Well colour me surprised. Despite Nintendo launching a brand new handheld into the marketplace it was the good old DS that had the more consistent year in terms of high quality software releases. Month after month the hits kept coming, and while some titles didn’t make quite the impact that many will have hoped, 2011 was one of the handheld's better seasons in terms of variety and quality. There’s a very good reason that the system has shattered sales records. Simply put, 150 million gamers can’t be wrong.
So, without further ado, I present gamrReview’s Nintendo DS Game of the Year Awards 2011.
Best Platformer: Kirby: Mass Attack
What a way to end the year. Announced at this year’s E3, Kirby: Mass Attack launched just a few months later and showed everyone that the old-dual screen still had some tricks up its sleeve. Taking the traditional Kirby gameplay we all grew up with and literally making it ten times better by splitting our hero into ten copies of his pink self, Kirby: Mass Attack proved to be a charming and challenging platformer that forced us to rethink the very way we play Kirby games.
Runner-Up: De Blob 2
Reader’s Choice: Kirby: Mass Attack
Best Action/Adventure: OkamiDen
Last year’s winner of the ‘Most Anticipated’ Nintendo DS game did not disappoint. OkamiDen took everything we loved about the PS2 and Wii versions and shrunk it down to fit on the handheld. The result is truly breathtaking. Everything from the amazing art-inspired visuals to the intuitive touch-controls makes OkamiDen stand out above the crowd; it even managed beat out Nintendo’s own green-garbed hero.
Runner-Up: The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition
Best Shooter: Aliens: Infestation
In one of the closest races we had this year, it wasn’t the spin-off of the massively popular first person shooter that claimed the day but a small, ambitious project by a studio known for its mastery of the Nintendo DS. Aliens: Infestation took a traditional approach to shooters - playing more like a classic Contra, with added atmosphere and creepiness throughout. This is a perfect example that no matter the subject matter, if a game is lovingly crafted and the developers not only care about their product but the system they are working on, then you have a great game in the making.
Runner-Up: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance
Reader’s Choice: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance
Best Puzzle Game: Professor Layton And The Last Specter
I’m debating renaming this award the ‘Professor Layton Award for Puzzle Excellence’; the man in the big brown hat and his assistant have now taken home the prize for best puzzler on the DS three years in a row, and it’s easy to see why. Combining addictive and complex brain teasers with an enjoyable story, likeable characters and, for the first time, an RPG mini-game that can last well over 100 hours. This may just be the Professor and Luke’s best adventure so far.
Runner-Up: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Reader’s Choice: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Best RPG: Pokémon: Black / White
Last year, we gave Pokémon: Heart Gold / Soul Silver our award for ‘Best Overall Nintendo DS’ game (as well as a slew of other awards). In 2011 the Pocket Monsters came back in a big way with Pokémon: Black / White. Featuring over 150 new critters to collect, a host of new downloadable content and more in-depth online features than ever before, it really does seem like Nintendo has finally crafted the ultimate Pokémon experience. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go catch ‘em all.
Runner-Up: Dragon Quest VI: Realms Of Revelation
Reader’s Choice: Pokémon: Black / White
Best DSiWare Game: The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition
Whoever said that the best things in life were free was clearly referring to The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition. On the surface this downloadable dungeon crawler may seem like a straight port of the Game Boy Advance version, but the additions of new areas based on classic Zelda games, as well as wireless multiplayer, are more than enough to warrant another raid against the vile Vaati as well as take home the award for best DSiWare game of 2011.
Runner-Up: Cut The Rope
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords: Anniversary Edition
Best Graphics & Art Style: OkamiDen
How can the award for ‘Best Graphics & Art Style’ not go to a game that literally looks like a painting come to life? The original Okami blew us all away with its distinctive look and almost nothing has been lost in its transfer to the Nintendo DS. Simply put, the game looks like nothing else that’s available on either a console or handheld and it still blows us away to think that Capcom were able to get these kinds of visuals running on the Nintendo DS. This truly is a work of art.
Runner-Up: Kirby: Mass Attack
Reader’s Choice: OkamiDen
Best Original Musical Score: OkamiDen
It was another extremely close race but once again we have to give it our favourite wolf cub with a paint brush. At first glance, OkamiDen impresses with its distinctive visuals, but once you sit down with the title for a few hours you'll quickly start to appreciate the subtle work that went into creating such a wonderful soundtrack.
Runner-Up: Pokémon: Black / White
Reader’s Choice: Pokémon: Black / White
Biggest Disappointment: X-Men Destiny
Now you may be asking yourself: ‘Why is this game such a big disappointment? Don’t licensed titles like this bomb all the time?’ Well, yes, but X-Men: Destiny held so much promise when it was announced. It was being penned by the writer from the X-Men Legacy series, you would be able to control a wide roster of characters from the franchise, and decide your X-Man’s fate through a series of decisions and choices. In the end, however, we were left with an ugly, unresponsive, and nearly unplayable game that even Wolverine wouldn’t sink his claws into.
Runner-Up: Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded
Reader’s Choice: Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded
Best Game No One Played: OkamiDen
In a perfect world, a game like OkamiDen would be known throughout the world. Gamers everywhere would know of Chibiterasu’s exploits to save the world from evil. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in. OkamiDen managed to sell a paltry 280,000 copies, nowhere near what this game deserves. So do yourself a favour, go out, find a copy of OkamiDen and pop it into your Nintendo DS - you won’t regret it.
Runner-Up: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Reader’s Choice: Radiant Historia
Nintendo DS Game Of The Year: Pokémon: Black / White
OkamiDen and Kirby: Mass Attack should hold their heads up high. They both put up a valiant fight but in the end the combined strength of 649 Pokémon and one very dedicated trainer were just too much to hold back. Pokémon: Black / White takes everything we love about the series and refines it for the modern gamer. Online gameplay, DLC, new triple battles and a slew of side-quests keep the experience feeling fresh. Without a doubt, Pokémon: Black / White is not only the best game the series has seen to date, but one of the best DS titles ever released.
Runner-Up: Kirby: Mass Attack
Reader’s Choice: Radiant Historia
