
[h4]Pimpin Reviews: My Top 11 of 2011[/h4]
Special thank you to [user]Labyrinth[/user] for creating the Pimpin banner.
Special thank you to [user]Divine Miss Bee[/user] for doing my editing.
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With 2012 about a week and a half underway, it?s that time of year once again when we take a look back at the crazy mess that was the year before. Luckily, 2011 was an exceptionally schizophrenic and nutty year in every aspect. It seemed like the shock and awe of any one of the year?s headlines was quickly brushed aside by the earth-shattering revelation of another. And I feel like it wasn?t just like this for mainstream events, but in every aspect of life last year. Just take a look.
Internationally, the debt crisis raged on harder than ever, the people of Libya revolted, American military captured Osama bin Laden, the man arguably responsible for the conflict in Afghanistan, and lastly were pulled out of the conflict in Iraq. Nationally, the US government almost collapsed, the candidates for our next presidential election dominated (and continue to dominate) mainstream news media, we?re on our 400th or something attempt to pass a simple payroll tax cut, and now this business with the Stop Online Piracy Act is building momentum.
On the gamer side of the spectrum, this year was a big one for games of all genres. We started the year with motion controllers like Kinect and PS Move running high, but all that really happened was a shooter-dominated season with Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 going head to head. Then the year ended with Skyrim and Action RPGS as the most successful commercial hits. The industry was all over the place.
2011 crept up on us fast and it hit hard, but it left us with a lot of memories. So in a final farewell to the year, I?d like to share with you some of my top video game memories of 2011, in this year?s?..
[HEADING=1]Top 11 Games of 2011[/HEADING]
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[HEADING=2] Number 11: DragonAge 2[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: BioWare
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Metacritic Score: 82[/HEADING]
****
****
Sequel to the incredibly epic Dragon Age: Origins, this latest installment was poised to fight tooth-and-nail for the number 1 spot with the best of them, so Dragon Age II should be downright ashamed that it is this low on the list. Unfortunately, it?s no secret that this game was rushed out of development about a year and a half before it was ready to be released. While it?s still an excellent game and a must-buy of this year, it doesn?t live up to the epic expectations that had been set by legendary developer BioWare.
Taking place mainly in the city of Kirkwall, the player takes on the role of Hawke, a human male/female warrior/mage/rogue (depending on your preference) who starts off as a lowly refugee and makes his/her way to becoming the savior of the city. Told through the flashbacks of one of your many future companions, the story spans ten years of adventures in its three acts. The story has many strong points, and the characters you encounter are as interesting as ever, but it still feels somewhat underwhelming compared to the world-shattering events of the original.
While it?s by no means a bad game, it is incredibly inferior to what it could have-and should have-been. If Origins was the Watergate scandal and trial of former US President Richard Nixon, Dragon Age II is closer in impact to the conviction of Illinois Governor and professional scumbag, Rod Blagojevich. Still, there are a lot of games that wouldn?t even be able to compete with this one, and that?s why it takes the last spot on my top 11 of 2011.
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[HEADING=2] Number 10: Where's My Water? [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Creature Feep (Disney)
Platforms: Android and Iphone
Release Date: September 22, 2011
Metacritic Score: 90[/HEADING]
****
Sewer gators get a bad reputation. Whether it?s from mothers around the country scaring their children away from man-hole covers or being liable for the fate of myth-busting communists (New Yorkers) who disturb the slumber of a crime fighting ninja turtle, sewer gators always take the rap for things they don?t deserve.
Where?s My Water tells the story of Swampy, a sewer-dwelling alligator who has an obsession with cleanliness, spending all day in the shower. Unfortunately, living in a subterranean area, he finds it hard to get connected to the pipelines above that he needs to provide him his warm, soapy goodness. Using an index finger, the player can clear patches of dirt to create a path from the broken nozzle straight to the frustrated gator?s tub. From there, the water will flow realistically thanks to the game?s amazing physics engine.
On the more advanced levels, the player will be tasked with such challenges as a limited water supply, globs of acid, trick pathways, and even mold that grows whenever it comes in contact with liquid. Puzzles get even more fun when you realize the game lets you get creative, such as poisoning your water with acid in order to burn through some algae blocking your path. Avoiding (or in some cases utilizing) these environmental hazards is often crucial in getting the water from where it is to where you want it to go.
