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The year in reviews: 2013's best and worst gadgets scored and scrutinized
Fun fact: Engadget reviewed 176 products in 2013, and that's not even counting the umpteen times we got hands-on with stuff at tradeshows and press events. In general, we try to review just the top-tier gadgets, but even then, some of it ends up being forgettable. (Can you name-check everything we tested from memory? We can't.) So, as the year draws to a close, we're taking a look back at the last 12 months of reviews, and this time, we're including only the products you'd have no trouble remembering. Across every category, we've noted the flagships everyone coveted -- along with the duds that could've been so much better. Oh, and you might notice that we included some numbered scores throughout. That's right; Engadget is bringing back numerical ratings, and they'll follow the same format as the critic score gdgt has already been using for years. Which is to say, each rating takes into account various criteria for a given product category -- things like battery life and portability. Wanna see how your favorite gadgets did? Meet us after the break for a walk down memory lane.
The Daily Grind: What are the highs and lows of your MMO history?
For all the hubbub that people like to make about MMORPGs being stale, predictable affairs where little changes from day to day, history tends to judge that as a lie. The truth is that the growing nature of the game worlds, coupled with our varying perspectives and our developing online social relationships means that our experiences in MMOs change with time. We have good days and bad, highs and lows, excitement and drudgery -- much like real life, as a matter of fact. Today we're all about balance -- we want to hear what was your greatest MMO experience as well as the worst. What MMO accomplishment, session or even first impressions made you hug your computer with glee? On the flip side, what caused you to throw your keyboard across the room in frustration, scream into Vent or /ragequit? What was your thrill of victory and your agony of defeat?
The Daily Grind: What game has the best /dances?
There are tons of MMOs out there with /dance moves in them. Don't believe us? Search "mmo dance" on YouTube and you'll get an idea of all the various different ones out there. Sometimes they're easy to source, like all of the ones in World of Warcraft. Other times, they seem to have gone off and done their own thing, as perhaps with the video above from Aion. With that said, some games do /dancing better than others - at least according to players. This morning we thought we'd ask you - which game do you think has the absolute best /dance emotes? Which has the absolute worst? If there are several different dances your character can do like City of Heroes and even Fallen Earth, which one is your absolute favorite? Alternately, if you can't decide, feel free to list all your favorites in the comments below!
Video: Pocket Pain Doctor is the worst iPhone app. Ever.
The Pocket Pain Doctor is an iPhone app "guaranteed to invigorate your mind" and rid you of such pesky things as fatigue, drowsiness, and acne. Of course, it also has all the telltale signs of modern day snake-oil: questionable claims about "Bluwave" and "Redwave" technology, "clinical proof" that has nothing to do with the product, and the faux sophistication of using "exacting nanometers" to adjust the, uh, brightness. Cherry on the cake? It's made by the same creepy one-man clown show responsible for the Pocket Cemetery app. Read - Pocket Pain Doctor website
Apple makes Fortune's list of bonehead moves (twice), still a best place to work
With the end of the year comes the cavalcade of best and worst lists, just in case you didn't know what was best and what was worst over the course of the year. Apple made glassdoor.com's list of "50 Best Places to Work," placing 19th. It scored a 3.8 out of five, and 90 percent of employees approved of the job that CEO Steve Jobs was doing. 303 employees completed reviews at the site, contributing to its score. (The reviews themselves are interesting to read, incidentally, if you have a few minutes to kill.) On the other hand, Apple made Fortune magazine's list of 21 Dumbest Moments in Business for the year, twice -- but the second time really wasn't its fault. The first head-smacker, at number six, was for the approval (and subsequent removal) of the "I Am Rich" iPhone application. "The real losers?" Fortune asks: "The eight suckers who bought it." The second blooper, number 19, actually goes to CNN and Bloomberg for two false stories about Steve Jobs' health. Bloomberg accidentally released an obituary on August 28, and retracted it the same day. In a similar gaffe, a post on CNN's iReport site falsely claimed that Jobs had suffered a heart attack. CNN took down the post -- but not after Apple's stock dipped 10 percent in 10 minutes. Ouch. [Via Macsimum News and MacNN.]
