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NBA 2K10 is still on top--but only by a hair.

With the NBA season in full swing, we thought we'd take a moment to check out this year's offering of digital hoops games, which really boils down to 2K Sports' NBA 2K10 vs. EA Sports' NBA Live 10.

Last year, the contest wasn't even close, with 2K9 trouncing Live in a blowout that made it easy to choose which game to buy. However, this year EA Sports' Canada-based development team delivered a much more compelling game. At the same time, while 2K10's developer Visual Concepts has definitely made some improvements, including a new My Player mode and the usual upgrades to player models and animations, this year's installment hasn't introduced anything truly eye-opening. The net-net is you have two solid games that are hard to choose between.

Here's the skinny:

As what one might call mainstream consumers of interactive entertainment, we're quick to snicker at anything too concerned with elves and dragons, or any kind of stat-juggling role-playing game. That said, we've always had a soft spot for epic, story-driven games such as Oblivion and Fallout 3, which use the trapping of the RPG format to build a fully realized virtual world.

This year's entry in the epic RPG/adventure game category is Dragon Age: Origins, released Tuesday. After getting an early preview during this year's Game Developer's Conference, we were surprisingly hooked and eager to see more. Having now played a preview build of the game for the past six weeks, we can safely say it's one of the year's best, alongside Batman: Arkham Asylum and The Beatles: Rock Band.

More surprisingly, it's a rare example of a game that calls out for a high-powered PC rig. While Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are available, this is one of the few high-profile games in 2009 designed and built for PC gamers and then ported to home consoles, rather than the other way around. While it keeps the same storyline, characters, and locations--along with a redesigned menu system for gamepads and lower-resolution TV screens--we judged the PC version to be superior, with better graphics, a more flexible camera, and the ability to easily pause the action for some strategic planning.

In our initial preview back in March, we felt the heart of the game--a sprawling big-budget action/adventure in the style of the Lord of the Rings movies--was buried under tired ideas about how to best sell a game of the sword-and-sorcery genre. There was plenty of talk about party management, the history of various fictional kingdoms, and most frightening, a "prequel novel" explaining the game's backstory.

Fortunately, EA has gone into the home stretch emphasizing the massive battle scenes, PG-13 love triangles, and--of course--the occasional fight with a giant dragon.

While the major beats of the game remain the same, we were impressed that the choice of race (human, elf, or dwarf), profession (fighter, mage, or rogue), and even social status (noble or commoner) determines which of six opening chapters you play through--potentially making the first two-to-three hours of the game different each time, depending on the character you design.

To be sure, entering the world of Dragon Age is no small commitment for casual gamers. There's a ton of dialog, pages and pages of onscreen text to read (a throwback to early computer RPGs that feels in need of an update), and a fair amount hacky scriptwriting involving every cliche in the fantasy genre. The voice actors generally do a fine job, but too often are stuck delivering lines from a Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movie.

Still, even non-RPG types like ourselves were able to get the hand of it quickly, and thanks to expert pacing, interspacing exploration and interaction with plenty of combat, the hours seemed to fly by. We suggest putting any lingering anti-RPG bias aside and taking the very impressive Dragon Age: Origins for a spin; and for PC gamers, it's practically a must-play.

Scott Stein offers a concurring opinion:

Games like Dragon Age: Origins are instantly unappealing to me. There's a seemingly generic fantasy setting and the sense that this is some pre-existing game in a franchise that I'm unaware of and will therefore feel confused by.

Thankfully, Bioware seems well aware of my apprehensions and held my hand from the very get-go. Picking a character and backstory developed into an unfolding of the story that felt organic, and explained everything as if setting up exposition for a good movie. So few games do this, and I appreciated that you could also pick your starting point for the story, changing many elements by doing so.

Did it win me over? In a way, yes. It's still a huge tip of the hat to classic swords-and-sorcery gaming (I prefer RPGs closer to Phantasy Star in setting), but it's made with the care of a Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies. Pretend you've never played one of these games before, then give it a try.

Screenshots: Dragon Age: Origins

Madden NFL Arcade: The heir to arcade games past.

(Credit: EA Sports)

Football is a team sport. Alas, that goes counterpoint to a lot of the superstar worship and smack-talking that gritty sports video games are made of. To satisfy the casual fan, EA has launched a surprise on Xbox 360 and PS3 owners with Madden NFL Arcade. A five-on-five football game, it borrows heavily from previous arcade football games like NFL Blitz and EA's own dearly departed NFL Street (and less remembered NFL Tour), while offering a few new wrinkles. It's also a download-only title, available through Xbox Live Arcade and PSN sometime in December for a price of $15 (or 1,200 Microsoft points, which are always hard to do conversion rates for).

The game's not coming to the Wii, most likely because Nintendo's version of Madden 10 already incorporates an easier play mode that embodies a lot of what this new Madden game is about. And what, exactly, is this game about? From what we experienced, that would be man-on-man competition, quick scoring, and random fun.

