Three new titles were launched last month. Here is what we think of them.
Keeping the coming festive season in mind, three new versions of existing titles were released last month. NBA, developed by Canada-based Electronic Arts, has been one of their most popular titles. NBA 2K10 is an upgraded version on last year’s edition. If you prefer one-on-one fighting, then Tekken is the title for you. Games such as Mortal Kombat have done well, but pale in comparison. And finally, if FIFA 10 bores you, try your hand at its fiercest rival Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 10, which is intended for casual gamers. All the games are available on PlayStation, Xbox as well as Nintendo Wii consoles. So how do these games score? Here’s what we think:
NBA 2K10
The latest edition of the NBA game is much better than the earlier one. The graphics are superior to NBA 09 which makes the overall experience richer. The best feature about 2K10 is the option of Live Season that enables you to play the matches as they happen in real life. The My Player feature allows you to create a player, and chart his progress in the league. That player starts at summer camp leading up to the NBA leagues. It’s a hard grind, but an immensely satisfying one. Apart from these features, there’s nothing new to talk about. But then again, NBA is not a game which is likely to be picked up by random gamers. It’s for those who actually love basketball as a sport.
Unlike the previous versions, the commentary is not repetitive. A major drawback, however, is that the game is a bit slow to load, or at least it was so on the PS2 version that I tried it on. At times there is too much information displayed. The crowd participation, I am happy to report, is brilliant. Every time your best player has the ball, the chanting of MVP! MVP! echoes across the arena. The players’ and coaches’ physical features are lifelike, and you get the feeling of being Lebron James, no less. All in all, it’s a game you will have a lot of fun playing, though it is strictly recommended for people who know the rules of basketball. Newbies may get confused and not find it too appealing. 2K10, therefore, gets an eight on 10 for what it offers.
Tekken6
At the outset, I must say that I am huge fan of Tekken. Apart from Street Fighter, it has always been my favourite one-on-one fighting game. The latest installment is as exciting, and exceeds all expectations. There are new characters — my new favourite is the chainsaw wielding Alyssa — while old favourites like Paul and Anna continue to thrill. The single player option is deeply satisfying as are multiple choices like street-brawl and boss fights. There is an online option as well where you can smack unknown people (perfect antidote for a bad day at work). The special moves are as good as any you will find in fighting games.
Play Tekken6 and you will realise why it is so highly rated among gamers. Even after being around for so many years, the novelty factor is yet to wear off. The only flaw in what is actually a near-perfect game is the fact that it has too many loading screens. You encounter a loading screen while changing levels, battles, and other things which is off-putting. Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic game and hats off to Namco, the game developer, for continuing to make Tekken a memorable experience.
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PES 2010
In spite of being a hardcore FIFA loyalist, I have always enjoyed playing its biggest rival Pro Evolution Soccer. If you have already played FIFA 10, you will naturally compare the two, which would be unfair. So rather than comparing them, let’s look at PES separately.
Though PES 2009 was a huge disappointment for several reasons, the latest version is better. The graphics are superior, the action fast-paced, the gameplay — especially scoring from headers — is a huge improvement. The developers of the game had said they simplified the game to rope in new gamers. It shows. PES 2010 is simple for casual gamers thanks to friendly menus, a large number of different game modes, and an easy to adapt to gameplay scheme. It’s simple yet realistic. The commentary is quite bad. For example, I scored a brilliant overhead kick with Wayne Rooney, and all the commentator could think of saying was, “At last, he scores!”.
The team rosters are not updated. For instance, Wesley Sneijder is still a Real Madrid player when in fact he plays for Inter Milan now. The graphics are brilliant, and dare I say, even better than FIFA 10. The stadiums, however, could have been better designed — most end up looking the same. Overall, it’s a good game, and ideal for casual gamers. Most hardcore gamers, however, would end up saying, “It’s good but it’s not FIFA”.