Play Nintendo Presents Best of 2011 Awards

2011 was a weird year for Nintendo gamers. In the beginning there was almost nothing to play, a game here and there plus scraps leftover from the previous year. Sure, the Nintendo 3DS was released and there were a few good games to play, even some great games, but no killer software that would be a must buy. That would all change around June, when some great games started to reveal themselves. Now, I will take a look back at the previous year and select the best games in six categories. Oh yeah, and the Play Nintendo reader picks will be here as well!

Best Nintendo DS Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: Kirby Mass Attack
Your Pick: Pokemon Black/White (80% of the vote)

While Pokemon Black/White is another solid entry in the long running Pokemon series, it is Kirby Mass Attack that captured my heart. It was the first stylus only controlled DS game in quite some time and its creativity was off the charts because of that. Handling Ten Kirbys offered up many unique challenges and resulted in an extremely fun action platformer. It goes to show that stylus only games can still pack a punch!

Your Runner-Up: Kirby Mass Attack (20%)

Best Wii Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Your Pick: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

If you didn't see this coming then you probably don't play with your Wii anymore. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a very refreshing take on the Zelda series offering new ways to play. For the first time in the series, you can now control Link's sword with 1:1 (or very close to that) precision and battle enemies like never before thanks to Wii Motion Plus. Both regular enemies and bosses will defend your moves and force you to re-evaluate your attack resulting in changing the way you swing the controller. Throw in some new items, customization options, and a new way to travel the overworld and you have Skyward Sword.

Best Nintendo 3DS Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: Super Mario 3D Land
Your Pick: Mario Kart 7 (60%)

Super Mario 3D Land easily lands the best Nintendo 3DS Game of 2011. Never before have we had a 3D Mario game that played almost identical to the 2D sidescrolling Mario games. It merges the best of 2D Mario games with the 3D ones to create one of the most compelling Mario experiences ever. Stellar level design, awesome music and graphics, amazing gameplay, and the Tanooki Suit! It is the 3D Mario game I've always wanted. It wins over Mario Kart 7 simply because it feels much more fresh and not like a copy/paste effort.

Your Runner-Up: Super Mario 3D Land (20%) and Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (20%)

Best WiiWare/VC Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: Final Fantasy III
Your Pick: Motoheroz (75%)

It was a sad year for the WiiWare and Virtual Console service. Week in and week out we would hope for that amazing game to download, but it rarely came. However, there were some shining gems to be released this year. My pick would be for one of the best SNES RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy III. It is still an amazing adventure after all these years. An awesome Esper system allows you to buff your characters and teach them magic, combined with one of the deeper stories of its generation make it a must play for RPG fans. Motoheroz on the otherhand is the killer WiiWare software for the year. It offers a unique sidescrolling, platforming, racing game that challenges you and your friends to compete for the best possible times. Motoheroz not only offers an amazing single player adventure and local multiplayer, but also a unique daily online competition that opens up brand new challenges all the time!

Your Runner-Up: Bit.Trip Flux (25%)

Best Nintendo eShop/DSiWare Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: Pushmo
Your Pick: Pushmo

Pushmo is probably the best downloadable game on any platform from 2011. It is an amazing puzzle platformer from Nintendo with an awesome built-in level editor. After completing the game's 250+ puzzles you can then share your creations with others via QR codes. Its simplicity lends itself well to the push and pull game.

Best Game of 2011

Play Nintendo's Pick: Super Mario 3D Land
Your Pick: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

This was a tough one for me to choose, but it ultimately came down to the amount of fun I had with each title. While Skyward Sword was an amazing adventure from beginning to end, Super Mario 3D Land is a title that I will be coming back to over and over again. Super Mario 3D Land reinvents the way a 3D Super Mario game can be played, and I look forward to Nintendo improving on it in the future. Skyward Sword on the other hand was also an innovator in how we controlled Link's sword. While it was a fun adventure, there was some major downtime and unbearable fetch quests that drag it down a bit. Super Mario 3D Land is always throwing new levels, enemies, and concepts that never get old. Overall, both games are absolutely fantastic, but Super Mario 3D Land edges out Skyward Sword by a mushroom.