atomicblue on 25 March 2014
I almost agree with OP about Pikmin 3, that game basically ate my life for a week. I don't know if I'd describe the experience as being "blown away", though. The Pikmin games are a bit more subtle than that, which is why I like them - they're not really about those "whooooa" moments so much as they're about lots of subtle, loving attention to detail. That's my kind of game.
In terms of a game that really had that WOW factor, I'd honestly say Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the most recent example. Tons of neat visual flourishes, inspired artistic direction, killer soundtrack. The last game before that would have probably been Xenoblade.
