151 Japanese Devs Name Best Games of 2013: The Last of Us Dominates, Nintendo Games Shunned

151 Japanese developers expressed their preference on the best games of 2013, and DualShockers compiled a full ranking. The Last of Us dominated, followed by Dragon's Crown, Grand Theft Auto V, and Final Fantasy XIV.

Some results are fairly predictable, others are surprising, like the fact that Nintendo and Wii U games have almost completely been shunned.

[Majin-vegeta]

TLOU everyone that i know that has played it.Love the game and call it their GOTC.

Sad to see no mention of NI no Kuni :(.

@Below oh crap your right.I'm thinking of U.S relese xD

[Abriael]

There can't be a mention for Ni No Kuni. It got released in 2011 in Japan :D

[Cloudberry]

.
It would be nice to write the name of the developers who's liking what game too.

(Yeah, it might've been a pain to write most of them, but still...)

[Abriael]

Lol there's 151 of them. It'd be basically impossible to list them all in a chart.

I might actually go back and check out the most prominent names that voted for the "winning" games, I guess :D

[Army_of_Darkness]

Someone picked minion rush as their game of the year?! Wtf?! That game is nowhere near goty quality.I'd go with dead trigger or anomaly 2 over that crap any day.

[abzdine]

PlayStation is very strongly represented in this list.
Ni No Kuni is gorgeous game, but unfortunately not as huge and deep as the legendary JRPGs.

[showtimefolks]

GTA5 was no doubt great but this year we had a clear winner in the last of us when so many publications are not giving it to TLOU

And this is coming from the biggest GTA fanboy, GTA5 was excellent in so many ways but also it had a lot of shortcomings, biggest being the story was all over the place. We were promised Heists yet so little was actually delivered. I wanted half of the missions to be Heists and more planning,more strategy,more player choices and just more overall options

Plane missions still sucked for me personally and were just not that much fun.

Ni Nu Kuni deserves so much credit for being an excellent game too, after years of bad or just average JRPG's, we finally got an excellent one, so i believe the developers deserve a lot of credit

one game that was,is and will be the most over rated game of 2013 is Bioshock Infinite. So much was promised yet so little was actually delivered. Everyone talks about the ending and how great it was yet overlooks most of the game which at best was good

shooting felt great
bosses were more frustrating than fun
last boss and ghost boss battles were no fun
in demo's they showed Elizabeth could open new worlds yet none of that was ever really explored

There are only so many games that leave a lasting affect on us, everyone has their own choices and emotions.

MGS3 was epic and till this day the best bosses in a game ever!
Yakuza 3 when kazuma's young follower takes the bullet for him, really brought tears to my eyes
TLOU

These are the games which have left a lasting affect on me for past 20 plus years of gaming.

[TotalHitman]

Best game of the year is your opinion. Don't let reviewers make their opinion your belief.

[showtimefolks]

otalHitman

i agree but sometimes developers should get credit fort their work and that's all i am saying

last year journey and walking dead

few years back demon souls won and that made me so happy lol. Sony i want demon souls 2, oh wait its coming in shape of dark souls 2 thank you lol

[oIITSBIIo]

I didn't like TLOU I give it 5/10 simply it is an overrated game .

GOTY 2013 will go to Bioshock and Game of the gen is for Batman AC easily .

[S-T-F-U]

That's your opinion. Mine is that TLOU was a brilliant well made well executed game that deserves GOTY. Bioshock Infinite IMO wasn't anything at all special. I would give it 4.5/10.

[RedDevils]

Bioshock and Batman AC lmao

[I_am_Batman]

I played and loved it. I always have trouble to name a game of the year though. Especially in such a strong year like 2013. Needless to say that it's impossible for me to name a game of the generation.

There were just too many great games that delivered completely different expiriences.

[Drithe]

TLOU is the most overrated game in the history of games. Dragon's Crown was waaaay more fun and has waaay more replayability.

[Magicite]

Naughty Dog alone is enough to beat all of the competition!

[s45gr32]

I was surprised to see that too, is a good game

[DCfan]

Glad to see Dragon's Crown get some appreciation. I think its the most fun i had all year next to P3 FES

[Dreassic]

Says everythign about japanese devs

[Xof]

Like what? 'Cause all I'm getting from that list + your post is that someone's probably a bigot, and it's probably not anyone who contributed to that list.

[MONKEYDLUFFY]

Tlou is the worlds most ovverrated game

[Majin-vegeta]

Yea....no.

http://cdn.memegenerator.ne...

[LOL_WUT]

He's just salty Nintendo's games got shunned its good to see TLOU get recognition over seas. ;)

[Joseph225]

No it's not. In fact the most overrated game ever is Red Dead Redemption.