I realize that it?s strange to think of a title from the app store as one of the top game experiences of this year. Even as recently as 5 years ago, such a thing would have been unheard of. When I sat down and thought about it, however, I asked myself a simple question. When was the last time a video game set out to do everything it wanted to do and did it right? Goofy, beautiful, charming, clever, and fun, this game had it all. The graphics are great, the cartoony cut scenes are endearing, and the catchy music is very fitting. It?s everything you could want from a casual on-the-go experience, and it?s number 10 on the Top 11 games of 2011.
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[HEADING=2] Number 9:Saints Row 3 [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Volition
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Metacritic Score: 84 [/HEADING]
****
The original Saints Row is one of my favorite games of all time. The story was a fun tale of the rise through a gang with an unbelievably dark final twist. The gameplay was serious when it needed to be, and hilarious when it didn?t. Side quests, characters, and even the various environments parodied themselves tongue in cheek, usually by breaking the fourth wall in clever ways, but never taking you out of the experience. This is one of the only games in which I?ve strived for 100% completion, so I?d spend hours customizing my sweet rides or listening to the ridiculous talk show hosts on the car?s radio.
When Saints Row 2 came along, it was clear that they had upped the silliness and diluted the seriousness. This was fine with me, because behind the shenanigans and absurdity, the game stuck to its roots. Things got a little over the top on more than one occasion, but the story remained an integral part of what made the experience memorable. For those who have played it, remember the Johnny Gat Graveyard scene?
This time, the series comes back as an even more overdramatic sensationalist parody of itself, but I?m not quite sure it benefits from it. If things in the second game are over the top, this time around it?s mostly just obnoxious. The story is barely believable, and mostly forgotten throughout the game. Most of it is spent jumping around admittedly creative but completely far-fetched set pieces, but none of them include hardcore gangster. The constant stream of spectacle, violence, and action desensitizes the player from early on, and ends up being more goofy than cool by the game?s end.
However, somewhere in there is still the game I know and love. And though I feel like this may be the last installment that has any resemblance to the first, it may be time to accept the path that the franchise is undeniably heading towards. The game is still one of the most fun, wacky, and lasting experiences of the year. The gags and writing are hit-and-miss through the game, but when they hit they hit with a force. The sheer amount of pop culture references can be enough to make your head spin, but the cheeky cheerfulness of the game?s lowbrow humor can bring out the devil in any type of gamer. Come get impy with Saints Row The Third, it deserves the number 9 spot on top 11 of 2011 list.
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[HEADING=2] Biggest disappointment Playstation Move Heroes[/HEADING]

I?ll be blunt-I never have been and never will be a fan of motion controls. Hell, to this day I still regret my decision to get my little cousins a Wii. Every fucking time Mario can?t get over a hurdle, Barbie can?t solve the puzzle, or Ben 10 is refusing to cooperate I have to get up from whatever I?m doing, spend 10 minutes trying to aim the remote downwards thanks to my 6?4? frame, and before I can sit back down I have to do it all over again because one of their dumbass characters got stuck in a corner again. At this rate, I?m getting ready to beg them to sit down and watch Cars for the three hundred thousandth time just so I can relax.
However, I was willing to give the Playstation Move a try, but only because I heard they were taking Jak and Daxter, Rachet and Clank, and SlyCooper and making some sort of ultra-PS2-era-heroes game for the next generation. Now, Rachet and Clank are good old fashioned shooty fun. Sly Cooper is downright criminally fun. And Jak and Daxter are, well, holy shit is that Jak and Daxter?! I love those guys! The plot takes the heroes to outer space, where they are to compete in a Who Is The Best Hero Olympics of sorts. You even get to visit iconic locations from each series such as Haven City from J&D, Metropolis City from R&C, and even Paris from the Sly Cooper franchise. How could this possibly go wrong?
