Hardware transitions are never an easy time. High quality games are few and far between as most new releases are moved to the new console to fill out the launch line-up. Evidently this is the case with Nintendo’s transition from the Wii to the Wii U; notable releases for the Wii dwindled in 2011. That being said, there were still several quality games released for the Wii that caught our eye and surprised us in more ways than one.
With that in mind, we present you with gamrReview's Wii Game of the Year Awards 2011.
Best Platformer: Rayman Origins
For a while there we were worried that the Rayman series had been relegated to a bunch of mini-game collections featuring obnoxious rabbit-like things, but then along comes Rayman Origins to redeem the franchise. Here we have an artfully beautiful 2D platformer that harkens back to the series' hay-day where this type of game was the norm not the exception. Add to that excellent gameplay and a balanced four player option and you have one of the best platformers to hit the Wii in a long time.
Runner-Up: Kirby’s Return To Dreamland
Reader’s Choice: Rayman Origins
Best Action/Adventure: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Fans of the Zelda series are used to great games but in 2011 we were treated to perhaps the best one so far. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword perfectly marries the traditional Zelda gameplay with the seemingly endless possibilities of the Wii Motion Plus controller, allowing you to finally feel what it’s like to swing a sword… or fly a giant bird high above the clouds.Skyward Sword is one of Nintendo’s crowing achievements and our pick for the Wii’s best action/adventure game of 2011.
Runner-Up: Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Best Party Game: Just Dance 3
It seems that everyone and their mom just can’t stop dancing. Ubisoft’s ultimate party experience hasn’t lost any of its momentum since the original got us off the couch and shaking our rears all the way back in good ol’ 2009. This year’s edition brought sexy back in a big way with a much improved and larger soundtrack, expanded downloadable content, and refined modes and controls. If you're throwing a Wii party then Just Dance 3 is a must in your line-up.
Runner-Up: Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympic Games
Reader’s Choice: Just Dance 3
Best RPG: Xenoblade: Chronicles
Throughout its life the Wii has been a system seriously lacking in great role playing games... until now. Xenoblade: Chronicles is everything a great RPG should be. It has the epic story, complimented beautifully by breathtaking graphics and music, an engaging and deep battle system, a weapons crafting system that should make many a rival blush, and all wrapped up in one game that will take countless hours to complete. Japan and Europe have a gem on their hands and 2012 can’t come soon enough for North American gamers.
Runner-Up: Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny
Reader’s Choice: Xenoblade: Chronicles
Best Sports Game: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Ever since Wii Sports, the Wii has been the home of virtual golf. However, the baby steps that game took were nothing compared to what is available to Wii-owning golf aficionados now, as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters delivers the ultimate golf experience on the platform to-date. The new setting - the Masters tournament - is a welcome addition, but it’s the Wii Motion Plus that sits atop this leaderboard, allowing you to accurately re-create your real-life swing.
Runner-Up: FIFA Soccer 2012
Reader’s Choice: Mario Sports Mix
Best Shooter: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The biggest modern gaming franchise comes to the Wii in a big way, bringing with it all the explosions, multiplayer modes and noob-tubes that our friends playing on the HD platforms enjoy. Modern Warfare 3 also earns points for its incredibly detailed graphics, in-depth storyline, and stellar soundtrack that makes the experience feel like a fast paced action movie rather than a videogame. Without a doubt Modern Warfare 3 is the best shooter available on Wii.
Runner-Up: Conduit 2
Reader’s Choice: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Best WiiWare Game: BIT.TRIP: Flux
A clean sweep for Gaijin Games and the BIT.TRIP series! Both Flux and Fate provided us with hours of trippy fun, but when it came to choosing a champion it was Flux that took home the prize. Harkening back to the roots of the BIT.TRIP universe with gameplay akin to BIT.TRIP: Beat, Flux also introduces some new mechanics, including four player co-op, so you and three friends can all experience this trip of game. For only 800 Wii Points you have absolutely no reason not to download the final chapter in Commander Video’s saga.
