Game of the Year: Nintendo Life's Staff Awards 2015

Stay fresh!

As good as Splatoon is, Mario Maker is a one of a kind gem. As long as they keep the servers going, it would essentially be a never ending Mario game.

Hooray for Splatoon!

I'm a little disappointed.
I mean, obviously, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash should have won GOTY. Every one of them.
Yes, even the 3DS one.
It was that good of a game.

I like that you have separate retail & eshop categories, that seems a bit more fair. Personally I think Affordable Space Adventures should have won for eshop but that's just my opinion. Good picks overall though. Merry Christmas to all.

Yoshi's Wooly World is above X......

@callmeking17 here's a question then, given that Mario Maker is basically never ending do you want to ever see a full 2D game released again by Nintendo or just 3d ones?

Where's devils third?

I've played Splatoon almost twice as much as MK8 now, it's so unique and un-put-downable. Both Splatoon and MM are console-defining games, but as much as I was in awe of MM at first, I think it's got so much more potential and so far the dlc hasn't quite 'tapped' into it yet (here's hoping NX gets a sequel for both as launch games).

Would definitely put Code Name Steam and Steamworld Heist high on any of my lists this year... Helped that I played on New 3DS. I want to get more time on XenobladeX, just 12-15 hours in, post Xmas I'll be able to get back into it hopefully. Box Boy was definitely a favourite as well, also Fullblox was great. Fast is so addictive and is the main reason my Xeno time has struggled! Been pretty happy with this year all in all.. A few let downs, but I've been occupied plenty!

No way Mario Maker and Yoshi is ahead of Xenoblade!!

Why is Xenoblade Chronicles X below MH4U?

Project zero is a better game than its given credit for too, love the gamepad camera controls it immerses you in the horror. I'm not say it's game of the year but needs mentioned more often

Where is Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.?!

Xenoblade > The rest of the Wii U's library added together.

@Mr_Zurkon I can totally see another 2D Mario game released after this. Once they shut down the servers for the Wii U (which will probably be not long after the NX comes out) they'll release another one of some sort.

Xenoblade is 5th? It is the most engaged I haven't been this engaged with my Wii U since Pikmin 3 and Wonderful 101.

Boxboy over Steamworld Heist? that doesn't make much sense

How bizarre that Majora's Mask was the top 3DS retail download, and yet, MH4U placed higher in overall game of the year. Weird. Guess the fans of it overall must have been more rabid for it than Majora's Mask.

As for game of the year, I think I have to agree. Splatoon is the game that I played most this year, and it has defined the Wii U experience for me, even as a launch day Wii U owner. Sure, Mario Maker is amazing, but outside of the creation tools, it isn't nearly as fresh and unique mechanically or aesthetically as Splatoon, making it feel like a distinct Wii U experience more so than anything else I've played on the system, I think. Very deserving of GOTY, and I think it's definitely mine as well.

For me I got more fun with Xenoblade Chronicles X than Mario Maker, Splatoon is a refreshment for the Wii U since it's something new. But XCX kind of push the Wii U limits, hopefully Zelda U will get a world as big as XCX or bigger.

Wii U Retail Game of the Year, poor choice.

@WireWare I agree completely. Furthermore, the lack of Amiibo Festival at the top of any of these lists is downright crushing. No respect for a true masterpiece....

Surprised Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon isn't on the 3DS one...aside from SSB, Tomodachi Life, and the various freemium Pokemon games (aside from Picross), I probably played that one the most. Come to think of it, I guess not too many amazing 3DS games came out this year. At least there are quite a few coming out early next year I'm interested in though... As for Wii U, it's my Christmas gift, and has SSB and Splatoon on it, so I guess I'll see what all the hype is about soon.

Wii U eShop game of the year might as well be "Wii U Nindie" game of the year, that's all the 5 games are :Y.

Steam World Heist is far too low. Other than that, pretty good list. Boy, the 3DS had a crappy year!

For me the top spots would be...
Wii U GOTY: Super Mario Maker
Wii U eGOTY: Runbow
3DS GOTY: Stella Glow
3DS eGOTY: Steamworld Heist

Out of all those games the only ones I like are Super Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
I played Box Boy and felt it was way too easy, though not exactly bad. Pokemon Shuffle's nice but got old after a while and Majora's Mask is just a remake so I'd rather ignore that, even if the original is fantastic. I'll reserve my thoughts on FRN and Steamworld Heist as I'm still thinking about whether or not to get them.

Been playing Amiibo party, only mini games seem to be betting on turnip market.

Was hoping for Rusty's Real Deal to have a full retail release, perhaps on mobile in 2016?

