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Uncharted 2, Scribblenauts top Game Critics' E3 Awards

Naughty Dog's PS3-exclusive sequel wins Best of Show, 5TH Cell's DS puzzler honored for Best Original Game by industry media collaboration.

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By some accounts, the Entertainment Software Association delivered on its promise of restoring the Electronic Entertainment Expo to its prominent position as a premier event for the gaming industry. With the 2009 show now in the bag, the Game Critics Awards committee has handed out its verdict of which work-in-progress games made the biggest splash.

Nathan Drake is a winner.
Nathan Drake is a winner.

A highlight of Sony's press conference, Naughty Dog's PlayStation 3-exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves scored top honors, taking Best of Show, Best Console Game, and Best Action Adventure Game. 5TH Cell's Scribblenauts for the DS also built upon its preseason awards run. Having been named Game of the Show as part of GameSpot's E3 2009 Editors' Choice Awards, the ambitious puzzler earned Game Critics accolades for Best Original Game and Best Handheld Game.

From a single-studio standpoint, BioWare outperformed the rest. Having garnered a number of nominations for all three of its current high-profile projects, Star Wars: The Old Republic was named Best PC Game while Mass Effect 2 earned recognition as Best Role-Playing Game. The two games shut out Dragon Age: Origins, which was also nominated for both categories.

The Game Critics Awards are doled out by a cross section of 29 mainstream and enthusiast gaming media outlets, with the panel of judges hailing from such online and print publications as GameSpot, the Los Angeles Times, Wired, and USA Today. To qualify for an award, the game must be shown in a playable form running on its native platform.

A full list of nominees is below, with winners highlighted in bold.

Best of Show
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare/Electronic Arts for Xbox 360, PC)
Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PS3)

Best Original Game
Alan Wake (Remedy/MGS for Xbox 360)
Bayonetta (Platinum Games/Sega for PS3, Xbox 360)
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360)
Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream/SCEE for PS3)
Scribblenauts (5TH Cell/WBIE for Nintendo DS)

Best Console Game
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360)
God of War III (Sony Santa Monica/SCEA for PS3)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare/Electronic Arts for Xbox 360)
Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PS3)

Best Handheld Game
Gran Turismo PSP (Polyphony Digital/SCEJ for PSP)
Little Big Planet (SCE Studio Cambridge/Media Molecule/SCEE for PSP)
Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Alphadream/Nintendo for Nintendo DS)
Scribblenauts (5TH Cell/WBIE for Nintendo DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

Best PC Game
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Austin/SOE)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare/EA)
Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve/EAP)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts)
Supreme Commander 2 (Gas Powered Games/Square Enix)

Best Hardware
DJ Hero Controller (Freestyle Games/Red Octane/Activision)
"Project Natal" (Microsoft)
PSP Go (Sony Computer Entertainment)
Tony Hawk Ride Skateboard (Robomodo/Activision)
Wii MotionPlus (Nintendo)

Best Action Game
BioShock 2 (2K Marin/2K Games for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Halo 3: ODST (Bungie/MGS for Xbox 360)
Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve/EAP for Xbox 360, PC)
Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Singularity (Raven/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Best Action Adventure Game
Bayonetta (Platinum Games/Sega for PS3, Xbox 360)
Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360)
God of War III (Sony Santa Monica/SCEA for PS3)
Splinter Cell Conviction (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PS3)

Best Role Playing Game
Alpha Protocol (Obsidian/Sega for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare/EA for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Alphadream/Nintendo for Nintendo DS)
Mass Effect 2 (BioWare/EA for Xbox 360, PC)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts for PC)

Best Racing Game
Blur (Bizzare Creations/Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Forza Motorsport 3 (Turn 10/MGS for Xbox 360)
ModNation Racers (United Front/SCEA for PS3)
Need for Speed Shift (Slightly Mad/EA Games for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Split/Second (Black Rock/Disney Interactive for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Best Fighting Game
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Foundation 9/Capcom for PS3, Xbox 360)
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (Project Soul/Namco-Bandai Games for PSP)
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars (Eighting/Capcom for Wii)
Tekken 6 (Namco Bandai for PS3, Xbox 360)
The King of Fighters XII (SNK Playmore for PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
Fight Night Round 4 (EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 10 (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
NHL 10 (EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for Wii)
Tony Hawk Ride (Robomodo/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)

Best Strategy Game
League of Legends: Clash of Fates (Riot Games for PC)
Order of War (Wargaming.net/Square Enix for PC)
R.U.S.E. (Eugen Systems/Ubisoft for PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Supreme Commander 2 (Gas Powered Games/Square Enix for Xbox 360, PC)

Best Social/Casual Game
DJ Hero (Freestyle/Red Octane/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Guitar Hero 5 (Neversoft/Red Octane/Activision for All Systems)
Scribblenauts (5TH Cell/WBIE for Nintendo DS)
The Beatles: Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Online Multiplayer Game
Halo 3 ODST (Bungie/MGS for Xbox 360)
Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve/EAP for Xbox 360, PC)
MAG (Zipper Interactive/SCEA for PS3)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts for PC)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PS3)

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