Best of 2007: First-party games [update]


Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
Every game doesn't have to have some big epic storyline or level after level of boss fights or some big, stylish presentation. Maybe a great game helps you learn something about yourself. Given that, maybe you found the self-help nature of Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree and its multiplayer aspects very endearing.
Gallery: Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree

Battalion Wars 2
Nintendo's Bwii is quite the great game. We found it near-perfect when running the title through its paces for review. Bwii even has a pretty fun online mode. Overall, the game is just buckets of fun. Different units, different challenges and different things to love about it. But, is it enough to set it apart from the next game up for the crown?
Gallery: BWii

Super Mario Galaxy
This is likely going to be the choice for most of you. We can't say we blame you; it's an amazing game. It deserves all of the praise it's received. We're sure some of you out there probably didn't get all of the 120 stars in the game yet. Keep at it!
Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy

Mario Strikers Charged
The game that kicked off the online scene on the Wii. Soccer isn't everyone's game, but we know tons of you hopped on this bandwagon because of the online play. Many of you still probably get down with this game online. But, is the online enough to make it your pick for first-party game of the year?
Gallery: Mario Strikers Charged

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
So sad when a great thing comes to the end. Easily the best in the trilogy, in our eyes. Heck, we might even say it's our favorite Metroid game of all time. Well, maybe not ... Super Metroid is pretty damn great. But, so is this game! And, more people need to buy it. In fact, go out and buy another copy. Oh, and tell us if it's your favorite first-party game of the year.
Gallery: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Pokemon Battle Revolution
Finally, we come to Nintendo's heavy-hitting franchise. The fact that it's a fairly hollow game on its own didn't detract many from giving it a whirl as they battled with their little monsters to their heart's content. Plus, the online battle made many a person's day, we're sure. Is it enough to make it your first-party game of the year, though?
Gallery: Pokemon Battle Revolution

Super Paper Mario
How could anyone look over Super Paper Mario? It's fun nature and clever writing had it as easily one of the best times on the Wii. However, when stacking it up against other titles, we wouldn't call the game a top contender now, but we know many of you found the humor to just be spot on and the game to be an overall pleasant experience.
Gallery: Super Paper Mario

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Radiant Dawn is a game our very own Candace said was "hard -- very hard in fact -- but in a good way." It's an epic title that offers fans of fantastic, intertwining story lines taking place in Middle Age-type settings something. So, there's that. But, aside from that niche group of people, the sound gameplay is there and the franchise fans love themselves some Fire Emblem, so we know many of you want your voices to be heard.

Mario Party 8
Gallery: Mario Party 8

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
The Wii installment in this franchise is easily the best, as the variety of minigames and other challenges within are varied and incredibly fun. It makes for a great game with friends and by yourself, never failing to make you bust a gut at how hilarious and fun the title is. Many have enjoyed it, so it definitely deserves to be considered for best first-party game of the year.
Now it's time to cast your vote. Let your voice be heard and help us decide what the best first-party Wii game of 2007 is!
Update: I seem to have forgotten to add a couple of big titles for the Wii. I apologize for the error and have fixed the post and poll, hopefully to satisfaction. All threats of unicorn massacre and gumdrop manufacturing strikes may be sent to david [at] nintendowiifanboy [dawt] com.









Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mark richardson @ Dec 18th 2007 11:25AM
they are all soo soo good its so diff to choose between them all!
cant wait to see the same poll but with 3rd party dev's!
sn1per @ Dec 18th 2007 11:39AM
Easily Mario Strikers Charged. Honestly, if you haven't played it, you're really missing out.
danny. @ Dec 18th 2007 11:52AM
It got my vote. If they ever patched the exploits, I'd go right back to playing it.
Julien @ Dec 18th 2007 11:57AM
Galaxy >>>>>>> Metroid Prime >>>>> Strikers
samfish @ Dec 18th 2007 11:39AM
Big Brain Academy was AAAAAWFUL!
sketchampm @ Dec 18th 2007 1:44PM
Yeah it was. Hey, where did you get the Peach avatar? Seriously, that's hilarious.
BrandonIT @ Dec 18th 2007 11:41AM
Unfortunately, I've only played Big Brain Academy so I really don't feel my vote would be valid. I'll just wait and see how it turns out.
MoFro @ Dec 18th 2007 11:47AM
How can you even nominate Pokemon Battle Revolution? I had NEVER traded a game in to Gamestop but PBR helped me break new ground... it is a total waste of a game.
Seriously, Wii Play is more worthy of a nomination.
Blu-Sam @ Dec 18th 2007 1:10PM
Wii Sport release in 2006. We talk about for 2007.
Croove55 @ Dec 18th 2007 1:15PM
Yes, but Wii Play was released in the U.S. in 2007. =)
Orion @ Dec 18th 2007 11:48AM
hey, what the heck... where is super paper mario??? god knows that sold better than all those except mario galaxies, so where is it?????
that game gets my vote. common wiifanboy, how can you be a fanboy if you can't even remember some of the best 1st party games of the year???
Julien @ Dec 18th 2007 11:58AM
Super paper mario was great, a LOT better than BBA or PBV imho
Damian @ Dec 18th 2007 11:59AM
Mario Strikers Charged
and I can tell you why: its an unexpected amazing game
we All knew Mario Galaxy would rock, but this particular game that was like "uh another Mario-sport franchise" turned out to be amazing.
Its two of my favourite things together, Smash Brothers and Soccer, in a brand new thing. When my friends come over we play a bunch of games but the one we really enjoy is Mario Strikers Charged, we laugh our a$$es off by knocking out others and make little tournaments, its amazingly fun!
Julien @ Dec 18th 2007 12:08PM
Can someone tell me if Metroid Prime 3 is really better than MP1 ?
I thought MP2 was not as good as the first... so I'm a bit worried about the 3rd.
Shadow31 @ Dec 18th 2007 12:16PM
According to NWFB, it is. My opinion? Um...
The controls feel so much nicer than any of the Primes. Gameplay-wise, yeah, it's better. But the first one just feels funner, IMHO. Layout, enemies, bosses, powerups... all of it.
Still, Prime 3 was great, and much better than 2. It's worth a buy.
Croove55 @ Dec 18th 2007 12:44PM
There are about 10 people in the entire world who have played through the entire trilogy and liked MP2:Echoes the most. I am one of those ten. o_o
Fullmetal Salchemist @ Dec 18th 2007 3:39PM
Prime 3 was great, but they added stuff they didn't need to. Like a half-baked SciFi action plot. If I wanted a generic space opera, I would play Halo.
Julien @ Dec 18th 2007 3:46PM
Prime 1 was a lot of exploration and some action.
What about the 3rd?
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 4:04PM
Prime 3's major failing (and its only, IMO) was the idea of putting all the various worlds on different planets, it made everything feel disconnected
Each individual world was certainly worthy of Metroid-dom, but it felt like there wasn't any continuity between them
Although Prime 3 had unique puzzles to kick the shit out of the other 2
Zachary Hinchliffe @ Dec 18th 2007 12:16PM
I'm a big metroid fan and I thought that the 3rd was better than the 2nd, but not better than the 1st. Your mileage may vary, but it's really a good game all around.
HPFFE @ Dec 18th 2007 12:32PM
Super Mario Galaxy is without a doubt the game of the year.
I still think Super Paper Mario and Zack & Wiki were awesome too, though not as good as Galaxy.
Croove55 @ Dec 18th 2007 12:49PM
Since I'm getting Galaxy for Christmas, I've only played demos. Needless to say, I really can't wait until Christmas this year, but I can't vote on SMG if I haven't played much of it. I'm pretty sure it's going to deserve the win it's about to get, but I voted MP3 as the best game that I've played in that list (the only other one I've played is Strikers). It might not actually be the best one there, but damn it's good.
chuchurocka @ Dec 18th 2007 1:06PM
i hated the other 3D metroid games and thought they were rubbish. Corruption on the other hand was super rad.
bc @ Dec 18th 2007 1:28PM
What, no Wario Ware??? Best party game out there.
student @ Dec 18th 2007 2:06PM
Mario Strikers Charged has given me countless hours of fun. While one on one online can be frustrating (players who watch the full video after every goal, and some of the cheat moves), two on two is the most balanced game out. With two players, most cheats are useless and it's a great party game.
My friend and I have played countless hours on that this year and it's a great pick me up. So its that for my vote!
Maybe Battalion wars but I'm getting that for xmas :)
