I did this thing last year, the year before that and the year before that, it is an official annualized tradition now. So without further ado, the Wreck Awards 2010...
Game of the Year: Mass Effect 2
Nothing came close to the story or world that BioWare crafted in their sequel to Mass Effect this year. All of the things that bugged me about the first game were either fixed, removed or sanded to a dull point. No more crappy vehicle combat and no more frustrating inventory management. Everything that could be was streamlined in service of the story they wanted to tell. The combat was more fun and as a shooter it felt less random. Overall it was leaps and bounds ahead of any game this year.
Runner Up: Limbo
Nothing came close to the story or world that BioWare crafted in their sequel to Mass Effect this year. All of the things that bugged me about the first game were either fixed, removed or sanded to a dull point. No more crappy vehicle combat and no more frustrating inventory management. Everything that could be was streamlined in service of the story they wanted to tell. The combat was more fun and as a shooter it felt less random. Overall it was leaps and bounds ahead of any game this year.
Runner Up: Limbo
Game I should have played: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
What I presumed was going to be a cash grab quick follow up to a great game from 2009 apparently wasn't. I skipped it because I was done with Italy as a location for Assassin's Creed. Where is my feudal Japan game?Oh and multi-player crammed into a great single player experience. Yeah like that will work. It did work and quiet well by most accounts. Crap I really need to play this game.
Runner Up: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Movie of the Year: The Town
What I presumed was going to be a cash grab quick follow up to a great game from 2009 apparently wasn't. I skipped it because I was done with Italy as a location for Assassin's Creed. Where is my feudal Japan game?Oh and multi-player crammed into a great single player experience. Yeah like that will work. It did work and quiet well by most accounts. Crap I really need to play this game.
Runner Up: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Movie of the Year: The Town
I heart a good bank robbery film (See: my unhealthy crush on Point Break) and The Town is that and much more. It was beautifully shot, written and directed. The acting was stand out from all involved and specially Jeremy Renner did an amazing job. A great film a great year for movies. See all the ones I didn't pick below...
Runner(s) Up: Toy Story 3, Inception, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Movie I should have seen: True Grit
Missing Coen brother films is a cardinal sin for me. Unfortunately this one came out a week before the end of the year. Everyone I know has seen it and is raving about it. Getting a free weekend to see it before it is out of theaters is a top priority in the coming weeks. Wish me luck.
Runner Up: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Movie I should have seen: True Grit
Missing Coen brother films is a cardinal sin for me. Unfortunately this one came out a week before the end of the year. Everyone I know has seen it and is raving about it. Getting a free weekend to see it before it is out of theaters is a top priority in the coming weeks. Wish me luck.
Runner Up: Exit Through the Gift Shop
TV show of the Year: Boardwalk Empire
In a year where I though the Walking Dead would be an open and shut favorite for me I was surprised by how much I loved Boardwalk Empire. The twenties are an era rarely visited in modern story telling. That may be for a reason, but this show captured it and made it damn entertaining while doing so. Buscemi's performance is outstanding and the cast around him plays out at the same level and in some cases even better. In total it was the best story I watched this year.
Runners Up: The Walking Dead & Spartacus: Blood and Sand
In a year where I though the Walking Dead would be an open and shut favorite for me I was surprised by how much I loved Boardwalk Empire. The twenties are an era rarely visited in modern story telling. That may be for a reason, but this show captured it and made it damn entertaining while doing so. Buscemi's performance is outstanding and the cast around him plays out at the same level and in some cases even better. In total it was the best story I watched this year.
Runners Up: The Walking Dead & Spartacus: Blood and Sand
Podcast of the Year: Smodcast
In a year where I have listened to more podcast than ever this was probably the hardest category to pick. Smodcast is Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's podcast where they mostly just shoot the shit and comment on interesting news articles. It makes me consistently laugh out loud though. I knew it was going to win my heart when I took 4 episodes to Libya with me this summer and ended up downloading 4 more from the slow as all get out third world wifi at my uncles house. It is that good.
Runner Up: My Brother, My Brother and Me
Comic/Book of the Year: Planetary
Yes a series that ran from 1999 to 2009 is my 2010 book of the year. It is when I read it though that matters. I can't imagine reading only 27 issues over the course of ten years, but the story as a whole delivers. Not being a comics guy in the past some of the references were lost on me early on. Some had to be explained while others took longer that it would for most to get. The package as a whole is stellar though, really glad I got to read it.
Runner Up: Atomic Robo
Recipe of the Year: Talapia Fish Sticks
While probably not the best dish I served up all year it wins with its consistency, healthiness and taste. I'll expound on my original post and say that is still not easy to get an almost two year old to heat a healthy meal. His go to answer is "hot dog" no matter how you ask the question of what he wants to eat. So having this one in my back pocket every week is a the kind of trait that wins you awards. Your invisible placard is in the mail.
Runner Up: Scratch-Made Brownies
2 comments:
sadly, i got rid of ac:b, but you should snag a copy of hot pursuit for cheap! it's like burnout paradise but with a better pick up and play mode for mp.
I loved Burnout Paradise, which is why I wanted to pick up Hot Pursuit in a bad way.
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