My Top 10 Games of 2011

Last year it was the Noble Donkey Kong who climbed to the top of my game of the year list with Donkey Kong Country Returns. Since Donkey Kong decided to go to the Banana Buffet this year, a new Game of the Year Winner be crowned. Remember, for this list, the games must have come out in 2011, so while I thoroughly enjoyed Red Dead Redemption, it won't appear on this list. With that in mind, here are my Top 10 Games of 2011!

#10 - Infamous 2 (Playstation 3)
Infamous 2 is more Infamous, and since I loved Infamous I'm content with that. The reason why this game is here instead of say Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Uncharted 3 is simply that this game doesn't disappoint. It stays true to itself outside of a character model swap for the hero. It's good, clean, fun.

#9 - Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo 3DS)
Mario Kart 7 is a good Mario Kart game. It's not a great or amazing one, but good. It's miles above its' predecessor using an anti-Blue Shell ointment for protection, but overall it feels a tad rushed and lacks a significant amount of content. If it had more content, it could've jumped a couple of spots. But for now, I'm content where it is on my list.

#8 - Sonic Generations (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
This one's been a long time coming. I think this game still has some major issues, like the final boss fight and some challenges are outright terrible. But for the most part, this game gives me a Mega Man 9 feeling. It feels like I'm playing an honest to goodness, true to form, Sonic the Hedgehog game from the early 90's. Both Modern and Classic Sonic are in top form here. The level design flows really well and the game really challenges me to get better at it. That's why it's here. If it were longer or if some of the problems were fixed, it'd be higher on the list.

#7 - Pokemon White (Nintendo DS)
Pokemon White felt like the end of my Pokemon career. After playing through Pearl, Platinum, Soul Silver, and finally White, 4 consecutive years of Pokemon games had come and gone. It's a quality title, it truly is, almost quietly so. However, it's the first time I really didn't enjoy playing through it. It felt like an obligation to me, and really safe at the same time. I'm sorry Pokemon, but you and I need some time apart. Maybe we can catch them all again in the future, sometime.

#6 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was the first Xbox 360 game I bought. I knew a Game of the Year Edition was coming, so I decided to rent it instead. But after playing it over 20 hours across 4 days I caved and bought it. The cries of game-breaking bugs did wade me off of it, however. It's a shame since it's a great game. However, it still has some of the major problems its' predecessor had: Bad voice acting, unsatisfying combat, and bugs that take me out of the game. It's a shame since the game is so good at wanting me to keep playing it on almost every other count.

#5 - Batman: Arkham City (Playstation 3/Xbox 360/PC)
I love Arkham Asylum. I was excited for Arkham City, and while it's a great game, it's pretty disappointing overall. The combat is much improved over the last game, but almost everything else took a hit, from the bland environment of Arkham City to the weak story to the Predator Challenges which are now borderline insane. The only other improvement were the boss fights which went from terrible to okay. It should've been higher on this list, but it can't.

#4 - Pushmo (Nintendo 3DS)
What's a Pushmo? You push it, you pull it, you climb it. This is not sounding all that safe for work to be honest... Pushmo has a lot of content for what you pay for, and while some of the puzzles are devious, the game builds you up perfectly so you understand everything about your world. In addition, you can create and import new Pushmo via QR codes. It's an addictive little game that is far and above the best game on Nintendo's eShop.

#3 - Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
I personally don't think the story of Gears of War 3 was all that great. Also, the ending was a bit of a pain on the higher difficulties. However, it doesn't mean the rest of the game wasn't awesome. While the multiplayer is a bit grind heavy to get certain achievements, medals and ribbons, when you get in there, it is truly a master of its' environment. Cooperative Play has never been better than it is in Gears of War 3, and the reason why it's so high on this list.

#2 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo Wii)
Skyward Sword sets the stage for the rest of the Zelda universe. It opens up quietly and expands from there. While combat took a bit longer than I'd like to full understand it, it was nice to have a 3D Zelda game where I knew I could actually die. While the game felt antiquated in a lot of places, the newness and freshness it exerted were awesome. The level and boss designs were amazing and I really hope some of the kinks are fixed/removed from the next one so it can be my game of the year next time, but for now, it belongs to one.

#1 - Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo 3DS)
In light of all of the gloom and doom surrounding the 3DS, fears of damaging eyes, the system being a lost cause and selling a lot of units during the holidays, Mario once again has proven himself to be King of Video Games with his first entry on Nintendo's Newest Handheld. A game that defines the system, builds itself around the use of 3D into a blend of joy and quality design, Super Mario 3D Land is the best game in 2011 for the fact that it reminds me of what a video game should be.