Topic: Game of the Decade -- Vote After Listening to RFN 183!

[Jonnyboy117]

Nominees were vetted on the Radio Free Nintendo podcast, culminating on Episode 183. Original criteria: games must have been released in 2000-2009 on Nintendo platforms.

You may change your vote up until the poll closes on Feb. 25. However, poll results will remain hidden until all voting has ended.

Please feel free to post in this thread with your thoughts on nominees, lobbying for your favorite, etc. The result of this poll will be final and represents the collective decision of Nintendo World Report staff, the Radio Free Nintendo podcast crew, and all of our readers/listeners!

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Copying my thoughts from the episode talkback thread...

Super Smash Bros Melee and the incredible multiplayer experiences aresomething I and just about everyone with a Gamecube can relate to. Backin my early teenage years, it was a regular part of my life; I wouldhave friends over literally every day after school to play it. That'swhat puts it on a podium above both its predecessor and successor. WhenI think about it, if I'm honest with myself, Brawl is probably a betteroverall package. The difference is that I played that in my lateteenage years and sadly, having friends come to my house to play it wasmuch more infrequent. I have so many more fond memories with Melee, sothis is a very good choice.

Metroid Prime... on a personallevel, I don't know if I would rank it among my own top games of thedecade. It is a brilliant adventure and there are so many aspects of itthat I can definitely appreciate. What sours my impression of Prime iswhen I first played it, I was 12 years old and honestly, I was quite abit worse at games when I was younger, so I originally found it toooverwhelming and put it down for years. Going back now, I can respectit a lot more, as well as the Metroid series as a whole, but I didn'tcome away with that feeling that this was something special when Iinitially played it. As such, Metroid Prime didn't make such a bigimpact on me, which I guess is sort of a shame.

Super MarioGalaxy is a decision that I can definitely get on board with. I totallyagree with whoever it was who said that it is the most imaginative andcreative endeavour by Nintendo in the last 10 years. When talking aboutthe world it creates, I can understand where you guys are coming from,about how it feels disconnected compared to Sunshine. Of the threeMario 3D games, Sunshine has the best hub world, in Delfino Plaza.Having said that, the lack of a theme in Galaxy allowed EAD Tokyo toinject a immense amount of variety that few games in existence canrival, while the tropical resort theme in Sunshine did constrict thelevel variety. It is somewhat surprising, though, at how littleinfluence Mario Galaxy has had. I'm shocked that other developershaven't taken inspiration from it, considering how good the ideas are.

WiiSports is the single one of the six that I don't believe is worthy ofbeing there. The impact it has had on the industry is beyongcomprehension, no arguments. It is staggering to reflect on the pastthree years since the launch of that game with the system. And there'sno doubt that it's simple, accessible design has captured millions ofpeople who had never been interested in this form of entertainmentbeforehand. HOWEVER, and this is a significant 'however', as I pointedout at the top of this post, you all conceded that you weren't all thatkeen on the gameplay of it and in my view, I feel a game should not bechosen on influence alone. The other nominations, you did include howimpactful they were in your reasoning for selecting them, but you alsodiscussed everything else it had going for it. For Wii Sports to beconsidered one of the best pieces of software of the decade, we mustobserve the full picture and I don't know for sure that you did.

TheLegend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is likely the best representative youcould have picked for the Zelda franchise. I loved Wind Waker too, plusI don't have the negative reservations that many do about TwilightPrincess 'cause I really liked that as well. Majora's Mask is in itsown league, though. Fantastic dungeons (I concur that the Great BayTemple may be the best in the series), music is wonderful, particularlythe Deku Palace theme, and Clock Town is indeed a pretty magical place.I remember always looking forward to the period of time aftercompleting a dungeon, when I would spend hours trying to finish theside quests that I wasn't able to before. Argh, I'm starting to get theurge to go play it again.

Resident Evil 4 is awesome. I'mstruggling to think of more to say about it. I don't revere it ashighly as some of these others, but I still see it as a strongcandidate. I hadn't played any games in the Resident Evil franchisebesides this, and simply purchased it based on the universal acclaimand numerous Game of the Year awards. It did not disappoint. This isSurvival Horror at its finest -- maybe not so much the horror because Ididn't find it all that frightening, but they did channel the survivalelements so well. The health & ammo management, the cunning AI andthe fluid controls all come together in those great set pieces, such asthe house defence in chapter 2 with Luis. Games after RE4 have copiedit, including its derivative sequel, although not as well in my opinion.

...all done.

So it all comes down to this. I'm weighing up three of those nominees in my mind and I do not know how I can order them right now. If I were to pick the game that I feel is the highest quality all around, I would go with Super Mario Galaxy.
But I have to take into account that the Legend of Zelda series is my favourite videogame franchise and Majora's Mask is, as far as I'm concerned, the best instalment in that from the past decade. I can't just dismiss that.
And then I think about Super Smash Bros Melee. There's about 6 years worth of fun times which I associate with it. I can't dismiss that either.

This will need some more consideration.

[TJ Spyke]

I thought Brawl was a better game then Melee, the only part Melee is better at is Samus (they totally nerfed her in Brawl). Don't know who I will vote for.

[NWR_DrewMG]

Long live Majora's Mask, the "11th best" Zelda!

[greybrick]

I put in my vote for Majora's Mask.

Not only was it a good Zelda game from an action/collection standpoint, but it created a world that could be fully explored within the context of three days in time. Most games, even today, see characters running through a world filled with NPC's whose lives never progress beyond commenting on the monsters in the forest or the heroes' latest exploits. Majora's Mask was not satisfied with presenting such a dull environment and allowed the player to explore a living world in its entirety through the use of time travel. One witnesses how the lives of NPCs progress, and are deeply affected by the player's actions.

Majora's Mask is not known for its influence on other games, and I say that is a tribute to the high bar it set for those that followed.

[that Baby guy]

I am writing something that completely makes me want to laugh at this, but not really for anything truly related.  I'll have to take my time to think of my answer, because that's not an easy choice.

I will say I'm glad one specific game isn't on that list >.>

[ShyGuy]

Twenty years from now Wii Sports will be the most remembered game on that list. It's going to be for that generation of grown up children what Super Mario Bros was for many us. Their earliest video game memory.

[gbuell]

I went with Metroid Prime - that game is pretty much responsible for getting me into modern gaming. Super Mario Galaxy is a very strong contender too, though. And by the way, I do not play Mario games for the "hub world" or for "interconnected levels"... I play Zelda and Metroid for continuous, explorable worlds, not Mario. Mario is about delivering short, manageable chunks of platforming goodness, and that's exactly what Galaxy does (and what Sunshine doesn't do nearly as well.)

[NWR_Lindy]

This was a very easy choice for me.  But I shall not reveal that choice!

[Yankee]

     I was struggling between galaxy, prime, and wii sports. I didn't choose wii sports because despite its immense impact on the industry as a whole and its commercial success, I really don't feel like it is the "game" of the decade. I guess I am trying to say that the amazing thing about wii sports is not really the game itself but the overarching idea or concept. The substance of the game is not mind blowing, but the accessibility that was promoted by the game and nintendo simultaneously is what created the change in the industry. As a game I can't really choose it.

     I think what pulled me away from Prime was the fact that it took many of the ideas of super metroid, and i don't know if it necessarily changed, improved or enhanced them, but i guess put it through a different lens if that makes sense. I also feel like the ideas of prime have been furthered this decade with its predecessors, of which I think echoes is my favorite (you aren't alone jonny). It may also be the fact that I played the series from corruption to prime to echoes that may have changed my opinion of the series as a whole. And I really feel like the ideas of super metroid were really refined in zero mission. As an aside, zero mission is currently my favorite in the series although I am only about two thirds through super metroid currently so it is subject to change.

     Although a cohesive world is something I am drawn to in games, I feel like that really isn't important to me when playing a mario game. Mario in many ways to me is a way for Nintendo to say "How much can we expand this world, or how many different experiences or ideas can we fit in this world or theme and have it still fit?" I think the genius of galaxy is that Nintendo gave themselves basically the whole universe to play with. Essentially they found an environment in which they were free to go bananas. Even in reality the galaxy is not cohesive, we only really know much about our own little hub world earth. Galaxy is like the melting pot for gaming as a whole from this decade and before. The fact that Nintendo is making a sequel I think emphasizes on how limitless the ideas that could fit in the setting are. They didn't have to create a new arena for mario like the castle or delfino island to keep the game fresh (at least we will see). So there we go. Mario Galaxy.

     That was basically my thought process written down. Kudos to the RFN crew. The discussion on the last episode was so great that I just had to make a post even though I am insanely inactive here. I always tell myself to go and post after I listen to a show but life and games that I am playing tell me otherwise.

[ShyGuy]

Go Red Sox

For Industry Impact, Majora's Mask is probably the weakest on the list.
For Cultural Impact, Resident Evil 4 is weakest
For Lasting Memory, probably Prime is weakest
For Game Quality, Wii Sports is weakest.

lot of different ways to look at this...

[King of Twitch]

Majora's Mask: 2x the Malon of any other contender.

[Stratos]

I'm initially going for Majora's Mask since it is probably my favorite console Zelda and 2nd favorite overall.

I never really liked the controls on the GC version of RE4 when I played it. I own a copy of RE4 Wii but I've yet to crack that open. Maybe I should do that now and see if it will sway my decision.

I agree with what others have stated that WS just doesn't feel like the Game of Decade despite it's impact on gaming and society.

Prime was one of the first games in a while that actually filled me with one of those 'joy and wonder' moments since I was a little child. I can't even remember the last game to make me feel that way since Mario 64.

Galaxy was a beautiful and enjoyable game, but it really doesn't stick in my mind as a game that defined a generation...

And that's probably why Melee may sway my vote in the end. It was the 'Goldeneye' of the 2000's I would argue. Just as during the N64/90's people associated console game nights and the system itself with Goldeneye, so people seemed to do the same thing with Melee. Brawl never seemed to capture the magic in the same way but Melee was right alongside Halo as "the games to play" last decade.

