The NGal Awards: Best of 2010

By
David Craig
– 12/26/2010Posted in: Featured, General News, Miscellaneous, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Wii

2010 saw a plethora of quality Nintendo titles, but which ones made our list?

Another year, another best-of list as the NGal staff unveils their picks for the best of 2010. Like last year, instead of picking one winner, each member of the staff has given their picks for every category. That way every deserving title gets its chance to shine. So sit back, relax, and help us ring in the new year with our send-off to the old. Enjoy!

1. Game of the Year

Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • The Sound Defense – The original Super Mario Galaxy was easily one of the best platformers ever made, and somehow Nintendo made its sequel better in every conceivable way (besides the story). The levels are even more inventive than the original, and right up until the very end of the game I was constantly amazed by what the game had to offer. This is imagination completely unbounded, and platforming tuned to pure perfection.
  • Oogabooha – Sure, call me a Nintendo fanboy if you will, but I also won’t deny that I know a fantastic game when I see it. I would choose Epic Mickey for this category, but to be honest I haven’t had a chance to partake in the gameplay yet, only various videos. Anyway, SMG2 manages to blend everything that you would expect in a “perfect” game (if that can even be achieved); it has great gameplay, fun controls, a fantastic soundtrack, and it strings it all together for a fun experience.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

  • Radical Edward - There were actually quite a few games vying for the top spot this year, but DKCR would have to be my pick. Mixing sublime platforming, superb graphics, classic tunes, and a big ol’ shot of nostalgia, DKCR should be on the shelf of every Nintendo lover.
  • Kurono – Out of all the games I’ve played this year for my Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns has got to be the most fun and challenging. Keep in mind, I have not gotten a chance to play Super Mario Galaxy 2. Handing the reigns of the Donkey Kong Country series over to Retro studios was a step in the right direction for bringing this series back into the spotlight. It’s difficult. Make you want to cry difficult sometimes, but it is over 70 levels of immense fun.

2. Best Wii Game

Donkey Kong Country Returns

  • Kurono – Not much more can be said that wasn’t said already. Just a great game all around and everyone who has a Wii and/or loves platformers owes it to themselves to pick up Donkey Kong Country Returns.
  • Javier de la Vega – The level of nostalgia and awesome gameplay could not tear me away from this game. It is beautiful, addicting, and difficult; all of which are a deadly combination.  This game was one of the best purchases I made this year.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • The Sound Defense – Despite a holiday season that brought a number of great Wii titles, the edge still goes to May’s Super Mario Galaxy 2. The game took the original gravity-based platforming of Super Mario Galaxy and left it almost completely intact, just building a new shell of levels and items around it (and let’s not forget Yoshi!) The sheer imagination involved in some of these creations is mind-boggling. I’m not even sure where platforming can go from here, unless the 3DS can make it even more impressive.
  • Oogabooha – Yes, obviously if I thought this was the best game of the year then it would win my Wii award as well, and pretty much for the same reasons.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

  • Radical Edward – Yes, DKCR was my pick for game of the year, but I felt that NMH2 deserved some recognition as well. This game isn’t perfect, but it is the perfect sequel. It takes everything great about the first game and cranks it up to 11, while eliminating just about every bad thing. I couldn’t have imagined a more worthy follow-up to one of the most under-rated Wii games of all time.

3. Best WiiWare Game

Cave Story

  • Radical Edward – Granted, this is a little unfair. Cave Story has already been out on the PC for years, and is beloved by many. How can any new game compete? The truth is, despite the plethora of excellent original titles this year, none of them could top this all-time classic.
  • The Sound Defense – While such games like Phoenix Wright and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 deserve a mention, full credit should go to Pixel for his highly-acclaimed indie game that finally got a much-needed console port. This epic platforming title invokes numerous classic titles, such as Metroid, Castlevania or Mega Man, with hints of other titles like Mario, and the WiiWare port includes a number of fun updates like Boss Rush or a new character to play as. As an added bonus, you can try this game before buying it, a WiiWare rarity.

