The J for Janky Game of the Year Spectacular, 2011 edition — Part 1: The Honorable Mentions

It’s that time again. This year I’ve got 14 games to discuss: my 10 favorites of the year and four honorable mentions.

The latter are four experiences that I won’t soon be forgetting. There’s something about each of them that’s unique, effective and intensely admirable, but they didn’t quite make it into my top 10.

Here we go!

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron — Ignition Tokyo  

El Shaddai is what happens when you give a visual artist free reign over a project. Takeyasu Sawaki, whose previous credits include lead character designer on Okami, and his team at Ignition have created the most visually spectacular game ever made.

iOS Spotlight: Tiny Wings

Tiny Wings represents everything that’s wonderful about modern mobile gaming. It’s a simple game — there’s only a single action for the player to perform — that’s elevated by its addictiveness and charm. Oh and it’s a dollar.