I own all systems. These are my experiences
Wii: What a sad year for me as a Wii owner. I only purchased Kirby's Epic Yarn and Zelda Skyward Sword in 2011....and Kirby was a 2010 game. Neither game has gotten much play from me as of yet. Still nothing compelling for me to download from the Virtual Arcade or for Wii Ware. I spent most of the year browsing the Nintendo Channel or using my Wii for Netflix. Worst year ever. I'll be playing Skyward Sword in the next few days an hopefully it pulls me in this time. I'll be first in line to buy a Wii U in 2012 but, as of right now, in 2011 the Wii sucks.
-My Grade: D
Nintendo 3DS: I grabbed my 3DS in June and it has taken over my world. Ten free GBA games, Ten free Nes games, Zelda Four Swords, Xevious (got it for free) and more. There was a lot to play on Nintendo's new portable powerhouse. Add to that the awesome titles that were Starfox, Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and more and you have a winner. I sometimes found myself just looking at the console and smiling. Powerful graphics, 3D capabilities, 3D video, Netflix, etc. It's like the system I have now is nothing like the system I originally purchased. Nintendo kept flooding it with good software AND new features. There's room for improvement (Browser, online communication, etc.) but when I'm having so much fun, I can't really complain.
-My Grade: A
Sony PSP: Still a great looking system with a lot of funtionality, 2011 wasn't the PSP's best year. Virtually all I purchased this year were games of yesteryear. Needless to say, I still had fun with Sony's portable. The games still look good. The design is still great. I carry it everywhere, along with my 3DS. I just with there were more new games to play on it. Oh well, with the successor coming in a couple of months, I'm surprised the PSP is still a console I enjoy.
-My Grade: B
Nintendo DS: The basic hardware of the DS is from 2004. My, how the time has flown. Anyway, aside from Chrono Trigger and the replacement of New Super Mario Bros., I haven't purchased a single game (for myself) for the NDS in 2011. I own six DS's but the only one playing them are my 10 year old. I looked. Lord knows I did. The ancient DS hardware with its sub par horsepower got little play from me this year. Were it not for the free copy of Zelda Four Swords, I'd give the DS an F for 2011 based on my enjoyment of the system. As it stands, I'll be merciful and give it....
-My Grade: D
Sony Playstation 3: The first game I bought this year was Little Big Planet 2. I started the year off right. In my household, the 360 is the go-to system for multi-plats so the PS3 had to get by on its exclusives (and Metal Gear). Killzone 3 was a bit of a disappointment for me. I tried the PS Move and came away pleasantly surprised. It was an awesome device that suffers from a lack of must-have software. It's still the most powerful console on the market and it had a ton of exclusives in 2011.....but only a few compelled me to part with my money. Highlights included Back to the Future, Uncharted 3, and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. The PSN outage was both a curse (no online meant I couldn't get my new BttF episodes that I'd paid for until much later) and a blessing (Free games!). Playstation Home boasted a few improvements but couldn't keep me coming back for more. Free Realms and DCU online were great additions, too. All in all, it was a good but not great year.
My Grade: B
Xbox 360: I bought a second Xbox in 2011. I bought enough games for four Xbox 360's. The first home console of this gen is still my favorite. Kinect had some issues with precision and lag but there were so many Saturdays filled with laughter and craziness that I can overlook any hardware problem. Dance Central and Dance Central 2 were the highlights. Fun Labs, Gunstringer, Your Shape Fitness, and Fruit Ninja also got plenty of playtime in my household. The new Dashboard update was a gift from up above. New features every time I turn around. Exclusives like Forza and Halo failed to register on my radar but Arcade titles like Bastion more than made up for it. Gears of War 3 delivered and is still in heavy rotation at my house. Great third party games filled my shelves in 2011, too. Hard to believe such an old system is still so awesome. Could have used more exclusives, though.
-My Grade: B+
As for the year as a whole, I must admit I was extremely pleased. Current gen consoles continued to deliver on the content and the excitment. I purchased a ton of games. In the last few weeks/months, I bought MGS HD Collection, Skyward Sword, Gears 3, Uncharted 3, Mario Kart 7, Mario 3D Land, Batman Arkham City, Saints Row 3, and more. I'm still debating Skyrim and Modern Warfare 3. The software delivered. The hardware delivered. I had a blast. New devices are coming in 2012 so the sad state of the Wii, DS, and in some ways, the PSP, are understandable. When this gen began, I wasn't even sure I wanted to be a part of it. Now, as this gen comes to a close, I kinda hope it sticks around a bit longer. I'm having too much fun!
1.Major letdown: Shadows of the Damned (360)
2.Most Joyous: Super Mario 3D Land
3.Most played: Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D/Gears of War 3
3.Best graphics: Uncharted 3
4.Game of the year: Batman: Arkham City
5.Console of the year: Nintendo 3DS
5.[insert] is doomed: Wii
6.Developer of the year: Nintendo
7.Most anticipated for 2012: Tomb Raider
My grade for 2011: A-
The above is based solely on my experiences with each console. What I played, what I purchased, and what I enjoyed. Sales, overall libraries, etc. were not taken into account. All that mattered was how much fun I had with each device.