4. Best DS Game

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

  • Radical Edward – Sure, it’s more of the same, but considering we haven’t gotten a Golden Sun game in seven years, I’m not complaining. The old-school gameplay still holds up, and the graphical makeover looks great.
  • Kurono – It took Camelot 8 years to bring us a sequel, a long awaited sequel, but it’s finally here and it’s well worth the wait. With 72 Djinni to find, a story that spans anywhere from 20-30 hours and some optional bosses to fight, this game is a great time eater. Newcomers and vets alike can enjoy this game too, which is always a plus in my book. Just be prepared to push the A button. A lot. As the characters have a case of “Don’t-know-when-to-shut-up” Syndrome.

Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver

  • Oogabooha – What can I say? I’m a sucker for a traditional RPG, and when you throw in the Pokemon concept and style it only makes me even happier. Gym battles are fun, the game is pretty lengthy itself, graphics are fantastic compared to previous installments, and it’s an all around exciting game. As long as there is a Pokemon franchise, Nintendo can count me as “sold”.
  • Javier de la Vega – Being a huge fan of Pokémon since Red, getting the remake of my personal favorite version was a no brainer. The menu system was greatly improved to utilized the bottom screen and having your leading Pokémon follow you like in Yellow was really awesome. With 16 badges to collect; two rounds of each gym leader and the elite four; and way too many Pokémon for any sane person to catch; you are guaranteed to have hours of play time.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

  • The Sound Defense – Though I might have poured a whopping 70 hours into Pokémon SoulSilver this year, I have to give this award to our favorite archaeologist. The Professor Layton games have always had great stories, charming voice acting, great animation and excellent puzzles, and this one is no exception. Where this one goes beyond is the superior puzzle selection, the entertaining mini-games, and a fantastically delivered story that even manages to top the most recent Ace Attorney game.

5. Best DSiWare Game

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge

  • The Sound Defense – While Cave Story came out on DSiWare too, my attention this year went to a sequel to a highly-touted GBC platformer from its final days. On a system filled with card games, puzzle titles, music makers and so much sudoku, Shantae stands tall as an excellent platformer that offers an in-depth, belly-dancing, animal-transforming adventure.
  • Radical Edward – Finally, a DSiWare game you can really sink your teeth into. Don’t be scared away by the seemingly high price tag – this is a great game, worthy of a full retail release. The Sound Defense said it best – with a DSiWare library full of shovelware and alarm clocks, Shantae sticks out like no other.

6. Most Innovative

Art Style: light trax

  • Radical Edward – At its core, light trax is a simple racing game. But by breaking the genre down to its most basic form, the developer has created something more akin to, as the title of the game suggests, art. One look at the game in action and you’ll see what I mean. With constantly changing perspectives and Atari-level graphics, light trax has achieved more than most, with much, much less.

Fluidity

  • The Sound Defense – While many WiiWare titles may be simpler, safer affairs like cards, there are some games that show us eagerness to experiment. Fluidity has you exploring an enchanted aquatic encyclopedia as a bunch of water, using elemental powers to turn into ice or shoot lightning bolts and more to take out enemies. These are the sort of games that downloadable services are meant to promote.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • Javier de la Vega – The power of the first impression can easily make you sucked into a game so fast that you cannot stop playing it or it makes you drop the controller in frustration and never play again.  Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a master of the former.  Since I had barely played the first levels of the first Super Mario Galaxy, playing a 10 minute demo gave you that awesome sense of ingenuity and creativity that Nintendo is known for.

Rock Band 3

  • Oogabooha – Why do I put this is as my most innovative game, you ask? Well, this year Harmonix returns to the “numbers” part of their Rock Band franchise with Rock Band 3, which showed us that we could rock out with 6 strings to our own TV, and – while I do not wish to try the concept – it’s pretty damn innovative. Yes, there are other games that have come out doing this as well, but Harmonix is one of the only people who can do it right. That being said, Freebird. Pro Mode. Expert Guitar. Now.

