Games Of The Decade: Part Three

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You're getting closer to finding out our game of the decade. All will be revealed on 31 December but for now the countdown continues with another ten excellent games. The list is a result of a heated discussion by our magazine and online team and you can join the debate by commenting below. Don't forget to vote for your game of the decade here.

Wii Sports Resort

30. Wii Sports Resort
Wii, 2009
Wii Sports may have changed the face of gaming but compared to its sequel it's like a demo. While the original featured just five sports, this packed in 12 events and MotionPlus enhanced the action no end. People may criticise party games but Wii Sports Resort proved that they can be great fun when developers put the effort in.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

29. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
DS, 2009
The first Mario RPG to top GBA's Superstar Saga, Bowser's Inside Story provided plenty of laughs as usual and is an excellent alternative for those who find RPGs such as Final Fantasy and Golden Sun a bit heavy going. Any Mario fan should play this just to witness the sight of plumber working with old enemy Bowser.

GTA: Chinatown Wars

28. GTA: Chinatown Wars
DS, 2009
Grand Theft Auto is one of the best series of the decade but unless you count the dreadful GTA Advance, Nintendo fans missed out on the fun for most of the noughties. That was until Chinatown Wars came along in 2009 and brought everything that was good about the console games over to DS in an exciting addition to the series.

Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons/Ages

27. Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Seasons
GBC, 2001
Coming after the launch of Game Boy Advance, the release of these two new adventures was rather low key by Zelda standards and despite Nintendo handing over the development keys to Capcom, Oracle Of Ages and Seasons provided fans with more essential Zelda gaming. A great swansong for the classic handheld console.

Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door

26. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
GameCube, 2004
Considering how brilliant Thousand Year Door was, it's surprising that Nintendo decided to change direction with Super Paper Mario for Wii. Many role-playing games are serious adventures but like the Mario & Luigi games, this is a rare thing - a genuinely funny videogame that will make you laugh out loud. It's a lovely thing to look at too.

Perfect Dark

25. Perfect Dark
N64, 2000
After EA pinched the Bond license, Rare followed up the brilliant GoldenEye with Perfect Dark. Although Joanna Dark doesn't quite have the same status as Bond, Perfect Dark received even higher prasise at the time than GoldenEye and is arguably the better game. Has there been a better first-person shooter on a Nintendo console since?

Metroid Prime Echoes

24. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
GameCube, 2004
Has there ever been a bad Metroid game? After waiting eight years for a new Metroid console game following Super Metroid, Samus fans were treated to two in three years. Echoes introduced us to Aran's evil doppelganger Dark Samus and was even more challenging than the first Prime game. It couldn't hope to match the impact of the original in the trilogy but it's still ace.

Animal Crossing: Wild World

23. Animal Crossing: Wild World
DS, 2006
We've often read comments from people saying they enjoyed playing Animal Crossing non-stop for six months but then got a bit bored. What? How often do you get six months of solid enjoyment out of a game. And we bet if the same people went back to their town a few months later they'd be sucked back in to an incredible world where animals rule and turnips are your reason for living.

Okami

22. Okami
Wii, 2008
This came out on Wii a year after its release on PlayStation 2 but it was arguably even better on Nintendo's console with the Wii Remote suiting the movements of the celestial brush perfectly. The stunning Japanese cel-shaded visuals make for one of the most beautiful games ever and although it's heavily influenced by Zelda, it's got enough character and individuality to sparkle on it's own.

Super Mario Sunshine

21. Super Mario Sunshine
GameCube, 2002
The reason this isn't rated as highly as Mario 64 or Galaxy is because it didn't really push the series forward. The leap from 2D to 3D made Mario 64 a revolutionary adventure and had an impact that Sunshine could never hope to follow. However, it's still an excellent Mario adventure that no fan of the plumber should be without and collecting all the shines is a joy from start to finish. Ignore the annoying Pianta people and you'll have a great time in Isle Delfino.


Don't forget to vote for your game of the decade here.

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