[Boody-Bandit]

My vote goes to GTAIV as most over rated game. At least in the past several years.

On topic:
TLOU is far from over rated. The game couldn't receive enough praise IMO. TLOU is my overall 2nd favorite title on the PS3. Uncharted 2 is still number one for me. Both were simply amazing but UC2 had the luxury of coming out earlier so the TLOU wow factor was slightly lessoned by the bar being set so high by UC2. Than again I guess that would make Naughty Dog my overall favorite developer.

[rambi80]

i though i was the only one who thought that, and i love westerns. It was weird to not like it

[Joseph225]

Boring story, boring characters and a world that has nothing interesting to do, after discovering all towns and speaking to all strangers. It has the minigames, but it gets old after a few times.

[Knushwood Butt]

I thought the world was very well done; a great sense of immersion.

The script and voice acting are also very good.

However, I too got bored and haven't played it for months. I got up to the bit where you sail down the river and go to Mexico (?) and shoot at vultures. Then I put it down and started to play something else.

[fenome]

personally, I had more fun playing GUN on the ps2 than I did playing Red Dead on the ps3. Just couldn't get into it.

[rambi80]

^^^ This

[Silly Mammo]

@knush- funny, that's where I stopped too.

[goldwyncq]

Not even close. Journey is.

[sonic989]

journey was PERFECT nuff said

[goldwyncq]

It's an ICO rip off, nothing more.

[sonic989]

i wont disagree with you but it was a very much needed breath of fresh air after all the cinematic hollywood style stuff took over our gaming
some people love it and some like me dont like it so for me journey was what i wanted to have plus the game is emotional much like ICO which is cool in a unique way btw if you try to think of a story for the game using your own imagination it will be super fun give it a try
note: i didnt disagree

[DigitalRaptor]

It's absolutely nothing like ICO.

If you can prove otherwise, i'll be happy to admit I was wrong.

[sonic989]

your comment holds hatred toward the game .
i am not a fan of the game nor i played it but some people like it and i respect a great work when i see it whether from nintendo Sony or MS
for me i like imaginative games not the ones the involve real world or near real world settings too much .

[kenshiro100]

Says an obvious troll...

[Wizard_King]

I didn't like it at all, I found it to be a story driven hallway with many faults and weak gameplay. Am I a troll to? TLOU IS OVERATED it's the new ps3 fanboy battle cry game

[kenshiro100]

How is it overrated when its a new IP?

Are you kidding me...-__-

[andibandit]

It's Uncharted with Zombies..
...even though i know theyre not actually zombies.

[scott182]

@Wizard_King

"it's the new ps3 fanboy battle cry game"

Yes, you sound very much like a troll with a favorite system bias.

[stragomccloud]

No it isn't. It might not be the best game ever, but it's certainly not overrated. It is appreciated exactly as much as it should be.

Halo. Halo is overrated.

[ProjectSeoul]

Hmmm, well which Halo are you talking about?

[stragomccloud]

Halo in general I guess. Don't get me wrong I think they're all pretty good games. I've played all of them except 4, but they're not the end all games that many make them out to be.

Like Final Fantasy VII. It really is a very very good game. But good gravy is it overrated.

[sin7279]

troll

[RIP_Cell]

yes it is

[Bill_Willson_CIA]

Let me guess... you have a 360 and only play dudebro shooters,right?

[MONKEYDLUFFY]

This is the idiotic response I always get when I put down tlou. No I am not an xbot shooter fan. I play mostly adventure games and jrpgs.

[ftrain]

Come on Luffy, I love one piece but you can't be like that. TLOU is amazing.

[SoulSercher620]

You mean the one you haven't played?

[showtimefolks]

MONKEYDLUFFY

when was the last time Nintendo did a new IP that deserves so many awards or anything? making the same games for last 2 Decades is getting old really fast

wiiu not selling well hopefully will open nintendo's eyes a bit

[BullyMangler]

yep, your fact will hurt some, but others who have not played TLOU will think you are just butthurt with no facts or proof with your statement.

lol @ TLOU more of a movie than its easy no challenge gameplay.

I mean I dont know if youve played TLOU, but if you have, compare that whole games difficulty to one of the levels in Donkey Kong Returns for Wii called (1-K PLATFORM PANIC) hahaa . just this one level in DK Returns located in the first part of the game has more challenge, more imagination more talented and inventive brainwork than TLOU whole package. < fact

TLOU, great game but deff overrated like GTA V < factoid .

let the buttt hurt attacks begin (:

[Tito08]

bullymangLer is a very known obvious troll < fact.

bullymangLer is always butthurt < fact.

bullymangLer is nothing but a delusional fantard < factoid.