(Credit: EA Sports)

We approached NFL Arcade from a serious Madden-playing angle, and needless to say, this game doesn't employ much strategy. Players select long-, medium-, or short-pass plays or runs and basic defensive packages, then face off in quick, hit-happy plays. With only five teammates, there's basically no offensive line, so the aesthetic is schoolyard chuck-around, not first-down making. In fact, one clever twist is that each possession is simply a four-down challenge to either score a touchdown or turn the ball over trying.

There's no play clock at all, and in our sampled game mode, the first to 30 won. EA Sports did say there would be other game modes and settings, though it seems that the clock-free, down-free system would be a constant. We actually liked the clockless environment, since it focused on scoring drives and points rather than artificially accelerated quarters.

Another maddening (forgive the pun) addition is a randomized slot machine for each team that brought up certain power-ups on various plays. Whether you receive something or nothing is completely beyond your control, and some of the effects (instant fumbling, slow-motion, or a flipping of scores between you and your opponent) are insane and devastating. Perhaps too much so for my taste, since they almost completely eliminated any real strategy or skill from the showdown. On the other hand, they're purely meant for fun, and can be turned off if you're more of a game purist.

All NFL teams are included, and the models for the NFL players are less cartoonish than Blitz and Street games of the past, while still being more stylized and over-the-top than standard Madden.

We lost our Jets-Texans match-up, but we're looking forward to the rematch. We do appreciate the price point--this game's a more affordable pickup than full-priced disc-based games that preceded it, and we welcome this move for future "extreme" arcade sports titles. It may seem like double-dipping for EA, but it's a smart way to reach those who are intimidated by Madden's intricacies, as well as a quick fix for NFL addicts who can't be bothered for a full four-quarter ordeal.

Madden NFL Arcade

One of the holiday season games we're most bullish on is Dragon Age: Origins. While this nerd-tastic tale of dragons and elves and guys wearing chainmail armor isn't for everyone (or even usually our cup of tea), the large chunks of the game we've played have had a mainstream Lord of the Rings epic action movie vibe, rather than rolling a 20-sided die in your parents' basement. Plus, it's one of the only big budget games in recent years developed first for PC gaming, and then ported to living room consoles, rather than the other way around.

We saw two early tastes of the game this morning (one very literally). The first is a browser-based flash game spinoff, called Dragon Age Journeys. Billed as an "EA 2D Production" it's a surprisingly faithful recreation of the full game, from the menus and interfaces to the dialog system -- just recast as cartoonish 2D animation. Combat has a similar feel, with plenty of special attacks and powers to use, but it's more strictly turn-based in the browser version.

Unfortunately, it's not embeddable, but the dragonagejourneys.com Web site does allow you to save your game and even create multiple characters.

Coincidentally, moments after we logged into Dragon Age Journeys, a promotional package for the game hit our desk. The box contained a pile of hay-like material and a small wooden box. Inside the box was a vial of red liquid and a wax-sealed note written in the game's arch-geek style, warning us that "Some master the blood of the darkspawn, some perish."

Our promotional vial of demon blood actually had a handy (and probably legally required) list ingredients attached, which included taurine, caffeine, ginseng, elderberry juice, and, of course, sodium benzoate and FD&C Red #40. We haven't dared touch it...yet.

We're not drinking this stuff...

Update: Our buddy Russ at MTV.com actually drank the stuff, and filmed himself doing it.

(Credit: EA)

Electronic Arts's certainly not afraid of controversy. In fact, the company seems to be embracing it with arms wide open.

At a recent "Naughty or Nice" event in New York, we had the opportunity to play Dante's Inferno hands-on. The Xbox 360 and PS3 video game, which recasts the epic Dante poem as a God of War-type journey through nesting levels of hell, is certainly wearing its M rating on its sleeve (Note: while the ESRB hasn't officially rated this game yet, it's pretty clear there's no other rating it would achieve). The producers brazenly showed the Lust level of the game, with some eye-popping (and incredibly disturbing) animations, including an enormous bare-breasted demon boss who births termite-like knife-handed demon-babies from her nipples.

Therefore, it's no surprise really that this news item emerged about one of Dante's Inferno's "achievements." The International Nanny Association is up in arms about an achievement called "Bad Nanny" that triggers when the game's protagonist kills unbaptized babies.

Dante's Inferno (2010)

Having played the game, we're pretty sure the babies being referred to are in fact demon-creatures in baby form, but this still seems like a controversial and offensively described event to flaunt with GamerScore points. Shockingly, however, the nanny organization seems mostly upset because the achievement casts nannies in a bad light.

Is this as bad as Hot Coffee, or simply PR steam? Admittedly, this is a game set in hell--but is there such a thing as too much? Also, how exactly did the International Nanny Association get wind of God of Hell's--we mean, Dante's Inferno's--achievement lists, we wonder?

