Yahoo! Games: Best of 2006 Awards

We scrutinize all of last year's releases and hand out the Best of 2006 honors.

By YVG Staff

Best Sports Game

NOMINEES:

Fight Night: Round 3 (ALL)

Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: EA

Face meets fist and time stands still. Spit flies; a jaw is dislocated; the crowd screams for blood. A knockout punch has never been this artistic before. EA does justice to the sweet science with a next-gen facelift and teeth-rattling graphics. When you feel the pain of a well-placed uppercut, you'll realize how important the improvement is. Who needs a motion-sensitive controller when you can pick your punches with Fight Night 3's analog stick control? It brings much-needed strategy to fisticuffs. An appearance by the Burger King can't be considered as necessary, but it's still pretty funny. This one will likely reign supreme until Nintendo finally gives us a new PunchOut.

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Madden 2007 (Wii)

Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: EA

Hardcore Madden-o-philes line up at stores every year to see what new simulation aspects EA has come up with. Madden's initial Wii release, on the other hand, represents football for the masses. Using the Wii remote's physical style for one of the world's most physical sports, Madden 2007 has more innovation than the last five seasons put together. Toss the ball by mimicking the motion, or stiff-arm by literally holding your arm out. On top of that, Madden 2007 on the Wii has everything the other versions do, so everyone leaves happy -- unless next-gen graphics are tops on your coaching list. We'd rather focus on fun.

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NBA 2K7 (XBOX, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)

Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2k Sports

The dynasty is in full effect. What started with Sega and Dreamcast is now 2K Games and next-gen consoles. NBA 2K7 continues to be the best basketball game on the market, with only its past iteration coming close to competing. The key is realism. While other basketball titles struggle with AI and competent fundamentals, NBA 2K7 plays so similar to live NBA action, it's scary. Defenders make you pay for bad passes, and you'll need every second of the shot clock. At the same time, the game offers plenty of high-impact excitement to keep you amped up. NBA 2K7 is the hoops fans' hero.

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Tony Hawk's Project 8

Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Publisher: Activision

With annual releases, Activision has tried to convince the world that skateboarding has a season much like football. While we don't quite agree with that, we're powerless to stop playing each new installment. Project 8 is the series' first truly next-gen sequel, and returns Tony to his former glory. Say goodbye to load times, but hello to the close-up, slow-motion splendor of Nail The Trick. Don't worry about the implications of serializing a nontraditional sports game over eight installments; just play the darn game and have a blast.

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WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 (PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360)

Developer: Yuke's Co. Ltd.
Publisher: THQ

Is pro wrestling a little more entertainment than sport? Yes. Is SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 still an awesome game anyway? Definitely. You can't help but marvel at how realistic the character models are -- whether you like looking at Torrie Wilson's butt or John Cena's. The rest of the graphics are amazing as well. The wrestlers fight better than they look. SvR 07 makes the most of the second analog stick, offering unheard-of control. Hot spots in and out of the ring provide the same action you see on TV, while Career and GM modes takes things further than Vince McMahon would've dreamed.