Game developers only shine when their games do. Some shine more than other, and 2007 was no different.

Developer of the Year

EAD Tokyo

It may seem a little to convenient for Nintendo World Report to be naming a Nintendo studio as developer of the year, but it's hard to argue against awarding EAD Tokyo the title. Before 2007 the only game they had produced was Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, but that all changed with the 2007 release of Super Mario Galaxy. Galaxy is the kind of creative title that only comes around once in a long time. For creating a true sequel to Super Mario 64 and restoring the sense of wonder to the franchise, EAD Tokyo earns our Developer of the Year award.

Runner-up: Retro Studios

Retro Studios has already established as a premier developer with its past efforts on the Metroid Prime series. 2007 saw the company make the leap from GameCube to Wii with the critically-acclaimed release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Like every other game in the Prime series, Corruption is a masterpiece of art and sound design with a high level of polish. It really shines because of the efforts Retro put into the control design, making it one of the best uses of the Wii Remote to date. Its "free-aim" control scheme not only makes aiming a breeze, but it also adds another layer of immersion to an already immersive series.