Yeah, after that thought I'm going with Melee. Even though I adore Majora. If I had to rank the games right now I would go:

Melee
Wii Sports
Prime
Majora
RE4

The discussion on the last episode was so great that I just had to make a post even though I am insanely inactive here. I always tell myself to go and post after I listen to a show but life and games that I am playing tell me otherwise.

I know what you mean. Back when I listened consistently to the 'casts before my iPod died I had tons of comments I wanted to share but would forget most of them before the show ended and I could get to a computer. I started keeping a pad of paper on me to write thoughts down but then my iPod broke and I got a job that prevented me from listening to podcasts at the same time. I appreciate the thoughts you do share.

[yoshi1001]

I've only played 4 of these games (I have no interest in RE4, and though I have MM on the Zelda compilation, I've heard from this podcast that the emulation there is poor). I am going to make the very odd decision that Melee should be named GotD based primarily on my experiences with its single-player. I didn't have many opportunities to play multiplayer Melee, but I loved single player. I could play the 1P modes over and over again (more than I could say for the Subspace Emissary in Brawl), and somehow it never got old. Plus the music is fantastic. If I had to give out an honorable mention, I'd pick Galaxy, even though I may have played less of it than Lindy.

[- NintendoFan -]

I threw down Majora's Mask. The mood and the atmosphere of the game pretty much does it for me. Add in the music, the story and just classic Zelda gameplay there is no other choice. Also, I can never get enough of the Song Of Healing.

[Tween20]

I know why they did it, but I was sad to see Pikmin go from the list.  Especially with the WiiPlay controls, I thought the first game was outstanding.  Oh, Pikmin 3, wherefore art thou...?
 
I think Prime has to get my vote, although I will admit that I am secretly voting for the whole trilogy.

[D_Average]

I went with Galaxy.  Like my good friend Malstrom, I walked out on gaming for a decade, and immediately after I watched the ad for Galaxy I relapsed and quickly bought a Wii.  And I was not disappointed.  Life felt magical again.

[gojira]

Unlike the guys I have no problem dropping a few games from the list.  The easiest being Smash Bros.  I realize that I'm a rare Nintendo fanboy who doesn't like the series, but that's all due to the fact that I really don't play multiplayer at all.  And when I do play with others its with non-gamer friends and family.  I've tried, but Smash Bros. is too chaotic/difficult for them.

Wii Sports is basically the exact opposite.  It's a game I've played a lot multiplayer.  I've also put a lot of time into single player having reached a Pro status on most of the games.  But even with all that time put into it, the game itself isn't beefy enough for me to call it the best of the decade.

Majora's Mask is another game that I don't find too hard to pass over.  The Zelda series has never clicked with me like Mario or Metroid.  Although if Wind Waker was on the list I may have given that more thought since I enjoyed it a lot more than MM.

Resident Evil 4 is the next game I'll knock off.  I love the game.  Being a long time RE fan, I found RE4 to be a great evolution of the series.  It gets a lot of flack for having the same tank controls of the old Resident Evil games, but moving the camera to behind the character really made those controls work.  Even with all that, the game still isn't up there with Mario and Metroid.

Choosing between Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime is my real difficult decision.  Both games are amazing and work on pretty much all levels.  They have top notch graphics, music, level design, etc. 

Metroid has been my favorite game series since Super Metroid and the 8 year wait for Prime was worth it.  I was unsure about the series going 3d and really against it going 1st person, but I was proved completely wrong.  The story being told in an unconventional manner has really made an effect on games today.  Games like Bioshock and even Halo have utilized a similar story setup that's fed in small log based bits. 

Mario maybe hasn't had as much influence on the industry, but the fundamental gameplay is so much fun.  Super Mario Sunshine was a fairly big disappoint for me.  And Galaxy felt more like what I really wanted from a sequel to Mario 64.  My only complaint is that the difficulty curve took way to long to ramp up. 

I could really go with either one but I voted for Metroid Prime since I love the series and I feel like I have less negative things to say about it.

[gbuell]

Yeah, if I were on that panel I'd have dropped Melee right away, just because I really didn't play it much. But I realize I am not representative of the majority of Nintendo fans in that sense.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

I've put some more time into deliberating with myself. Although it's difficult for me to push some of these aside, I have come to a conclusion. I am listening to my heart, which is saying Super Smash Brothers Melee, and I'm reluctantly ignoring my head, which says Super Mario Galaxy.

There we have it. Chalk one vote up for Melee. In fairness, with the exception of Wii Sports, I would not mind if any of the nominations took the crown.

[KDR_11k]

I went with Prime because I <3 Metroid (and hence am appalled by the atrocity* Other M is shaping up to be). Sports would probably take the vote if the population of NWR was in any way representative of the gaming population at large but the people reading gaming websites are always a biased sample. Zelda might have been a contender if the game representing it had been stronger than Majora's Mask. Melee is a no-go for me, Galaxy is good but the buffet style kinda makes it feel disjointed so there's little drive to continue playing because it's like playing a different game all the time and RE4 just isn't as good as Prime.

*=I don't mind story per se as long as it stays the **** out of the way and by what has been said the story in OM will be like the one in Fusion and I considered Fusion the low point of Metroid overall. Castlevania tried telling stories and did that without making "I'm afraid I can't do that, Samus" doors or annoying computer interruptions all the time.

[NWR_Neal]

I went with Melee, because I spent an insane amount of time with it, and because I feel like it's a one-of-a-kind experience that almost anyone can play. It's also the only game I've ever consistently played for nearly seven years.

Wii Sports deserves consideration, as it did revolutionize the industry. It also was the game that got my parents interested in video games for the first time ever.

Resident Evil 4, Galaxy, and Prime are all fantastic games, but RE4 seemed more like a revelation in the Resident Evil franchise (I agree with Lindy), Galaxy seemed to be an amalgamation of 64 and Sunshine and its impact is not felt so far (and Flip's Twisted World looked like **** at E3), and Prime pales in comparison to Super Metroid. Each game is fantastic, and I completely agree with their representation on this list, but Melee is a bigger deal for me.

...And I haven't played Majora. I have 1000 Wii Points sitting on my system for buying it, so I aim to play it soon.

[NWR_DrewMG]

PLAY IT!

[NWR_Neal]

Reviews take precedence! I've been tempted to start jumping between Endless Ocean 2 and Majora's Mask, though.

[ejamer]

Interesting to see RE4 as the only third-party title on the list.
 
That fact alone was almost enough to make me vote for it -- especially after reading about the lengthy development cycle and how the original game designs were scrapped and reworked multiple times.  Throw in tremendous replay value, multiple releases, cross-platform appeal, along with graphics/gameplay that still hold up today and it's a strong candidate for game of the Decade.  It also revitalized a brand that was languishing and declining in popularity.
 
But despite being a great game, it didn't get my vote.   

[iDraTion]

Little disappointed to see Sands of Time didn't make the list because on top of the 3D platforming aspects (which was the first game to really execute the acrobatics of the Matrix, wire-fu, and other stylistic approaches to stage combat in film), it was one of the first games to best execute a cinematic, circular narrative where the end of the game informs nuances throughout the entire game, similar to Memento where a full viewing lets you in on the details present throughout the film.  I really think it was ahead of its time and had a much greater impact on gaming than it gets credit for.


I feel like Majora's Mask is only on there because Ocarina of Time was two years too early to make this list, which by the same token I don't think Galaxy 2 should be on next decade's list because it will be an iteration on the more original game, its predecessor.  I think Wind Waker was a better game, particularly because of how it executed on the mostly-water world in an adventure game, which in concept seems ludicrous for a land-lubbing series like Zelda. 


More importantly, it set the precedent for the art of the game to be the graphics of the game, instead of rendering concept art in realistic textures and quadrillions of polygons.  You wouldn't have had Okami without Wind Waker, and you most certainly wouldn't have had Ubisoft use the art style it did on the recent Prince of Persia.  Its impact can be seen just by how reaction to screenshots has changed.  It went from disappointment/anger at a 3D artistic style, to peaked interest at a more artistic approach to graphics that we see more of today.  It opened the door of artistic 3D graphical design well before the industry was ready.


Melee was great because of how many hours were pumped into it/sucked into its ridiculous black-hole time-sink, but I'm not quite sure its a game of the decade, and I think its only because of its limited scope.  Can a fighting game ever be a better game than a solid adventure game?


Wii sports was great and definitely industry changing, but Galaxy is really the closest to perfection that any of those games come to; though it is on this list because I think it was a greater evolution on platforming than even Super Mario 64. 


Prime was fantastic, I think the best, most compelling 2D to 3D transition of any of Nintendo's franchises.  First person shooting, adventuring, and platforming in one game.  No game has ever done that to the level of execution that Retro did.  Let alone the expansive world, exploration, and discoverable plot left to the player to find if they wanted to, its game mechanics alone, imo, set it apart from the majority of other games.  A little RPG weapon upgrading/equipment changing that was integrated into the gameplay, as Metroid is known for and that Prime expanded upon with the visors, and I'm hard-pressed to find a game that utilizes as broad-reaching genre characteristics to make a really unique game.  Prime vs. Galaxy in my book.

[maxguy4]

OK I DO NOT LIKE ANY OF THE GAMES THEY HAVE CHOSEN. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY GIT RID OF WINDWAKER FOR MAJORAS CRAP MASK. I AM NOT GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE OF THAT. PLEASE CHANGE MAJORAS MASK TO \WINDWAKER!!!!11!!!1!1111

[ejamer]

Little disappointed to see Sands of Time didn't make the list ...

We totally agree about Sand of Time - I also think it was brilliantly written, enjoyable to play, and influential on games that came afterwards.  It's a shame that sequels weren't able to make meaningful improvements on the game but the bar was set high from the beginning.

I feel like Majora's Mask is only on there because Ocarina of Time was two years too early to make this list, which by the same token I don't think Galaxy 2 should be on next decade's list because it will be an iteration on the more original game, its predecessor.  I think Wind Waker was a better game, particularly because of how it executed on the mostly-water world in an adventure game, which in concept seems ludicrous for a land-lubbing series like Zelda.

But here we have to disagree.  Majora's Mask is brilliant because it does things so differently from the "same old" Zelda that we've come to expect.  It did build on the engine and framework of Ocarina of Time, but offered a very different feel and really expanded on the kind of puzzles and interactions that were possible in games at the time.
 