Runner-Up: BIT.TRIP: Fate
Reader’s Choice: BIT.TRIP: Flux
Best Graphics: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Zelda games have always been among the best looking on their respective consoles, and for the Wii’s swan song, Skyward Sword is no exception to that rule. Taking the world that Link, Zelda and friends (and enemies) live in and making it not only imaginatively believable but also breathtakingly beautiful was no easy task for the designers at Nintendo and yet they managed to squeeze every ounce of processing power out of the Wii, to deliver, without a doubt, the best visuals the system has ever seen.
Runner-Up: Rayman Origins
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Best Art Style: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Taking inspiration from The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess’s art styles and blending them together was a risky move but it paid off in a big way for Nintendo. Looking like a painting come to life, Skyward Sword’s art style, while controversial at first, is the best the series has seen to date. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword did not win this award simply because it was a good-looking game, it won because the art style perfectly suited Link’s new world and brought the world of Zelda to life.
Runner-Up: Rayman Origins
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Best Original Musical Score: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
How can you argue with a full orchestra? The soundtrack for Skyward Sword brought the music from the world of Zelda to life like never before. Some arrangements, like the Goddesses theme, are already being tipped as the best track in the series' history. We sincerely hope many of you managed to get your hands on the limited edition soundtrack CD that came with early prints of the game - this is one soundtrack that's worth owning and listening to on its own.
Runner-Up: Rayman Origins
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Most Anticipated Wii Game: The Last Story
While the upcoming Wii U is sure to garner the most attention in 2012, the venerable old U-less Wii still has a handful of great games on the horizon, none more hotly anticipated than The Last Story. This epic RPG has already done the rounds in Japan and has earned rave reviews, and while it may not yet be announced for release in North America, the recent news thatXenoblade is making the trip overseas is sure to give hope to those waiting for Hironobu Sakaguchi’s masterpiece to arrive stateside.
Runner-Up: Rhythm Heaven: Fever
Reader’s Choice: The Last Story
Biggest Disappointment: Wii Play: Motion
When the Wii Motion Plus was announced we all hoped that it would breathe new life into some of the Wii’s staple franchises, and while Wii Sports: Resort was an early indicator that things were going well, the second Motion Plus title, Wii Play: Motion completely dropped the giant ice cream cone. Acting more like a beefed-up tech demo than an actual game, the major problem holding back the title was that there simply wasn’t enough to do - the whole game could be experienced in a matter of minutes. And, worst of all, what was on the disk was boring, repetitive, and frankly not all that fun.
Runner-Up: Conduit 2
Reader’s Choice: Conduit 2
Best Game No One Played: Rayman Origins
In its first few weeks on the market Rayman Origins has had a lacklustre sales reception, managing less than 100,000 sales on the Wii during that time. The real tragedy here is that the game is clearly such a labour of love; everything from the characters to the artwork and gameplay is so masterfully crafted that it’s a real shame to see the developers not reaping the fruits of their labour. Any gamer, whether they identify themselves as hardcore or casual, owes it to themselves to check out Rayman Origins - it's one of the best platformers to land on any system in the past decade.
Runner-Up: Lost In Shadow
Reader’s Choice: Xenoblade: Chronicles
Wii Game Of The Year: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
After claiming four separate Wii Game of the Year Awards this year, it’s hard to find much else to say about Skyward Sword. The gameplay, bolstered by the Wii Motion Plus, is superb. The graphics and art style, which make the game seem like a painting come to life, are fantastic. The fully orchestrated soundtrack is sublime. Whether or not this is best game in the Zelda series we'll leave for you to decide, but beyond a shadow of a doubt, no other Wii game has so masterfully combined all of these elements into one package, delivering a final product that is as much an experience as a video game. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword is both the best Wii game of 2011 and one of the best Wii games of all time.
Runner-Up: Rayman Origins
Reader’s Choice: The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
