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PLAYSTATION BEST OF SHOW

PLAYSTATION 2 AWARDS
Best Presentation: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

The most stunning presentation of any game that we saw at E3 was without a doubt Metal Gear Solid 2. The sheer scope and awe with which Hideo Kojima and his team have approached MGS2 is truly unbelievable, and though we thought we had played MGS2 with the demo, we were so wrong. The MGS2 has once again stunned us, and we are once again on our knees praying to Kojima-san and his heroic team.

Runners-up: Max Payne

Best Graphics: Final Fantasy X

Is it an ironic story that Square's Final Fantasy team always seems to win awards, or is it simply always the best choice? Why, there is nothing ironic about that. Predictable, perhaps. The Final Fantasy X RPG that we viewed and played at Tokyo Game Show and at E3 demonstrates wonderfully imagined fantasy worlds that come alive in color and in movement, in both game design and animation. FFX is nothing short of super-model material.

Runners-up
Ico
Devil May Cry
Jak and Daxter
Metal Gear Solid 2

Most Technologically Impressive: Splashdown

This was the show in which water, erm, rose to a new level...Corny, but true. Ever since Wave Race 64, nobody had even approached water physics like developers are now, and Rainbow Studios, the developer on this puppy, looks to have it right so far. With layers of opaque, reflective, and other transparencies, the motion and real wave-like motion of the water in Splashdown is enough to make you think differently about water.

Runners-up
Jak and Daxter
Gran Turismo 3
Stretch Panic

Best Overall Game: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

At the risk of sounding repetitive and predictable, MGS2 takes the cake, for the second year running. It beat out the other incredibly worthy choices for best game by a head...and a leg...a shiver...and more. The new footage demonstrated that we simply have not seen anything yet, and even the short demo, if you haven't played it more than 10 times, still has more in store for you. Kojima-san is still way ahead of the development pack, and the new footage from MGS2 shows it perfectly.

Runners-up
Jak and Daxter
Gran Turismo A-spec 3
Devil May Cry
Final Fantasy X
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

Best Online/Networked Game: Twisted Metal: Black

Wow. Fast (60 frames per second), wonderfully animated (Sweet Tooth's transforming car), huge (giant levels), and more fun than ever, Twisted Metal: Black makes car combat games fun again. Period. You simply have to see this game to understand it, and once you play it, you'll never go back.

Runners-up
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
SOCOM
Tribes 2

Best Fighting: Capcom Vs. SNK 2

Not to knock Capcom for its fine effort with Capcom vs. SNK 2, but the fighting category is rather slim this year, and since Soul Calibur 2 and Tekken 4 were only available is snippet form, Capcom's fighter wins it. It's 2D, it's classic, and its packed with characters from both the SNK and Capcom library of fighters.

Runners-up
Bloody Roar 3

Best Sports: Madden NFL 2002

Without much competition from 989 Sports and only a smidgen of competitors at the show, the easy and honest choice for best sports game is Madden NFL 2002. The game looks to improve on many of the aspects it was criticized for in the first generation (a game that was near brilliant in its first run), and it looks better than either the Xbox or GameCube titles at this point, too. Madden wins again.

Runners-up
FIFA
NHL
NBA Street

Best RPG: Final Fantasy X

Even though most people are a little tired of Final Fantasy's random encounters and perhaps even turned-based fighting, nobody ever gets tired of great gameplay, graphics, sound, and story. And with Final Fantasy, you just can't beat any of these elements with a stick, or a brick, or anything else that rhymes with those words (think Richard). This game is for the PS2 is going to be what FFVII was for PlayStation, a must-have, groundbreaking RPG.

Runners-up
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance
Deus Ex

Metal Gear Solid 2