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POSTED 17/12/11
GAMESBLIP 'BLIPPY' AWARDS 2011
Ladies and
gentlemen, please be seated as the evening's main presentation is
about to commence.
Or hell, stand
if you really want. Fuck it, we're hardly sticklers for formality
around here!
Anyway,
everybody else is doing it right about now, so being the slaves to
mob mentality that we can be on occasions, we hereby present the
Second Annual Blippy Awards for games that we played during 2011.
Please feel free to disagree with our verdicts - that's what
democracy and free thinking is all about, and goodness knows
everybody else seems to be trying to take it away from us. Anyway, hoping you
find something even vaguely enjoyable...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST ADVENTURE THING
 
UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION
Sony
Runner-up:
BASTION
Possibly the most stunning looking gaming experience ever, the
continuing tale of Nathan Drake trundles along its interactive movie
way quite majestically, even if it does keep you on a rather
too-tight leash at times. Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST ARCADE THING
 
BEAT HAZARD ULTRA
Cold
Beam Games
Runner-up:
CUBIXX HD
Twinstick shooters come and go, but rarely do they impress like this
one, combining the best of (Bl)Asteroids with a musical twist
- you can play along to your MP3 collection. That one rather clever
guy alone created the entire thing still makes our feeble little
hivemind go "PLINK!". Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST CAR THING
 
FORZA
MOTORSPORT 4
Microsoft
Runner-up:
DiRT3
Honestly, for thrills DiRT3 might have pipped this, if it
didn't keep inserting nags for DLC purchases into every fucking
menu. Still, it may be a little less adrenaline-pumping, but
Forza 4 is the best slice of car porn we've ever removed from a
brown paper bag - and it has the Top Gear test track, jumbo
jet and all! Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST CREEPY THING
 
DEAD SPACE 2
EA
Runner-up:
FEAR 3
Sure, there are plenty of cheap scares in this sequel that cleaned
up much of its predecessors sloppiness, but then a real scare will
hit and you may just cry out for your mummy.
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST FASHION STATEMENT
 
LA
NOIRE
Rockstar
Runner-up:
SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD
Perhaps a cheaty way of winning this nod, as the 1940s were pretty
much style personified, but hey, whatcha gonna do?
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST FIGHTING THING
 
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
WB
Games
Runner-up:
DEAD OR ALIVE: DIMENSIONS
You're Batman. Enough said.
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST HANDHELD THING
 
SUPER MARIO 3D LAND
Nintendo
Runner-up:
STAR
FOX 64 3D
The 3DS looked on the ropes for a while there, but then Mario came
along with the game the handheld had been waiting for. A deft mix of
classic plumber moves from through the years, this is the must-have
3DS title. Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST MOTION THING
 
THE GUNSTRINGER
Twisted Pixel/Microsoft
Runner-up:
SESAME STREET: ONCE UPON A MONSTER
If you'd told us we'd be raving about what is essentially a puppetry
simulator a while back we'd have laughed in your face - HAHAHA! But
then we played The Gunstringer. Through humour, great
controls and awesome free DLC that gives you Mad Dog McCree
(more or less), plus a low price, your Kinect needs this. Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST MUSICAL THING
 
ROCKSMITH
Ubisoft
Runner-up:
CHIME
SUPER DELUXE
We've lost count of our attempts over the years to learn guitar.
Rocksmith makes your random squawks fun though, and before long
you'll realise you're actually getting it. We don't understand how
the cable that connects a real guitar to your console works, but it
does so perfectly. An Aussie release would be nice...
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST PARTY THING
 
JUST DANCE 3
Ubisoft
Runner-up:
CARNIVAL ISLAND
Party games need to be instantly accessible to everybody, not just
gamers. This is why JD3, whether in Kinect or Wii flavours
(we assume PS3 too, but we haven't played it) wins. Anybody -
ANYBODY - can just step up, goof off and enjoy themselves. The track
list is pleasingly varied stylistically, too.
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST PLATFORMY THING
 