Wii Warm Up: The worst mini-game
So we hear that a lot of these newfangled Wii games are really just collections of mini-games. Some are good. Some are bad. And some are just completely, horrifically awful, and those are the ones we want to hear about today. Just how bad is the worst mini-game you've played inside a Wii game? What was it, and what made it is mind-blowingly terrible? From the controls to a simple lack of any sort of fun, the worst of the worst are usually serious offenders. Tell us all about the steaming piles of poop you've experienced while checking out games.
DS Daily: Worst game you've played?
Thanks to Alisha's helpful gift guide, you knew the perfect game to get for those not-so-special people in your lives this holiday season. Yet, while we just know that Hamsterz and the like are horrible, not many people who write for or visit this site can admit to actually playing those games. That's why we're asking today about the worst game you've played for the DS this year. We've heard about some games that you regret purchasing, but would you consider these games to be the year's worst for you, or just games not worth buying?And if you've somehow managed to successfully restrict yourself to good games, one of them still has to be the worst, so which is it? Still, we suspect that the majority of you have either bought, rented, or borrowed a title this year that was just downright awful, so out with it, please.
The best and worst (that we've reviewed)
2007 is almost over, and the end of the year brings joyous tidings of List Season. It's the time for taking stock of the last 12 months of gaming, and trying to make sense of it by putting things in numerical order. Join DS Fanboy for our best-ofs, worst-ofs, and other categories-ofs.We cranked up our review quotient in 2007 (and hope to do even more in 2008!), but we still can't review everything that comes out, to our chagrin. We wouldn't have time for anything else! However, we did try to hit a wide variety of titles this year, from the biggies like Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and Phantom Hourglass, to some smaller titles, like WordJong and Duck Amuck. We even worked to review some more off-the-wall things, like the Nintendo Fan Network at Safeco Field -- you know, in case you happened to find yourself in the Northwest with a hankering for a day of DS and baseball.
2007's crop of crap games
Though we put together our own list of terrible DS games just two weeks ago, the more recommendations we have on games to avoid, the better off we'll all be.Aside from erroneously describing Lifesigns as a Trauma Center clone (Kenshuui Tendo Dokuta saw its Japanese release six months before Atlus' surgery sim), Pocket Gamer's ten worst DS games of 2007 excellently outlines which of this year's games you shouldn't spend your hard-earned money on. It has an even sampling of shovelware (e.g. MinDStorm: Train Your Brain and B-17 Fortress in the Sky) and titles with potential that fell flat on their faces (e.g. The Settlers and Lost in Blue 2) -- this way, you're not only warned of games that obviously suck, but of games that mask their severe failings until it's too late, as well.
What's the most boring class?
I saw this poll over at the worldofwarcraft LiveJournal community, and immediately wondered how you loyal WoW Insider readers would vote, and whether it would be different from the LJers. The original question was: "Of all the classes available in WoW, what one do you have the least interest in playing?" Now I know Death Knight is not technically available in WoW yet, but I'm sure some people are already violently disinterested in playing them, so I put them on the poll as well.%Poll-4022%
DS Daily: What's your least favorite Zelda title?
Since earlier this week, we've been arguing about the best of all possible Zeldas, but it's time to discuss the worst. From the votes (or lack thereof), we might guess that Four Swords Adventures might take the prize, but we guess that the real answer may be more complex than that. So tell us -- which game captivated you the least? Did you finish it, or put it aside? What didn't appeal to you -- and why do your favorites appeal more?
Wii Warm Up: Metroid Prime 3 not included
Every week we discuss what we're playing, but that doesn't mean we're necessarily discussing the merits and flaws of particular games. Besides Metroid Prime 3, for those lucky enough to be in regions that already have it, how do you feel about the games you've played recently on the Wii? What's been the best about them, and what's been the worst? Let's compare notes.
