As I wait for Santa Mario and Yoshi this Christmas Eve, I got to thinking about the amazing year all three of Nintendo’s consoles (Wii, DS, and WiiWare) have had. So rather than make seperate lists, like I originally planned to do, my list will also be the best of all three.
So without any further ado, here’s my top 5:
#5: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
This one is not so much about the game than the passion of its fans. Yet the third entry introduced such things as the Final Smash and an all new Adventure mode, the Subspace Emissary. Couple those with more of Nintendo’s best loved characters, and the ability to play online, and you have a game that will occupy you for hours.
#4: Mega Man 9
This blast from the past no likely got more than a few gamers nostalgic for the NES and SNES days. Likewise, Capcom didn’t hold anything back in the difficulty factor either–the level design also evoked the 8 and 16 bit eras with enemies and traps at every turn.
#3: Pokemon Platinum
Love them or hate them, you have to admit Pokemon is a special franchise–and selling 2 million copies (and counting) in Japan alone could mean one of two things: You either have a very special game or a really effective hype machine.
#2: World of Goo
This indie puzzler quickly became the darling of the mainstream press for its easy to learn and addicting gameplay. That, and you can tell the amount of heart the creators put into it just by the buzz and word of mouth alone.
and my #1 game is…
Guitar Hero/Rock Band
I know these games were also released on the PS3 and Xbox 360, but no matter where you played it, you have to admit that this gave the music genre a new lease on life. The bands are getting more attention, it inspires people to pick up a real guitar; but most importantly, it indulges the rock star in all of us.
So there you have it, the top 5 memorable games of the year on the Nintendo platforms. I can only imagine what 2009 will bring to both the core and the casual…
