Nintendo tyrannizes Gamasutra's 2006 list of best games

by Blake Snow { Dec 20th 2006 at 6:45PM }

Nintendo cleaned house on Gamasutra's 2006 list of most important games as voted by their readers. Criteria for the user-generated selections compiled by site editors were based on a single question: Which video game has made the biggest impact in 2006, in terms of innovation and advancing the state of the industry?

Out of the 12 profiled titles (seven of which were honorable mentions), games for Nintendo platforms made up 50% of the list shared between several systems, not to mention Wii was the only highlighted console on a list that was suppose to be made up of only games as the article's headline suggests. Wii Sports was awarded the Most Important Game of 2006 on a baseline winner, followed by Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, GCN), Gears of War (360), Okami (PS2), and Elite Beat Agents (DS) respectively.

This is just one of many year-end listicles sure to make the internet rounds in the coming days, so fret not if your favorite didn't make the list or take the top spot. There's still a chance other outlets will journalistically justify your game of choice.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Spartacus @ Dec 20th 2006 6:53PM

"There's still a chance other outlets will journalistically justify your game of choice."

Nice jab there ;-)

Really these articles all amount to nothing and are little more than opinion anyway, but they are interesting to see. Glad to see Gears getting some respect...

Avinash_Tyagi @ Dec 20th 2006 6:55PM

I think Terrorizes would have been the better verb

Retrojunkie @ Dec 20th 2006 6:59PM

tyagi

correct me if i am wrong but "TERRORIZE" is a negative verb

and last time i checked

the games listed on that list are actually...

GOOD

Avinash_Tyagi @ Dec 20th 2006 7:04PM

Yeah but "Nintendo Tyrannizes", doesn't sound right, "Nintendo Terrorizes" sounds better at least imo

Mr. Khan @ Dec 20th 2006 7:06PM

shows that Nintendo's got the popular support, which is only to be expected since it is the new console (that people are paying attention to)

It would have to SERIOUSLY suck to be sony right now
By NOW, they have sold the 500,000 that they initially planned to sell at launch, while Wii is at 1.8 million and counting (which is in turn about 20% of the 360's install base of 8.8 million)

In fact, the Wii's success thus far seems too good to be true, i'm waiting for the bubble to burst, i mean, damn...

Ninx @ Dec 20th 2006 7:09PM

Most important game this year? Probably Wii Sports.
Then Okami then maybe Oblivion and then Twilight Princess.

PN: I like Twilight Princess more than any game on my listing here but this was just in terms of importance.

Mabui @ Dec 20th 2006 7:18PM

Nintendo still stated, by the end of the year 4 million units.. 1.8 at this point is.. sorta not good traction.

silkylove @ Dec 20th 2006 7:17PM

What about the PS3? It's got 4D gaming!! Hello!

Miniboss @ Dec 20th 2006 7:23PM

Remember, Gamasutra is a developer's website. So if the Wii is the favorite console of developers... well I think you know where I'm going with that one.

kelekod @ Dec 20th 2006 7:23PM

Elite beat agents is that good? It doesn't look so good on the commericals..

Where's New Super Mario brothers? I thought that game sold a copy a minute or something bizarre like that.

Retrojunkie @ Dec 20th 2006 7:23PM

They meant by end of the year

Not "LOL 2007 ITS A YEAR TIME"
1 million in a matter of WEEKS

is a good sign
Mabui

Sounds like you need to learn some more about the Industry

And Tyagi

my apologizes

i thought your comment meant something else

Shigeru Miyamoto @ Dec 20th 2006 7:41PM

*Checks off Gamasutra*

One step closer too world-wiide domination!

Mwahaha, no one can stop us!

Hammersmith @ Dec 20th 2006 8:04PM

You must have meant "dominates".

Andy @ Dec 20th 2006 9:40PM

Since when are verbs positive or negative?

olhado @ Dec 20th 2006 9:00PM

Ohnoes. The Wii is the best selling console of the holiday season, but it's only sold 1.8mil. Must be a flop. I mean, it's not like the Wii and DS alone are outselling every other console put together.

GhaleonQ @ Dec 21st 2006 12:15AM

I believe the title of the post should be edited to reflect the nature of the post and the poll itself: "the most important games," not necessarily the best.

mike @ Dec 21st 2006 12:35AM

"Most important game this year? Probably Wii Sports.
Then Okami then maybe Oblivion and then Twilight Princess.

PN: I like Twilight Princess more than any game on my listing here but this was just in terms of importance."

Yeah, except most reviews say that ZTP is one of the greatest games of all time. That kinda overshadows anything else out this year. Oblivion? Yawn.

"You mean verbs can be positive or negative?"

Hoo boy. That was funny.

Silver @ Dec 21st 2006 12:59AM

Sweet, sweet vindication against all the raging hardcore lamers, er, gamers, who ranted about "Gamecube 1.5," "gimmicky controllers," "crappy graphics," blah, blah, blah.

The Wii is the best console I've ever played, and everyone who has tried mine desperately wants one for themselves. The other consoles offer the same tired games with improved graphics, and ultimately no one cares. While MS and Sony swim in red ink with their high-powered, overheated super-consoles, Nintendo is going to sneak in and steal the throne by bringing fun back to gaming. For that I salute them.

Creativity > brute force.