Well first of all, there?s no super-villain team up as would be expected of any cross over. Instead we?re introduced to Lunk & Gleeber, the space version of Bonnie and Clyde. But the worst part is that the entire game is a series of minigames. Fucking minigames. Not only that, but only 5 real variations of minigame: Frisbee throwing, bowling, using a whip, shooting a gun, and finally melee combat. The bizarre thing is that this could have worked. The excellent cutscenes are limited to few, the solid story becomes nonexistent, the distinct characters all play the exact same, the mini games drag and get too difficult to bother with, the multiplayer is a joke, and worst of all a game with Jak and Daxter in it is not fun. What. The. Fuck.
Honorable Mention:
Two Worlds 2
Last time around, the game tricked me by telling me it would make me forget my loneliness after completing Oblivion, that it would make me forget that any other action RPG existed ever. Boy, was that a lie. This time around, it was going to prep me for Skyrim. It was going to get me all excited for screwing dungeons and looting wenches and all that ?saving the world from an unknown evil? stuff that comes in between that. Instead I got a glitchy game with a shitty story and voice acting worse than a dubbed porno. Fuck this game too.
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[HEADING=2] Number 8: Total War: Shogun 2 [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: The Creative Assembly
Platforms: PC
Release Date: 15 March 2011
Metacritic Score: 90[/HEADING]
****
I guess I have to ?fess up: I am a racist historian. It?s just that, to me, no other part of the world has pushed out such a complex, intriguing, and beautiful history as that of Europe and imperialist legacy it?s left behind. I?ll take a Voltaire, a Montesquieu, or a Locke over a Sun Tsu or an Al-Ghazali any day. I can tell you volumes about the Byzantines but I?ll gladly brush off the Mesopotamians. I can?t help it. So when I head that the Total War series was leaving the Napoleonic Era to sail for greener pastures in Sengoku-era Japan, I was openly disappointed.
To add to my reservations, the series had seemed to be on a downward slope. The past two installments, Empire and Napoleon, suffered greatly as it seemed developer Creative Assembly had lost its touch in minimizing bugs and creating working AI. I was really starting to think that Shogun 2 would be the nail in the coffin for one of the best RTS franchises of all time. However, I?m happy to say that the return to Japan not only brings a kick-ass story mode but a return to the gameplay and design that made the franchise a hit in the first place.
Players take control of one of the many factions that arose during the ?Warring States Era? of Japan. Starting from their unique location, players raise and control cities while fighting their way to take the nation?s capital, Kyoto. As always, each faction is characterized by the benefits and consequences of choosing it, as well as its own distinct tactical preferences. On top of that, players can upgrade abilities on RPG-style skill trees. The game features ?Agents?, the important individuals in an army, who develop personalities to which the player will quickly grow attached.
All this and so much more makes Total War: Shogun 2 a downright intelligent game. Creative Assembly?s return to the origins of its first game has allowed it to recreate the genuine fun that has made the series so memorable. Things can only go upward from here. Have faith in this one guys.
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[HEADING=2] Number 7: Okamiden [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Mobile & Game Studio, Inc
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Release Date: March 15, 2011
Metacritic Score: 82[/HEADING]
****
Released back in 2006, Okami was one of the greatest sleeper hits to be featured on the Playstation 2. Based on a loose collection of Japanese myths and folklore, it told the story of the sun goddess Amaterasu and artist Issun and their quest to stop an ancient evil that was accidentally unleashed by the self-proclaimed greatest warrior of all time, Susano. Other than its beautiful and unique art style, the game made a mark for its Zelda-esque gameplay and creative use of a mechanic they called the ?Celestial Brush.? At any moment in the game, players could pause and literally draw in changes to the environment. Drawing a swirl would create a burst of wind, drawing a bridge would connect you to your next destination, and so on. Though the game was well received by critics and audiences alike, it was a financial bomb and even named the ?Least Commercially Successful Game of the Year Winner? by the Guinness Book of World Records.
This year, the Nintendo DS was blessed with a sequel, Ôkamiden. Taking place 9 months after the events of the original, it focuses on the children of the previous cast. When a similar dark presence to that from the last game returns, the villagers call upon Amaterasu to defend them once again. Instead, they are given her child, Chibiterasu. The adorable pup teams up with Kuni, the mysterious adopted son of Susano and Kushi from the original. Together, they make friends with many of the gifted children in the village, and collect powers from the children of the gods from the last game. Some may be worried that a more child-friendly look makes the game more cartoonish and uninteresting, but all it does it add a layer of ?aww? to the solid gameplay mechanics and story that were featured in the first one.
