Like some girls, enjoying even the crappiest of video games can be done with enough alcohol in your system. Here is our quick and dirty guide to navigating your hard-earned beer money toward something better than a polished turd. Bottom's up!
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: After losing a truck full of gold, B-company squad returns to the battlefield to do what they were born to do: Narrowly escape death by the thinnest of margins and blowing up a ton of stuff in the process. The single player experience is much more fleshed out than the first game, but online is where the party really begins. Strategize with your teammates and help turn the tide of war or face the consequences of a crappy kill/death ratio: Scorn from pre-pubescent children on the Internet.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 3
FOUR OUT OF FIVE MAXIM DOCTORS RECOMMEND...
MLB 10: The Show (PS3)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Baseball season is back! Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer leads the greatest show on virtual astroturf's return to the field with what is essentially an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. The main attraction is the improved The Road to the Show, a career mode where you'll be able to progress your created hitter through his time in the minor and major leagues. Sony has also upped the ante with the usual mini tweaks (near photorealistic presentation, authentic batting stances, etc.) and a few much-delayed additions like the appearance of the Home Run Derby—finally!—and a new pick-off mechanism. Get excited for better pick-offs, y'all!
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 1
Major League Baseball 2K10 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: When we think of last year's 2K baseball game, the word 'yikes' comes to mind. (Also, 'meh,' 'ugh,' and 'turdy.') Well, the developers have supposedly fixed their pitching issues and are putting a million dollars on the line to prove their point—the first person to hurl a perfect game gets it. A new career mode called My Player is also available: It's solid, but from our lengthy play session we realized there could've been a bit more done to ratchet up the bugs. (In one instance, the opposing catcher hip-humped the batter who had just walked all the way to first base while our runner on third base easily stole home. Yeah.) You might want to rain delay playing that mode until a patch is released.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 5
Mega Man 10 (WiiWare)
Price: 1000 Wii Points | Official Site
What's It About: Mega Man games are beatable, but easy games they are not. That's what makes them so addictive, which is what forced Capcom's hand to develop yet another entry into the series following the success of Mega Man 9 in 2008. A throwback to the original NES cartridge games—you know, the ones you had to blow into to make them work—Mega Man 10 once again has you playing everyone's favorite blue robot hero as he attempts to save the world from Roboenza. We think it's like swine flu for nerds. (Note: Mega Man 10 will be available on PSN on March 11 and Xbox Live on March 31.)
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Toy Soldiers (Xbox Live)
Price: 1200 Xbox Live Points ($15) | Official Site
What's It About: Video games set in the backdrop of the World War I are plentiful, but it's rare any of them actually do it well. (Take a look at this list and tell us if you give a crap about any of them. Exactly.) Surprisingly, we've taken a liking to Toy Soldiers and it's tower defense version. The premise is simple: Set up your defenses and fend off the invading plastic forces before they reach your home base, fittingly a toy box.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: After losing a truck full of gold, B-company squad returns to the battlefield to do what they were born to do: Narrowly escape death by the thinnest of margins and blowing up a ton of stuff in the process. The single player experience is much more fleshed out than the first game, but online is where the party really begins. Strategize with your teammates and help turn the tide of war or face the consequences of a crappy kill/death ratio: Scorn from pre-pubescent children on the Internet.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 3
FOUR OUT OF FIVE MAXIM DOCTORS RECOMMEND...MLB 10: The Show (PS3)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Baseball season is back! Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer leads the greatest show on virtual astroturf's return to the field with what is essentially an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. The main attraction is the improved The Road to the Show, a career mode where you'll be able to progress your created hitter through his time in the minor and major leagues. Sony has also upped the ante with the usual mini tweaks (near photorealistic presentation, authentic batting stances, etc.) and a few much-delayed additions like the appearance of the Home Run Derby—finally!—and a new pick-off mechanism. Get excited for better pick-offs, y'all!
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 1
Major League Baseball 2K10 (PS3, Xbox 360)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: When we think of last year's 2K baseball game, the word 'yikes' comes to mind. (Also, 'meh,' 'ugh,' and 'turdy.') Well, the developers have supposedly fixed their pitching issues and are putting a million dollars on the line to prove their point—the first person to hurl a perfect game gets it. A new career mode called My Player is also available: It's solid, but from our lengthy play session we realized there could've been a bit more done to ratchet up the bugs. (In one instance, the opposing catcher hip-humped the batter who had just walked all the way to first base while our runner on third base easily stole home. Yeah.) You might want to rain delay playing that mode until a patch is released.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 5
Mega Man 10 (WiiWare)Price: 1000 Wii Points | Official Site
What's It About: Mega Man games are beatable, but easy games they are not. That's what makes them so addictive, which is what forced Capcom's hand to develop yet another entry into the series following the success of Mega Man 9 in 2008. A throwback to the original NES cartridge games—you know, the ones you had to blow into to make them work—Mega Man 10 once again has you playing everyone's favorite blue robot hero as he attempts to save the world from Roboenza. We think it's like swine flu for nerds. (Note: Mega Man 10 will be available on PSN on March 11 and Xbox Live on March 31.)
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Toy Soldiers (Xbox Live)Price: 1200 Xbox Live Points ($15) | Official Site
What's It About: Video games set in the backdrop of the World War I are plentiful, but it's rare any of them actually do it well. (Take a look at this list and tell us if you give a crap about any of them. Exactly.) Surprisingly, we've taken a liking to Toy Soldiers and it's tower defense version. The premise is simple: Set up your defenses and fend off the invading plastic forces before they reach your home base, fittingly a toy box.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2