Fire Emblem: Awakening
This was the entry that introduced a whole generation of players to this huge, intimidating world. More than the permadeath or the deep strategy, Awakening sucks you in with the connections you forge with your comrades. Also you could whip up fully formed soldiers just by mashing two people together for long enough. Suddenly strategy RPGs could be about more than endless planning and min-maxing. Smash Bros may have dangled these characters in front of us, but Fire Emblem: Awakening was the true gateway drug, one that made addicts of us all.
Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze
The Donkey Kong Country franchise began its resurgence on the Wii, though this came with the usual caveats. Tropical Freeze builds on that same success, while carving away the most egregious motion control baggage of the previous game. The result is a gorgeous, thoughtful romp with nary a blemish to be found. Fans of the original DKC games discovered a triumphant return to form, while new players got an exemplary platformer. Whatever comes next will have to work pretty hard to top Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze.
Splatoon
In rare form, Nintendo cooked up a new IP that people truly loved. It’s a hot take on the well-worn FPS genre, one that’s colorful yet competitive. Brandishing colored ink instead of bullets and bombs, Splatoon made a huge splash more or less immediately. Beyond the clever premise, the game has that trademark Nintendo polish that makes it accessible, easy to learn, and hard to master. While the sequel built on the first game, it can’t compare to the indelible mark left by the original release.
Super Mario 3D World
Super Mario 3D World combines 2D level design with 3D levels of freedom to make a badass Mario hybrid. This game combines ideas like compact challenges, collectible hunting, and combative multiplayer to keep you utterly hooked right from level one. On top of that, the extra challenges beyond the ending credits are enough to break most players beyond redemption. Also there’s an adorable cat suit that lets you climb walls. How can you possibly go wrong with a power-up like that? If Nintendo ever decides to re-release this game on the Switch, they’ll make a fortune.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Somehow, this game is both a sequel and a remake. A Link Between Worlds is peak Zelda, a game crammed with clever puzzles and new mechanics while utterly bereft of bloated, extraneous narrative. You go from zero to dungeon in less than ten minutes. The item and magic systems are equally sleek. Every component of this game is designed to encourage your adventure continues apace. All of this is accomplished while providing an homage to, and expansion of, A Link to the Past. The result is the perfect expression of a portable Legend of Zelda game. Plus, if you’re a Link to the Past fan, this title worms into your lizard brain with relentless precision. A real slam dunk, in other words.
That’s it, that’s the whole dang list! Some honorable mentions that didn’t make the cut include Super Mario Galaxy 2 (too much like the first one), Bravely Default (cursed by that ending), and Skyward Sword (not even slightly fun). If you’re sure and certain that my list is either incorrect or incomplete, feel free to let me know! Disagreement is the heart of discourse, after all. For more end of the decade discussion, you can check out our Playstation and Xbox best of the decade lists.
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