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CCC’s Best & Worst of 2006 Video Game Awards: Genre: Special Awards

CCC’s Best & Worst of 2006 Video Game Awards: Genre: Special Awards

Special Mention Awards

Best Game By Genre | Best Game By System | Worst Game | Best Game | Boo Hiss Awards | Special Awards | 2005 Awards

Special Mention Awards – 2006

his wouldn’t be a true awards ceremony if we didn’t give out some Special Mention Awards to recognize achievements that went above and beyond (and a few that flew below) our expectations.

Although we come across like know-it-all’s, we’re truly humbled by the talent that inhabits this industry. How lucky our we that we get to experience it on a daily basis? Yeah, pretty darn lucky. Let’s take a moment and hand out some Special Mention Awards (some good, some bad).

Underdog Award – Nintendo

Nintendo gets the Underdog Award for going toe to toe against Sony and Microsoft and coming out a winner. Nintendo not only had a smoother launch than Sony and Microsoft, but their reinvented handheld system, the DS Lite continues to fly off storeshelves as well, leaving Sony’s PSP in the dust. Lest we forget however that Nintendo once ruled the game industry with an iron fist and burned many bridges in the process, so be careful what you wish for Nintendo fans… They may reach number 1 again, but at what cost to you?

Why Her? Award – Hilary Duff

We spend most of our days and nights trying to avoid Hilary Duff, so why in heck did EA decide to feature her and her dog Lola in The Sims 2: Pets? We’re guessing that whole franchise has gone to the dogs, pun not intended.

Good Customer Service Award – Microsoft

After admitting that a certain percentage of their first batch of Xbox 360’s were faulty, Microsoft has extended the warranty on their system from 90 days to a full year. Bravo! It has also went on record to say that systems manufactured before Jan. 1, 2006 will be repaired at no cost to the consumer. Those who did pay out of pocket, will be reimbursed. Wow! Can you guys let Sony know how to do this? The first step is admitting it….

Funnest Creation Tool Award – Mii Channel (Nintendo)

The Mii creation tool seems really weak, until you really get your hands dirty, discovering all sorts of cool tricks and techniques to make celebrity characters. You’re only limited by your imagination and your skills. Playing Wii Sports is now a celebrity-filled party with The Incredibles, Hellboy, Charlie Brown, Alice Cooper, Batman and Jason from Friday the 13th! Cool!

Best Online Service Award – Microsoft

This is a no-brainer. Xbox Live is still the online service to beat. You don’t even need to pay for the service to access the best features! Weekly game downloads of upcoming hits, trial versions of Xbox Live Arcade titles, Movie and Game trailers, interviews…it’s all great. Nobody handles online like Microsoft. Nobody.

Best Voice-Acting Award – The Godfather: The Game

When you get Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Abe Vigoda to record voice-acting for your game, you know it’s going to be aural dynamite. Unfortunately Al Pacino kept his distance, preferring instead to lend his likeness to the Scarface game. Hands down, The Godfather features some of the best voice-acting in a game to date.

Hawtest Video Game Vixen Award – Midna (LOZ: Twilight Princess)

Midna might be short and stubby, but we think she’s hawt stuff! Don’t judge a book by its cover, you might be surprised at how this little gal turns out in the end.

What Were They Thinking Award – Square Enix

Let’s take one of the most beloved games in the history of gaming and completely destroy its legacy by turning it into a lame-brained shooter with lousy controls, dopey story and lackluster AI. Mission accomplished! Dirge of Cerberus – FFVII was a mess and the definitive “What were they thinking” moment in 2006.

Best Visuals Award – Gears of War

Epic has always been able to wring every last drop of processing power to pack a punch into video game graphics and Gears of War is their latest shining achievement. The action comes to life in GoW as everything in the game is cranked up to 11 from the word go. The intense white-knuckle roadie run, where the camera follows along low to the ground and shakes like you’re watching a takedown on an episode of Cops is pure brilliance.

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