Best of the best: the first revolution

by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 22nd 2007 at 3:00PM }

Everyone has an opinion about what makes a good game. You've got one, we've got one (or several, as there are several of us here), and the reviewers, they all have their own preferences, too. Sometimes, however, those opinions all just seem to coincide, and then we know a game is truly something special.

As part of our celebration of the first year of the Wii, we thought we would do a comparison of the best-reviewed games released for the system alongside our picks for the top games. Sometimes they overlap, but we slipped in a few extras that we feel just might be worth your time.

The Year's Best Games (according to metascores)

Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo): 97%
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo): 95%
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Capcom): 91%
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo): 90%
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Capcom) 87%

These are the top five games, per review scores, from the first year of the Wii. The first thing that one might notice is there are only two publishers represented here: Capcom, and of course, Nintendo. The second is that these are all pretty solid games, whether or not they're your particular cup of tea. Are they the best the system has had to offer this year? Clearly, someone thinks so. But we're not sure we agree ... at least, not completely.

The Year's Best Games (according to Wii Fanboy staff)

Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Sports
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

But here's where things get interesting. Since we're not scoring these games (except by racking up bruises while we fistfight over the final list), 2-4 all ended up tied with the same number of votes -- and every one of us had at least one other game that we thought should be featured. After all, we're serious fans, and this is serious business here; we're choosing the best games from the console's first year! We can't be limited in our selection criteria!

Wii Fanboy's Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Guitar Hero 3
Mercury Meltdown Revolution
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Cooking Mama

Some of these games still manage to rank pretty highly by metascore; Guitar Hero 3 rolls in at number six, while others are way down that list. But this is about more than just scoring, or graphics, difficulty, and control schemes -- this is about the games you can have fun with, by yourself or with family and friends. Looking back at the first year of the Wii, we see options. We see choice. We see a lot of quality in gaming, including one of the highest rated games of all time. Many of us have had moments of doubt this year, but breaking it down, Wii owners really do have a lot to be happy about -- and let's hope next year is even better.

Tags: anniversary-week, best, cooking-mama, corruption, fire-emblem, guitar-hero-3, joystiqfeatures, legend-of-zelda, mercury-meltdown-revolution, metacritic, metroid, rayman-raving-rabbids, resident-evil-4, review, super-mario-galaxy, twilight-princess, warioware, wii-sports, zack-and-wiki

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:05PM

Zack and Wiki didn't make top five. Wii Fanboy = fail

TriptychR @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:07PM

So basically you wanted them to have the same exact list as the top metascores? That would've been pretty boring.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:35PM

No, because I actually would not have put RE4 on the list at all.

flamingsquirrel @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:41PM

In no ordee

Zack and wiki
GHIII
RE4
metroid
galaxy

Malik @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:47PM

Where's MoH-H2?

This post = fail. 100% of it.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:36PM

MoH is hardly a top-five game.

Fank @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:26PM

Thanks for the spoiler. A huge Goomba boss. Just thanks guys. Thanks.

ArashiUzumaki @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:44PM

that goomba aint a boss..
what you sulking about? :\

HTML_Earth @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:22PM

it actually only appears ONCE and it dies with ONE hit.
And then you never see it again..

hvnlysoldr @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:38PM

Those replies spoiled it.

Fank @ Nov 22nd 2007 5:53PM

Nothing either of you said takes away that it is a spoiler. Boss or not.

Alisha Karabinus @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:37PM

Goombas in a Mario game?! Say it ain't so!

Fank @ Nov 23rd 2007 7:32AM

Don't act dumb.

ipsum @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:26PM

MARIO WEARS A RED CAP!?

How about *you* stop acting dumb? A real spoiler would be telling you that Luigi's in the game.

ArashiUzumaki @ Nov 23rd 2007 1:31PM

haha!
jesus, that sparked something there :\
who cares! the game's brilliant, and that's all that matters!
not like the big goomba is the best thing in the game is it?
if you're going to moan about that then would your body decompose if i said something bigger?
END OF :)

Fank @ Nov 23rd 2007 2:37PM

How about not posting images of a game as big as Galaxy, as it was only released in some parts of the world a week ago. Typical for Americans not to get that.

samfish @ Nov 23rd 2007 4:19PM

I'm sure Nintendo would REALLY appreciate people not posting screen shots and promoting Mario Galaxy, Fank, just because YOU haven't apparently gotten to the second level yet over the course of a week.

geishroy @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:35PM

3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
4. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
5. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

This is the only thing I'd have to say I hate about my Wii, I mean come on all three of these games are basically just ports, though they are all good, we need some more originality.