What won this coveted award?

With the launch of 3DS in March, the Wii U's unveiling at E3 and a Christmas period that included new Zelda, Mario and Mario Kart games, we rather think 2011 was a pretty good year all in all.

But what were the very best stand-out games of the year? What moments will we think of when we reminisce about 2011? The Nintendo Life team filed their ballots for the biggest and best games of 2011.

How the results were calculated.

Each staff member ranked his or her top three games on each format. A first place vote was worth three points, second place two and third place a single point. In the event of a tie, the game with more higher place votes took precedence. Points were tallied, awards were designed, winners were crowned and corks were popped.

Nintendo Life 3DS Game Of 2011

Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land

Mario's first 3DS platformer is a blend of nostalgia — flagpole! Tanooki suit! — and innovative use of the 3D screen. Your first taste of one of its Escher-like rooms is a moment to savour, and while it drew some criticism for being too short or too easy, it crams a lot of enjoyment into that little cartridge.

Second place: Mario Kart 7.
Fresh online features and some quality course design — except you, Wuhu Loop — got Mario's racing spirit up to second place. A surefire crowd pleaser.

Third place: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.
An enhanced version of one of the all-time greats pushed to third place in our Game of the Year votes. Mario must be thrilled, but we have a feeling Link will have his day in the sun.

Nintendo Life Wii Game Of 2011

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

There could really only be one contender for this year's Wii game of the year. Five years in the making, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the pinnacle of what's possible on Wii: phenomenal music, art design and some of the best motion controls we've ever used combine to make one of Link's best adventures yet.

Second place: Xenoblade Chronicles.
Monolithsoft's Wii RPG finally made it to Europe — North America, you get your chance in April — and wowed us with its epic scale, intricate battle and relationship system and some truly superb music.

Third place: Rayman Origins.
Rayman's long-awaited return to 2D platforming was a joy to look at, a riot to play and a wonderful celebration of play from Ubisoft's talented Montpellier studio.

Nintendo Life DS Game Of 2011

Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
Solatorobo: Red The Hunter

A tremendously imaginative action RPG set in a world where anthropomorphised animals and giant robots live above the clouds. The kind of game we love to see released in the West, and well worth picking up if you're after a quirky Japanese RPG.

Second place: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective.
With its cast of delightful characters, hilarious script, top-notch animation and noggin-scratcher puzzles, Ghost Trick set the bar for DS in 2011 early and sky high. Shu Takumi may be best known for the Ace Attorney series, but Ghost Trick goes in exciting new directions that we can only hope he continues to pursue in some fashion.

Third place: Kirby Mass Attack.
Working on the principle that more is more, Mass Attack gives you ten Kirbys and lets you loose on a typically imaginative and enjoyable romp.

Nintendo Life eShop Game Of 2011

Pullblox

Intelligent Systems turned its experts' eye to puzzle games with this simply excellent block-pusher. Tonnes of built-in puzzles are bolstered by the ability to create your own and share them online via the wonder of QR codes. One of the best 3DS games this year by far.

Second place: Mighty Switch Force.
It may have been a late entry into the 3DS eShop ring but considering we were expecting it in 2012 we're not complaining. A characteristically classy puzzle platformer from WayForward, this one is well deserving of your eShop credit.

Third place: Zen Pinball 3D.
Admittedly hampered by the fact it's not available in North America until next year, Zen Studios' bumper bash still pulled in enough votes to land it third in our 3DS download rankings. One to watch in the New Year, North Americans.

Nintendo Life DSiWare Game Of 2011

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition

Even if Nintendo hadn't given away this multiplayer marvel for free we still think it'd have secured enough votes to rank as number one. An improved version of the GBA original with new levels and local wireless multiplayer, there's really no excuse not to own this. Remember it's only available until February, so if you haven't picked it up yet, time is running out.

Second place: Mighty Milky Way.
The second Mighty game to make our end-of-year rundown, Milky Way is another digital slice of delight from the WayForward team and a worthy silver medallist.

Third place: Go! Go! Kokopolo.
A rarity on DSiWare: a unique game made just for the service, with a superb graphical style and plenty to do. A must-download, especially if you like cats and Pac-Man.

