Sleeper hit of 2001 Award: GameCube

Pikmin

I hate to call Pikmin a sleeper hit, but with no brand recognition (save the Nintendo name) to push it along, many will not experience the brilliance of this action/strategy/adventure hybrid. – David Trammell

The amount of fun to be found is really unexpected, even though it's not a terribly long game. Nearly everyone who has played it has come away saying how much fun it was. – Karlie Yeung

“What the hell?” was the collective reaction at Nintendo’s pre-show press conference the first time Pikmin was shown. That, and jokes about what Miyamoto might really be growing in his garden… But once one plays Pikmin, it is clear to see what a wonderful game it is. It’s hard not to fall in love with the little plant creatures, and become engrossed in Captain Olimar’s daily struggle to return home. Pikmin was a true surprise for the GameCube launch & is proof that EAD is still full of fresh ideas. – Max Lake

Woo Woo! All aboard the bandwagon! – Mike Sklens

An odd title to be sure, Pikmin contains the tried and true methods of Miyamoto gaming genius. Watch out, Pikmin will be a gaming force in the future. – Mike Hrusecky

Pikmin. I had almost zero interest in this game until my friend came over for a few days and brought it with him. I played it almost nonstop for three days. Pikmin obviously isn't something with a lot of mainstream appeal, but I dearly hope that brave GameCube owners will give it a try. – Jonathan Metts

Raised from seed is right. After the first day of E3 there were two games I was freaking out about. Wave Race and Pikmin. Everyone was looking at me like I was on crack...until they played it. It's a sad thing so many people will pass over this title. - Billy Berghammer

Most people have no idea what the game is about, and can't fathom how a game with little alien plant creatures could be any fun. But sure enough, it's another Miyamoto masterpiece. – Rick Powers