Wii Warm Up: The worst controls
Earlier this week, we spent a little time talking about some of the best motion-sensing control schemes offered by Wii games so far -- so it's only fair that we dedicate a little time to the worst that you've experienced since launch. We've managed to avoid some of the games that are supposed to be really awful, but can definitely say that about half of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz definitely left something to be desired (and yet, part of the game was fine). We've heard horror stories however, that many games are far worse. How about you? What's the worst you've tried to suffer through on the Wii? Feel free to get into the gory details.
Wii Warm Up: E3 -- your thoughts
This year's E3 had a lot of ups and downs. First and foremost, of course, there was the changed format ... and second, Nintendo's presentation and news seems to be pretty polarizing among fans. Some people thought the show was a win, and others are less convinced. We're interested in knowing how you feel about the show over all, and your favorite news and video items from the coverage. Go ahead. Spill. After all, we showed you our ending thoughts.
The absolute worst class duo
Our reader Josh wrote to us with an common and practical question, saying that he said that he and his girlfriend are looking forward to starting two new alts together and they would like to know what the best classes would be for leveling exclusively together, with no solo play in between. He said, and I quote: "what would the greatest, most face melting/ass kicking/uber pwnage duo in WoW look like?"Now, fortunately for Josh and his girlfriend, we've actually been asked this question before, and anyways this sort of topic comes up lots and lots and lots of times in one way or another. I'm happy to refer them, and all interested parties of two, back to those posts with comments from our insightful readers. Of course if you feel something has changed since those topics last came up and there's a new best duo in the game, feel free to let us know here!But in order to give this post some kind of interesting spin, how about we advice them what not to do! What would be the absolute worst class combination imaginable for two people to level with? It's not as easy as you think -- As our class encouragement breakfast topics have shown so far, each of the classes has their own form of face melting, ass-kicking uber pwnage, and they all seem to have abilities that complement each other, no matter who they're paired with. Still... there has to be a less-than-optimal combination in there somewhere, right?Ideologically, you'd think that paladins and warlocks just would not mix at all, but no, that's not true! Actually they work great together. From my own experience, I remember practicing as a 2vs2 arena team with a mage friend, who is an excellent player, but we still didn't do very well at all. I know it could be just because I may be a terrible druid, or my gear may not be good enough, but it's actually the only time in this game that I've ever paired up with a friend only to feel that maybe our class abilities didn't complement each other well. I thought that if I could level my rogue to join her we might be a lot more successful, but my friend thought that I just needed more practice. Maybe there is no worst class duo! What's your experience?[Check out the girlfriend's answer in the last panel of this great Penny Arcade comic above, and take it as a warning not to choose for your duo a new class that you like toooooo much, or else you might not be able to resist soloing with it when you have free time and your partner doesn't!]
Hilarious list of the worst PSP games so far
As with any system's library of games, the PSP has its share of real stinkers. Pocket Gamer managed to relive the pain and construct a hilarious list of the ten worst games on the PSP. How many of these gems do you own? Street Riders Talkman - "It's as if the Walkman debuted as a fridge-sized ghettoblaster that randomly played tunes you didn't want to hear." The Sims 2: Pets Gangs of London Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie Taito Legends: Power Up Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects Astonishia Story Dave Mirra BMX Challenge KaZook - "Crap name, crap game. KAZooK is, allegedly, a party game. We can't really imagine any party that KAZooK would enliven, save a gathering of the Communist Party of China, and only because it might provoke fisticuffs about the People's Republic sliding into Western decadence. Because if KAZooK is fun, comrades, then joylessly burning books in slate grey jumpsuits would be the ultimate high. Avoid at all costs."
