Gold: NBA 2K
The
NBA 2K series has been the poster child for improvement and consistency throughout its history. Here at Operation Sports, no
NBA 2K game has received a review score lower than an 8, and two have even scored a perfect 10. While the latest edition in the series (
NBA 2K11) was not eligible for our decade awards, it is yet another exemplary example of what made
NBA 2K the best sports game series during the period from 2000-2009. Most titles can point to a year where it was not nearly as strong as the rest, but
NBA 2K fans have been able to say each year's title has at least been solid. When you add it all up,
NBA 2K is the best overall sports game series of the last decade.
Silver: MLB: The Show
The Show was a late-comer to the party, but in the past five years the game has become synonymous with quality. The original
Show games on the PS2 quickly rose to the top of the baseball gaming arms race with stellar gameplay and good atmosphere. And when the series rolled onto the PS3, the series really came into its own. The PS3 versions of
The Show have been dazzling because of the great gameplay, incredible commentary, authentic atmosphere and all of the little touches that make you feel like you are watching a game at the ballpark. If
The Show had been around for a decade of excellence rather than half a decade, it could have easily toppled
NBA 2K as the best overall series during the last 10 years.
Readers' Choice - NBA 2K
OSers were torn between
NBA 2K and
The Show as both games were neck and neck. In the end,
NBA 2K edged out the show 27 percent to 25 percent, in what was one of the most competitive categories of the decade awards.