[CDbiggen]

It was alright...

[Drithe]

I agree with you monkey. This game wasn't scary. It had no suspence. It was just SHOOT THE ZOMBIE and some girl who may have had the cure.

Most overrated game in the history of games. I personally think Naughty Dog flunkies that work there come on here with 200 different names and start all this crap about how perfect and actual AVERAGE GAME isn't.

[MonChiChi]

Haters make being on top that much more sweeter.

[Magicite]

I see people all around the world agree with you...not!

[Cloudberry]

.
Shoji Meguro (ATLUS; composer of Persona games): Sports Champion 2(PS3 w/ MOVE).

George Kamitani (Vanillaware; Dragon's Crown director): Battlefield 4 (PS4).

Suda Goichi (Grasshopper Manufacture; Killer is Dead creator); Hotline Miami (PS3/PS Vita).

Keiji Inafune (Comcept; Soul Sacrifice, Mighty No. 9): The Last of Us.

Toshihiro Nagoshi (SEGA; general director of Yakuza games): Grand Theft Auto V.

Masayoshi Yokoyama (SEGA; producer of Yakuza games); The Last of US.

Gavin Moore (SCE; Puppeteer director); The Last of Us.

Shuhei Yoshida (SCE; SCE Worldwide Studio President); Hotline Miami.

Hiroshi Kondo (Nihon FALCOM; Ys & Trails series); The Last of Us.

Hideki Kamiya (Platinum Games; Bayonetta & The Wonderful 101 director): 3D After Burner (3DS).

Kenichiro Takagi (Marvelous AQL; Senran Kagura series): Grand Theft Auto V.

And nice to see Beyond 2 Souls on the list too.

[Abriael]

Lol Kamitani surprised me too. It was the last game I would have expected from him.

[Tony-Red-Grave]

Hideki Kamiya (Platinum Games; Bayonetta & The Wonderful 101 director): 3D After Burner (3DS).

da faq? This I did not expect lol.

[PixelNinja]

If you like a game, you like a game. lol.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Surprised he didn't vote for his own game, because the wonderful 101 was one of the best surprises I've had all year.

[Concertoine]

If you think about it, it makes sense.
Kamiya crams homages to arcade shooter games every chance he gets. Sin and punishment, afterburner, space harrier, raiden, theyve all had their tributes in platinum games...

[adorie]

dat handheld Japan

[Yui_Suzumiya]

I don't see B2S above? I'd like to because it's my favorite behind TLoU.

[WeAreLegion]

And yet, Jaffe and Levine left it off their lists. I don't get it. They both talked so highly of it.

[-Foxtrot]

I know right...thats what bugged me, what gives

I mean people keep saying "It's their opinion" but the fact is they've said in the past that in THEIR opinion they thought the Last of Us was amazing.

[superbhoy]

i guess they thought a lot of other games were amazing aswell. oh well

[RPG_Lover]

Not only does that article mean nothing. Japanese devs are obviously jealous of Nintendo for being the only dev whose relevant.

Beyond better than Mario? Please, that is a joke.

Last week 15 out of the 20 best selling games were all on Nintendo platforms. Why dont we ask Japanese Gamers what the best games were huh?

oh thats right......

[Abriael]

LOLLOL "Jaelous of Nintendo."

Could you try to find a better excuse?

[RPG_Lover]

You might want to spell check before you make a point bud......

Nintendo is the only company in Japan on the Hardware and Software side actually performing. Everyone else has been simply embarrassing ......

Its pretty obvious these devs, are jealous.

[Abriael]

You know who resorts to pointing out spelling in comments? Those that have no arguments.

The only thing that's embarrassing here is how but*hurt you are because other people don't like the same things you do.

[Concertoine]

Lol, did you just censor "butt"?

[RPG_Lover]

They voted out of jealousy, not actual credibility.

Which is why you have to call it out.

But your views on Nintendo are well known.

[LordNikon]

Sounds like you're the one who's jealous here, not Japan.

[kenshiro100]

Wow...you've really been drinking from that bottle way too much. Time to put it down.

[DCfan]

Nintendo butthurting as usual. Move on folks.

[sin7279]

wtf. butthurting

[Hicken]

Wow, what a load of fanboy BS that was.

[SoulSercher620]

Wow you must be butthurt because Mario wasn't the highest rated this year and Wii U sells like crap.

[sherimae2413]

-_-.....are nintendo fanboys thinks like you?... i hope not, and i just hope ur one of the few...

[Tito08]

Unfortunately, a lot of them think that way. That's why youtuber and former fan BLACKBOND dedicates most of his videos attacking Nintendo and their fanboys.