Definitely agree with the WiiU titles, both very well deserved. I loved BOXBOY! on 3DS, I'm torn between that and SteamWorld Heist for 3DS download. Can we give them both an award?

But 3DS retail being the Majora's Mask remake? Nope. Not that it was bad, this was my first time playing it, it's ok to good, very well made but the three day mechanic kills it for me. I don't feel I have time to explore and actually enjoy the game because of it and having to restart a temple or giving up on finding the last fairy because they me has run out is not fun it's frustrating. Plus it was really not optimised for portable play (as it was never designed for it). Code Name S.T.E.A.M wins for me, hands down no contest. Unique, smart, fun, it's got a few rough edges but they're all pretty minor. Really hope Nintendo lets them do a sequel.

Terrible year for the 3DS really. Everything else has been great though!

I'm so happy to see Splatoon in the exact place it should be. It's my overall game of the year as well, with The Witcher 3 in second place.

@Ogbert Actually, it seems like you probably feel like I feel regarding Majora Mask, meaning you probably don't have a problem with the three-day cycle per se, but in its existence inside dungeons.

I gotta say, I absolutely love doing all of the time-sensitive sidequests in the cities and overworld, having to be at an exact place in the exact time, this sort of stuff. It felt really fresh, even if this is a remake of a game over 15 years old now. The dungeons, however... it's absolutely miserable to have a timer hindering exploration when you're tackling a massive, complicated, and otherwise satisfying dungeon.

@EmmatheBest Yeah,I'd love for Super Mystery Dungeon to be on the list.Overall the staff seemed to have good choices though.No disagreement from me!

Mario anduigi not feature? How did Style Boutique get there? Is it actually good?

Guess things have been patchy for 3DS

@WireWare That's the most ridiculously stupid thing I've ever heard! The #1 spot obviously belongs to Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, as it has several minutes' worth of replay value!

Good wins. Don't know why jirby got 5th it was not a good title for me.

Splatoon, Xeno X, Mario Maker, Affordable Space Adventures, Fast Racing Nero and Steamworld Heist are the game of the years for me.

@MarioPhD
Couldn't have said it better. It's a shame really. People can't recognize actual good games nowadays. I mean Splatoon? Really?
Well I won't complain any longer. I shall go play Superman 64.

Xenoblade Chronicles X was certainly the highest point of this year in gaming for me, as I've waited years for it and it does not disappoint.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the 3DS retail list. I doubt very highly that Yo-Kai Watch, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, New Style Boutique 2, and Zelda: Tri Force Heroes are all better than Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.

Eh....
Xenoblade X. Splatoon's weak launch can not be excussed.

Where are Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. and Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.? Definitely better than Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, New Style Boutique 2 and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. And I really miss 3D Gunstar Heroes on the 3DS eShop list. But it's nice to see what you fellow gamers like

Too bad Swords & Soldier II isn't on the Wii U eShop top 5. I really love that game. And in my opinion, Xenoblade Chronicles X deserved to be a few places higher on the Wii U Retail list. I would also put Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on it. The game came out this year here where I live and I loved it.

Wii U has had a really rough year, although that didn't keep it from getting some excellent releases.

3DS started out very well, but kind of... died halfway through in Q2.

Wow, it's like no one realizes Code Name STEAM exists.

Splatoon is the gift that keeps on giving all year. And it's ten times better than a Jelly of the Month Club.

I have no arguments against your choice for Wii U retail game of the year, as whilst it's not my choice, Splatoon was originally going to be my Wii U game of the year. It is an amazing game with surprisingly addictive gameplay. Overall, the choices within your Wii U retail game of the year are not too surprising, though I do find it odd to see Yoshi's Wooly World in 3rd rather than 5th amongst your votes.

As for Wii U eShop game of the year, FAST Racing Neo isn't my type of game but it's clear that the developers have put a lot of work into the game. I'm sure fans of that type of racing game are thrilled with the end product. Seeing Freedom Planet so highly praised really makes me look forward to finally getting around to playing it.

None of the 3DS games I've enjoyed this year are part of your staff picks, but that doesn't surprise me. I am a little surprised to see how well liked Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward, never knew that series had so many fans.

As for the Game of the Year... that is pretty funny with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate being on it when your 3DS game of the year choice isn't.

@sandman89 I wish Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water got more credit as well. I'm admittedly a bit biased in that it's my personal choice for game of the year, but I do feel it is a lot better than it's currently viewed as. It'd have been nice to have seen it at least feature within the Wii U eShop categories top 5.

