GamingBolt Game of the Year Awards 2013

Best Wii U Game:

Deciding the Wii U Game of the Year was decidedly tougher than the other console categories. The Wii U, despite still missing a good number of exclusives and support, still had some extremely good titles to its name this year. Whether it was the HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker that made us believe in cartoonish Link again, the return of the Pikmin or Mario donning a familiar yet fresh platforming avatar in Super Mario 3D World, it’s been a sparse but fun ride. Even third party games like Rayman Legends, originally due to launch on the console early in the year but delayed for multiplatform support, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag shone through. So which one is our Wii U Game of the Year?

Nominees:

– Super Mario 3D World

– The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

– Rayman Legends

– Pikmin 3

– Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Winner: Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World, for better or worse, proved once again that it’s fun to return to one’s roots. Nintendo has always found a way to make things interesting and with four player support, new powers and wildly enjoyable levels, Super Mario 3D World felt like an excellent balance between the 3D Mario platformers and the more mainstream New Super Mario Bros. titles. Sure, you can knock it for still being the same Mario game we’ve seen time and time again. But Nintendo has stuck with what works and given us a ton of extra content to go with the nostalgia.