[JodyCones]

People.. People!! PlayStation and Nintendo dominate in Japan.

[Concertoine]

Such interesting choices. Suda's manges to still stand out.

[DCfan]

Hotline Miami is kinda similiar to his games in the style

[stragomccloud]

Is Nintendo really shunned though?
It seems more like there is a very even spread across multiple development studios/publishers with none seemingly favored over the other. Seems like only the top 5 were agreed on. 46/68 voted on only received one vote. 10 games received 2 votes, and three received 3 votes.

The top 10 range then from 3 votes to 12 votes.

If Nintendo was "shunned," then so too were 30 other developers. But they weren't. Why? Because they are on the list.

Try harder sensationalist headlining troll. Play some Mario and you might stop being such a hateful and sad creature.

[DCfan]

The hell??

[Tito08]

Well, Mario won't change anybody's argument plus it isn't on the list, your point?

[GamePeace]

Don't make me laugh, when Monolith Soft X comes out, The Last of Us and the next Uncharted will be burried six feet under. Xenoblade 2 will crush them all! Deep Down too... gnahahaha

[stuna1]

You my friend have a very active imagination! Although I won't go as far to say Xenoblade is going to be a bad game, because I really don't know, for you to say that it will bury 2 highly acclaimed titles already out, is a bit premature wouldn't you say?!

[sherimae2413]

well nintendo always cater to kids...
and to those who are also acting like a kid....

responses like this is just a norm from them

[Nail13]

whats Xenoblade?...

I know all the other games. Deep Down is not even out yet. I finsihed Last of Us and Uncharted. so um Xenoblade 2?

[Angerfist]

Candy Crush on 7? :D and a browser game on 5? lmao

[My_precious]

the butthurt in this topic is too damn high

[GW212]

I switched from Xbox to playstation for this generation so missed TLOU. Any chance we see a port to PS4 or a downloadable version via PSN?

[Sharius]

there is the rumour of PS4 version, i don't remember the topic, but seem like sony indeed want to port this game to PS4

[GW212]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

meh it all just opinion no real facts

they like a game better who cares

[just-joe]

Why is every duelshockers article here seem to try an take swipes at Nintendo within it's title.

[ho0lee0h]

Lol @ the comment censoring butt.

[Xof]

Did no one bother to read the list?
Nintendo isn't "shunned" at all. It's represented just as much if not moreso than any other developer there, except maybe Square-Enix.

[JackieCruise69]

Lol.. I don't dislike TLOU in any way.. but omg.
I can't believe people are getting jumped and insulted for not thinking it's GOTY. Kind of ridiculous.
And god forbid anyone mention Nintendo in this article. Downvotes automatically or accusations of being 'butthurt'
Oh, how funny.

[Wizard_King]

Tell me about it.

I didn't like TLOU or any of the uncharted games to be honest, I picked up TLOU cheap and I was glad I didn't spend much on it. No replay value what so ever.

Although I must be an xbaby halo loving fan troll right? I couldn't be telling the truh

[Tito08]

Out of 6 comments, 4 are pointed out to Last Of Us, you sound yourself more like a hater, it sounds very obvious your dislike towards that game you had to make a new account to make your opinion be heard as if it only matters, guess what? It doesn't, it's either a fanboy or a hater, pick a struggle.

[TheUndertaker85]

It's funny to see this comment from you after seeing previous comments.

How's Minecraft on WiiU for you? Oh. Bad topic?

[JackieCruise69]

I have a little friend called 'PC'.
I"m not really worried about it. ;)

[Orionsangel]

The 90's are over Japan. Think out of the box and step into the 21st century.

[ELpork]

SRIV all the way for me.

[ShiftyLookingCow]

For moi, its GTA V. Too god damn awesome. I love the game.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

The Last Of Us, Beyond: Two Souls and BioShock Infinite

[DCfan]

No Snatcher?

[mediate-this]

Lol weabos

[DivineAssault]

great list other than the phone games imo

[ErryK]

I'm just puzzled that Candy Crush Saga is in the top 10.

[Djinn]

I'm glad to see FFIV. I don't know what the hell makes people assume nintendo games should automatically be on any best of list. FUCK THE PHONE GAME THOUGH.

[kx11]

nintendo killed japanese devs and Sony are not going to save them anytime soon unless they sign under sony's wing

western devs are miles ahead of japanese devs

[Frodosmugins]

Dragons Crown 3rd <3

[Loadedklip]

Oh u mean a lot of those Japanese developers that do not support Nintendo consoles didnt pick a Nintendo game as GOTY? ... is this a surprise to anyone?