Nintendo Life WiiWare Game Of 2011

MotoHeroz
MotoHeroz

A physics-based racer from kings of the genre RedLynx, with fantastic multiplayer and stacks to do online or offline, with an innovative DLC system that offers up new time attack challenges every day. One of the all-time WiiWare highlights and well worth its 1,500 Nintendo Points price tag.

Second place: BIT.TRIP FLUX.
The final instalment in the phenomenal BIT.TRIP series, FLUX takes us back to where it started with a clever riff on series-opener BIT.TRIP BEAT but still manages to show just how far Gaijin's beloved series has come.

Third place: escapeVektor: Chapter 1.
Nnooo's triumphant return to gaming after a series of DSiWare applications, escapeVektor: Chapter 1 is a retro-themed action game that practically defies description but is all the better for it. Its longevity and wealth of things to do will cost you a mere 500 Points. Well worth a download.

Click through to page two to find out what were our biggest surprises and disappointments of the year, as well as what titles pleased our eyes and ears more than any other.

Games are much more than just gameplay: graphics and sound make up a huge part of the appeal of gaming. 2011 has seen plenty of incredible moments for your eyes and ears, and we wanted to honour the games that made our senses very happy.

Best Visuals

Super Mario 3D Land

Not just for its use of colour and flair did Mario's pocket platformer reach the top spot: its deployment of 3D depth, particularly in those stunning Escher-like puzzles, is one of the most inventive visual moments in years. Undeniably one of the best arguments for 3D in gaming yet.

Best Audio

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The orchestral soundtrack to Skyward Sword is one of the series' very best, with the incredible Ballad of the Goddess standing out as one of Nintendo's finest ever pieces. The fact it's Zelda's Lullaby played backwards is an indication of just how audaciously talented Nintendo's sound team is. As anyone who attended the Zelda symphony concert — or grabbed the limited edition CD — can attest, Skyward Sword's soundtrack is up there with Nintendo's best output.

One to Watch in 2012

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Remember when Uprising was supposed to be a launch title? Those were crazy days. Now upgraded with online multiplayer, we reckon Pit's next appearance will be one of the stand-out 3DS titles of 2012.

Fanboy Moment of the Year

We all get a little excited at the world of Nintendo sometimes; if we didn't, we wouldn't run this website. Here some of our writers choose those moments of the year that made them go all gooey inside.

Chris — Jumping onto a flagpole for the first time in Super Mario 3D Land.
Damo — Getting the Japanese 3DS before the UK release.
Dazza — Sipping Zelda-themed cocktails at the Ocarina of Time 3D launch party.
Jacob — Swinging the golden Wii Remote for the first time in Zelda: Skyward Sword.
James — Attending the Zelda symphony concert in London.
Jamie O — DS combination of my favourite genre with one of my favourite '80s action films and accomplished 2D developer. Published by legends that are SEGA, Aliens: Infestation was a treat.
Jon — Geeking out over the 3DS intro screen where it "calibrates" the effect, making me extremely excited over the prospects of the handheld's future catalogue.
Marcel — NES puzzles in Pullblox.
Mark — Mario Kart 7 having the best selection of retro circuits ever.
Patrick — Upgrading to the gold Wii Remote Plus Zelda bundle, because WHAT IF I DIDN'T?
Pete — Seeing Animal Crossing 3DS running for the first time and knowing how many hours I'll put into it.
Phil — Seeing a Wii Music track in Mario Kart 7.
Ron — The weeks that I've spend crying because I didn't pre-order that gold Zelda Wii Remote bundle, and now it looks like I'll never have one.

Disappointment of the Year

It's not all fun and laughter and smiles and sunshine in Nintendo land; sometimes the bitter pang of disappointment floods our palate. Here are some of the lowest moments of our gaming year.

