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Nintendo Wii Game of the Year
Nintendo Wii Game of the Year: Donkey Kong Country Returns
In a year of stellar platformers, one game stands a gorilla’s head above the rest. Coming off of their brilliant take on the Metroid series, Retro Studios takes Donkey Kong back to the fantastic level design, tight controls, K-O-N-G hunting and balloon popping of the original. Bring your extra thumbs though as the difficulty on this one is leagues ahead of the original, leading to plenty of launched controllers, yet you’ll always go back to it, back to one more mine cart ride, one more banana, one more coin, one more trip to the barrel of monkeys and all of the fun that comes with it.
From our review. "True to its source material, the game is challenging, charming, and incredibly rewarding, making it one of the finest platformers of the decade."
Runner Ups
Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Sweet without being cloying, easy enough for young players but packing a challenge for the completionists out there and possessing easily the most distinctive visual style of any game this year, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a platformer that grizzled veterans and young upstarts alike can enjoy. Kirby may not be he usual self, but the wonderful aesthetics and the clever use of vehicle sections, with Kirby turning into the various new rides, more than makes up for the change in Kirby’s powers. Come for the pinky puffster, stay for the fire trucks.
From our review "At its heart, this is a rock-solid, gorgeously drawn platformer with enough new tricks up its sleeve to recommend to anyone needing an excuse to play their Wii. Consider it worth its weight in buttons and gold medals."
Sin and Punishment
Star Successor: Kids these days. When they’re not hanging around the Gas ‘N Sip listening to the hippity-hop they’re blasting around with jetpacks shooting aliens and robots. Sin and Punishment is not only one of the most visually overwhelming games to ever come out on the Wii but also offers an extremely tight and challenging shooting experience. Shoving screens and screens of enemies in front of your guns from the minute you start it up but never seeming ridiculously hard, Sin and Punishment offers an experience that lets you focus on surviving, or getting as high a score as you can without sacrificing either experience.
From our review "The game is a masterpiece of the genre it represents, and despite an inherently niche appeal that may prevent the game from finding a wider audience it remains one of the best Wii titles to date."
Monster Hunter Tri
There are games about monsters and then there are games about Monsters and make no mistake, this game is one of the latter. Focusing as much on preparation and obtaining the right gear to take on these massive beasts as battling them, Monster Hunter Tri provides an ample challenge for players of all levels. Plus, if you find that the beasts are getting the better of you, jump online and grab three other poor saps who also can’t get the job done.
From our review "Monster Hunter Tri is a game the Wii has needed for years now."
Super Mario Galaxy 2
It seems like a cliché that every time a Super Mario game comes out, it ends up on some Game of the Year list, but the House of Mario knows how to make platformers, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the best. With dozens of varied worlds that act as their own different platforming experience, and a difficulty curve that will challenge even the most die hard Mario veteran, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is like getting a basket full of different platformers all in one game.
From our review "Galaxy 2 is every ounce as good of a game as the first, albeit with a difficulty level that requires almost Megaman 9 levels of platforming precision. Longtime Mario fans will gobble this up and love every nanosecond, while casual folks may find themselves letting the game play for them more often than not."