The Celestial Brush returns and remains essential in solving the game?s many memorable puzzles and boss fights. Using the DS stylus, players draw in the effects on the bottom screen that they want to see affect the world above. The cool thing is that the screen recognizes the speed of your swipe, so a quick one will create faint lines and effects while slower ones will create stronger, bolded ones. This method and the DS as a platform work much better than the original did, and improved mechanics make it an overall better game.
The move to the Nintendo DS was a risky one, but it paid off pretty well. The touch screen allows the use of the celestial brush to be much more fluid, and the cell-shaded graphics remain as unique and alluring as ever. For being so goddamn cute (amongst other reasons) Chibiterasu?s game gets to be number 7 on the top 11 or 2011 list.
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[HEADING=2] Number 6: Pokémon Black/White [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Game Freak
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Release Date: March 6, 2011
Metacritic Score: 87
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****
With Black and White, the legendary Pokémon series released its 5th generation of creatures. Altogether there are now 646 total pocket monsters to catch, train, cockfight, and adventure with. It?s weird to think that most of us have been around with this series since its début in 1998 with only a measly 151 monsters in the 1st generation. Since then, the series has grown and evolved, but the tried-and-true formula stays about the same.
It?s safe to say that this is the best new generation of Pokémon since the 2nd. The 153 new beasts to catch are some of the most unique and varied since the original. This isn?t the only way the game keeps things fresh despite the series? long history. The main villains this time around, Team Plasma, aren?t your typical Team-Rocket-style hoodlums trying to make a quick buck off world dominance or rare Pokémon. Instead, they?re insane eco-friendly hippies that want to free Pokémon from the bondage of mankind through the worst means possible. This isn?t the only case where the developers have instituted a little more personality in the game. The rivals, gym leaders, and cities have more variety in them than ever before. And the game realistically changes seasons (as well as the type of Pokémon that can be caught in certain seasons) as time goes on.
Many efforts to streamline and improve on the old Pokémon formula are a great success. Pokémon Centers and Marts are combined into one building, HMs aren?t as in demand as before, and there are often places or trainers who will heal your Pokémon on the road, instead of having to go back into town after every couple of battles. Black and White are also by far the best-looking Pokémon games by a long shot. 3D environments, colorful hues, and improved animation keep the world feeling lifelike and engaging. And that?s why Pokémon: Black and White is number 6 on the top 11 of 2011.
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[HEADING=2] Number 5: FIFA 12[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: EA Canada
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: September 27 2011
Metacritic Score: 90 [/HEADING]
****
It?s been a while, but with this latest installment of the FIFA franchise EA Sports has finally perfected their soccer simulator. The game has not only taken all the best parts of the previous games and tweaked, polished, and improved them, but has taken bold leaps to completely change the game. Any sports game veteran, used to minor visual improvements and roster changes instead of a proper title, must find it hard to get his head wrapped around it. The first couple of hours with the game feel foreign and awkward, but stick with it, and you?ve got yourself the soccer sim we?re all been waiting for.
The biggest change has been the introduction of the new Tactical Defending System. The old way of defending consisted of mostly chasing down the guy with possession and then pressing the tackle button to harass him for possession. In this new system, the tackle key locks you on to the guy with the ball, keeping you just a pace or two behind him. From there, there are many tactical maneuvers the player can perform to slow down, annoy, misguide, and then eventually gain possession of the ball from the opposite team. When facing the opposing player, the goal is to jockey the player and obstruct his view of the goal. This has effectively made one of the least interesting parts of previous games into one of the most strategic and involved parts of the simulator.
Along with such changes to the gameplay, the game has refined many other core aspects. An improvement in the physics engine has made the game feel more real. New modes to try out, like the inclusion of a social card game called Ultimate Team, complement improvements to franchise staples like Virtual Pro or Career Mode. The announcer commentary is wonderfully voice acted, and is so authentic it?s possibly the best I?ve seen in a sports game so far.