Chris — Wii U. The E3 presentation was just plain confusing.
Dazza — Wii U unveiling at E3, underwhelming tech-demos. Not much of substance on show.
DesNi no Kuni heading to PS3 only, no translation for DS version
Jacob — Lack of games announced for Wii U.
JamesLittle King's Story 2 going to PlayStation Vita only.
JamieO — I wish that one real, fully fledged Wii U first-party launch game was showcased at E3. Despite HD Zelda demo, I would have liked one concrete example of what a game will look like on next gen Nintendo.
Jon — Another year, another complete lack of new F-Zero.
Marcel — The apparent death of Wii Virtual Console.
Mark — Bodged 3DS launch — high price, few games, no eShop and so on.
Pete — No more significant Virtual Console releases.
Phil — Still no Pikmin 3 news.
RonKirby's Return to Dream Land getting little to no attention and practically going completely unnoticed.

Biggest Surprise

Those moments in 2011 when something utterly unexpected came and hit us in the face. There were many.

Chris — Circle Pad Pro. That's all.
Damo — 3DS price drop.
Dazza — 3DS Ambassador games.
Des — 3DS price drop and Ambassador program, didn't see that coming at all.
Jacob — The 3DS price drop and ambassador program.
James — Wii U rumours actually being true.
JamieO — Transition of 3DS from uninspiring launch, to truly impressing. Virtual Console given kiss of life, through Mega Drive Strider heading to European VC.
Jon — The audacity of the ending to Conduit 2.
Marcel — 3DS Ambassador games.
Mark — 3DS Ambassador games.
Patrick — Using my 3DS exclusively to play all the DSiWare games I've missed.
Pete — Rayman: Origins' translation to Wii being a superb, totally unspoiled masterpiece.
Phil — The 3DS library exploding into so many brilliant titles in so little time.
Ron — 3DS ambassador games. OR Rayman Origins actually being a great game.

It's fair to say we were all pretty surprised by the 3DS Ambassador games.

The next page contains the much anticipated Nintendo Life Game of the Year for 2011. Dare you click?

The past 12 months saw Nintendo support three consoles and announce another, so there was always going to be fierce competition for the ultimate prize of Nintendo Life Game of the Year 2011.

For the final verdict, Nintendo Life staff chose their number one game of 2011. No rankings, no tiers, just one vote each for the absolute best game of the year.

In the end it came down to two titles: Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Both titles received the same number of votes, leaving the directors and editor to make the final decision.

Nintendo Life Game Of The Year

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Link's stunning adventure was awarded a coveted 10/10 score in November and richly deserved every point. A triumph of visual and audio design married with one of the finest control systems we've ever used, Skyward Sword is a fantastic example of what Nintendo does best. As the conclusion to our The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review put it:

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a game of stunning creativity: the work of master craftsmen and women, it's a breathtaking technical achievement in many ways, with subtly beautiful visuals and audio blending with rampantly imaginative design. It's as good a Zelda game as we've ever played, and one that fully delivers on the revolution Nintendo promised back in 2005.

Runner-up: Super Mario 3D Land

Mario's first true 3D adventure was easily one of the highlights of the 3DS's first 12 months: full of the series' classic spirit, it's a hugely enjoyable trip to the Mushroom Kingdom that should please fans of the plumber's 2D and 3D outings. As our Super Mario 3D Land review says:

It's obvious that Nintendo played it fairly safe for Mario's first 3DS outing — something that will likely make the game seem like a bit of a step backwards from the brilliance of the Super Mario Galaxy series — but it's impossible not to be impressed by the vast number of classic Super Mario elements that have been squeezed into the package, especially given how fresh they all look and feel in their new 3D presentation. If you've been looking for a reason to pick up a 3DS, you've just found it.

Honourable Mentions

Xenoblade Chronicles — North America, you get to play this in spring next year. You'll enjoy it.

Rayman Origins — 2D platforming a-go-go with Rayman and his friends. It's quite cheap now, so you should go get it.

Radiant Historia — Quality RPGs might be ten-a-penny on DS, but Radiant Historia is up there with the best.

Your Turn

Tomorrow we have the results of the Game of the Year 2011 reader poll. We've had 6,000 votes over the past week — what games will you have voted to the top spots, and what will miss out on the honours? Check back tomorrow to find out!