So what’s so great about SmashPad.com? Well, I’ll tell you, thanks for asking! As a non-gamer, I was able to find what I needed with just a click of my finger. This website is simple and easy to use.
What do I mean by simple? Good question! I’ve visited a few websites and this one is not covered by a lot of fussy graphics and advertisements. This website is what I call, very clean and well organized. Simple!
Here is their very cool list of the Top 10 Games of 2015. Why cool? I’ll tell you later on.
- Axiom Verge, PS4, PC
- Undertale, PC (Tied for the #8 spot)
- Splatoon, Wii U (Tied for the #8 spot)
- Rocket League, PS4, PC (Tied for the #8 spot)
- Galak-Z: The Dimensional, PS4, PC (Tied for the #8 spot)
- Fallout 4, PS 4, Xbox One, PC
- Trails In The Sky SC (The Legend of Heroes)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, PS4, PS3, XBox One, XBox 360, PC
- Super Mario Maker, Wii U (Tied for the #2 spot)
- Life Is Strange, PS4, PS3, XBox One, XBox 360, PC (Tied for the #2 spot)
Now, I know what you are thinking, “But there are 11 games listed, Rhonda, not 10!” Here’s the reason. The top 3 games are more like the Best Game with two runners up. There is a four-way tie for the #8 spot, and a two-way tie for the #2 spot. TAH-DAH!
Okay, so the first cool part? There is a little video segment showing how each game looks and is played. I love that! So now, I want to play SPLATOON! The second cool part is how they decide the overall list! Every staff member possible, writes up a list of at least a Top 5 – Top 10 list and scores every game accordingly based on the number of titles from 10 to 1 and then counts up the points to decide their top 10! Then dividing it out by platforms for all the games that made the staffer’s lists!
Clear as mud? Here’s an example: If one staffer’s #1 game of 2016 is Overwatch, it would receive 10 points, whereas if another staff member has Overwatch as his/her #9 game, it would receive two points. Every day leading up to January 1st of the following year, they post one of their staffer’s Top 10 Games of the Year… so using this information, their followers can actually predict which game they’ll award the honor of being GOTY if they’re keeping track of everyone’s Top 10 choices. Like I said. Cool.
So, what about the staff? I found the following on their ABOUT US page:
SmashPad got its start as a commentary supplement to Gamer 2.0 (formerly inside Gamer-Online, which got bought over by an eSports brand called Amped News) founded by Amadeo Plaza and Anthony Perez.
Plaza and Perez recruited and built the staff under different brands, including Gaming-Nation, Inside Gamer Online, Amped IGO, Amped News, Gamer 2.0, and now, SmashPad.
Now headed by senior staff Chris Selogy, Danreb Victorio, and Filippo Dinolfo, SmashPad has slowly but surely started to regain attention as a legitimate source in independent game journalism.
With an extremely talented staff of varying tastes and backgrounds, readers will find many of SmashPad’s opinions out of the ordinary. Their opinions may not be the most popular, but their skill in conveying opinions is unmatched, making their articles that much more welcoming to read.
SmashPad is commentary and opinion for all gamers.
Very Cool.