When Majora's Mask released, there was no other game with a more well-defined world.  NPC characters had schedules and plans and actions that had to be tracked and charted.  World events could be manipulated and adjusted using the power to control time and adjust or affect certain events before they even happened.  And the whole brilliant side-story was wrapped in a delicious layer of dark, absurd humor.
 
I'm not taking anything away from Wind Waker - a brilliant game in it's own right - but simply cannot believe any claim that Majora's Mask was just an "iteration" on Ocarina of Time.  If anything, Majora's Mask was the most unique and ambitious Zelda title (in terms of story) of any that I've played... and I'm not expecting Twilight Princess to change that.
 
 
Also, I think your emphasis on Wind Waker's graphics is misplaced.  There were games with cell shaded graphics released before Wind Waker, and some truly great games with similar artistic style under development at the same time.  In fact, there were more "big" games experimenting with different graphical styles at that time than there are now.
 
In my opinion, Wind Waker failed to make any notable change in how the industry (or average gamer) looks at graphics and artistic styles... although we can agree that it certainly remains one of the most respected games out of those pushing towards that goal.

[Caliban]

I voted for Metroid Prime.

[ejamer]

OK I DO NOT LIKE ANY OF THE GAMES THEY HAVE CHOSEN. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY GIT RID OF WINDWAKER FOR MAJORAS CRAP MASK. I AM NOT GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE OF THAT. PLEASE CHANGE MAJORAS MASK TO \WINDWAKER!!!!11!!!1!1111

Pro tip:  Posts like this look foolish.  By extension, people who make posts like this look foolish.
 
Since I'm sure you're not foolish, maybe it's a better idea to give a mini-review of the game you would have rather seen listed instead of just complaining?  Explaining why you like that game and why it is your choice for "Game of the Decade" will make a lot of people stop and think about it... or better yet, go back and play it themselves.

[NWR_Neal]

Note to self: look for Sands of Time cheap so you can beat it. Also, buy Majora's Mask on VC before drewmg murders me on air during Newscast.

[BeautifulShy]

So I got my NP today and they had a Game of the Decade.
Here is the top 10 in their eyes.
10:The World Ends with You.
9:Mario Kart Wii
8:Metroid:Zero Mission
7:Elite Beat Agents
6:Metroid Prime
5:Super Smash Bros Brawl
4:The Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker
3:The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess
2:Resident Evil 4
1.Super Mario Galaxy

As far as these selections. I went with Wii Sports because it is what got me interested in games again.

All of the choices are good. I love RE4 for its replay value. Mario Galaxy for its Music and co-op as well as its graphics.SSBM for its fun local multiplayer. Majora's Mask for its unique take on the Zelda franchise.Metroid Prime was a very new take on the Metroid series. Most people at the time were worried about the direction it took but those worries were unfounded since it turned out so well.
All of these titles deserve to be game of the Decade.

[Halbred]

ejamer: Wind Waker might not be the first or only game to use cel-shaded graphics, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more consistent, fully realized world than the one created for that game.
 
I've gotta get back to Majora. It IS a good game once you accept what it is, and I have to admit that the knowledge that the world's destruction is just days away gives the entire game a melancholy sort of feeling.

[Nemo]

I'm voted based on which game -personally- has the most replayability.

Super Smash Bros. Melee - I'm one of the oddball Nintendo fans that didn't like this game/series.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - as one of the older games on the list, I can't remember how many times I've played through this. I think just once or twice. Definitely my favorite Zelda game of the century, though. I'm mildly interested in playing through this one again.

Metroid Prime - I love the Metroid series, especially Super Metroid. I think I may have played though this game or two times. I know I played on the harder difficulty and got stuck at one point. I currently don't have the desire to play it again... but maybe someday.

Wii Sports - It's a fun game w/ broad appeal. It's a good game to play when you're around people that aren't interested in other types of games. But... I am personally more interested in other types of games. I'm only interested in playing this again if my friends want to.

Super Mario Galaxy - This game is fairly recent. I beat it w/ Mario then played through a second time as Luigi. I'd be interested in playing this again sometime in the future.

Resident Evil 4 - I played through the game maybe twice or so on the GameCube and then I've played though it perhaps another four times on the Wii. And I was playing this game right before I noticed this "Game of the Decade" topic. This is my winner.

[Jonnyboy117]

So I got my NP today and they had a Game of the Decade.
Here is the top 10 in their eyes.
10:The World Ends with You.
9:Mario Kart Wii
8:Metroid:Zero Mission
7:Elite Beat Agents
6:Metroid Prime
5:Super Smash Bros Brawl
4:The Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker
3:The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess
2:Resident Evil 4
1.Super Mario Galaxy

That's a very interesting list. The one I haven't played is The World Ends With You -- heard very mixed things about it from friends. I wouldn't have put Twilight Princess nearly so high on the list, although I do think highly of it (and gave it a 10/10 review). Elite Beat Agents is a nice runner-up that we never considered, and probably should have. My only counter-argument is that the original Japanese version, Ossu Tatake Ouendan, did it first and did it a little better. Finally, it struck me odd that Nintendo Power left off Majora's Mask, until I remembered that they consider it the 11th-best Zelda game or some such nonsense. And that lack of reason makes it hard for me to respect their list very much.

[Sundoulos]

Note to self: look for Sands of Time cheap so you can beat it. Also, buy Majora's Mask on VC before drewmg murders me on air during Newscast.

It's interesting that a lot of used 3rd party Gamecube games tend to be priced a little higher than their PS2 and Xbox counterparts.  I've found this to be true for both Sands of Time and Beyond Good And Evil recently.  Perhaps that just means that fewer Gamecube discs were printed for these games?

[Sundoulos]

Finally, it struck me odd that Nintendo Power left off Majora's Mask, until I remembered that they consider it the 11th-best Zelda game or some such nonsense. And that lack of reason makes it hard for me to respect their list very much.

To be honest, I had forgotten that Majora's Mask even came out during this decade until I heard it nominated on RFN.  Then I remembered that I bought it the same day I got my launch PS2. 

Edit: My apologies for double-posting.

[BeautifulShy]

So I got my NP today and they had a Game of the Decade.
Here is the top 10 in their eyes.
10:The World Ends with You.
9:Mario Kart Wii
8:Metroid:Zero Mission
7:Elite Beat Agents
6:Metroid Prime
5:Super Smash Bros Brawl
4:The Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker
3:The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess
2:Resident Evil 4
1.Super Mario Galaxy

That's a very interesting list. The one I haven't played is The World Ends With You -- heard very mixed things about it from friends. I wouldn't have put Twilight Princess nearly so high on the list, although I do think highly of it (and gave it a 10/10 review). Elite Beat Agents is a nice runner-up that we never considered, and probably should have. My only counter-argument is that the original Japanese version, Ossu Tatake Ouendan, did it first and did it a little better. Finally, it struck me odd that Nintendo Power left off Majora's Mask, until I remembered that they consider it the 11th-best Zelda game or some such nonsense. And that lack of reason makes it hard for me to respect their list very much.

Well actually Majora's Mask is pretty high on their list it is just that the other Zelda's are higher.
Anyway If you want to know all the Game of the Year Winners. Here they are.
2000:Majora's Mask
2001:Super Smash Brothers Melee
2002:Metroid Prime
2003:Wind Waker
2004:Metroid Prime 2:Echoes
2005:Resident Evil 4
2006:Twilight Princess
2007:Super Mario Galaxy
2008:Super Smash Brothers Brawl
2009:New Super Mario Bros Wii
Keep in mind that the Game of the Year was voted for by the NP readers in 2000-2005
Since then The Staff and the readers have seperate choices.
2009 was split between the two. Staff picked New Super Mario Bros Wii and Readers picked Kingdom Hearts:358/2 Days.

[Stratos]

So I got my NP today and they had a Game of the Decade.
Here is the top 10 in their eyes.
10:The World Ends with You.
9:Mario Kart Wii
8:Metroid:Zero Mission
7:Elite Beat Agents
6:Metroid Prime
5:Super Smash Bros Brawl
4:The Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker
3:The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess
2:Resident Evil 4
1.Super Mario Galaxy

That's a very interesting list. The one I haven't played is The World Ends With You -- heard very mixed things about it from friends. I wouldn't have put Twilight Princess nearly so high on the list, although I do think highly of it (and gave it a 10/10 review). Elite Beat Agents is a nice runner-up that we never considered, and probably should have. My only counter-argument is that the original Japanese version, Ossu Tatake Ouendan, did it first and did it a little better. Finally, it struck me odd that Nintendo Power left off Majora's Mask, until I remembered that they consider it the 11th-best Zelda game or some such nonsense. And that lack of reason makes it hard for me to respect their list very much.

You really should try World Ends With You, Jonny. It was a very fun and unique game. I'm actually glad it made someones list. I personally think it would be a contender for the DS Game of Decade.

[Rize]

I had to vote for Metroid Prime ultimately, but it was a close race with Resident Evil 4.  Everything else was way in the dust.  Also, if other consoles were included, Shadow of the Colossus would be somewhere in there.  I think that's about it though.

MP was so incredible because of the beautify and immersion of the world and the pacing of the gameplay.  RE4 was a more "pure" game in that it relied more heavily on exciting and well crafted gameplay scenarios.  SotC is also beautiful and immersive, but the pacing is much more subtle.  All three were unique and took a big risk in trying something new or stepping away from an established formula.  Bravo.

[broodwars]

I voted for Majora's Mask (my favorite Zelda), but I'd be quite content with Metroid Prime (the first Metroid game I ever enjoyed) or even Resident Evil 4 getting the overall nod.

[KDR_11k]

Note to self: look for Sands of Time cheap so you can beat it.

They sell a "Two Thrones Special Edition" here which is basically all three last gen PoP games on one disc for the PC.

[Stratos]

Couldn't imagine playing any of the modern PoP games without a game pad.

[ControlerFleX]

• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, took one aspect from THE greatest Zelda and turned us into stalking freaks that was obsessed about time.

