The marquee titles from the first half of 2013 rule the roost here.
#8 - New Super Luigi U
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Key People: Takashi Tezuka, Masataka Takemoto
Release Date: June 20, 2013 (Download) August 25, 2013 (Retail)
The idea of DLC for a Mario game wasn't that exciting at first. New Super Mario Bros. 2's offerings, while novel, just weren't that interesting. Then New Super Luigi U came around. This substantial expansion to New Super Mario Bros. U contains every level (save bosses) reimagined as a bonkers, fast-paced challenging level featuring looser Luigi physics. New Super Luigi U took the framework of Mario's Wii U debut and remixed it in a great way.
Each level is tough, featuring a 100-second timer and busy, frantic action. Luigi's floaty jumps and slippery controls (which also extend to his two Toad compadres) add to the challenge. Fortunately, newcomers have Nabbit, the weird mask-wearing thief from the original game, to play as. Nabbit can't take damage, but he also can't use power-ups. It's a nice trade-off that allows inexperienced players to still play through the new, sometimes brutal content.
While it might not stack up favorably against its source material, New Super Luigi U is still a fun game that shows what might be a pleasant future for 2D Mario games. Here's to New Super Peach U in 2014!
#7 - Lego City Undercover
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: TT Fusion
Key People: Mike Taylor, Frank Honey
Release Date: March 18, 2013
At this point, there might be more LEGO games per year than there are Mega Bloks in the entire world (only a slight exaggeration), but LEGO City Undercover marks the first time that Nintendo interacted with the famed toy line. Working closely with longtime LEGO developer TT Fusion, Nintendo helped put together one of the best LEGO games of all time with a full-scale comedic Grand Theft Auto-style work that takes all the collectable fun from LEGO games and expertly fuses open-world and level-based action with it.
Starring the erstwhile Chase McCain in a plot that references more movies than you can shake a stick, at, LEGO City Undercover is consistently funny with amusing characters, Frank Honey in particular, and memorable set pieces. It is a polished experience - well deserving of the Nintendo label - the only major blemish is some long load times (that reportedly have been improved over the course of the Wii U system updates). If you're looking for a humorous game to romp through, LEGO City Undercover fits the bill. Just be wary: if you're a completionist, you'll be at it for weeks because there is an absurd amount of knick-knacks to collect. And remember: the game eventually goes to the moon. Yes, it is as cool as it sounds.