7. Best Multiplayer

Rock Band 3

  • The Sound Defense – No, I don’t care that the formula is several years old, it’s still an incredible experience getting a room full of people rocking on this music title. With the addition of harmonies and keyboards, not only has the number of players expanded, but the music selection has as well, and the game benefits from it enormously. There is no better multiplayer experience than getting seven people together to all play Bohemian Rhapsody.
  • Oogabooha – Same game, different reason why it wins this category, but I don’t think I should have to explain; gather a few more friends and have a jam to Bohemian Rhapsody with harmonies on expert, and I’m sure you’ll get the gist of what I’m saying.

GoldenEye 007

  • Javier de la Vega – For anyone who was around in 1997 to have played the Nintendo 64 original, this should have easily been a no brainer.  I easily had some of the best nights beating my cousin all over again on this newer platform. Did I mention online multiplayer?

8. Best Graphics

Kirby’s Epic Yarn

  • Radical Edward – It’s interesting how when a game used to have “good graphics,” it meant that it was realistic, or at least detailed. Nowadays, it’s more impressive when a game-maker creates an art style all their own, much like Kirby here. Sure, some have argued that the game copies LittleBigPlanet’s motif, but I don’t recall LBP using it to its full potential. Kirby’s graphics actually become part of the gameplay itself, as peeling back fabric and whipping yarn around is commonplace.
  • Kurono – A lot of the games I played this year were visually appealing to me in some way shape or form, often times pushing the system it’s on to lengths I didn’t realize could be reached when the Wii and DS were announced way back when. Though my pick for best graphics is a game that does not push the system to extremes. Kirby’s Epic Yarn has a charm to the game. It’s bright, and visually pleasing to look at. The art direction is simply beautiful in it’s simplicity throughout the entire game.
  • The Sound Defense – There was one game this year that reminded us that a game doesn’t need to be super-realistic to visually blow us away. The adorably and expertly rendered patchwork world of Patch Land is completely disarming, and the way that Kirby’s yarn body twists and transforms into a parachute, or a car, or a submarine will, and has, turned grown men into blubbering children incapable of proper speech. While Call of Duty: Black Ops might have a hyper-realistic viewing experience, this game is far more unforgettable in that department.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • Javier de la Vega – While I never did actually own the title, I did get my hands on it, and those brief 10 minutes of play time left me in awe of how awesome the game looked.  Even if it was just bulgy looking, the scenes were beautiful and the world was so immersive that I just wished I could keep playing.

Epic Mickey

  • Oogabooha – Alright, here’s where the real Disney fanboy comes in to take the stage…this game is fantastic. No, I’m not kidding; the graphics are terrific (for a Wii game), and I love the way everything looks, especially the distorted visions of classic Disney icons like the attraction “It’s a Small World” and the Partners statue. Spector and his team have really got the ball on this one, and the 30′s style Mickey Mouse only adds to my love for this game and it’s graphics.

9. Best Music or Sound

Rock Band 3

  • Javier de la Vega – What more can I say? It’s a game where you can rock out to your favorite artists with friends and pretend you are in a rock band and the third installment adds some of many needed improvements. Dire Straits, Queen repack, and Elton John also help this along.
  • The Sound Defense – If you thought Rock Band 2 had an incredible soundtrack, Rock Band 3 completely blows it out of the water. The addition of keyboards has allowed for some of the best songs in rock history to show up, with artists like Queen, Elton John, the Doors, John Lennon and Dire Straits showing up to bust your chops and help you rock out. The game mixes classics like James Brown, Yes and Lynyrd Skynyrd with more contemporary groups like the Sounds, Amy Winehouse and Them Crooked Vultures, with excellent results.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

  • Kurono – What’s not to love about the Donkey Kong Country Returns soundtrack? New tracks, old classics, and even some old ones remixed, all in one package. Each track in the game sets a tone for each levels atmosphere, sucking you in. You may not realize it at first, but after 15 tries on one level, you’ll be humming that tune as you try your 16th attempt.

