Pads & Panels

2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the Racing Game Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

(360/PS3/PC)

The series is Need for Speed. The developer is Criterion Games (Burnout: Paradise). How much more do you need to know to realize this is a wise choice for the holidays? How about a wide array of vehicles, including Lamborghinis on both the speeder and cop fronts, with gameplay designed around fast chases and spectacular crashes. If that doesn’t get you, the addicting Autolog system surely will. (more…)

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All right. This is it! We’ve got one game left in our collection of giveaways from our Best Games of 2009 list. It comes courtesy of Microsoft. For the 360, weighing in at…well, the same thing most games weigh. It is Forza Motorsport 3! We named it #10 on our list of Best Games, and now we’ve got exactly one game to give away to you, our readers. And all you need to do to be in the running for the game is comment on our stories over the course of the week! Full details below. (more…)

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#10 Forza Motorsport 3 (360)

Publisher: Microsoft – Developer: Turn 10

Our Review

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There were a number of notable racing games that released this year and many of them were great, but then Forza 3 hit the pavement. With its assortment of racing variations, abundance of vehicles, beautiful tracks, perfect controls and stunning graphics, it’s a no-brainer that Forza 3 officially begins Pads & Panels’ inaugural list. Hardcore simulation fans have so much to tinker with and delve into while arcade racers can sit back and relax. The accessibility offered to players of all backgrounds is the most impressive feature and all but guarantees an obscene amount of playtime when combined with the excellent career mode. –John

And the award for “Best Distraction” goes to… (more…)

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Title: Forza Motorsport 3

Platform: 360

ESRB Rating: E

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Turn 10 Studios

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

Fasten the seat belts and remain seated, because Forza Motorsport 3 has returned to the Xbox 360 as a new and improved game from a series that is already commercially and critically acclaimed. Where does one of the elite racing titles go after having one of the premier physics-based racing systems and a benchmark in graphical presentation? Forza 3 opens the game up to newcomers and arcade racing fans while staying devoted to series loyalists, tech/gear heads and hardcore race fans across the world.

Racing simulators like Forza and Sony’s Gran Turismo have a reputation for being rather uninviting to non-race fans or those who shy away from the micro-management of tuning setups, tire pressure and other car specs in favor of jumping right into the race with a car that does not need adjustments. All of that changes with Forza 3. In fact, the game should have been titled Forza Motorsport 3: Accessibility. (more…)

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Microsoft added eight titles to its “Platinum Hits” line today, with a new box style and the slogan, “Greatness is Earned.” The Platinum Hits collection comprises more than 45 titles, which retail for as low as $19.99.

The new titles joining the lineup are as follows – Gears of War, Forza Motorsport 2, Mass Effect, Viva Pinata, Army of Two, Battlefield Bad Company, Burnout Paradise and EA Sports Fight Night Round 3.

For more info, http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/platinumhits

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