OPM were actually good at their jobs (oh, snap!), and the mag definitely came into its own in 2006. With a rich blend of features, reviews and extras, an independent attitude that grew by leaps and bounds, and, yes, a great demo disk, OPM had a year to remember in 2006, even if it was its last. With Sony choosing an alternate method of distributing demos for the PlayStation 3 and PSP, OPM was left out in the cold. Chalk OPM's demise up as another one of Sony's many 2006 blunders.
Runner up:
Game Informer
Game Informer, whose substantially higher subscription numbers usually ensure amazing exclusives, had a solid 2006, but was held back by some pretty run-of-the-mill cover selections. Still, the magazine's review coverage is second to none, with a depth and breadth that's tough to match.
GameSpot
GameSpot had a banner year in terms of gaming coverage, as the site seemed to be the best-prepared for the many developments of 2006. A rise in casual gaming? GameSpot was ready, pouncing on Xbox Live Arcade and Virtual Console review coverage before other sites caught wind. E3 dying? GameSpot put first-rate coverage into second-tier shows, giving fans plenty to dig their teeth into. From the biggest blockbusters to the bottom-feeding bargain bin games, GameSpot had the industry covered up and down in 06.
Runner up:
Wikipedia
Like it's doing for movies to IMDB, Wikipedia is fast becoming the alternative for information to many of the established gaming sites, provided the game you're looking for is popular enough. Also, since the site is almost entirely fueled by reader contribution, many articles can fall behind the times. Still, for the most popular games, there's not a site around that can provide as much information in one page as Wikipedia.
Kotaku
Kotaku continues to be the standard-bearer in the gaming blogosphere. Its coverage is quick and comprehensive, and its writers have the scene covered better than anyone else. The good ship Kotaku can take a licking, too, as the site bounced back from losing two of its top contributors to Wired.com in one day without missing a beat.
Runner up:
GameLife
GameLife is a bit of a smaller-scale blog, consisting mostly of the musings of Chris Kohler. Thankfully, when you're as prolific as he, you can get away with the relatively sporadic updates. Kohler brings a unique, mature style that few other bloggers can provide. If he can round up a group of like-minded writers, 2007 could be a big year for GameLife.
1up's Retro Roundup
This is such a simple yet invaluable idea, it's surprising that no other site has caught on in earnest and copied 1up's formula. With downloadable games really hitting their stride in 2006, 1up has compiled the week's entire retro slate along with a weekly "we wish" title. While we encourage coverage of smaller-scale games, it's great to see 1up employing a proper divide instead of trudging past a New Rally-X review to read up on Gears of War.
Runner up:
Joystiq's Weekly Webcomic Roundup
There isn't much to Joystiq's Weekly Webcomic Roundup--it's simply a collection of the funniest webcomics from around the net, presented as a poll for readers to vote on. In all honesty, the poll bit is pretty much there just to boost replies and justify a useless "winner" post, but it's a great way to catch up on your webcomedy (Surprise! This world is bigger than Penny Arcade!) in one swift post.
GameSpot- Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
With outlet after outlet fawning over the Wii launch title, GameSpot recognized TP for what it was--a very good (but not outstanding) game that offered up decent visuals but more of the same Zelda we've been playing since the days of the N64. While fans may have decried the site's score, we applaud the stance they took... that an oft-delayed "launch" title is not in the same league as this year's best.
Runner up:
PSM- Final Fantasy XII
And on the other side of the fence we have unbridled enthusiasm. PSM had an early exclusive review for Final Fantasy XII and made the most of it, devoting fourteen (14!) pages to a largely glowing 9.5 review. You can debate whether any series warrants a writeup of that length, but dang if it didn't get you excited for the latest entry in the acclaimed role-playing series.
PlayStation Magazine
Websites and magazines typically undergo drastic redesigns during console generation changes, and this generation was no different. Many have taken a lot of flak, particularly the independent, 250-issue strong Computer Gaming World's change to Games for Windows: The Official Magazine just a few short months before Microsoft kicks its marketing for the PC gaming platform into overdrive with Windows Vista. The redesign that's grown on us the most has been PlayStation Magazine's. While just about every redesign done in 2006 has had us wishing for a return to the old style, PSM has drastically improved its style, just in time for it to be the only PlayStation-focused magazine in the U.S.
Runner up:
EGM
EGM was less in need of a redesign than most magazines... it's pretty dang popular as far as those go. Still, the powers-that-be have decided to tailor the magazine towards the flashier 1up.com design. The mag is a little sleeker for it, but loses a bit of its uniquness in the process, unfortunately. Hopefully, we'll see some tweaks from the first two issues put out thus far.
NOTE: This article's author has written for CNET Networks, publishers of GameSpot, and IDG Entertainment, publishers of GamePro.
