Rating the best computer games
By MIKE BERMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
November 27, 2002

Another holiday season is upon us, which means it's time for the annual Bermie Awards.

The time of anticipation is over as we, again, pay tribute to games and other geek toys that have piqued my interest during the past year:

The 2002 Computer Game of the Year: Without a doubt this has to be Warcraft III from Blizzard Entertainment. This had to be the most anticipated sequel in the history of computer gamedom, and those of us anxiously awaiting its arrival weren't disappointed. Improved graphics, more options and more intriguing game play made this the one to beat in 2002.

The 2002 Civilization Clone: After a year off, Microsoft Game Studios again rises to the top with Age of Mythology, giving players control of Zeus and his entourage as they manipulate ancient civilizations.

Best War Game: Although, I felt it didn't live up to standards set by past Command&Conquer titles, Command&Conquer Renegade was still far superior to anything else out there. The only thing I regret is that the folks at Westwood Games (now part of EA) turned this great tactical series into a first-person shooter.

Best Sim for the Serious Gamer: It's those guys from Microsoft again, this time with Zoo Tycoon, which has players create and maintain their own zoo. And, if just talking to the animals isn't enough for you, there's the Zoo Tycoon Expansion Pack that contains more options, perils and animals.

Best Sim Add-on: Every year it's the same thing - another add-on for The Sims from EA Games. This year it's The Sims Unleashed, which has your computer-generated characters doing things never before expected from a sim. Also, those of you that may not have caught onto the Sim craze can purchase The Sims Deluxe Edition, which contains the original game plus many of the add-ons foisted upon us in past years.

Best Sports Game: The folks at EA Sports retain their title for yet another year, although they'd better watch their backs, especially if Microsoft decides to come out with a PC version of NFLFever, which is one of the best sports games I've ever played.

Best Space Game: Lucas Arts takes center stage here with Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds. This game and its add-on - Clone Campaigns - provide endless hours of intriguing game play and are faithful to the Star Wars story line.

Best Trivia Game: Infogrames, with its purchase of Hasbro, has revived a bunch of old titles by giving them new looks and improving their game play. So it is with Jeopardy 2003. Played just like you see on television, the game contains enough questions to keep trivia buffs on their PCs for hours.

Best Online Game: It took awhile, but when Westwood Games released Beyond Worlds we found ourselves immersed in one of the biggest online gaming universes ever created. The one thing that is great about online gaming is that, due to the expanse of the Internet there are really no limits on how expansive a game such as this can be.

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