Best of 2010 Awards: Wii Exclusive

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Wii Exclusive: Kirby's Epic Yarn

Kirby's Epic Yarn wove itself into gamers' hearts this year with its syrupy-sweet fabric-based visuals and decidedly unpunishing difficulty. Bead-collection, hidden items, and creative level-design help keep more experienced gamers engaged, but young kids and those who don't usually game will also find themselves hard-pressed not to have tons of fun with the little pink hero. Kirby's shape-shifting abilities keep the action fresh, and optional mini-game-based levels do a lot to extend the experience.

Some might see the game's completely nonthreatening nature as somewhat of a detractor, but we think that's really one of Epic Yarn's best qualities. Rare is the game that is inviting to both long-time gamers and newcomers, and that spans generational appeal. Kirby's Epic Yarn's wide appeal, accessibility, and unique visual style are a few of the main reasons why it gets our best Wii game nod for 2010.

Runner-up: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy 2 had to meet some pretty high expectations in order to dethrone its predecessor. Luckily for gamers, Mario's latest galactic adventure was able to take its winning 3D plat-formula to new heights with the introduction of some new game mechanics, and oodles of levels in which to utilize them. Sometimes, it's better to just straighten out some spokes than try to reinvent the wheel, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 iterates on Mario's prior outing enough to outclass most of its competition.

Nominees: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Monster Hunter Tri, No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, and GoldenEye 007

[Wii is part of Shacknews Best of 2010 Awards. For more information, including selection methodology, see this introduction.]

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group. 

From The Chatty
  • reply
    December 29, 2010 11:11 AM

    i can't believe that no PC games got a nod in this. this is just embarrassing for shacknews.com

    • reply
      December 29, 2010 11:25 AM

      I think the readers are having a tougher time with it than the website editors.

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        December 29, 2010 11:51 AM

        i would have nominated minecraft for best Wii game

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      December 29, 2010 2:43 PM

      I agree. What's a good PC gaming news website I can read instead?

      • reply
        December 29, 2010 6:00 PM

        I'd settle for a good non-biased gaming news website.

      • reply
        December 29, 2010 11:30 PM

        PC gaming is dead anyways so good luck with that. Maybe www.blizzard.com.

        • reply
          December 29, 2010 11:38 PM

          Keep beating that dead horse. Have heard that for over a decade and it still isn't true.

          • reply
            December 30, 2010 12:10 AM

            shacknews.com GOTY 2010 proves it. accept it and buy a new 360 S + Kinect and come play with us. MNC shackbattles are wednesdays at 10pm EST

            • reply
              December 30, 2010 9:00 AM

              I already have a 360 S + Kinect, and use it for console-centric games (ala RDR, Forza3, Castle Crashers, etc) and Netflix. However, it does not make my PC obsolete. Until they release a mouse/keyboard that I can use with it, my FPS games will remain on a PC. Additionally, it's nice to take games on the road with the laptop (something that's not going to happen with the 360).

    • reply
      December 30, 2010 6:39 AM

      Oh look, a snarky comment from dantastic in the Wii section, surprise!

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