(Source: Game Politics via Joystiq)

(Credit: EA Sports)

EA Sports is one of the few game companies that's managed to successfully charge $9.99 for a game in Apple's App Store. Madden NFL 10, priced at 10 bucks, remains a top seller, and now FIFA Soccer 10 has hit the App Store for $9.99 and seems destined to make a run for the top spot in the games category.

While we thought Madden didn't play quite as well we'd hoped it would on the iPhone (and iPod Touch), we think soccer, with its top-down view and simple control scheme, should make a better transition to the iPhone.

FIFA Soccer 10 does face some stiff competition from Gameloft's Real Soccer 10, which we have to say plays very well--and Real Soccer 10 sells for less ($6.99) and has a loyal following (while this is EA's first soccer game for the iPhone, Gameloft's Real Soccer 10 is in its second season). That said, on the surface at least, FIFA Soccer 10 appears to be the more robust of the two games, offering more licensed teams and players as well as a "Be a Pro" mode that allows you to create a player and track his play over multiple seasons.

If you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch, EA Sports is also releasing FIFA Soccer 10 on all dedicated game consoles (PS3, PSP, PS2, XBox 360, Wii, and DS) and the PC on October 20. However, those versions cost significantly more than $10.

We'll let you know our impressions of FIFA Soccer 10 for iPhone and iPod Touch after we've played the game. But in the meantime, feel free to make your own comments.

Gameloft's Real Soccer 10 is impressive and costs 3 dollars less ($6.99).

(Credit: Gameloft)

Before 2007, the 2K series of hockey video games was tough to match. It seemed 2K had a perfect sense of gameplay, physics, and true-to-life NHL action. When EA Sports revamped its franchise in NHL 07 by introducing the Skill Stick and a new game engine, the tide immediately turned.

With the 2009-2010 NHL season fast approaching, both hockey games look to improve on their respective formulas. While each game tries to create an accurate hockey simulation experience, only one title is able to deliver a winning combination.... Read more

(Credit: Scott Stein/CNET)

The real NFL season is about to kick off, and EA has seized the opportunity to finally slide in the release of its much-anticipated port of Madden to the iPhone/iPod Touch format. It represents the meeting of the mobile entertainment industry's unstoppable force, Apple's black slab of wonder, with the gaming industry's immovable object. Available at $7.99 through the kickoff of the Steelers-Titans game tonight and $9.99 afterward, is it worth your hard-earned tailgate dollars? We played it last week here at the CNET offices and played it a lot more on our own iPhone last night, and here's our verdict.

It took EA a few weeks longer to get its iPhone act together than Gameloft did with NFL 2010. Did it pay off? Well, in some ways, yes. The player models and 3D stadiums seem better rendered than Madden's NFL-licensed and similarly-named App Store rival, NFL 2010 by Gameloft, but with a significant drawback: the framerate on our 3GS playthrough was significantly choppier than NFL 2010. A future update will hopefully fix this, but in the meantime it doesn't affect gameplay enough to be a game-killer. The presentation and commentary are impressive, nearing console level but hovering nearer to PSP and DS versions of Madden.

Madden 10 for iPhone/iPod Touch

The biggest fear among those who play any type of hardcore game is whether losing a physical control pad affects gameplay in any significant way. The answer is simple: yes, it does. I've played games on my iPhone for more than a year, and it rarely avoids feeling like a compromise: lose a control pad, but gain a simplified interface and an extremely compact form in a smartphone. As to whether it's worth it, ask yourself if you'd rather tote around a PSP or a Nintendo DS in your pocket in addition to your phone, or just carry an iPhone and lose a few controls, and you'll have your answer.

The solution EA has given is the same many developers have, including Gameloft: add a virtual stick in the lower left corner, and a series of context-sensitive buttons in the lower right. The problem with the virtual stick is that, like other titles, it can be lost in the shuffle on heavy-focus moments of game play. There's no tactile feedback, so it must be looked after, unlike a real analog pad. When playing Madden, that means a lot of the accuracy is lost. But the good news is that this game wasn't really designed for finesse play. We'll explain. ... Read more

Brutal Legend is the latest from legendary game designer Tim Schafer, who is responsible for such classics as Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. His latest adventure, undoubtedly the most mainstream yet, stars Jack Black as the voice of Eddie Riggs, a roadie for a metal band who finds himself transported to demonic, metal-infused world.

We got a chance to sit down with the near-final build of Brutal Legend in New York. Here's how the game is shaping up:

Jeff:
Brutal Legend is a metal fan's absolute fantasy come true. The game is overflowing with references and jokes about the genre and is sure to lure in gamers on charm alone. Beneath the metal spikes and skulls lies a hack and slash action/adventure game, but it seems that the overall production value, soundtrack, and presentation might be the winners here.... Read more