Epic Mickey

  • Oogabooha – For this one, you really have to listen to the soundtrack to experience it; it knows when to pull the right strings and how just to do it through music, and it plays off the game’s environment nearly flawlessly.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

  • Radical Edward – Sure, the music (though excellent) is mostly recycled from previous games in this series, but the real reason I chose it is for the fabulous voice acting. It’s rare for a video game to achieve true emotional impact, and even rarer still for a portable game to do so. However, largely in part to the expertly acted voice-overs, Future nails its emotionally driven story, leaving its audience with a lump in the throat.

10. Biggest Disappointment

Metroid: Other M

  • Kurono – This one was not hard to decide, but at the same time it was. I like Metroid: Other M for certain aspects of the game and over all I enjoy it. I don’t think it’s as bad as others would try and make you believe. Having skipped over the Prime games (don’t murder me), I was super excited to get back into the Metroid series with Other M, but I walked away feeling as if Team Ninja took Samus and threw her into a Ninja Gaiden game. That’s not so bad, but it completely removed part of what makes the Metroid series so great: exploration.
  • Radical Edward – Last year, half the NGal staff listed Other M as their most-anticipated event of 2010. Oh, if only we could warn them. Other M isn’t a total mess, but it’s far from the game anyone wanted it to be. A poorly thought-out control scheme, awful plot and voice acting, and misguided gameplay sequences make Other M not only the worst Metroid game ever made, but a compelling argument that Nintendo should stop farming out its beloved franchises to unworthy game developers.

The Price of the 3DS

  • The Sound Defense – I remember giving my E3 prediction as $170 – imagine my surprise when the Japanese price was announced to be an astonishing $300. The North American price will probably be a bit lower, but this really puts a dent in my plans to pick one up on launch day. I can only hope that the excellent software lineup quickly justifies the high asking price, but it’ll have quite a bit of work to do to get to that point.
  • Javier de la Vega – $300 for a handheld device.  That’s more than my iPhone and as much as a Xbox 360. Enough said.

Grease for Wii

  • Oogabooha – What a horrendous excuse for a game, and that’s saying that about a game based on one of my favorite musicals. For a musical game, you aren’t even allowed to sing, and the graphics are uninteresting and the gameplay has little to no value.

11. Most Anticipated Game/Event for 2011

3DS

  • Radical Edward – Although I can take or leave the 3D aspect, what’s got me excited about the 3DS is its already impressive game library. New entries in the Paper Mario and Mario Kart series, remakes of some of my favorite games of all time like Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64, and more exciting fare like new RE4-style Resident Evils and a Professor Layton/Phoenix Wright crossover combine to form one of the most promising game lineups of any system in 2011.
  • Kurono – The Nintendo 3DS is most definitely my most anticipated event of net year and March could not come fast enough. Everything about the system has me excited and seeing a lot of the new screens shots from Resident Evil Revelations and Mercenaries 3D, realizing they’re achieveing those graphics on a handheld, just blows me away. I just cannot wait to get my hands on one, and find out just how Nintendo has improved their online. Mercenaries 3D is already boasting co-op play, so this just sparks my interest even more.
  • Oogabooha – I have a strong feeling that most Nintendo Gal authors will choose this delightful option as well; there’s nothing more exciting than an entire new system being released, and this time it just isn’t a “lite” version of an older one…now to start putting some of my money aside to get one!
  • Javier de la Vega – There are few things more exciting than a new system to be coming out.  I’m very excited to see how the 3DS performs in my hands one day. If only I can cough up the money for it.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

  • The Sound Defense – Call me a sucker for Zelda because that’s exactly what I am. My hands-on time with the title at E3 showed extremely promising use of the MotionPlus (I assure you the on-stage demo was a fluke), and promises of a fresh, new Zelda experience mixed in with classic gameplay has me extremely stoked for this upcoming title.

Well that about wraps it up for this year! Thanks for reading, and be sure to stay with us in 2011 for more reviews, editorials, and news. Happy New Year!