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Mortal Kombat. Fighting games continued their comeback bid with Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, King of Fighters XIII, following the act of last year’s excellent Street Fighter IV. But our favorite is also the bloodiest: Mortal Kombat. The gore, the blood, the fatalities—the franchise went back to its roots, ditched all that was unnecessary and wrapped it in a package fit for modern eyes. The execution was flawless, and MK proved that everybody still does love kung-fu fighting.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. With all due respect to the Big N, this simply wasn’t the Wii’s year…nor will 2012 be. Because lest you hear it first somewhere else, we’ll declare it here and now: the Wii’s end is near. But what a way to end its run. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is one of the system’s finest as it harnessed the full potential of the Wii’s motion control features. The franchise has been around for 25 years, but as this game proves, Zelda’s legend shall indeed carry on.

Forza Motorsport 4. What can we say? It’s simply the most satisfying racing game out there. Yes, we hear your Gran Turismo cries, but Forza’s less stingy, less snooty underpinnings make it something easier to get into and love. The series has shown growth with every sequel—better graphics, a more polished on-road feel, loads of fun extras—and at this point, the game has truly reached a pinnacle. Forza has claimed the checkered flag for itself.

Catherine. Quirky. Funny. Not afraid to show a little cleavage. Those are things you usually hear when reading about our FHM babes. This PS3 game has all those too, and that’s what we like about it. As in our full review of Catherine, it’s also a remarkable step forward in the maturity of games. It tackles something that us guys have an innate fear of: commitment. For that, Catherine deserves to be named as one of the best in 2011.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Much has been said about Skyrim—too much, in fact, that we won’t waste words anymore writing about its merits. Hey, when publications such as Time Magazine writes a feature about a game, that right there is an ear-piercing signal that it’s pretty much a big deal. That said, please excuse us as we go on hunting more dragons, combining leaves and ghoul ash, crafting swords and bracers, stealing horses, and screaming “Fus-Ro-Dah” for another hundred hours or more in the wonderful world of Skyrim.