• Super Smash Bros. Melee, is extreeeeemly good but with Brawl having the addition of online play, more charters, user created levels, sharper graphics, and the same control scheme that we loved, why isn't this one nominated over the latter?

• Resident Evil 4 gave us the chance to tell PS2 fan-boys to eat it! It not only reinvented itself but showed us what could/should be realized in a 3rd person shooter. Scary? maybe not... but I dare you say you weren't "afraid" of the Chainsaw Zombie...

• Wii Sports........... to forever be know as "THE GAME THAT PUT IT ALL IN MOTION".....Damn good choice DiamondJ

• Super Mario Galaxy, it made us smile, it made us cry but we waited tooooo long for it to surface and only give us the best hodgepodge of Mario available. It is the best and most unique platformer out there but JJ is right.. it's missing something.

• Metroid Prime, the first time we seen the screen shots and realized the game was played from the ?? first person view ??, most of us wrote it off. Its a platforming, shootin', backtrackin', item collectin', action packin', Ridley fightin', ball rollin, grapple beam usin lady that i cant see. It's not possible for them to put any of that in this crap they showed us........needless to say I no longer judge before I play. I present my pick, Samus please take a bow.

[NWR_Lindy]

Metroid Prime was the Ocarina of Time for its decade.  It took a game property that was previously only in 2D and brought it to 3D the right way.  There was no blueprint for Retro to work from, just like Nintendo had no existing blueprint for Ocarina (aside from Mario 64, but the design challenges were completely different for each game).   When it was announced I had no idea how they would pull it off, but they did.

[gbuell]

Couldn't imagine playing any of the modern PoP games without a game pad.

They sell gamepads for PCs.

[gbuell]

Metroid Prime was the Ocarina of Time for its decade.  It took a game property that was previously only in 2D and brought it to 3D the right way.  There was no blueprint for Retro to work from, just like Nintendo had no existing blueprint for Ocarina (aside from Mario 64, but the design challenges were completely different for each game).   When it was announced I had no idea how they would pull it off, but they did.

This is exactly why I don't understand people writing off Other M so early... last time everyone wrote off a Metroid reboot based on short videos and first impressions, they were horribly horribly wrong.

[Rize]

I'm certainly not writing off Other M.  I think it will be incredibly awesome when it finally comes out.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

[NWR_Neal]

I'm certainly not writing off Other M.  I think it will be incredibly awesome when it finally comes out.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

I've been playing Metroid Prime for the first time in a long time, and it's rekindling that amazing goosebump-y feeling I had when I first played it...and the first time I played Super Metroid as well. I hope I have that same feeling when I play Other M.

While my vote is still with Melee, I will not be upset if Metroid Prime wins...or really any of these games.

[NWR_Lindy]

What was amazing about Metroid Prime was that it nailed the FEEL of a Metroid game.  It didn't feel like a spin-off, bastardization, or shoehorned concept.

[Pandareus]

I wish I had played Majora's Mask, it's the only game on the list I haven't touched.
 
Anyway, I had to vote for Metroid Prime. It was my killer-app, the game that made me buy a GameCube after spending a whole gen away from consoles and focusing on PC gaming.

Retro did a super job making a first person Metroid game. Concessions had to be made, obviously Samus isn't as acrobatic and fast as she once was. But the "simple" accomplishment of making a game feel so true to its predecessors despite its radically new point of view is nothing short of amazing.
 
I also really like the efforts made to make the player feel like he's actually inside Samus' suit. Water drops run down your visor, steam creates condensation, and the insides of squishy bugs will obstuct your view if you blast them from too close.
 
There was something really satisfying about how quickly you could morph into a ball. Some didn't like the tank controls and the lack of dual analog movement, but the fact is, during combat, all you had to do was press a button to switch to a 3rd person view, turn into a nimble ball and make your escape. The lock-on feature also allowed you to run circles around whatever critter you've decided to exterminate.
 
I could go on about the music, the level design, the art design, the quasi-seamless loading, etc., but the post is getting a bit long so I'll just say they're all "masterful". And that's just amazing for a then unknown studio.
 
Metroid Prime is definitely the game of the decade for me.

[Crimm]

What was amazing about Metroid Prime was that it nailed the FEEL of a Metroid game.  It didn't feel like a spin-off, bastardization, or shoehorned concept.

This is good?  It moved a game designed around backtracking into the 21st Century instead of letting that chore die like the useless mechanic it is.  Prime 3 is far and away more fun than Prime for multiple reasons, but the most important is the game doesn't constantly force you to criss-cross the entirety of existence.

While my votes got pretty much blanked (did I go one [and a half] for six?) in the nomination process, it's far easier for me to pallet Majora's Mask because it did something so different within the well-worn tools to which we were all accustomed.  Just the mechanical differences are enough to make the game memorable; the feeling of the game pushes beyond that.

[Halbred]

Hmmm...I think Prime 3 is good, but not as good as the original game, which has superior art direction. I think we can both agree that Echoes was not that great, though.

[NWR_Neal]

So James doesn't like the Metroid design?

I'll admit that backtracking can get tiresome, but I welcome it in Metroid because as you get new abilities, you look at and traverse the world in different ways. I think Jonny mentioned this in regards to Blaster Master: Overdrive, and that's really why backtracking works. It's not for everybody, but it works for some/most.

[Tween20]

Hmmm...I think Prime 3 is good, but not as good as the original game, which has superior art direction. I think we can both agree that Echoes was not that great, though.

I know this is not the thread for this, but I had to comment--  Hated Echoes when I first played it.  But when I played it as part of the trilogy, I have to admit that I think I might have liked it best of all.  Don't know if it was the Wii controls, the fact that I had just come off Prime I, or muscle memory from my first time through, but I really bought what Retro was selling in Echoes the second time around.

[Mop it up]

I voted for Super Smash Brothers Melee. It was kind of difficult not to, since it is my most-played game on any system. SSBBrawl was a disaster.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask wasn't really something I liked. The structure of the game just bothered me, with all of the redundant tasks you were required to do.

Metroid Prime successfully combines the action of a first person shooter with exploration and discovery, and creates an incredible atmosphere. It's certainly one of the most well-crafted games I have ever seen.

Wii Sports could be arguably the most influential game of the decade, if you go by the sheer number of knockoffs out there.

Super Mario Galaxy is Super Mario Galaxy. Enough said.

I haven't played Resident Evil 4. Or any Resident Evil game for that matter.

There are plenty of games released over the last decade which I'd want to give special mention (ExciteBike 64, Banjo-Tooie, Battalion Wars, TimeSplitters, Mario Kart Wii, etc), but I'll mention just one that I feel really deserves some recognition: Perfect Dark.

Perfect Dark is still my favourite N64 game, so I quite disagree with anyone who states it is incompetent today. The controls are still excellent, the N64 controller works very well for FPS games with its layout and comfort, and the more resistant analogue stick makes aiming easier... but maybe this is more due to my own personal loathing of dual-analogue controllers. Its corridor levels are much better designed and make for better action than the open field levels in games like Halo, and its selection of weapons is staggering and includes pretty much any type you can think of.

The best feature of Perfect Dark is definitely the A.I. bots in the multiplayer mode. I know people will say that having online modes eliminates the need for bots, but I believe they're needed now more than ever. When you play online you are likely to find extremely skilled players who aren't even going to give you a chance; there's little hope of improving your skills if you're killed ten seconds after you respawn. Bots make for great practice because you can customize them to match your skill level, and even give them unique personality settings like moving really fast or slow, using only explosive weaponry, or having suicidal tendencies. Since I'm non-competitive my friends and I would never play the game against one another, but would instead always team up against the bots. It was a blast!

[Crimm]

So James doesn't like the Metroid design?

I'll admit that backtracking can get tiresome, but I welcome it in Metroid because as you get new abilities, you look at and traverse the world in different ways. I think Jonny mentioned this in regards to Blaster Master: Overdrive, and that's really why backtracking works. It's not for everybody, but it works for some/most.

Zelda games allow you to explore the world differently with new items.  The backtracking isn't nearly as tiresome in those games.

[kbaker2002de]

Listening to all the NWR submissions for Game of the Decade as well as your round table discussion to reduce the total to 5 (wait 6) titles to vote on is both wonderfully engaging and mind-numbingly rediculous at the same time.  Consider this e-mail my submission to the futility of debate, and the background on why I will cast my vote for Super Mario Galaxy not only as the best Nintendo title of the decade, but the penultimate game Nintendo has been striving for since the heyday of the NES era.
 
When thinking of this issue I came around to deciding between three titles Metroid Prime, Wii Sports, and Super Mario Galaxy.  The difficulty came down to my reasoning and criteria for my decision.  Metroid Prime is possibly the best single player game of all time, it is an amazing game visually and the way it controls and handles.  Prime does so many things that most FPS games do not do.  But it is the definition of a hardcore Nintendo first party title, show it to my wife or my parents and watch their eyes bleed from confusion.  Wii Sports is the ultimate casual title, pop the disc in and simply choose your activity.  From there the gameplay is simple and intuitive and CASUAL.  Wii Sports can take the mantle of single handedly selling millions of Wii consoles in the first few years.  It suffers from the exact opposite criticism of Prime, it is very casual, very shallow and doesn't offer much past the first play.
 
Nintendo first billed the Wii as a console for everyone, catering to the new and groing casual crowd as well the established "hardcore" gamer playing since the NES days.  This philosophy was developed through the soulsearching days of the Gamecube and has been on full display during the Wii lifespan.  To that end, Super Mario Galaxy is the ultimate representation of this philosophy.  Gone away is the relative sandlot feel of Dolphino Island and arrived is a "glorified menu" in the spaceship.  This makes the taks of getting to each galaxy streamlined and easy.  Everything is neatly compartmentalized and represented.  The game offers the player 120 total stars to acheive but a casual player can succeed in the game with only 60, while the hardcore can go after the last 60 and go through some of the wildest most imaginative 3D platforming I have seen.  Add to it the co-star mode for super casual players and it leaves no one behind.  Super Mario Galaxy is the representation of the Nintendo philosophy of the 2000's to have something for every gamer.  That is why it is my game of the decade.
 

[ThePerm]

is that Piac?