@ninty4thewin I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy it per say, but I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as other people seem to. It was a good game, but I felt there was something missing, it didn't spark my enthusiasm, and I haven't had as fun of a time playing it with my brother as we did with Kirby's Epic Yarn or Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (just to name a couple of Nintendo co-op gaming examples).

The top 3 on the Wii U eShop list all absolutely deserve to be there. Really great games! After that, there are too many good games that compete. Minecraft would probably be at a higher spot if it released earlier in the year.
Xenoblade X got punished for being a large-scale niche game released late in the year, but Splatoon is undoubtedly the GOTY. Stay fresh!

I know no one asked but here is my list of 2015!

Wii U Retail: Xenoblade Chronicles X, runner up: Splatoon
Wii U eShop: Swords & Soldiers II, runner up: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
3DS Retail: Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros., runner up: Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
3DS eShop: SteamWorld Heist, runner up: 3D Gunstar Heroes

Should do these game of the year things in January........ I haven't even played xenoblade yet

Lol. What a joke of a list. Yoshi being ahead of XCX shows how bad this list is.

@ninty4thewin I wasn't too keen on Yoshis Wooly World. It looked amazing and I did enjoy it but it was far too easy and I was glad to finish it and move on to something else. Splatoon keeps me coming back though and I'm glad there's still plenty of people to play with.

Seriously, where is Codename: S.T.E.A.M????

In my personal opinion Super Mario Maker just squeezes by Splatoon for overall game of the year. Mario Maker is a game I've wanted for almost 30 years. My friends and I as kids would draw up our own levels on construction paper and tape them together in a big line. Now we are in our thirties and can do it on the Wii U, ain't technology something.

A lot of gamers think open-world is the epitome of gaming. Any open-world game MUST rank higher than a lousy closed-world game! Xenoblade is great, but certainly not the unanimous winner of the Wii U. It's easier to compare Xenoblade with The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 than it is to compare it with Splatoon and Super Mario Maker.

Splatoon/Super Mario Maker being GOTY (they are both my games of the year) does not make Xenoblade any less of a game. In terms of quality of games, Nintendo has had a fantastic year.

To those complaining about Xenoblade, it says in the article that recent games released in December will be harder to win. People have less chance to play it than other games, so it can be harder to say it's the best.

I've been enjoying it so far, but haven't played it enough to say it's my GOTY. Instead, Splatoon got my vote for that.

Yoshi beat MH????

The staff votes are understandable, I also would've voted Splatoon for #1.
I only would've put XCX on 2nd or 3rd place and ASA on 1st place for eshop titles.

Code name Steam is at 69 on metacritic and people are shocked it's not mentioned here? It's an article about best games of the year, not just naming everything that came out.

Admittedly the not much more highly rated Woolly World doing so well does throw the credibility of the whole thing into question.

It's a shame that Splatoon winning in such a poor year will make it seem like a win by default. It's the first time Nintendo have done something new in years and it paid off big time.

Xenoblade X is the best game on Wii U. This year, last year, any year.

I can only assume the reason it's not 100% acknowledged as such is because people haven't played it.

Seriously people, you need to rectify that wrong asap.

@FierceRagnar "Codename STEAM" is a decent game, but it pales in comparison to IS's other SRPG games, namely the "Fire Emblem" series. As for its running for 3DS retail game of the year, it helps to be among weak competition this year, but it's also understandable how it lost out to those other six games. Maybe it will place in the reader results.

@Monado_III I think that happened because only a fraction of the staff has played Xenoblade X. It's the only viable explanation

@FierceRagnar That's exactly what I was thinking. No Codename S.T.E.A.M. is an absolute travesty! Hang your heads in shame Nintendolife!!

Eeehhh...
I wouldn't put Splatoon over Super Mario Maker and I sure as hell wouldn't say it the game of the year for Nintendo. And even if I still haven't played Xenoblade X yet (I'm actually downloading it right now though) I know it's at least better than Yoshi Wooly World. And there is no way Majora's Mask 3D, a remake that barely adds anything besides making the game a bit more streamline, is the best 3DS game of the year and MH4U isn't.

@JaxonH Call me crazy, but Splatoon is the best game on Wii U. No, seriously.

Not your best Nintendo Life.

I have yet to play SteamWorld Heist, but I agree that Box Boy! is an excellent game, definitely better than the NL reviewer made it seem imo. Majora was also a highlight of the year for 3DS despite it having come out so early in the year.

@Chaoz @sWiTcHeRoO It does seem odd to me to give 3DS retail game of the year to a remake, especially when they specifically state that they left out VC games "in order to focus on new experiences." Ok, so MM3D isn't a VC release but it's apparently basically the same game as the original (haven't actually played it since I never bother with remakes if I have the original.) I love Majora's Mask too but I don't see why MM3D should even be considered for game of the year.

