Iconic Games
Mario Party Superstars
Nintendo finally stopped overthinking it and just gave people a high-grade classic Mario Party package.
Game Design
Skill Floor vs Ceiling
Easy to pick up, impossible to put down -- the holy grail of 'easy to learn, hard to master.'
Pokemon Games
Pokemon Race mini
Pokemon Race mini turned the tiny device into a simple competitive racer instead of another collection screen.
Culture
Trophy/Achievement Hunting
That little notification pop is more addictive than the actual game, and the hunters know it.
Studios
Santa Monica Studio
Sony's first-party studio that successfully reinvented its flagship franchise mid-life and won Game of the Year for it.
Based on infomaxxxing codebase