2010 is in full swing and that means it’s time to honor the best games of 2009!  Last year didn’t see as many first-party games released, but there were plenty of great 3rd-party games in 2009.  We’ve assembled what we consider the best Wii games of 2009 from each genre and pulled together our overall Top 5 Wii games.  Check out the first annual P-Wing awards after the jump!  And stay tuned for our best DS games of 2009, best games of the decade, and our predictions for 2010!

Nintendo Wii

Best Original IP

As far as original games are concerned, 2009 was chalk full of them—especially on the Wii.  In 2009, third-party developers tried to take advantage of new technologies such as Wii Motion Plus and take new risks in mature titles for the Wii.  SEGA brought forth a new game in the form of MadWorld, while Ignition brought us the unique styles of Muramasa: The Demon Blade.

And the winner is:  MadWorld

Biggest Surprise

As we recap on the year that was 2009, it’s amazing to think that New Super Mario Bros. Wii was announced and released within 6 months.  Even more surprising was the announcements of Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid Other M.  These were probably some of the more surprising headlines, but what was our biggest game surprise for 2009?  DJ Hero should be mentioned, but other titles such as Scooby Doo First Frights and Dead Space Extraction need to be considered as well.  But what earned our top spot?

And the winner is:  New Play Control: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

James’ pick:  Scooby Doo First Frights

Kevin’s pick:  Punch-Out!!

Best Music Game

5 years ago, the music game genre was barely even conceived, but in 2009, it saw releases across all major franchises.  Harmonix unleashed The Beatles: Rock Band, while Activision released it’s perennial Guitar Hero sequel as well as a new franchise in the form of DJ Hero.  Guitar Hero 5 definitely stepped it up from last year’s Guitar Hero World Tour, but was it enough to earn the top spot?

And the winner is:  DJ Hero

Best Sports Game

With the advent of Wii Motion Plus in 2009, the sports genre grew substantially.  New entries in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise as well as Madden and Virtua Tennis debuted in 2009.  EA also launched a new franchise entitled Grand Slam Tennis that allows players to control their favorite tennis pros from the past and the present, all while giving them more control than ever with Wii Motion Plus.

And the winner is:  Grand Slam Tennis

Best Graphics

Developers across the board have made great improvements in the graphics department in 2009.  Games like The Conduit, MadWorld, and Dead Space Extraction immediately come to mind.  Nintendo also continued to set the bar high with the crisp visuals of Wii Sports Resort and impressive graphics of Punch-Out!!  2009 was also the year of beautiful 2D graphics in games such as Muramasa: The Demon Blade, A Boy and His Blob, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

And the winner is:  Metroid Prime Trilogy

Best Story

A good, compelling story can be hard to come by in games today, especially the ones that focus purely on presentation.  However, 2009 saw some great examples of unique stories mixed with some great visuals/gameplay.  EA gave us a wild ride in the Dead Space prequel, Dead Space Extraction, while Square Enix finally debuted the long-awaited Crystal Chronicles follow-up.

And the winner is:  Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

Best Shooter

The shooter (encompasses FPS games, 3rd person shooters, etc.) genre has always been popular, but it wasn’t until 2009 that Wii owner’s really had a great selection to choose from.  SEGA debuted the hotly anticipated ‘The Conduit’, while Activision finally debuted CoD4: Modern Warfare for the Wii.  Other great titles include Dead Space Extraction, House of the Dead: Overkill, and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.

And the winner is:  The Conduit

Best Party (local multiplayer) Game

There were so many great options for party games for 2009 that it was hard to narrow it down to just one.  The sequel to Boom Blox debuted with many new features earlier in the year and Wii Sports Resort showed us how fun games can be with lots of people around.  And just a couple months ago, New Super Mario Bros. Wii showed us that a Mario game can be 4-player and incredibly fun.

And the winner is:  Wii Sports Resort

Best Online Multiplayer

Developers have been slow to the uptake on online Wii games, but 2009 did see a few notable releases.  Again, Boom Blox Bash Party introduced a number of online features including downloadable levels and other user-generated content.  The Conduit showed us some incredible graphics and a great online experience.  And even Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition showed us how good playing online with the Wii feels.

And the winner is:  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition

James’ pick:  Grand Slam Tennis

Top 5 Wii Games of 2009 (James)

  1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Side scrolling 4 player Mario game….enough said!
  2. The Conduit – A great step forward for online shooters on the Wii, and a great job by a 3rd party developer.
  3. Wii Sports Resort – A very good introduction to Wii Motion Plus and a good sequel to Wii Sports.
  4. Madden 2010 – May not be the best Madden game out there, in fact far from it, but it’s finally a step in the right direction for Madden games on the Wii. Let’s just take away the cartoony graphics next year and I will be happy.
  5. MadWorld – A simple but entertaining violent video game from a strong developer, SEGA. MadWorld may be a simple game and a quick play, but will entertain you the whole time.

Top 5 Wii Games of 2009 (Justin)

  1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Just an incredible, nostalgic game with great gameplay and addictive multiplayer modes.
  2. Wii Sports Resort – Great use of Wii Motion Plus and one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had since the original Wii Sports.
  3. The Conduit – A very good first-person shooter with great graphics and fun multiplayer.
  4. MadWorld – One of the more enjoyable, original games to ever grace a system in years.  It might be violent, but MadWorld will keep your attention the whole way through.
  5. Punch-Out!! – Another classic Nintendo franchise that’s reborn in beautiful 3D while still keeping the essence of the original

Overall Wii Game of the Year

New Super Mario Bros. Wii