Nintendo Takes Home The Prize
Nintendo Wii is enjoying the limelight and everything that comes with it. Not only is it enjoying all the upward sales that it is getting, but now it is enjoying the many awards that it has worked so hard to get.
The jury at last week’s Games Conference in Leipzig, Germany, considered over 85 software and hardware submissions from the show to decide which efforts came out on top in each of the 10 categories. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Eye Training picked up awards in the Best of Wii and Best of DS categories respectively, but the Big N also scooped a gong for one of their newest innovations.
Unsurprisingly, the Nintendo game categories were claimed by titles supporting the Big N’s systems. The award for best Nintendo DS game went to Eye Training, a collection of exercises and minigames designed to test eye-hand coordination as well as gamers’ field of vision. That information is then compiled and an approximate age is assigned to players’ eyes, similarly to how brain age is determined in the Brain Training series of DS games.
Despite the best efforts of upcoming powerhouse Wii releases like Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit, the tandem of Mario and Sonic at a certain Beijing sporting event proved unstoppable. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games took home the award for best Wii title, with the GC jury complimenting the game for its ability to “translate Olympic disciplines into easily mastered, entertaining games fun.”
Finally, in the category of Best Hardware Accessory Product, Nintendo’s Wii Balance Board took top honors. The Leipzig Games Convention jury credited Nintendo for combining physical fitness and video games into one entertaining package.