The franchise is still narrowing in on the perfect AI, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. Without a doubt, this game will set the base for all FIFA games in the next 5 years. It goes above and beyond what we?ve come to expect of sports games, and for that reason its number 5 on my top 11 of 2011.
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[HEADING=2] Remake of the Year Halo Anniversary[/HEADING]

Holy crap, it?s been over 10 years since the release of Halo: Combat Evolved. When did I get so old? One day I wake up as a handsome 6-foot-tall preadolescent boy and the next I wake up as a handsome 6-foot-4-inch-tall sex god. It?s baffling!
Tooting my own horn aside, I can see why some find it difficult to shell out on money on a game that many gamers (me included) feel wasn?t even released that long ago. But as a long time Halo fan, and someone who obsessively collects sets of games, I can honestly tell you it is worth the experience for many. Admittedly, nothing has really changed at the core of the game, except for the graphical boost, though it does have a nifty feature that lets you seamlessly switch from the new graphics to those of the original. It?s neat to see how far we?ve come along. It?s a great collector?s piece for Halo fans, and the add-ons, like multiplayer maps and unlock codes, aren?t half bad either.
Lastly, it also has cool shiny black box-art, is what I said to myself at the checkout, in what may have possibly been my lowest moment as a consumer.
Honorable mention:
Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D
This is another one where it?s fun to see the world you?ve fall in love with remastered for your now-conditioned eyes. But the 3D add-ons are a little silly and migraine inducing. Besides that, it?s Ocarina of Time, is there that much more that needs to be said?
If you?ve played and loved this game in the past you?ll play and love it again. If you didn?t play it back then, you owe it to yourself to do so now. If you?ve played it and hated it, you probably don?t have a soul. Get this game!
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[HEADING=2] Number 4: Assassin's Creed Revelations [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release Date:
November 15 2011(X/P), Dec 2 2011(PC)
Metacritic Score: 80[/HEADING]
****
I don?t even try to hide it, I?m a massive fan of this franchise. The modern story of deceit is draped in political and religious ideological conflict. The historical settings are done in such realistic detail it?s like living in the cities of the past. What more could a history nerd ask for?
Assassin?s Creed:Revelations is more of the same. This time around, the notorious Italian Ezio Auditore da Firenze will take his talents to rooftops of Constantinople. Apparently, the first game?s protagonist, Altair, has left some sort of secret locked up in the library of the now-Templar-controlled Masyaf fortress from the original. Ezio is tasked with recovering the many keys spread across the city and opening the doors before the Templars can get in and do whatever heathen thing they have planned. Admittedly, it?s not the best story the series has ever had, but it?s a good conclusion to the stories of the series? past heroes and finally sets us up for something new.
The series does add more to its gameplay, which is getting increasingly complex as things are going along. There?s a Den Defense game, which is basically a tower defense game with Templars and Assassins. It?s a simple novelty at first, but it?s ignored for most of the game. The recruiting stuff is back from Brotherhood, where you get to send your Assassins around the Mediterranean to reduce Templar influence and buff them up in the process. It?s interesting to read about the missions you?ll be sending your troops off to, but it still doesn?t really add anything to the game. Other than that, the hook-blade (which is badass) is introduced as well as bomb making. Both add a little variety to combat and exploring, but not much overall.
Like I said, Revelations is more of the same, in a nutshell. It improves things and tunes them a bit, lolly-gags around a bit, and may be the weakest installment in the series thus far. But it?s still Assassin?s Creed, and I love these games with every part of my heart. That?s why Revelations is number 4 on my top 11 of 2011 list.
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[HEADING=2] Number 3: Dark Souls [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: From Software
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Metacritic Score: 89
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****
This game is the spiritual successor to the 2009 hit Demon?s Souls, a game that shocked the world with its depressingly dark tone and unforgiving difficulty. Dark Souls tells the story of a weary warrior, fighting his way through a merciless medieval fantasy world for some undeclared reason. ?Undeclared? doesn?t mean it doesn?t have a story though, it actually has a great one. It just isn?t told in the traditional ways of quest givers and lengthy cutscenes. The story is told through the world, and the people and things found within it. You?d be surprised by how effective this is.
