PixlBit

Our picks for the best on each console in 2012.

Resident Evil: Revelations - Winner

3DS owners got a taste of Resident Evil with 2011’s Mercenaries 3D. Reviews of the arcade-style game were mixed, but it proved Nintendo’s new handheld was capable of a full Resident Evil experience. Revelations was released less than a year later and isn't merely suitable for the 3DS; it's actually one of the best reasons to buy one.

Revelations combines the action-heavy gameplay of newer Resident Evil games with the atmosphere, exploration, and puzzle elements for which the older games are known. Set primarily on a cruise ship overrun with bio organic weapons, the story frequently shifts to other settings and characters before the eight-ish hour adventure is done. Pacing is spot-on, and the 20–30 minute chapters are appropriate for portable gaming.

On top of great music and sound that are best experienced through headphones, Revelations boasts excellent graphics and resists the temptation of contrived 3D gimmicks. The game plays naturally with any of the control schemes available, but the Circle Pad configuration is best despite the additional bulk.

The 3DS shines with Resident Evil Revelations. With its well balanced design and sharp presentation, it's easy to recommend and a clear choice for 3DS game of the year.

Write-up by Dan Iverson

Kid Icarus: Uprising - Runner Up

Kid Icarus: Uprising shows what great strides Nintendo has made to further their approach to video game development through highly refined narrative. This is the biggest reason why Kid Icarus has become our runner up for 3DS game of the year. Rarely has Nintendo been in such rare form during the past few years, especially when it comes to telling a detailed story while flipping archaic tropes of mythology on their sides. Beginning with Pit’s entrance to save the world of light from Medusa, to defending the goddess Palutena from the hoards of the underworld, the story escalates much more than a fan boy of Nintendo could ever hope to witness.

In addition to their well-crafted story, Nintendo experimented with controls in even more unexpected ways than with the Wii remote. As a game that needs to be controlled with a stylus aiming at the enemies on one hand and moving Pit with a thumb while firing one of his many weapons on the other hand, it seemed like a tough game to control. At first it was. Enter more innovation: they included a mount for the system, which allowed for more accuracy with the initially wonky controls.

As well as a mount for the 3DS, Kid Icarus came with augmented reality cards to use with Uprising. Even though the game shipped with just a few cards per cartridge, the game now boasts a devoted community and over 400 AR cards to boot. Collecting them all takes more devotion that a couple of generations of Pokémon combined. The developers really added enough features to ensure the long-term life of the franchise.

If not for the single player’s storyline or the AR cards, skeptics could take their game to the internet and face off against their friends. Using a variety of weapons and tactics, the online experience is both deep and engaging. Perhaps more stunning, this flagship title showcased the amount of care taken in an online experience, previously unseen in a Nintendo handheld.

With such broad appeal, it would be much harder to poke a hole in Uprising than agree it is one of the top two games of the year for the Nintendo 3DS. If this is a sign of what Nintendo has planned for the rest of the generation, all of the followers are in for a fun ride.

Write-up by Patrick  Kijek