[Yankee]

So James doesn't like the Metroid design?

I'll admit that backtracking can get tiresome, but I welcome it in Metroid because as you get new abilities, you look at and traverse the world in different ways. I think Jonny mentioned this in regards to Blaster Master: Overdrive, and that's really why backtracking works. It's not for everybody, but it works for some/most.

Also, while backtracking was effectively done in the prime games, I prefer it in the 2d games because in general traversing the map is much faster. The 2d games also generally have you going constantly back and forth between areas for the most part (except maybe not so much in fusion). The Prime games in general like to have you concentrate on single areas a lot more before going back somewhere.

I know this is not the thread for this, but I had to comment--  Hated Echoes when I first played it.  But when I played it as part of the trilogy, I have to admit that I think I might have liked it best of all.  Don't know if it was the Wii controls, the fact that I had just come off Prime I, or muscle memory from my first time through, but I really bought what Retro was selling in Echoes the second time around.

I played Prime 1 and Echoes both only in the trilogy and I also found that I may like echoes the best of the three, so maybe that has something to do with it. Prime 1 and 2 are very close for me in my mind, but Echoes really grew on me over time. It could also be because Echoes in many ways was very different than the first game. Beats me. Still love the first one also though.


And as far as something a little more on topic, a lot of people seem to be picking melee because of massive appeal and longevity of its multiplayer since it was released. This is true, but as someone who didn't own a gamecube and had a lot of friends who bought wiis and brawl that same experience that many of you have described applies just as much to that game. Just as many of you have logged over 1000 hours of gameplay into melee, I easily have over 1000 is brawl. I can't see myself picking melee when the same applies to brawl and it is arguably the better game. You could argue that melee in many ways lays the foundation for brawl, but then by that logic there goes half of the games on the list. 

Edit: Also as another side note, I also have not played Majora but I just bought Ocarina and will start playing through that for the first time. I have 700 points left, so I will also probably wind up playing that game in the near future. Damn points system conned me into buying more games!

[Stratos]

I don't have nearly as much fun playing Brawl with friends than playing Melee.

[Mop it up]

I can't see myself picking melee when the same applies to brawl and it is arguably the better game.

I will always argue that it is far from the better game.

[ControlerFleX]

I will always argue that it is far from the better game.

Can I ask how so?

[- NintendoFan -]

Metroid Prime was the Ocarina of Time for its decade.  It took a game property that was previously only in 2D and brought it to 3D the right way.  There was no blueprint for Retro to work from, just like Nintendo had no existing blueprint for Ocarina (aside from Mario 64, but the design challenges were completely different for each game).   When it was announced I had no idea how they would pull it off, but they did.

I must say that is an interesting perspective that I had never thought about. I tend to agree, although probably not enough to change my vote. I must admit, I should go back and play the game again, as I haven't done so since it was released.

[gbuell]

Zelda games allow you to explore the world differently with new items.  The backtracking isn't nearly as tiresome in those games.

So do the Metroid games. I'm afraid I really don't understand how there's a substantial difference between backtracking in Zelda and in Metroid. Regardless, I much prefer backtracking to the alternative, which is fully linear level-after-level design.

[Rize]

So James doesn't like the Metroid design?

I'll admit that backtracking can get tiresome, but I welcome it in Metroid because as you get new abilities, you look at and traverse the world in different ways. I think Jonny mentioned this in regards to Blaster Master: Overdrive, and that's really why backtracking works. It's not for everybody, but it works for some/most.

Zelda games allow you to explore the world differently with new items.  The backtracking isn't nearly as tiresome in those games.

And Metroid Prime didn't?   

Not to mention that the environments are so beautiful in Metroid Prime that I've played the game at least 6 times (perhaps 7 or and am still enthralled each time I walk into a room.  There is always something I didn't see before.  Also, simply being more powerful (finding the enemies less threatening) presents an old area in a new light.  As you progress, what was once menacing is now as peaceful as the opening vista of the Tallon Overworld (which contains no enemies).

You're entitled to your opinion, but clearly you're blind to some of the pleasures available in Metroid Prime.

Zeldagames allow you to explore the world differently with new items.  Thebacktracking isn't nearly as tiresome in those games.

Sodo the Metroid games. I'm afraid I really don't understand how there'sa substantial difference between backtracking in Zelda and in Metroid.Regardless, I much prefer backtracking to the alternative, which isfully linear level-after-level design.

You know, there are a ton of similarities between Metroid Prime and Zelda.  Both games feature a very aggressive lock-on targetting system (which Zelda 64 pioneered).  This takes aiming skill out of combat leaving the player to focus on the timing of attacks and dodges.  The main difference is that Samus is shooting a gun from the first person, but it has a surprisingly small effect on the design of enemies and especially bosses.

Defeated enemies and destroyed containers randomly give ammo and health, even during boss fights and in both games you amass a larger and larger pool of health via optional/hidden power-ups.  B

Both games also have a lot of optional text that fleshes out the story.

One clear difference (that goes beyond the superficial) is that Samus is always fighting and exploring (there are no towns and no dungeons).

[gbuell]

Yeah, I've always felt that 3D Zelda and Metroid games were extremely similar in game design, differing only in setting and number of NPCs.

[Mop it up]

I will always argue that it is far from the better game.

Can I ask how so?

I promised myself I would not derail another thread with complaints about SSBBrawl. If you are truly curious, feel free to send me a personal message.

[adadad]

To that end, Super Mario Galaxy is the ultimate representation of this philosophy.  Gone away is the relative sandlot feel of Dolphino Island and arrived is a "glorified menu" in the spaceship.  This makes the taks of getting to each galaxy streamlined and easy.  Everything is neatly compartmentalized and represented.  The game offers the player 120 total stars to acheive but a casual player can succeed in the game with only 60, while the hardcore can go after the last 60 and go through some of the wildest most imaginative 3D platforming I have seen.  Add to it the co-star mode for super casual players and it leaves no one behind.  Super Mario Galaxy is the representation of the Nintendo philosophy of the 2000's to have something for every gamer.  That is why it is my game of the decade.

Super Mario Galaxy for the Super Casual Player. I'm not so sure to be honest, because, and this is purely anecdotal, in my personal experience SMG is far more effective at enticing experienced gamers than people not versed in the hobby. Co-star mode is a nice accessible addition though.

Anyway, my vote is still firmly on the fence. Having thought about it I don't think Majora's Mask, as great as it is, really does enough to define the 2000s for me. As was noted on RFN, it's more original aspects haven't been expanded upon by future games (perhaps understandably so due to MM's abstactness). I'm leaning towards either RE4 or Metroid Prime as my pick, but I'm not sure which. RE4 clicked a good deal more for me personally, and I got a huge amount of enjoyment out of it. It's an incredibly slick, well crafted experience, and Mercenaries is a fantastic post-game bonus. Metroid Prime connected with me in a far less immediate way, however I have a great appreciation for the construction of the world, and I can't help but feel as though it gives a supreme example of how to do non-linear exploratory environments that are designed to be negotiated differently at various points in the player's journey. All too often games will give their dungeons/levels a seemingly meaningless, linear design that leads from room to room to room with no re-traversal. I don't mean backtracking necessarily, but re-encountering the same environments in a different capacity helps tie the player to the game's world. It also gives a sense of realism in my opinion - walking around London I love seeing familiar streets and buildings from a different perspective, and noticing something I didn't see when I was on the opposite side of the road.

Additionally I remember just when I found Prime to be overly meandering, along came the section of the game inside the Space Pirate's base, which suddenly amped things up considerably with epic firefights against the Pirates with jetpacks and tense encounters with security bots who would scramble your visor.

The 12 artifacts at the end of the game were rather disappointing in my opinion, although compared with Echoes' ridiculously obtuse keys I think in hindsight I should've been thankful. That was one aspect of Prime I feel Prime 3 bested, as it's final quest was far more manageable and less esoteric. Prime still holds a soft spot for me, and with the possible exceptions of Portal and Deus Ex, I'm struggling to think of games that have pushed first person games beyond the Doom FPS model to a greater degree (successfully that is - I'm still waiting for the verdict on Jumping Flash!).

[greybrick]

Yeah, I've always felt that 3D Zelda and Metroid games were extremely similar in game design, differing only in setting and number of NPCs.

I think from a goals and progression perspective you are correct. Yet I can't help but feel that in some ways they couldn't be more different. Especially once we reach Prime 3, in which it is necessary to "warp" to new locations, whereas Zelda games create interconnected worlds that can generally be entirely traversed by foot. Add to that the fact that the actual mechanics of playing these games are very distant from one another and you have two sufficiently different series that are based on a similar fundamental progression.

[gbuell]

Yeah, Metroid Prime 3 is the anomaly (though in Twilight Princess you do have to "warp" to the desert and to the Sky Temple, you can't just walk to those places.) I don't fault them for having similar progressions. I think the "explore a world, run into obstacles, get new items to pass those obstacles" game design is so popular for a good reason - it can be really fun, addictive, mentally stimulating and occasionally brilliant, compared to games in which you progress through level after level after level without ever going back.

[NWR_Lindy]

Nintendo first billed the Wii as a console for everyone, catering to the new and groing casual crowd as well the established "hardcore" gamer playing since the NES days.  This philosophy was developed through the soulsearching days of the Gamecube and has been on full display during the Wii lifespan.  To that end, Super Mario Galaxy is the ultimate representation of this philosophy.

I would argue that the  ultimate representation of this philosophy is New Super Mario Bros. Wii, because it doesn't require non-gamers to adjust to moving around in a 3D environment.

[gbuell]

I agree, SMG isn't really that casual-friendly at all. My girlfriend would NEVER play SMG, but she insisted we get New Super Mario Bros. Wii on its release date.

[Stratos]

But my non-gaming parents loved Galaxy's Co-star mode. You don't need to navigate a 3D environment with that. It's the perfect marriage of core-casual dual gameplay.

[stevey]

I voted for Majora's Mask because any game that lets you motor boat Malon is going to be the game of the decade.