The gameplay is, of course, difficult and brutal. The game requires complex maneuvers and masterful execution, and is intolerant of mistakes. Dying on the battlefield will make you lose all the souls you?ve harvested from enemies, which are your currency to buy upgrades. The game allows you to go back to the spot you died to collect the souls you?ve dropped, not only an eerie reminder of what you did wrong, but a way to guide you to do right. Stuff like this is at the conerstone of the play style, and makes the game fun.
Admittedly, it isn?t the kind of game for everyone. It?s uptight with progression, takes a long time to feel fluid, and it never really lets up. Moments for a breather are less spent relaxing and more spent worrying about what?s around the corner. The game is less about spectacle and more about tone and environment. And in the end, what you feel becomes more memorable than what is actually going on. The player?s emotions steal the show, and that?s why Dark Souls takes number 3 on the top 11 of 2011 list.
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[HEADING=2] Game that was announced Grand Theft Auto V[/HEADING]

With the Saints Row franchise now officially poised to go off the deep end, everyone?s previously favorite crime series is set for a new release. Last I heard rumor has it that it?s going to be set in the same area that San Andreas was, featuring notorious locations like Las Venturas, San Fiero, and Los Santos. Not much else has been said about the game, but hopefully they?ve learned a lesson from both their last game and their main adversary and found a happy medium between serious and silly. I have high hopes for this one, guys.
Runners Up: Sly 4: Thieves in Time, Pikmin 3, Luigi?s Mansion 2 and Jak and Daxter HD Remakes.
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[HEADING=2] Number 2: Super Mario 3D Land [/HEADING]
[HEADING=3] Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: November 13, 2011
Metacritic Score: 90
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This game is the entire reason 3D gaming exists. I wouldn?t quote me on this, but I?m fairly sure it?s the reason Nintendo created the 3DS. This may be the first (and I hope not only) time that I have seen 3D being done right. It isn?t a gimmick or an annoyance, and it isn?t shoved in for niche appeal. It is a core, integral, and vital part of the gameplay in Super Mario 3D Land.
Obviously inspired by Super Mario Bros., this game features the world-renowned plumber running, jumping, and making his way across varied environments to either a flagpole or a boss battle at the end. Of course, the environments and levels are so much more complex now than they were back then, and the 3D helps with this a lot. Rocky Wrenches, bouncing musical notes, and the welcome addition of the Tanooki suit all return from the 1993 classic. Even the original music is remixed as a modern take.
What it doesn?t take from the old games, it takes from Super Mario Galaxy 2. Each level is less linear and more open. There are a variety of challenges and collectibles in each level too, but don?t be fooled into thinking this is a kid?s game. As the game progresses it gets increasingly difficult. Timed challenges and hard-to-reach treasures are just some of the ways this game changes things up, not to mention the vast amount of levels. All this reminiscent imagery doesn?t only serve for nostalgia, but to introduce new generations to the Mario we all know and love. And I really do love Mario, that?s why this game is number 2 on my top 11 of 2011 list.
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[HEADING=2] Number 1: Skyrim
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[HEADING=3] Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: November 11, 2011
Metacritic Score: 1,000,000,000,000*
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[sub] [sub] [sub] [sub] [sub] [sub] [sub]*This score may or may not be actually taken from Metacritic[/sub] [/sub] [/sub] [/sub] [/sub] [/sub] [/sub]
I don't really think this being my number 1 was a surprise to anyone. I love every little thing about this game. Sometimes I secretly wish I lived in Skyrim, and was able to FUS RO DAH all the idiots I have to deal with day in and day out. That?s why I can't simply cover this game in one little blurb at the bottom of the review, and that's why I promise to everyone...
[HEADING=3]Pimpin Reviews: Skyrim Month[/HEADING]
A series of reviews that will attempt to cover all that this gaming Goliath has to offer.
Part 1: Companions and Combat
Part 2: Theive?s Guild, Related Skills, and the Creation Engine
Part 3: Dark Brotherhood and Environment/Tone
Part 4: College of Winterhold and Magic
Part 5: Daedric Quests, Misc, and Radiant Story
Part 6: Main Quest, Revolution, and Wrap up
A series of reviews that will attempt to cover all that this gaming Goliath has to offer.
