Infendo’s top 10 best Nintendo games of 2010

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What were the best Nintendo games released over the last 12 months for either Nintendo DS or Wii? I asked notable Infendo staffers to name their picks. Here’s what they said.

Derek

  1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – A masterwork of creative, inspired game design.
  2. Donkey Kong Country Returns – Retro Studios reinvigorates another icon.
  3. Kirby’s Epic Yarn – A seamless marriage of clever art and gameplay.
  4. Sin and Punishment 2 – Proof that the Wii can be hardcore, pigs can fly.
  5. GoldenEye 007 – An excellent recreation of a multiplayer classic.
  6. Metroid: Other M – An ambitious game that finally makes Samus Aran human.
  7. Disney Epic Mickey – Stellar art, surreal concept put Mickey back on the map.
  8. No More Heroes 2 – Suda’s latest is as irreverent, bold as ever.
  9. Mega Man 10 – Even ten Mega Man games isn’t enough.
  10. Trauma Team – Wii’s surgery simulator evolves, stays fun.

I don’t play much DS. Guilty as charged.

David

  1. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future – continues the grand tradition of this series with tighter integration of puzzle and plot
  2. Rock Band 3 – yes, the keyboard completely revitalized this genre
  3. Dragon Quest IX – eases you into an amazing world and then blows your mind with so much to do
  4. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – it’s a great expansion on the original with a lot less screwing around in between levels
  5. Bit.Trip Runner – punishing in its intensity, rewarding in it’s graphics and music and fun
  6. Puzzle Quest 2 – they made the puzzle RPG feel more like a true RPG
  7. Wii Party – a huge improvement over the tired Mario Party series and fun to return for the minigames; I never knew hide & seek could be so much fun as an adult!
  8. Kirby’s Epic Yarn – how can you not love Kirby, even as yarn?
  9. Sin & Punishment Star Successor – lots of fun shooting critters in beautiful landscapes
  10. Metroid: Other M – fun action, lame voiceover

Still haven’t played: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Epic Mickey, or the new Golden Sun

Jack — To lazy to submit his picks. Fart-knocker.

Richard

  1. Super Mario Galaxy 2 – This perfect, awesome game introduced the world to lava hippos.
  2. Rock Band 3 – It’s like a vast, fully-customizable musical theme park.
  3. Professor Layton and the Unwound Future – This game’s final scenes are unforgettable.
  4. Donkey Kong Country Returns – A stunning game that’s going to keep me challenged for weeks.
  5. Kirby’s Epic Yarn – Jaw-dropping imagination at work, here.
  6. Epic Mickey – Its incredible art direction, animation and concept compensate for oddly-paced gameplay.
  7. Lego Harry Potter – Funny and charming from beginning to end.
  8. Warioware D.I.Y. – This perfectly-tuned mini-game creator is a work of genius.
  9. Wii Party – A lot more fun than it looked.
  10. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem – Tiny wind-up Marios hit DK in the face with rockets–What more could you ask for?

Blake

  1. Donkey Kong Country Returns. Better than Super Mario Galaxy 2.
  2. Super Mario Galaxy 2. Star Wars is to Super Mario Galaxy as Empire Strikes Back is to SMG2.
  3. Call of Duty: Black Ops. Explosive gameplay, superior controls, inferior graphics.
  4. GoldenEye 007. Split-screen bliss, sneaky campaign.
  5. Epic Kirby. Not as good as Canvas Curse, bet clever background duality gameplay.
  6. NBA Jam. Retro four-player riot with a modern look.
  7. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. For those who dig Hotel Dusk…
  8. Michael Jackson: The Experience. Just Dance 2 plus better dance music.
  9. Guilty Party. Better than Wii Party.
  10. Red Steel 2. Best Wii Swordplay ever?
  11. Monster Hunter Tri. Snoozer opening, huge second and third acts.

Games I still haven’t played but would like to: The incredibly high-scoring Shantae: Risky’s Revenge for DSiWare. Udraw for Wii. Sonic Colors.

Enough about us. What are your top 10 Nintendo games of the year?

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21 Comments

  1. Can’t say about all of the 10 I have in mind, but Professor Layton certainly has #1 in my book. A beautiful game, deep and gripping without a need for the intense violence and “realism” of many games nowadays.

    The game is real through its emotions, and in evoking emotion through story and thought. This makes it a gem that, in my mind, will be remembered and played decades from now.

  2. Tatunoko vs Capcom should be on all those list. It is one of the better Wii games come on people. Lol

  3. Above poster has it. TvC was amazing, shows that the wii can handle those Street Fighter engines just fine.

  4. I would’ve submitted my top 10 picks, but I didn’t play 10 new games in 2010. So here are the games I did play, in the order that I enjoyed them:

    1. Super Mario Galaxy 2. Must I explain? Highest reviewed game on the Wii, and for good reason. Some of the green stars made me want to die but overall this game built on everything that was great about the original.

    2. Donkey Kong Country Returns. Solid platforming, good fun and serious challenge. My struggles with the mandatory motion controls prevented me from enjoying the gameplay as much as I otherwise might have.