Prime come in a close second because turned me onto Samus and Metroid series but Prime 2 deserve to be on top (3 can burn in fail-hell)
Resident Evil 4 win in immersion. Throughout the game, it didn't fell like I was playing a game (with one exception which made me realized how immersed I was). Sadly, I can't forgive Capcom for the ps2 and wii ports.
Brawl wins over Melee for online and Hawtness (Though it lacks a certain redheaded cowgirl)
Wii Sports, that's a joke right?
Galaxy has Rosaline but fail for the jokes of a boss fight they pulled.

[greybrick]

I agree, SMG isn't really that casual-friendly at all. My girlfriend would NEVER play SMG, but she insisted we get New Super Mario Bros. Wii on its release date.

I tried playing NSMB Wii with my dad and it was met with horrendous failure. My earliest memory is actually my dad handing me SMB for the Gameboy (the grey brick, if you will) and claiming that it would be far to difficult for me. He tried to demonstrate it but failed. More than twenty years later, Mario is as impenetrable to him as laplace transforms are to a remedial math student.

[gbuell]

Sadly, I can't forgive Capcom for the ps2 and wii ports.

What do you mean? The Wii port is wonderful.

[Gameboy Freak]

It's so hard to choose! 

I had to vote for Majora's Mask because that game is one of the greatest Zelda Video Games ever made. I loved how graphically similar it was to Ocarina of Time and how it had the same control scheme. I also really liked how different it was from any other game I played. I liked the different masks you could wear (especially the Zora Mask), the amount of NPC's that actually had intelligence and personality, the atmosphere, the story, the music, the Hookshot, Gilded Sword, Mirror Shield, the temples, the locations, Etc. Etc. Etc.

But I still had a hard time picking between this, Resident Evil 4 and Metroid Prime.

[stevey]

Sadly, I can't forgive Capcom for the ps2 and wii ports.

What do you mean? The Wii port is wonderful.

We sear that it will be an exclusive. Well at lease until we port it, which is already under way, before the initial release.
The only reason I own it is because it was for sale for $3 (and the great GameCube drought)....

[greybrick]

Sadly, I can't forgive Capcom for the ps2 and wii ports.

What do you mean? The Wii port is wonderful.

I have to agree. While the version that was primarily discussed as a contender for game of the decade was the gamecube version, most wouldn't disagree with the sentiment that the Wii version is the definitive one.

[Jonnyboy117]

Capcom porting RE4 to other systems doesn't make the game any less great; it just lets more people play it. After five years, can't we let go of this console warz BS?

[gbuell]

I forgave Capcom a long time ago for that because I don't give one rat's ass how many systems a game is on.

[oohhboy]

I am not pissed that they ported RE4. I am pissed that they decided to burn Nintendo fans by announcing the port 2 weeks before release. It was spiteful and something that made no businesses sense by burning your own release.

I still can't decide which game to vote on. But I am glad RE4 made it

[KDR_11k]

But my non-gaming parents loved Galaxy's Co-star mode. You don't need to navigate a 3D environment with that. It's the perfect marriage of core-casual dual gameplay.

No, not really. It lets two people basically play two different games, NSMBW lets both players play the same game and it's a game that all kinds of gamers can enjoy.

[NWR_Lindy]

No, not really. It lets two people basically play two different games, NSMBW lets both players play the same game and it's a game that all kinds of gamers can enjoy.

Totally agree, KDR.  The Co-Star mode has the second player in "spectator" mode, for all intents and purposes.

[Hero_of_time113]

Though Windwaker is my favorite Zelda game (and one of my favorite games of all time) I agree that Majoras Mask made a much larger impact. There is simply nothing else like it.
 

[D_Average]

Capcom porting RE4 to other systems doesn't make the game any less great; it just lets more people play it. After five years, can't we let go of this console warz BS?

Preach it brother!

[adadad]

I am not pissed that they ported RE4. I am pissed that they decided to burn Nintendo fans by announcing the port 2 weeks before release. It was spiteful and something that made no businesses sense by burning your own release.

I still can't decide which game to vote on. But I am glad RE4 made it

Regardless of the lack of tact in Capcom's manoeuvre, it really doesn't have anything to do with the game itself.

Also I completely agree that the co-star mode is a different game. SMG looks great to a gamer who has a seen-it-all-done-it-all attitude to games and is looking for a fresh approach, and as such it really speaks to people like us who have played a great deal of platformers and know the tropes etc., whereas NSMBWii is a fully fledged traditional throwback, that adds multiplayer functionality without changing or complicating the basic gameplay with too many new mechanics.

[iDraTion]

After listening pcast 183 through to completion, I maintain Prince of Persia should have been on there for the reasons I stated before, but I understand the reasoning behind putting Majora's Mask on there.  I think the creepiness, weirdness, and overall inorganic structure of the world where each part felt more like a level than a coherent part of the world kept me from really getting pulled into it.  Whereas Wind Waker immediately pulled me in, and kept me pulled in with the spurts of emotional moments James was talking about.  The world felt more coherent with Ocarina of Time than Majora's Mask did because it's basically the same world just flooded, whereas Majora's Mask is some surreal amalgamation of Ocarina's sub-parts mixed with some new areas and new dungeons. 


The setting of the Wind Waker world sets up an underlying parallel between the Hero of Wind and the Hero of Time, which I don't know if it was ever directly alluded to, but it's clearly present.  And even though it was a more straightforward Zelda than Majora's Mask, I found it significantly more interesting; plus the fact that it pulls you into the adventure immediately rather than hitting you with bizarre fits of Japanese-ness (that I think prevented me from really feeling a part of the world) seems like Wind Waker gives you the kind of exploring-the-woods-in-your-backyard experience that Zelda was always intended to be.  You could argue a similar point that Greg made for Galaxy bringing Mario back to its roots in 3D; that Wind Waker really brought the feeling of exploration (even though its not a 1492 Columbus simulator) back into 3D Zelda, that it brought the franchise back to its roots in the way the game is laid out and how it feels.  Instead of the distinct towns and separated sections of the Ocarina and Majora worlds, the Wind Waker world seems to meld the coherent feeling of the worlds of the first Zelda and Link to the Past back into the mix.  Even though there's distinct islands that serve as destinations and distinct areas, you never feel like you're in a completely different part of the world because you're always surrounded by water and the neighboring islands.  Add in lack of load screens and its a more cohesive world than OoT or MM, which made me care to keep playing it more than Majora's Mask where the experience feels a lot more fractured because you're constantly restarting the game essentially. 


I loved the Wind Waker story as well, where it's kind of consistent with old Hyrule that you played in for so long, but it's a completely different world, plus they cared to add a little weight and motivation to the characters.  After defeating Ganon a number of times, adding in some plot aspects and character development made it feel fresh, rather than just regurgitated.  I know plot in Nintendo games is taboo, but there's only so many times you can play the same kinds of worlds and game-progressions before it feels stale without adding in new elements to the characters, new characters with some relatability, new worlds, etc. I think Wind Waker did that better than Majora's Mask to create a unique game because basically MM had the time structure/restarting the game every few hours, character-based side quests, and the awkward/uninteresting/central-hub-based world structure that drove the unique feel.  Majora's Mask did have great dungeons, but the overall game still felt like a variation on Ocarina wrapped in a cyclical package and a more constrained world.  Tough for me to find Majora's Mask a better game, but that's why it's just an opinion.

[Fatty The Hutt]

 
Metroid Prime, all the way. The music, the fluidity, the gameplay, the puzzles, the enemies, the brilliantly realized world. Its got it all going for it.

I should say that I have played all the games on the list just within the last 3 years. I was a lapsed gamer until the Wii came out, my last system being SNES. So, I have a "fresh gamer's' perspective on these titles. Probably explains why I don't care about Melee. I did not spend hours playing it with friends, though I have played it a bit with my kids and their friends. I have played much more of Brawl, again with my kids and their friends, but the game doesn't hook me that much. Its too chaotic for my taste.
 
RE4 is one of the few games that hooked me enough to play it through to completion without a break in between but I wouldn't call it game of the decade, just a really well executed action game.
 
Wii Sports is a hell of a lot of fun and more innovative than people give it credit for. And, because I'm old and seem to have such limited gaming time these days, I appreciate its pick-up-and-play quality. I'm very tempted to vote for it. But compared to Metroid Prime, it does not get the vote. 
 
Galaxy is great and really trippy, playing upside down and all that. Plus the music is great. Also, I appreciate its pick-up-and-play quality. You can turn it on, fart around with a level or two and get in some quickie gaming fun. But, it lacks the depth and cohesion of Metroid Prime, so again, it does not get the vote. Even with Prime, I can put it in, blast away at a few stages, find a save point and be done for awhile. Its not exactly casual, but at least I can come and go.
 
Lastly, there's Zelda. Oh Zelda, I so want to love you as a franchise, I really do. And I have tried, oh how I have tried. I have started Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Windwaker, the original NES game, Zelda 2, Link to The Past and Phantom Hourglass. I've gotten pretty far in most. I've probably gotten farthest in Link to the Past, but I played it back when it came out. Zelda is one of those franchises I feel obligated to try and love because I can see the high quality written all over it. And yes, its fun and well thought out. I dunno what it is. After awhile, I just get bored with them. Its like there's just too much game or something. Anyway, all that to say that I didn't vote for Majora's Mask.

[Rize]

I think Prince of Persia shouldn't have been considered because of the combat.  There was too much of it and it was too repetitive.

[vudu]

Three weeks ago I would have voted for Metroid Prime without hesitation.  However, I recently started replaying Prime via the Trilogy collection and--while still amazing--parts of it haven't aged as well as I remembered.  Enemy AI is a complete joke (even on the Veteran difficulty setting).  There aren't enough enemies types; it gets a little tiresome shooting the same handful of space pirates again and again.  It's a wonderful game and gets so many things right, but there are just a few minor nitpicks that can't be overlooked (as the RFN crew knows after their lengthy discussion).

I love all of the games on the list, but in the end I'm going to have to go with Majora's Mask.  I love everything about the game and after replaying it a few years ago on the Zelda collection disc it's just as good as it was a decade ago.  Honestly, I probably would have gone with Wind Waker over Majora's Mask, but both are fine games.

Finally, I'd like to tease everyone by saying that two of the games on this list are in the lead by a wide margin--and remarkably close to one another.  It'll be a photo finish.