Part 1: Companions and Combat
Part 2: Theive?s Guild, Related Skills, and the Creation Engine
Part 3: Dark Brotherhood and Environment/Tone
Part 4: College of Winterhold and Magic
Part 5: Daedric Quests, Misc, and Radiant Story
Part 6: Main Quest, Revolution, and Wrap up
So I hope you had fun donning your top hats, drinking a bit too much, and counting down because this New Year is going to bring some great new things. And don't forget to keep it classy.

[sub][sub][sub][sub]S'agapo moro mou
[/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub]
* * * * *
You can now also follow Pimpin Reviews via Twitter!
Follow me! [http://bit.ly/TwitterPimpinReviews]
-Follow updates on reviews, and if you tweet a game to me, I'll put it at the top of the queue (meaning I will review it within a week)
Ask me about life, love, and the world's greatest mysteries on
http://www.formspring.me/Pimppeter2 [http://4ms.me/Formspringpimp]
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Look out for my Facebook page (Coming soon!)
Pimpin? Reviews
Premiering in March 2009, this is Pimppeter2's flagship series. Spawning over 50 reviews (mostly lost to time), the series has gone on and off for the better part of three years, attempting to cover gaming's latest and greatest and keeping you up to date with the year?s best and worst titles.
Top 10 of 2010 (10-6) [http://bit.ly/oJ9Az3]
My top 10 of 2010 (5-1) [http://bit.ly/zZVXZM]
Dragon Age 2 [http://bit.ly/DragonAgeIIPRrs]
Frontierville [http://bit.ly/ppbOlq]
The Foreplay Game [http://bit.ly/nKQbYv]
Mortal Kombat [http://bit.ly/oTFob6]
Gentlemen
Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Gather round. This series plans to cover both the classics that have been lost to time and the ones that have made their unforgettable mark on the industry. Never forget the games that have touched your heart since childhood. Come and appreciate game culture at its finest.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [http://bit.ly/q3ACtE]
Diplomacy: The Game of International Intrigue [http://bit.ly/ps363G]
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker [http://bit.ly/nJ42ST]
Movie Date With Pimppeter2
Coming soon!
Pimpology with Dr. Love
Coming soon!
Vs Reviews
In an attempt to take a new perspective on reviewing, this series takes a game that's done a lot right ? but still ended wrong- and compare it to a similar game that somehow ended right. Some games succeed, some games are doomed to fail. What makes the difference?
Prince of Persia Vs Jak and Daxter 2 [http://bit.ly/o6fY29]
Quantum of Solace Vs Call of Duty: World At WAr [http://bit.ly/nhEi7v]
Saints Row 2 vs The God Father 2 [http://bit.ly/rdpfgr]
Dragon Age Origins vs Rise of the Argonauts [http://bit.ly/prijNV]
Jak X Combat Racing Vs Jak and Daxter The Lost Frontier [http://bit.ly/qwDcvm]
Special
Satire, attempts at comedy, and unique reviews that really don't fit anywhere else.
Dominos Pizza Turnaround [http://bit.ly/pjYE4k]
The Castle -(An Escapist Forums RP)- [http://bit.ly/r00DoG]
Osmos Mote Manifesto [http://bit.ly/qbGDLQ]
The Knuckleduster (with [user]Domble[/user])
What do you get when you combine The Escapist two signature trouble making reviewers into a tag team? The Knuckleduster focuses on combining the insane musings of Domble and the depraved ravings of Pimppeter2 into one kick-ass review!
Mass Effect II [http://bit.ly/rnrsIb]
The Trial of Society via Modern Warfare II [http://bit.ly/mWcSvj]
The Hectic Glow (With [user]Divine Miss Bee[/user])
Finally tired of seducing random supermodels, Pimppeter2 and DivineMissBee started this series to explore the idea of telling the same story in different ways. Whether comparing a game to a movie, TV series, book, puppet show, or interpretive dance, The Hectic Glow takes the task of pondering people and bathing the world in the glow of consumerism.
Dante's Inferno [http://bit.ly/HecticglowDsI]