    3. Metroid: Other M. Decent gameplay, but it just wasn’t that long or as satisfying compared to the Prime Trilogy, and the cinemas/voice acting were much more grating than I expected (which I guess is because Samus is one of my favorite characters from anything and it hurt my soul to see her spouting such silly, poorly conceived dialogue). But hey, Metroid Prime 3 is a hard act to follow.

  5. My top 10:

    #1 Super Mario Galaxy 2: Already took what made the first so fun and amplified it’s difficulty
    #2 Donkey Kong Country Returns: So challenging, yet so much fun!
    #3 Kirby’s Epic Yarn: From a graphical standpoint amazing, as far as gameplay a little too easy.
    #4 Golden Sun Dark Dawn: Been waiting too darn long for this one!
    #5 Goldeneye 007: A classic reborn. Doesn’t hold the same punch as it used to though.
    #6 Epic Mickey: Mickey has been made cool once more!
    #7 Dragon Quest IX: Great gameplay and great use of tag mode
    #8 Metroid Other M: Great game when it wants to be. You can keep the VO’s though.
    #9 Professor Layton and the Unwound Future: See, you don’t need violence to make a great game!
    #10 Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver: The best generation of Pokemon brought up to the fourth generation ruleset.

  6. The complete lack of Tatsunoko vs Capcom is disturbing.

    Bit. Trip Runner, Puzzle Quest, Professor Layton, MM10, Epic Mickey, NMH2, M:OM, Red Steel 2, Goldeneye and others manage to make it on these lists but no Tatsunoko vs Capcom?

    TvC was GOTY for me. Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most polished games on Wii and the rebirth of the Vs. Series of games.

    Monster Hunter 3 also deserves more respect than one tenth-place spot.

    I am disappoint, Infendo.

  7. Lego Harry Potter? You serious? You put this on but no TvC? for shame.

  8. Gojiguy–

    What can I say; I’m a Lego fan and a Harry Potter freak…and the game was a riot. I’m not saying it’s a better game than TvC…just one of my personal faves this year.

  9. i agree with blake the most. to me red steel 2 and monster hunter tri really stand out, and well as sin and punishment 2. for the ds, the only one that really stood out is final fantasy four heroes of light. personally for me, dragon quest 9 is overrated. but that’s just me.

  10. NBA Jam needs more love.

  11. This just shows how few new games I played this year. I think my game of the year is Bit.Trip Runner. But I’m yet to play DKC, Prof Layton, 999, Wii Party and Red Steel 2, any of them could make me change my mind.

  12. Woohoo, my copy of 999 arrived from Play-asia, just in time for Xmas. I’m sure that’s going to sneek in as my DS game of the year.

    Look at the reviews dammit, look with your eyes! =)

  13. @Gojiguy
    I agree.
    In my opinion, Monster hunter tri should have been #1 or #2 and TvC should have been up there.

  14. Gojiguy– What can I say; I’m a Lego fan and a Harry Potter freak…and the game was a riot. I’m not saying it’s a better game than TvC…just one of my personal faves this year.

  15. 1.TVC 2nd best fighter on the wii2.monster hunter 3 Too Much to do
    3.Goldeneye great campaign
    4.Cod Black ops 1st game to use Headset
    Thats it for my list , if NBA JAM & NO MORE HEROES HAD ONLINE MULTIPLAYER , I mIGHT HAVE BOUGHT THEM ! DUMB ASD DEVELOPERS ALWAYS PUT ONLINE IN YOUR GAMES OR ITD A NO BUY FOR ME!!!!!

  16. Super Mario Galaxy 2, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors, Pokemon HeartGold, WarioWare DIY. These aren’t in any particular order, but that’s my top 5.

  17. Derek absolutely had the best list.

    Blake, there’s no way DKC returns is better than galaxy 2. Great game, but galaxy 2 is as close to a perfect game as nintendo has ever come.
    Also, michael jackson? Really?

  18. Probably Rock Band 3 as my Wii GOTY, and Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors as my DS one.

  19. Top games I got in 2010 for Wii?
    1. Monster Hunter Tri – So deep. So much time invested and so much fun along the way. 600+ hours and still going strong.
    2. Donkey Kong Country Returns – I love how its so much more challenging than NSMBWii, and yet, I can still easily co-op it with my 2 year old. That’s right. 2. I throw Diddy on my back and she just lets the random peanuts fly, all the while laughing at the silly monkeys on the screen.
    3. No More Heroes 2 – Philistine. That is all.
    4. Goldeneye 007 – I struggled with the controls at first. then I found a sweet custom control setup and its like butter. Great game! Haven’t even touched the multiplayer yet.
    5. Metroid Other M – I like the controls. I didn’t HATE the story, but I’m certainly glad I can skip the cutscenes at will now. That’s by far the best unlock in the game.

    Games I missed but want: Red Steel 2, Kirby, Sin & Punishment

  20. 1. professor Layton and the unwound future
    2. Goldeneye 007
    3. Donkey Kong Country Returns
    4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
    5. Dragon ball Kai attack of the saiyans
    6.Sonic Colours
    7.Metroid: Other M
    8.Kirby’s epic yarn
    9.Super Scribblenauts
    10. Kingdom Hearts

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