For me MH4U is hands down, no contest, 3DS game of the year, and it's funny how it's in their overall game of the year list above MM3D.

Obviously that boutique game isn't directed at me but it looks crappy and like any of those other "market it to little girls who don't know any better just so they fit in and have games too" sorts things

Not sure how Yoshi's Wooly World beats a solid, open world, beautiful RPG but okay. And no mention of Xenoblade 3D? That game was big, the first new 3DS exclusive game to be released. Not sure how MM (a remake) gets first place but xenoblade (a port) doesn't even get a mention in a very slow year? Wow.

Judging by the comments, maybe the staff needs to reconsider their picks or not bother posting a list at all. Seems very catered to the casual, fluffy gaming scene.

um...verry strange list i think...i thought people that run gaming sites actualy lliked gaming im to naive for this world...

@FierceRagnar A split fanbase does not necessarily say anything about the overall quality of a game. Brawl and Smash 4 have split fanbases, but I would still consider them great games.

Meanwhile, in Japan...
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/2ds/

If you think box boy is better than Steamworld heist you need to lay off the eggnog 😜

Definitely between Mario Maker and Xenoblade for me in the game of the year category.

@Monado_III this bothers me also

Xenoblade is the best Wii U game this year. Splatoon is already flooded with a terrible community, X is just all round solid.

No surprise here. Splatoon was definitely my favorite Wii U game of the year. As crazy as it sounds, I kinda got burnt out on Mario Maker quickly.

Are some of you really complaining that the taste in video games of the staff is not the same as yours?

XCX might have done a bit better if released a few weeks sooner. It's not the kind of game people will always be willing to tackle immediately and get to the good stuff in a couple of weeks.

Besides that, I think these votes are fairly indicative of this year. A few rare gems at retail despite plenty of eShop goodies on both platforms.

@FierceRagnar Yes, absolutely. "Fire Emblem: Awakening" is one of the best 3DS games ever made! If you don't like Easy or Casual modes, don't play them. "Codename STEAM" isn't even in the same league as that masterpiece.

@tedko Yeah it honestly makes little sense. MM3D is still pretty much the base game with a few differences ("upgrades") and slight changes to the boss battles to change the way the battle's dynamics worked.

MH4U is definitely the best 3DS retail game there was this year. Improvements over MH3, more engaging combat (the verticality to environments and mounting add a lot more to the game IMO), great visuals, really good DLC rewards in the costumes and weapons based on other series' tie-ins. I eventually got tired of the game not even going past HR7, but that was because I stopped having people to co-op with. If not for that I'm pretty sure I would've spent a lot more time in it, though I can safely say I didn't drop the game due to the game itself getting boring, moreso the lack of friends to play it with (friends that weren't way ahead of me, anyway).

Surprised to see Woolly World in there. I don't remember seeing much love for it at the time... outside of the graphics. Would pick it up for cheap if they ever put it on sale but won't hold my breath.

@fed0ra7 My interest in Code Name STEAM was piqued this week thanks to fans saying it was a 2015 favourite. So I checked it out on the Aussie eShop: $59! Curiosity had to end there for me. Meanwhile, Steamworld Heist is $24.99. Shame, I wanted to see Abe Lincoln do his thing.

@sWiTcHeRoO From about G2 and up (or guild quests 86+) the quests become extremely difficult to solo and by the end they're pretty much impossible to beat alone. Monster Hunter is definitely at its best when played with friends, especially together in the same room. However playing online with randoms can still be a lot of fun. It's usually not too hard to find good people to play with, although it can be hit and miss. I still play it pretty regularly so if you ever feel like getting back into it I'd be happy to do some quests with you

@Peach64
What does a metacritic average score have to do with someone's personal choices for games of the year?

Nintendo Life hated Tri Force Heroes, but chose it over Code Name Steam and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D?

I'm happy with the list! Xeno sucks turkeys!

@FierceRagnar What satire? Judging by both critic and user opinions, you're in the heavy minority here. Even if you don't fully appreciate "Awakening," "Codename STEAM" itself is still only a little above average game that doesn't even stand up to many of the earlier Fire Emblem games. The only reason it can even be considered as one of the best 3DS games of the year is due to lack of quality competition outside of "Majora's Mask," "Monster Hunter," "Yokai Watch," and "Xenoblade 3D."

@SetupDisk Metacritic takes the opinions of a lot of people and averages it out. To score 69 on there means most reviewers don't think it's a very good game. So you pick a handful of reviewers like this article does, it's no surprise to see it's not being put forward as anyone's GOTY?