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 4:08PM
See, i never got abused by the cheap moves (i presume you mean like Dry Bone's teleportation and Toad's little flip jump), but i really dropped off playing by mid-August (Super Metroid got in the way, and i never got around to playing it again)
My trick in that game was an abuse of the passing system. Get two characters close together, spam A until it's white, then lob it downtown and let someone else smack it in
student @ Dec 18th 2007 4:28PM
Khan, those are only a few of the moves that can be learned to be abused. However, they are the ones I hate the most since any move that GUARANTEES a goal I feel is pretty illegal (that's not a skillshot of course). It's frustrating that whenever an opponent steals the ball, he runs up to your goalie and just jumps over him.
This isn't a big deal in two player as you have more control over all the characters (for instance, one can pull back), but when you can't issue commands in single player it's damned near impossible to stop.
Khan, my friend and I often do a similar strategy, where I would hold the ball in "shot" mode until it went white, and then cross it to him so he gets a top shot on the goalie's weak side. This works in single player as well, though it's difficult since your teammates don't always stand where you'd like them to. Our other strategy is to sit in front of the goalie and just constantly tap shoot so the goalie has to punt every time.
If you ever play wario and 3 boos in two player, or bowser with 2 Monty mole and boo, that's my friend and I :).
Needless to say, I love that game lol.
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Dec 18th 2007 2:12PM
I voted for PBR since I knew no one else would.
Looks like I was right :D
Candace Savino @ Dec 18th 2007 2:15PM
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Oh wait, that's not a choice :P. I hate you, Dave :).
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 4:10PM
I'm loving Radiant Dawn too, although i find some of the changes frustrating. Little things, like making "Shove" a skill that takes up space on your skill pie chart. Although other additions make up for it, like choosing when to change the laguz, and allowing the laguz to defend themselves when in human form
Also, being able to have the Black Knight join my crew in Chapter 9 was a fanboy's dream come true
Andrew @ Dec 18th 2007 4:30PM
Warioware?? Why isn't that here?
Out of these choices I would probably choose Galaxy, although I would choose strikers or Bwii as great titles for anyone to experience.
Fiefdom @ Dec 18th 2007 6:29PM
Fire Emblem
Fiefdom @ Dec 18th 2007 6:34PM
T____T Stupid sideways heart symbol killing the post with its less than character.
Fire Emblem S2
I've no interest in platformers, FPS's, and sports games which luckily takes all the crap out of the list. Fire Emblem is the only game on that list which hasn't been babied for novice gamers of the fifth and sixth generation consoles who cry when they see a game over screen while maintaining its heritage of old style strategic gameplay.
Mr Khan @ Dec 18th 2007 7:20PM
To be honest, i've only ever seen the Fire Emblem game over screen once (i made a stupid mistake in Path of Radiance Chapter 13 where the crow got to the space i was supposed to defend), but i consider any time a character kicks the bucket "game over" for all intents and purposes
MidnightScott @ Dec 18th 2007 9:01PM
Galaxy > All :D
RIch @ Dec 18th 2007 10:25PM
Easily Super Mario Galaxy; the game that made me feel like a little kid again. I literally could not put the game down. Camera issues aside, this was gaming greatness.
Metroid Prime 3 is second. Best first person shooter/adventure I've ever played simple due to the controls making it a joy to play. Other games have more impressive AI and graphics, but the dual analog setup is THE barrier to entry for me.
Neal Eaton @ Dec 19th 2007 2:07PM
WOW - this is a really hard choice to make.
Metroid is so great, but so is Galaxy...
So out of these 1st party games, I see 2 (Big Brain Academy and Mario Party 8) games that are truly casual...and the rest are more 'core gamer'.
When will everyone else see that Nintendo is not forgetting the 'core gamer'. This has been a great year for ALL types of gamers.
Now if we could only get the 3rd party people to get it in gear and start serving up some really good games that don't reek of 'PS2-ness'.
Ponweed @ Dec 19th 2007 9:34PM
Super Mario Galaxy Is obviously my favorite, but the ones that came close were, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Super Paper Mario. I did not ply Prime yet (don't kill me), but I plan to. I haven't played a lot of them though. Maybe I should pick up BWii sometime, but not right now. I can't wait for best 3rd party game! That should be a LOT easier. But then again I Loved Crash. It seems diffucult to choose from Zack and Wiki, Guitar Hero, AND Crash of the Titans (MUCH better than expected).
Tristan @ Dec 19th 2007 10:38PM
Galaxy is such a worthless choice. It was not that amazing. Strikers Charged is where its at, it has everything a good game could ever have :)