[Mop it up]

Finally, I'd like to tease everyone by saying that two of the games on this list are in the lead by a wide margin--and remarkably close to one another.  It'll be a photo finish.

I'm going to fancy a guess and say Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4.

[Halbred]

Dang, it's coming down to THESE two games? One of them I can understand, but...the other one? I didn't realize it had such a massive, loyal fanbase. I almost wonder if people are voting multiple times on different computers? Conspiracy theory, I know.

[Stratos]

Majora's Mask and Wii Sports I'm going to guess.

[vudu]

Dang, it's coming down to THESE two games? One of them I can understand, but...the other one? I didn't realize it had such a massive, loyal fanbase. I almost wonder if people are voting multiple times on different computers? Conspiracy theory, I know.

Unfortunately, the polling system in the forums sucks.  Technically you don't even need to vote on different computers; you vote ten times on the same computer under ten different user names.

Something I'd like to try would be to have everyone rank each game from #1 to #6 and then assign a point system to each rank--6 points for #1, 5 points for #2, etc. and then total everyone's votes.  My theory would be that while our #1 vote might be split there would be a great deal of consistency for #2 and #3 so they could potentially get more points overall even though they're no-one's "favorite".

[broodwars]

Something I'd like to try would be to have everyone rank each game from #1 to #6 and then assign a point system to each rank--6 points for #1, 5 points for #2, etc. and then total everyone's votes.  My theory would be that while our #1 vote might be split there would be a great deal of consistency for #2 and #3 so they could potentially get more points overall even though they're no-one's "favorite".

Alright, I'm game:

1.  The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2.  Metroid Prime
3.  Resident Evil 4
4.  Super Smash Bros. Melee
5.  Super Mario Galaxy
6.  Wii Sports

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

1. Super Smash Bros Melee
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
4. Resident Evil 4
5. Metroid Prime
6. Wii Sports

My personal order. I see where you're coming from, Vudu - a single vote is a bit of a discredit to the rest of the candidates.

[Halbred]

1. Metroid Prime
2. RE4
3. Wii Sports
4. Galaxy
5. Smash Bros.
6. Majora

[Armak88]

1. Majora's Mask
2. Metroid Prime
3. Mario Galaxy
4. Smash Bros. Melee
5. RE4
6. Wii Sports

my only regret is that I can't put wii sports further down than 6

[Rize]

1.  Metroid Prime
2.  Resident Evil 4
10.  The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
30.  Super Mario Galaxy
50.  Super Smash Bros. Melee
999.  Wii Sports

[Fatty The Hutt]

1. Metroid Prime
2. Mario Galaxy
3. RE4 
4. Wii Sports
5. Smash Bros. Melee
6. Majora's Mask

[stevey]

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
5. Resident Evil 4
9. Metroid Prime
11.  Super Mario Galaxy
18.  Super Smash Bros. Melee
999999999... Wii Sports

[Mop it up]

Judging by the previous poster's lists, I now wonder if the two close games are Metroid Prime and Zelda: Majora's Mask.

1. Super Smash Bros Melee
2. Metroid Prime
3. Super Mario Galaxy
4. Wii Sports
5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
6. Resident Evil 4

[Yankee]

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Metroid Prime
3. Majora's Mask
4. Smash Bros. Melee
5. Resident Evil 4
6. Wii Sports

[Shaymin]

4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee
3. Metroid Prime
5. Resident Evil 4
6. Wii Sports
1. Super Mario Galaxy

[adadad]

And even though the Wind Waker was a more straightforward Zelda than Majora's Mask, I found it significantly more interesting; plus the fact that it pulls you into the adventure immediately rather than hitting you with bizarre fits of Japanese-ness (that I think prevented me from really feeling a part of the world) seems like Wind Waker gives you the kind of exploring-the-woods-in-your-backyard experience that Zelda was always intended to be.

I'm quite curious as to what you mean by this? I distinctly remember on my first time booting up Wind Waker finding myself underwhelmed by the faux-mythological intro. Thoroughly uncinematic couple of minutes with just the text playing oh-so-slowly across static images of primitive cave art. In fact the game's entire mythos, presented as it was in that Japanese folkloric way, didn't sit very well with me at all.

Wind Waker aside, in what sense would you consider Majora's Mask as being filled with "Japanese-ness"? I think it's been well-established that one of its primary influences is David Lynch's Twin Peaks, and the typical legend aspects of the Zelda franchise (which are not exclusive to the Zelda franchise of course but a common Japanese trope - see Okami for example) are downplayed in comparison to its immediate successors and predecessors.

[Sundoulos]

I think it's been well-established that one of its primary influences is David Lynch's Twin Peaks, and the typical legend aspects of the Zelda franchise (which are not exclusive to the Zelda franchise of course but a common Japanese trope - see Okami for example) are downplayed in comparison to its immediate successors and predecessors.

Twin Peaks is credited as an inspiration for Link's Awakening,  not Majora's Mask; however, you make a good point.  Besides, I think if any game in the Zelda franchise has more of a Japanese flavor, it would be Wind Waker.  The game takes place on a series of islands, for crying out loud.  The art style, I think, probably resembles something more Japanese than any Zelda game before it.  The shop keepers are delightfully zany; the guy running the Battleship game was one of my favorites in any Zelda game.  I think I read somewhere that he was Aonuma's creation.

I really need to give Majora's Mask another shot;  I've never made it more than halfway through the game.  To be honest, the time limit stuff always turned me off because I thought that working against a clock wasn't "Zelda" to me.  Now that I've played the sequels, and the same themes have been repeated ad nauseum, I really appreciate that it tried to do something very original with the formula. 

[Caliban]

1. Metroid Prime
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Super Smash Bros Melee
4. Majora's Mask
5. Wii Sports
6. Resident Evil 4

[vudu]

ATTENTION EVERYONE

I'm compiling a list of everyone's ranking order of the 6 nominees.  I'll release the results later this week or next week, depending on if we still have new votes coming in.  So far we have 12 votes (including mine).  Over a hundred people have voted in the poll, so I'd like to get some more results.  If you haven't already please rank the 6 games in your personal order of preference/importance/whatever.  If you don't want your ranking to be made public feel free to send me a PM with your vote.

[NWR_Neal]

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee
2. Metroid Prime
3. Super Mario Galaxy
4. Resident Evil 4
5. Majora's Mask
6. Wii Sports

[vudu]

By the way, I neglected to mention earlier that the results of the ranking system are quite different than the main poll.  This is interesting. 

[Sundoulos]

1. Super Smash Bros Melee
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Metroid Prime
4. Resident Evil 4
5. Majora's Mask
6. Wii Sports

[Jonnyboy117]

I'm abstaining from the real poll, but I'll try to rank my choices. This is pretty arbitrary though, and could easily be remixed if I did it again tomorrow.

1. Melee
2. Prime
3. RE4
4. Majora's Mask
5. Galaxy
6. Wii Sports

[Fatty The Hutt]

I'm abstaining from the real poll, but I'll try to rank my choices. This is pretty arbitrary though, and could easily be remixed if I did it again tomorrow.

1. Melee
2. Prime
3. RE4
4. Majora's Mask
5. Galaxy
6. Wii Sports

I'm very surprised to see you rank Melee over Prime because I've heard you gush over Metroid in general, and Prime in particular, many a time on the podcast. Not blaming you, just expressing surprise. And I take your note about the rankings changing tomorrow. I'm tempted to change my own rankings on a regular basis. Its like comparing apples to oranges or worse, trying to rank your own kids!

[Tween20]

1. Metroid Prime
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Majora's Mask
4. Wii Sports
5. Super Smash Bros Melee
6. Resident Evil 4

[NWR_Lindy]

1. Prime
2. Melee
3. RE4
4. Super Mario Galaxy
5. Majora's Mask
6. Wii Sports

[Mop it up]

Why am I not surprised at the overall placing of Wii Sports?

[RABicle]

1. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
2. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
3. Advance Wars
4. Tales of Symphonia
5. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
6. Wii Sports

[Sundoulos]

Wow...good for Metroid Prime!   I would never say that it's It's hard to argue against that as a winner, really. 

[Stratos]

I'm not really surprised, honestly.

Melee and Zelda were both bound to get high and Prime seemed to be one of the darlings on the list from the start.

Galaxy and RE4 are definitely titles that would get talked about more in the thread and backed by the least amount of silent votes in my opinion. Plus Sports was obviously an unfavored pick overall despite of it's good points.

[ejamer]

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2. Metroid Prime
3. Resident Evil 4
4. Wii Sports
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee
6. Super Mario Galaxy

The poll results look pretty good to me.  It was really tough choosing which game to vote for, as there were 3 that deserved strong consideration in my opinion.  I wavered between Metroid Prime and Majora's Mask more than once - but decided the oddness and overall impact (on me) of MM was enough to earn top ranking.  Oddly, I don't think I would've voted other Zelda games as highly because they feel so standardized... but MM was enough of a one-off sidestory that it had unique appeal.
 
The most surprising result is how poorly Resident Evil 4 did, with only 8% of the vote.  That seems low for a game that is so carefully polished, that was tremendously successful across multiple platforms, that changed the course of a popular franchise, that provided more action-filled set pieces than I could've imagined, and that has been replayed dozens of time by countless gamers over the years.

[D_Average]

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Resident Evil 4
3. Smash Bros. Melee
4. Majora's Mask
5. Metroid Prime
6. Wii Sports

[adadad]

The most surprising result is how poorly Resident Evil 4 did, with only 8% of the vote.  That seems low for a game that is so carefully polished, that was tremendously successful across multiple platforms, that changed the course of a popular franchise, that provided more action-filled set pieces than I could've imagined, and that has been replayed dozens of time by countless gamers over the years.

I suppose as we've seen, there are a number of Nintendo fans who didn't appreciate the unexpected PS2 port, which perhaps might have had some influence? Seems slightly ridiculous to me, but then again at the same time I can appreciate that RE4 is perhaps slightly lacking in reasonance with Nintendo platforms - the vast majority of games based on the RE4 formula have turned up on the HD consoles. To me at least, that makes it feel a little more nebulous. With Metroid Prime there're at least the other two games in the series and the compilation that help to extend the winning formula, and keep it current.

