Join us as we find out. In Part 1 we're looking at exclusives, in Part 2 we'll determine which system had the most comprehensive range of titles and in Part 3 we'll analyse each system's performance based on scores. Once that's done, it's time to crown a winner! Those interested in the results of previous years can check out the 2009 Console Showdown here and the 2008 Console Showdown here. Unlike previous years, we're making this a true console showdown in 2010. That means that we're still counting games as exclusives even if they've also been released on PC or other non-console platforms, like iPad. If it only came out on one console, it's counted as an exclusive. Example? Splinter Cell: Conviction is an Xbox 360 exclusive for the purposes of this feature. We're also focusing entirely on games that scored 8.0 or higher, and it's worth remembering that IGN switched to a twenty point review scale in July, so the scores are a mix of the new and old scoring system.
2010 has been an interesting year as far as console exclusives go. Once again the Wii had more quality exclusives than any other platform, with Kinect and Move making little to no critical impact for 360 or PS3. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that the dominance by Wii in this category can largely be attributed to the fact that a lot of developers make games for PS3 and 360, whereas Wii titles generally stand alone, and are thus exclusive by necessity. Let's take a look at each platform's performance as measured by IGN scores.
The PlayStation 3 generally performs well each year as far as exclusives are concerned. Sony has great first party studios and second party partnerships, so while the PS3 may not always have huge numbers of exclusives, the quality is generally very high. 2010 was slightly different. While the system had a similar number to last year, the scores were a little lower. 2009 saw Uncharted 2, Demon's Souls, Buzz! Quiz World, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Infamous all do really well. In 2010, however, only God of War III kicked up above 9.0. The great hope for the year was obviously Gran Turismo 5, which scored well, but didn't live up to the unbelievable expectations heaped upon it. PlayStation Move also disappointed, with not a single Move title scoring 8.0 or above, which is a fair reflection of the quality of the games to date. The PlayStation Network didn't come through with many exclusives either, although it did play host to the highest scoring PS3 game of 2010 – Joe Danger. Other than that though, PSN didn't really have any must-buy exclusives.
God of War III (9.4 AU / 9.3 US / 9.4 UK)
Heavy Rain (8.8 AU / 9.0 US / 9.0 UK)
ModNation Racers (9.0 US) 3D Dot Game Heroes (8.5 US)
Gran Turismo 5 (8.5 US)
The Sly Collection (8.5 US)
Yakuza 3 (8.5 US) Hoard (8.0 US)
Joe Danger (9.5 US)
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse (8.0 US)
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype (8.5 US)
Wii owners always have plenty of exclusives to choose from, but the flipside of that is that they miss out on HEAPS of games that come to both PS3 and 360. Still, in this category the Wii performed well in 2010. The game of the year for Wii – and highest scoring exclusive across all three platforms – was Super Mario Galaxy 2, with perfect 10s from the US and UK teams and a 9.7 from yours truly in Australia. Donkey Kong Country Returns, GoldenEye 007, Monster Hunter Tri and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom round the list out, while the Wii's dominance is a little bittersweet for gamers in Australia, as we're still waiting for Kirby's Epic Yarn (as is Europe), and Sakura Wars won't be coming out here at all. Even so, the Wii delivered considerably more top tier titles in 2010 than last year. In 2009 only New Super Mario Bros. and Little King's Story scored 9.0 or above. This year? Well, just take a look at the list. It's also good to see first person shooters and fighting games getting a little love, albeit with only a single standout title representing each. The strongest area for Wii was – unsurprisingly - platformers, with a side of action gaming. WiiWare also delivered a few solid titles – nothing too outstanding, with only 8.0s and 8.5s, but they round out the selection nonetheless.
Donkey Kong Country Returns (9.0 US)
GoldenEye 007 (9.0 US)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (9.0 US)
Monster Hunter Tri (9.5 AU / 8.8 US / 9.3 UK)
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (9.0 US)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (9.7 AU / 10 US / 10 UK)
Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All Stars (9.0 US) Disney Epic Mickey (8.0 US)
Just Dance 2 (8.0 US)
Lost in Shadow / A Shadow's Tale (8.5 UK)
Metroid: Other M (8.5 US)
No More Heroes 2 (8.8 US)
Red Steel 2 (8.4 AU / 8.6 US / 8.5 UK)
Sonic Colors (8.5 US) And Yet It Moves (8.0 US)
Cave Story (8.5 US)
Chess Challenge! (8.0 US)
Chronos Twins DX (8.0 US)
Hoopworld (8.0 US)
The Magic Obelisk (8.0 US)
Rage of the Gladiator (8.5 US)
2010 saw a marked improvement in the Xbox 360's exclusive fortunes when compared to the system's dismal array of exclusives in 2009. Last year the 360 only had four exclusive games that scored 8.0 or above, whereas in 2010 it played host to eight, which just pips the PS3's seven. More importantly, the games that scored over 9.0 scored significantly higher. Halo: Reach, Mass Effect 2 (a console exclusive in 2010) and Splinter Cell: Conviction are all triple A titles, and the scores reflected as much. That said, two of the 360's top three games were also available on PC, so while they're technically console exclusives, this definitely isn't an iconic 360 collection. Hell, Mass Effect 2 will even be on PS3 early next year. That said, at least Kinect made slightly more of an impact than Move. It may not have delivered much for core gamers, but it still had a couple of titles that made the list, so that's something, right? Right? The 360 also performed strongly in terms of downloadable gaming. A number of first-rate expansions were released this year, giving owners of Alan Wake, Left 4 Dead 2, Mass Effect 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction more quality content. XBLA also had a good year, with a wide range of quality games, from brand new indie hits like Limbo, to classics reborn, such as Perfect Dark. A couple of high profile games also came to XBLA but not PSN or WiiWare, such as Plants vs. Zombies and Puzzle Quest 2.
Halo: Reach (9.0 AU / 9.5 US / 10 UK)
Mass Effect 2 (9.3 AU / 9.6 US / 9.2 UK)
Splinter Cell: Conviction (9.3 US / 9.2 UK) Alan Wake (8.5 AU / 9.0 US / 8.0 UK)
Dance Central (8.0 US)
Fable III (8.5 US)
Kinect Sports (8.0 US)
Supreme Commander 2 (8.3 US) Alan Wake: The Signal (9.0 US)
Chime (8.0 US)
Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley (8.0 US)
Darwinia+ (8.9 US)
Lazy Raiders (8.0 US)
Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing (8.5 US)
Limbo (9.0 US)
Mass Effect: Lair of the Shadow Broker (9.5 US)
Mass Effect 2: Overlord (9.0 US)
The Misadventures of Mr. P.B. Winterbottom (8.3 US)
Monday Night Combat (8.0 US)
Perfect Dark (9.0 US)
Plants vs. Zombies (9.0 US)
Puzzle Quest 2 (9.0 US)
Risk: Factions (8.0 US)
Splinter Cell Conviction: The Insurgency Pack (8.5 US)
Snoopy: Flying Ace (9.0 US)
Toy Soldiers (8.0 US)
All three systems had some great exclusives this year, but if we had to choose one winner – and we do – this category goes to the Wii. This year the system really came through for core gamers, with games like Monster Hunter Tri and No More Heroes 2 leading the charge, backed ably by GoldenEye, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Sakura Wars, Red Steel 2, Metroid: Other M and Lost in Shadow. And on top of those titles you have the return of Donkey Kong Country and a second lesson in peerless platform game design in the form of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Bravo, Wii! Come back tomorrow for a look at which console had the broadest and most comprehensive range of games.
View the original article here
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