Despite a few minor technical issues, OlliOlli‘s simple, focused take on skateboarding is smart enough to breathe new life into the waning genre.

Several design flaws are noticeable a decade after the original release, but with a host of minor, welcome gameplay tweaks and a gorgeous HD upgrade, this is the definitive version of perhaps the most original Zelda adventure.

Though its visuals still betray the legacy of SNK’s rich and gorgeous 2D sprite work, The King of Fighters XIV revives the glory of the franchise where it counts most: gameplay and core mechanics. This will hopefully be the first step in a better future for the series, but even this unpolished first entry is worth the time for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

A fairly robust take on the classic RPG formula with trace amounts of familiar Mario gameplay. While it’s hardly anything new, it still tells a truly charming tale defined, more than anything, by its terrific cast of characters.

Another smash-and-collect game featuring everyone’s favorite building toy. This time around, it’s based on the new animated movie and offers many of the hilarious characters fresh off the screen. A little bit of fresh gameplay livens up this entry, but a few story and camera problems hamper the experience somewhat. Ultimately, The LEGO Movie Videogame is great fun and perfect for fans of the fantastic plastic.

NHL 19 is one of the best-playing hockey games I can remember, thanks to an overhauled animation system and the best body checking money can buy. World of CHEL is cool, too, at least as a foundation for future editions. Unfortunately, as it is right now, unless you like player-locked multiplayer experiences, this banner addition won’t have much more to offer other than a few challenges and a new parka. Still, if you’ve skipped the last few years of NHL games, you could do a lot worse than NHL 19.

While Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker isn’t the full 3DS remake some might hope, it’s still a bigger, better version of what was already a fantastic, engrossing strategy-RPG twist on Atlus’ beloved demon-summoning series.

While the interminable wait between turns and overhauled user interface may be shocks for players flocking from Shogun 2, the overall experience still delivers a top-tier strategy epic.

I've cursed the name of more than one ex-girlfriend for uttering these words, but here they are, nonetheless: I loved Amalur, but I'm not sure I'm in love with it. It's a beautifully realized game with a lot of solid features, but it falls just short of blowing me away. That it came so close is both its blessing and its curse, but I'd still say it's worth a playthrough if you're even the slightest bit curious.

The Wright Anything Agency is back in action, and this time, it’s an entire country that needs help. With some fresh spins on the investigation formula, abominable name puns, and an increasingly convoluted series of wacky murders, Spirit of Justice is a strong entry in the Ace Attorney series—though perhaps not the best game for a first-time sleuth.

I'm not totally convinced that the copy of Persona 4 Arena that I'm holding in my hands is real, because the idea of a Persona-based 2D fighter actually existing still baffles my brain. For as long as it does exist as something that I can play, though, it's an elaborate yet engrossing fighter that packs a ton of content, charm, and competition for those willing to put in the time required to master its offerings.

If you love a great story and some fun first-person shooter action, Metro: Last Light is sure to please. Only a couple of minor shortcomings hold the experience back, including the much-improved—but still not completely polished—stealth gameplay.

It’s funny how a remake of a game that never originally hit the West can feel like such a step forward. There are a couple questionable choices, like the removal of the weapons triangle, and series purists might grumble over some other changes like dungeon exploration, but overall Shadows of Valentia feels like the next great step in Fire Emblem.

Is Racing Transformed perfect? Not by a long shot. But it's every bit as engrossing and addictive as many of the Sega classics it mines for inspiration, and that's a phenomenal accomplishment in itself.

It's the enchanting vibe and the physics-based tinkering of the pieces that make it all complete. Yes, the controls are soft and not quite on par with the best in the genre, but you can't much fret in the end when there's so much wizardly delight to be had in Trine 2.

The Play Set portion of Disney Infinity consists of average to slightly above-average platformers, with enough collectibles to send players with OCD off the deep end. Things get better in the Toy Box, where the potential for player-crafted adventures really opened up the experience. Overall, Disney Infinity is an excellent addition to the fairly new toy-enhanced game genre.

Speaking as a student undoubtedly on the same level as most people who would invest in Rocksmith 2014 as guitar-learning software and not a music game they can use their own guitar with, there’s nothing about my time with the game—and my development as a guitarist through its use—that leaves me with any doubt about its efficacy.

The best thing I can say about The King of Fighters XIII is that-mentally and emotionally-it took me back to the era of the NeoGeo and reminded me of why I fell in love with SNK's fighting games in the first place. Forget KOFXII-this is the company's true first step in trying to remind the world that it continues to be royalty in the genre it once ruled over. I just hope enough players out there are still ready to listen.

Although the repercussions from decisions in 400 Days don’t prove as critical as Telltale promised, In Harm’s Way still gets Season Two back on track after it appeared to be losing itself in the first two episodes.

Some minor bugs and a lack of replayability can’t hold back Constant C, a puzzle-platformer full of memorable conundrums and surprisingly charming characters.

Loathe as I am to lazily make comparisons, Capy did so first. Super Time Force is exactly as advertised: Braid meets Contra wish a dash of cartoony approach to time-travel. The result is just as spectacularly stupid and spectacularly good as you’d expect from such a description, with an added dash of think-y fun formed by layering multiple reality loops. Sounds bananacakes? Well, it is. And it’s great.

It's an amazing piece of gaming history, to be certain, but a purchase decision still comes down to this: If you're a fan of the series who loved or missed the original, it's a no-brainer. This is one of the best pieces of fanservice our industry has ever produced, and you need to go buy it. On the other hand, if you're an FPS fanatic trying to decide between this or Rage or Deus Ex, you may want to think twice before dropping 40 bones on a shooter that doesn't quite stack up to the competition.

A world where people fight with ramen noodles, DNA, and snakes shouldn't be this much fun. It may take a while to get the hang of the controls in Arms, but the wildly inventive characters, catchy theme music, and unique gameplay style offer enough to capture the attention of casual and competitive gamers alike.

The rough controls of the first Prototype have been tweaked and revamped to allow for a more user-friendly experience. The story also flows a lot more smoothly than the more conspiracy-driven first game. Unfortunately, even with Heller's different powers, Prototype 2 does become tedious at times as there is little variety in mission parameters, but you should still find some fun in blowing up everything that gets in your way.

Bucking the trend of “bigger, badder, louder, faster,” Samurai Shodown is a return to the glory days of SNK’s beloved sword-slashing fighting franchise. The slower, more thoughtful combat style the franchise is known for is on full display here, challenging players not just to be better at fighting games, but also smarter. Wrapped in a beautiful overall package and given some interesting new roster additions, Samurai Shodown is probably the best new chapter we could have ever hoped for.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy honors its parentage with engaging characters and exotic landscapes, setting the stage for more of the best action gameplay out there. It’s much of the same, but that’s OK when “the same” is this good.

Remakes can seem like the low-hanging fruit of game development, but Bluepoint does Shadow of the Colossus justice with an evolution of the classic game that improves the overall experience while maintaining its familiar spirit.

Wargroove might be the least original game I’ve played in a long time, but it offers fans of the Advance Wars series something we’ve been lacking for a while. Thankfully, Wargroove does add enough subtle variations on Advance Wars’ formula to create its own niche, and multiplayer is much easier than convincing your other friend with a Game Boy Advance to buy their own copy. Even if you’re playing alone, there’s plenty to see and do, as long as you’re willing to learn some hard lessons along the way.