[Stratos]

Look at everyone's individual picks. RE4 is somewhere in the middle of all of them for the most part. People liked it, but it was their second, third or fourth pick. When asked to pick only one of the six it makes sense that everyone's 'second favorite' game doesn't show much.

[Mop it up]

I'm not surprised at all by Metroid Prime getting the most votes, but Zelda: Majora's Mask? I guess I just don't get what makes that game so great, I felt it was kind of substandard and forced.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I'm not surprised at all by Metroid Prime getting the most votes, but Zelda: Majora's Mask? I guess I just don't get what makes that game so great, I felt it was kind of substandard and forced.

Majora's Mask was designed around a short development cycle, many of the "innovations" were most likely out of necessity to get it out the door on time. To me MM feels like the most non organic Zelda in the series, and LOOKS designed.

[Armak88]

I'm not surprised at all by Metroid Prime getting the most votes, but Zelda: Majora's Mask? I guess I just don't get what makes that game so great, I felt it was kind of substandard and forced.

Majora's Mask was designed around a short development cycle, many of the "innovations" were most likely out of necessity to get it out the door on time. To me MM feels like the most non organic Zelda in the series, and LOOKS designed.

This is an interesting criticism of MM. I think that it has possibly created the most organic world in any game that I've played. There are something like 25 people that you can help in your bombers notebook and each person has there own schedule that they follow with windows of opportunity for you to help. There are only four dungeons but before each dungeon there is a task that must be completed in the dungeons respective town that is like its own dungeon. This is the most organic integration of dungeon like problem solving in any zelda game, better than the yeti's house in TP and better than the well where you get the eye of truth in OoT. Each mask comes with a story and has a function, not to mention that you get a different reaction out of everyone you talk to.

I also think that the locals are much better than in OoT. They are much more specialized and intricate. Clocktown is bigger and more intricate than Hyrule Castle town and Kakariko village put together, the swamp is detailed and introduces the deku scrubs as serious third race, the Gorons are more developed than in death mountain. I always liked Zora's domain better than the Great bay though.

I think that the time limit throws people, and that a lot of people got put off early and didn't really give the game a chance. The game really gets more and more awesome the further into it you play. One thing that I really liked was that right from the start of this game link was a badass. He doesn't have the master sword, and it's not even clear that he has the tri-force of courage, but he has this composure from his previous adventure that stands out to me.

[vudu]

So here are the results of the rankings.

Game	Points	# of No. 1s	Rank in Poll
Metroid Prime	41	6	1
Mario Galaxy	58	3	4 (tie)
Smash Bros. Melee	62	5	3
Majora's Mask	65	5	2
Resident Evil 4	71	0	6
Wii Sports	102	0	4 (tie)

The Points column indicates the total number of points each game received.  A number 1 rank was worth 1 point, while a number 6 rank was worth 6 points.  Obviously, the lower number of points the better the game did.  The # of No. 1s column totals the number of times each game received a rank of 1.

There were 19 total votes, which is about 20% of the number in the poll.  It's obviously not a perfect comparison, but you can infer some interesting points.

Mario Galaxy tied for 4th in the poll and it was 4th in number of #1 votes in the ranking system, but it received the second lowest number of points.  Even though the game wasn't #1 for most, it consistently ranked high on everyone's list.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Majora's Mask placed 2nd in the official poll and it tied for 2nd in the number of #1 votes in the ranking system, but it placed 4th in the total number of points.  It seems people either love this game or hate it.

Resident Evil 4 only received 8.2% of the votes in the poll--the lowest number by far--by it beat Wii Sports in number of points by a wide margin and was very close to both Majora's Mask and Smash Bros. Melee in total number of points.

Even though Wii Sports tied for 4th place in the official poll, it received the highest number of points (a bad thing) in the ranking.  The game was ranked #6 by 13 of the 19 people who participated in the ranking!  Then again, no one who participated in the ranking ranked it above #3, so obviously we don't have a fair sample of the general NWR population.

[Mop it up]

I think that the time limit throws people, and that a lot of people got put off early and didn't really give the game a chance. The game really gets more and more awesome the further into it you play.

I beat the game. It only got more annoying the more I played it.

[ejamer]

I think that the time limit throws people, and that a lot of people got put off early and didn't really give the game a chance. The game really gets more and more awesome the further into it you play.

I beat the game. It only got more annoying the more I played it.

Sounds like this is supporting the "love it/hate it" observation listed above.  That said, my personal opinion is more in line with what Armak88 posted earlier.
 
I've been thinking about it more, and there are two other reasons (beyond the surreal story and symbolism) that I love Majora's Mask:
(1) Time actually matters, and you have to set out with a defined goal if you want to accomplish anything.  This gives a sense of urgency when you are playing
(2) Non-playable characters actually do something, instead of staying in the same place and saying the same thing.  I don't remember many games doing this successfully before Majora's Mask - but the idea of a living and evolving world is great, even if the game limited how long it could live for before having to travel back in time and trying to accomplish something different.

[TJ Spyke]

Majora's Mask was easily the worst 3D Zelda, and maybe the worst "canon" Zelda game, so I don't get the love it receives. It was definitely not even the best game of 2000, so I am disappointed it managed to get 2nd place. At least a great game like Metroid Prime won.

[vudu]

I LOVE STATING OPINION AS FACT.  IT GIVES ME A SENSE OF AUTHORITY.

[Jonnyboy117]

That's not fair, vudu. This is an inherently subjective discussion, so saying "in my opinion" or "I think" is technically redundant. Good writing principles are to avoid such phrases when the presence of subjectivity is clear. So yes, while writing "Game X is bad" is an authoritative way of putting it, it is also entirely correct and should not be seen as some kind of power grab.

[vudu]

In my defense, TJ Spyke's avatar causes everything he says to come off with a bit of arrogance.

[Mop it up]

Sounds like this is supporting the "love it/hate it" observation listed above.

I would definitely agree with that. I don't think that I've heard anyone say that Majora's Mask is just a good game or was all right, people tend to really love its style and characters or hate it for its structure. I guess I can see some appeal in it with how it is more character-driven and how different it is than other Zelda games, but the time element was just a bother and the dungeon designs were quite a chore and no fun at all. I've played through the game just once though, and as with any game I've been harsh with, I kind of want to give it another chance. The only reason I haven't done so is that I'd rather spend my game time on other things.

That's not fair, vudu. This is an inherently subjective discussion, so saying "in my opinion" or "I think" is technically redundant. Good writing principles are to avoid such phrases when the presence of subjectivity is clear. So yes, while writing "Game X is bad" is an authoritative way of putting it, it is also entirely correct and should not be seen as some kind of power grab.

This is how I tend to view posts on this board, at least when discussing games. Though depending on the subject, sometimes I do find myself writing "I think" or "I feel" just to be clear.

In my defense, TJ Spyke's avatar causes everything he says to come off with a bit of arrogance.

Ha ha.

[Stratos]

That's not fair, vudu. This is an inherently subjective discussion, so saying "in my opinion" or "I think" is technically redundant. Good writing principles are to avoid such phrases when the presence of subjectivity is clear. So yes, while writing "Game X is bad" is an authoritative way of putting it, it is also entirely correct and should not be seen as some kind of power grab.

Except TJ did not say 'In my opinion' or 'I think' right there. He stated it as if it was an agreed upon fact.

[Mop it up]

I think Jonny's point was that TJ Spyke shouldn't have to say "in my opinion" as it should be implied.

[Stratos]

I missed the art where Jonny said "redundant" in his post for some reason.

LOL, I need more coffee before work...

[ejamer]

In Vudu's defense, the lack of any supporting statement doesn't help.  Labelling something as good or bad without discussing why you hold that opinion is both less interesting to read and less useful for others who are participating in the discussion.
 
Of course, that doesn't invalidate the opinion that it could be the "easily the worst" game of the Zelda series.
 

[NWR_Neal]

From playing Majora's Mask for the first time in a long, long time recently. I see the good, and I also see the bad. That first boss was pretty terrible, and the dungeon wasn't too great either. However, the town stuff is a lot of fun, as are the areas around the dungeon.

[Rize]

I can't remember much from Majora's Mask.  I remember the intro scene, the moon, rolling around in the snow and the third temple which was like a water temple except most of the water was in pipes. 

I agree with mop_it_up and others that the game felt forced and insubstantial compared to other Zelda games.  It just seemed all wrong.  I didn't get very involved with the "sidequests" either.  I recall just wanting to finish the game and be done with it.

[RABicle]

WELL I LOVE SIDEQUESTS AND HATE YOU.

MM is amazing. Incredible art, incredible music and gameplay concepts that are still amazing because no one has dared tackle them since.

[ejamer]

Finished replaying Ocarina of Time recently and started on Majora's Mask (using the GameCube Collector's Edition disc).  Got almost to the end of the third day without saving when the game froze.  Immense frustration followed, and I can only imagine that if this happened to anyone experiencing the game for this first time it would color their view of the entire game*.
 
Oh well, will go back at it this weekend... this time with the Virtual Console release that is supposed to be a better emulation.
 
 
*On a side note, something similar happened to me when first playing Ocarina of Time on the N64.  The game froze in Zora's Domain while climbing up the big ladder.  I lost a couple hours of progress and all interest in playing further.  The game sat for weeks before I bothered to try again.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

WELL I LOVE SIDEQUESTS AND HATE YOU.

MM is amazing. Incredible art, incredible music and gameplay concepts that are still amazing because no one has dared tackle them since.

Reiterated for Justice.

[vudu]

Finished replaying Ocarina of Time recently and started on Majora's Mask (using the GameCube Collector's Edition disc).  Got almost to the end of the third day without saving when the game froze.  Immense frustration followed

Similar thing happened to me when playing Majora's Mask on GCN a few years back--the game froze with like an hour left on the third day when I had almost completed the Couple's Mask side-quest.  That quest takes over an hour to complete and I was pretty pissed off

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Yup, the GCN port is buggy. It froze on me as well. But that's a problem with the port, not the game itself. I suspect the Wii VC release is more stable.