GameSpot:Video Games PC Xbox 360 PS3 Wii PSP DS PS2 PlayStation 2 GameCube GBA PlayStation 3

GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

ON BNET: 7 ways to escape a cell phone contract

home

Best Game No One Played

Winner: Seven Kingdoms
"Seven Kingdoms is quite a surprising find amid the rubble of real-time strategy games. It almost passed by unnoticed, thrown in the pile with a couple dozen similar games." - T. Liam McDonald, GameSpot Review

Developer: Enlight Software
Publisher: Interactive Magic
Review and Demo

Here's a good example of corporate oversight. Interactive Magic spent a great deal of money this year hyping its flight sim line - which as a whole, was rather disappointing - and let this gem of a game slip through the cracks unnoticed.

Designer Trevor Chan has created a real-time empire-builder that blends the best elements of Civilization with the best elements of Warcraft (the original). With a great economic system and interesting espionage features, Seven Kingdoms provides enough gameplay options and longevity to rank with the best.

But Seven Kingdoms didn't have the hype of a Dark Reign or an Age of Empires, and went all but unnoticed by the majority of gamers. Which is a shame, because although Seven Kingdoms might be a bit simpler than some of its turn-based counterparts, it is certainly just as good. If you like empire-builders, you owe it to yourself to get Seven Kingdoms.

Runner-up: Baseball Mogul
"Infinite Monkey Systems has produced the game that the hardest of hard-core baseball fans can relate to. All of you fantasy GMs and other nuts sit up and take notice. This game is the real deal." - Ben Lewis, GameSpot Player Review

Developer: Infinite Monkey Systems
Publisher: Infinite Monkey Systems
Review and Demo

When we first saw this game, we thought it was probably one of those boring, stat-heavy, hard-core baseball sims. It was certainly refreshing when we found it to be some of that but more. The best way we could describe Baseball Mogul was that it was as addictive as a turned-based strategy game but in a baseball setting. The thrill comes from the way you can play the game at your own pace - you can easily finish a season in a couple hours or take days - running though days of games in different size increments.

Understand that Baseball Mogul has no arcade play whatsoever. In fact, the graphics are about as extravagant as today's spreadsheet programs. But that doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of the game. It's your responsibility to manage your team, both fiscally and managerially; translation: It takes a lot of money to assemble a competitive team, and a good manager to use those players effectively.

Real baseball fans couldn't help but notice this newcomer from unknown Infinite Monkey Systems. Neither could GT Interactive - it'll be publishing the next version, Baseball Mogul 99, in the spring of 1998.

Next: Best Cinematics