I didn't realize that the "one released a decade ago" had online, bikes, motion controls, tricks, more tracks, more characters, new battle mode, new items etc.  Maybe I didn't pay attention.  Silly me.

Speak for yourself.  MK:Wii is definitely my favorite game of the year, and favorite racing game of all time.  Oh and btw, your opinion=/= fact.   

Ah the sweet arroganant self importance of the self appointed hardcore keeper of the faith. The problem is that you are the only ones that take you seriously and for good reason.

• 88.5% of game developers are male
• Games are tested by and marketed almost exclusively to males HS-College
• The only group that statistically has indicated in surveys that they intend to spend less time on video games  is males HS-College (trend predates Wii by the way)
• 52% of the world's population are female
• 39% of gamers are female although almost no effort is made to develop games with them in mind
• The demographic group that spends the greatest amount of time per weeks playing games (of all kinds) are female age 40 and up (you wondered whyWii Fit sold so well?)
• Most surprise runaway hit games have been games that were designed to be attractive to females. This includes MYST and, believe it or not PacMan.
• No console has ever become the leader by catering exclusivly to the "hardcore". That was the intent of the GC for example.
• Serious attempts to create good cas-core games that can appeal to both groups by being easy to learn  but difficult to master have been limited in success because newcomers are made to feel unwelcome by hard ass types who are more interested in humiliating newbies that in supporting games and platforms that they prefer.
• Hardcore gamers tend  to support a narrow selection of games and belittle new and more experimental games creating a industry that is primarily sequeal driven and so narrow based the the games tend to cannibalize their own sales (a trend very apparent at the end of the last year).
• There is very little real evidence that "neglecting" the hardcore is a particularly risky strategy unless Metacritic scores really matter to you
• There is no evidence that a console is endangered by having a library that includes a lot of casual and even poor quality games. Study the PS1 catalog sometime
• And as far as the wasting times on the little kiddies, guess what, in a couple of years they will be the new hardcore having cut their eyeteeth on motion controls and you will be on your way to being just another old fart telling us how great gaming was in the good old days when real men wiggled little sticks around and they'll yawn and say whatever you say Dad and wait for you to fall asleep so they can play in peace.

The truth is that everyone pays you far more attention than your numbers or your money actually justifies but as much as I think that you should be able to get the types of games you like; the sooner you realize that the gaming worlds sun does not rise and fall out of your your ass, the better it will be for all concerned.

Dear Game of the Year Critics,

Can you please stop smoking the finest cuban cigars made by the playmate of the year becasue I have a big issue you need to learn. 

GOTY critics, you barely got any of the game of the year nominations right all around last year.  Because of that, it will lead to your kind's downfall.  You see, Nintendo doesn't need the gaming media's attention and absolute loyality of PS360 fanboys to survive.  I know you're rolling your eyes right now going ""Honestly we don't care, because in the end our opinion is more important than that of those who play games for fun, making the brilliance of the Wii's 2008 lineup pointless"" 

BUT.  Your wrong GOTY critics.  You may just keep getting traffic figures from the PS360 fanboys, you may make profit from this. But you know not picking the best games as GOTY will eat at you, slowly.  Your readers will lose motivation to cling to their PS360's, which in the end are like a banana split without the cherry...sure you got a full filling desert but that little bit extra was never there.  Soon you'll just become redundant, and leave the market for gamers and letting developers geton with making fun games that make them a profit, whilst allowing them to experess their creativity, which you the GOTY critics tried to ROB THEM OF.

So enjoy you ivory tower for the moment GOTY critics, the tide began to turn when we picked a game that wasn't recommended by you.  Soon it'll spread....soon.