RAYMAN ORIGINS
Ubisoft
Runner-up:
EXPLODEMON!
Whodathunk that Ubisoft's little limbless dude would give us the
sweetest surprise of 2011? This is an absolutely top shelf old
school-styled platformer, with artwork so good that it's like you're
controlling a cartoon. If you appreciate the classics then you
simply must get this... Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST PUZZLY THING
 
PORTAL
2
EA
Runner-up:
ILOMILO
Even if the puzzles sucked, this would be worth sticking with just
for Stephen Merchant's nutcasery as you're assistanty type thing
Wheatley, not to mention the sheer insanity of GLaDOS. Thankfully
the puzzles don't suck, bordering on the completely brain-bendy at
times...
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST SHOOTY THING
 
GEARS OF WAR 3
Microsoft
Runner-up:
GATLING GEARS
Yeah, yeah, war is hell and all, but some games take themselves just
a little too seriously. Gears ain't one of them, sprinkling
the cheese on with gleeful delight, but never forgetting to put a
kick-buttock super-mound of action - and tuckfonnes of weaponry - in
there as well. Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST SOUNDTRACKY THING
 
DRIVER: SAN FRANCISCO
Ubisoft
Runner-up:
LITTLEBIGPLANET2
With everything from The Stooges to Primal Scream, The Cure to The
Black Keys and Aretha Franklin to Elbow, plus the funkiest song in
years (just ask anybody slapping together a movie trailer) in The
Heavy's 'How You Like Me Now', this is the most eclectic and groovin'
game soundtrack we've ever clapped ears upon.
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST SPORTY THING
 
FIGHT
NIGHT CHAMPION
EA
Runner-up:
NHL
12
The most complete and compelling simulation of being a pugilist
we've ever come across. Even if you do duke it out in a square
that's called a ring. Still, take one too many to the head and...
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST ZOMBIE THING
 
DEAD ISLAND
Deep
Silver
Runner-up:
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD OVERKILL: EXTENDED CUT
The mass pre-release hype possibly harmed this undead masher-upperer,
for save for a few too many bugs it was a fun free-roaming romp.
Seriously, who didn't grin when first severing a zombie limb to see
the all the bone and gristle and blood and stuff inside? It was only
us? Oops... Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTING THING
 
BURNOUT CRASH!
Criterion/EA
Runner-up:
SHADOWS OF THE DAMNED
It's all Criterion's fault. They're capable of such utter brilliance
as Burnout Paradise, so when they came out with pretty much
what they promised in a simplified, pinball-influenced focus on
stacking vehicles, it didn't live up to our personal expectations.
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 ENCOURAGEMENT BLIPPY
AFL
LIVE
Tru
Blu Games
Developers Big Ant's first dive into Adolf Demetriou's sandpit
wasn't without its faults, but what was there showed that if they
hit the gym a bit harder over summer we could finally have an AFL
game to compete with the big boys like FIFA. Come on Big Ant,
get out there and stick it up 'em!
Click here to read
our original review...
2011 BLIPPY FOR ACEST OVERALL THING
INFAMOUS 2
Sony
Runner-up:
LA
NOIRE
Typical. One of the worst written reviews we've ever blurted out,
and it ends up our fave game of the year. It's rare that a game
comes along that makes us drop absolutely everything, including
meals and sleep. We just had to beat this, then we just had to beat
it again as evil Cole. Then we had to platinum it. Then we just had
to run around doing whatever the hell we wanted, because it let
us... Click here to read our
original review...
Meanwhile, it seems to be the year of the Cole, with the LAPD's
finest (?) in Phelpsy taking runner-up honours. LA Noire was
clunky in places - not least titularly with that spurious 'e' - but
for the feeling of being plonked TARDIS-like into the actual 1940s
it rocked. Erm, jitterbugged? Click
here to read our original review...
 
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