The Wii U was torn apart in 2013 by critics, developers, and consumers alike for lacking in strong exclusives, and for the majority of the year that complain absolutely rang true. But in a year that was so overflowing with Wii U negativity, it's kind of weird to be sitting here in December only to realize that many of the year's best games were in fact exclusive to the platform. What happened?

Simply put, Nintendo did what they do best - they dumped a fat pile of quality exclusives for their platform all at once and, once again, justified a purchase of their console through sheer force of will. It's like the 3DS all over again, except, you know, nobody's buying a Wii U still. 

But hey! That's their loss. Us Wii U owners were lucky enough to play a bunch of awesome games this fall, including a solid lineup of new exclusives like Pikmin and a select group of beloved classics like Earthbound.

These were our three favorite Wii U games of 2013, culminating in our Wii U Game of the Year 2013.

3. The Wonderful 101

The most tragic victim of the Wii U's sales failure, this hyper-kinetic action game married the best elements of Platinum's Bayonetta with the colorful Saturday morning cartoons we all loved as children. The Wonderful 101's bread and butter was ultra-fast melee combat powered by a team of 100 transforming heroes. You could merge your costumed crowd into a sword, a whip, a gun, or around a dozen other helpful forms, each of which had its own essential uses during both combat and exploration - both of which were fast-paced to the extent of making your eyes water. The action was all but impenetrable to newcomers thanks to the visual chaos resulting from over 100 characters onscreen at all times, but take the time to hone your reflexes and you'll find one of the fastest, most fun games of the year.

2. Super Mario 3D World

Super Mario 3D World brings the 2D/3D hybrid gameplay of the 3DS' 3D Land to consoles, with plenty of new power-ups and a new multiplayer mode in tow. The transition is for the most part a smooth one, although the 3DS' depth effects are missed once the platforming starts to get tricky. Despite this mild but necessary omission, the game remains just as much fun as its handheld predecessor. The best levels are the ones that utilize the new power-ups, especially the cloning Cherry. 

Super Mario 3D World is far from a modern classic in the vein of the Galaxy games, but it's home to a surprising number of very solid, very replayable platforming levels. Push far enough into the game, and there are moments of genius to be found. 

And The Winner Is... 

You just can't beat the classics. Wind Waker on the GameCube remains a modern masterpiece, but this Wii U exclusive managed to find ways - small ways, sure, but significant ones to hardcore players - to improve. The ending of the game has been streamlined a bit and a new sail will let you always have the wind at your back just as you begin to tire of constantly playing that song over and over again. Of course, the graphics have been sharpened up, too. But aside from these minor changes, this is the same Wind Waker we played all those years ago, and we wouldn't have it any other way. The world and characters are filled to bursting with charming personality, the dungeons are masterfully designed, and the story is carried by an undercurrent of hauntingly beautiful implications. Wind Waker HD isn't just one of the best games of the year; it's one of the best games, period.