More console-related crime to stuff the stockings
At least with the Wiinjuries popping up left and right, they're primarily self-inflicted wounds that don't involve the police, but it seems the Xbox 360 (and old Xbox, sometimes) and the PS3 are jacking up crime rates in cities everywhere. While we already knew hot game consoles brought out the absolute worst in people, we've got two more stories to persuade you to watch your back when snagging that last unit from the store's stockroom. After lucking up and grabbing herself an oh-so-coveted PlayStation 3 in a Florida retailer, Missy Robinson was followed to her home and held at gunpoint (along with her brother). Of course, she intelligently surrendered the console in exchange for safety, but she's not apt to go console hunting again anytime soon. On the Microsoft side, dedicated thieves "burrowed through the back wall of the video game store and stole 13 Xbox 360 game consoles." Notably, employees reported a scattered mess of PS3 boxes, but when the bandits realized they were all empty display cartons, they jacked the Xbox 360 assortment in order to not go home empty-handed. Look folks, we realize the markup on eBay is fairly extreme, but it's probably less costly than the bail money you'd need to put up after pulling a stunt like this.Read - Woman held at gunpoint for PS3Read - Burrowing bandits snag 13 Xbox 360s
Best of 2006 nominations: Player, Addon, Best and Worst Blizzard Move
Today's the final day of asking for your nominations for our end of the year awards. We're choosing the best of 2006 in ten different categories-- we've gotten your nominations this week, and next week we'll be posting our choices for Azeroth's best of the year. Thanks to everyone who's commented already, and please comment throughout the weekend on your choices for all the categories.Today, we're asking you to nominate the Best Player of the Year, the Best Addon of the Year, and the Best and Worst Blizzard Move of the Year. For Player, yes, we realize there are seven million players out there, and it is extremely hard to choose just one of them-- if we could recognize all of you, we would. But we're trying to find one player that has really stood out in WoW this year-- won amazing victories, raised the profile of the game, or really embodied what WoW players are all about. We're looking for a hero among heroes, someone who embodied Azeroth in 2006.For Best Addon, we're looking for the Addon that most affected the game this year-- either an Addon that really moved the game along in terms of interace, an addon that was invaluable to players of all types, or an Addon that stood head and shoulders above the others in terms of functionality and polish.And finally, we want to know your choices for Blizzard's Best and Worst Move of the Year. What's the best thing Blizzard did for the game this year-- the best and most satisfying change they made? And on the flip side, what's the absolute Worst thing they did to the game this year, that sent players running for the hills (and for the competitors)?Finally, if you haven't posted your nominations for the other categories yet, as I said, we'll leave those comments open all weekend, so please post them for us to read. The WoW Insider staff will deliberate over the weekend, and all next week, we'll announce the WoW Insider Best of 2006. Thanks for your input.Previously: Nominations for Server, Class, and Guild; Nominations for Friend, Enemy, and Instance.
Solid Alliance phones home with UFO detector, warns of imminent takeover
We're not surprised that the slightly off kilter Solid Alliance is breaking out yet another questionably designed device, but you can certainly color us impressed if the company's newfangled UFO detector actually does everything it's supposed to. Marketed as a cellphone wrist strap (you know, so you always have this highly pertinent device with you), this unearthly "radar strap" is reportedly sensitive to intergalactic changes and cosmic forces surrounding us all, and it presumably goes berserk whenever it detects a UFO overhead. Sporting both UFO detection and "extraterrestrial heuristic" modes, it can even discern if the mysterious flying object is harmful to your health or simply a peaceful creature from another locale. While we hope this insult of human intelligence doesn't catch on, you can spend your hard-earned ¥2,222 ($19) to snag one now until it becomes the next standard inclusion on our favorite handsets.[Via The Raw Feed]
Swanni's 2006 'Best & Worst' HDTV list - now here is the best
Yesterday, we brought you Philip Swanni's Worst Celebrity in HDTV listing and today, here now here is the best. Starting out this year is the stunning Scarlett Johansson followed by the almost equally breathtaking Beyonce Knowles. Evangeline Lily and Josh Holloway, both of Lost fame, hit the list at three and four but Eva Longoria holds down number five desperately strong. Charlize Theron rings in at number six followed by Christina Aguilera at lucky number seven. Elizabeth Hasselbeck represents The View on this list at number eight while Ben Affleck somehow made it onto the list at number nine. Number ten is Martha Stewa...what? There has to be someone better looking then Martha Stewart to finish Swanni's Best & Worst list. How about the two My Name is Earl babes, Jamie Pressly or Nadine Velazquez to name two better candidates then the jail bird Stewart.
