Thanks to its familiar settings, independent storyline, and range of gameplay styles, Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded works well not only as an introduction to the series, but also as a continuation of what is most likely the zaniest storyline in gaming today.

Unfortunately, though, as impressive as the in-game content may be, everything ends far too quickly, even with the extra missions to unlock, and means that the RRP of £39.99 is too steep.

Conduit 2 is a massive step forward from the original, refined and improved after criticism from fans and the press; it's a worthy addition to your first person shooter collection, if only for the multiplayer.

AlienAfterAll and Neko Entertainment have out-done themselves with DodoGo! Robo. Some may think that three entries into a series in roughly a year might be overkill, but this third iteration takes the original formula, tweaks it to perfection and delivers changes requested by fans themselves to serve up one of the most delicious gaming dishes for gamers to tuck-in to on the DSiWare download service. At a mere 200 Points, DodoGo! Robo is even better value than Nintendo's releases at the same price-point!

Whilst Super Monkey Ball 3D is fun, somewhat harking back to the days of the original GameCube duo, it proves to be far too simple a game on the whole, with not as much variation in level design as in the past. Even the inclusion of the Smash Bros. and Mario Kart-style mini-games do not save Super Monkey Ball 3D from run-of-the-mill status.

Puzzle Bobble Universe is still a fantastic puzzle effort at heart, yet due to it being a considerably cut down version of its older brother, sadly it is hard to recommend this - especially since the Nintendo 3DS is backwards compatible with the regular DS, meaning Puzzle Bobble Galaxy will play just fine on the 3D portable.

Rio is fun while it lasts, and takes a more considered approach to its subject matter than thrusting it into a standard platformer template. Unfortunately, it's let down by a lack of content, only offering a few hours of play when all is said and done, and rather poor instructions and narration do not help.

The uDraw Studio software is generally excellent, accessible for new or casual artists, and has the potential for highly detailed art. The main drawback is the GameTablet's lack of true sensitivity - when you venture into more complicated work it becomes far trickier and more of a hassle to use, with constant switching of options required to get the strokes just right.

Ubisoft Sofia have gone in the face of what a launch title usually is with Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars. It's a lengthy game that will absorb many hours, but at the same time it seems to have been carefully optimised for portable play.

Though it is a full and immersive title, The Sims 3 does bear the hallmarks of being a port without much consideration for the increased capacity and capabilities of the 3DS, with some struggling controls and awkward presentation to boot.

A fun scrapper for younger minds, and an effective showcase for the 3D effects' capabilities, but the repetitive and short nature of Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D ensures that it won't be long before its time in your 3DS becomes a thing of the past.

It's mystifying that Samurai Warriors: Chronicles hasn't been endorsed by more stores, because it is a surprisingly strong title, trumping the quality of the Wii version by quite a long shot.

nintendogs + cats embraces elements of the 3DS such as StreetPass and the cameras, introducing the novelty of kittens as it goes, but otherwise acts as a refinement of the first game more than anything else. However, a virtual pet simulator of this nature in 2011 is not as exciting as it was six years ago when the genre was less common on consoles, and disappointingly it does not do much to push the series forward.

nintendogs + cats embraces elements of the 3DS such as StreetPass and the cameras, introducing the novelty of kittens as it goes, but otherwise acts as a refinement of the first game more than anything else. However, a virtual pet simulator of this nature in 2011 is not as exciting as it was six years ago when the genre was less common on consoles, and disappointingly it does not do much to push the series forward.

nintendogs + cats embraces elements of the 3DS such as StreetPass and the cameras, introducing the novelty of kittens as it goes, but otherwise acts as a refinement of the first game more than anything else. However, a virtual pet simulator of this nature in 2011 is not as exciting as it was six years ago when the genre was less common on consoles, and disappointingly it does not do much to push the series forward.

It may not be the most revolutionary side-scrolling platform adventure, but it packs in enough variety, challenge and sheer fun to make it appeal to fans of the genre looking for something more traditional on the Nintendo 3DS.

It perhaps guides players along more than necessary, and the lack of ability to save during the half hour-long levels on the first play-through is a misstep, but LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars continues the quality established by the series, with simplistic, satisfying gameplay that anybody can pick up easily whether they are fans of The Clone Wars animated series or not.

It's impressive to see the full Chaos Theory ported with almost all of its features intact onto a handheld. Everything is there for the espionage enthusiast: infiltration, interrogation and some very tense stealth sections. Unforgivably, however, Splinter Cell 3D is severely let down by its controls which at times make even doing the simplest tasks a chore and will put a lot of people off very quickly.

Gameloft has missed the opportunity to capture the racing genre from Day One with Asphalt 3D, offering up a slowdown-riddled identikit experience that will struggle to hold many gamers' attention for the duration.

A solid, smooth transition to Nintendo's 3DS as an enjoyable port that does the original version justice.

Football fans desperate for some 3DS sports action will find a game that plays as well as its big brothers, yet must be warned that this is definitely akin to a 'light' edition.

It may not feel like a 'full' sequel, more of a fan-servicing side-story or an introduction to the world for newcomers, but Okamiden proves that there is plenty of life in the series yet should Capcom choose to forge on.

A near perfect conversion of a fan favourite entry in the long-running Street Fighter franchise.

Ridge Racer 3D is easily one of the safest options when choosing your first few Nintendo 3DS titles.

Everything is thoroughly polished to perfection, however, despite fantastic controls, enjoyable missions and an extremely pleasant soundtrack that helps set the relaxing atmosphere, Pilotwings Resort is far too short given its price-tag and will be over in a few hours, maximum. If its price comes down somewhat, though, snap this up straight away.

101-in-1 Sports Party Megamix may not set the world on fire, or usurp the likes of WarioWare: Smooth Moves from its lofty perch, but Nordcurrent's effort definitely achieves some merit for including such a vast amount of mini-games, many of which do indeed prove to be extremely entertaining, either alone or with three other friends in tow.

Making great use of the internal and external cameras, as well as containing some extremely clever use of the real world for the game's enjoyable missions, Face Raiders is a massive success on every front.

It looks and sounds wonderful, it feels great when you play it, it's tons of fun and full of surprises.