I'm impressed by the magnitude of new content that Nintendo has packed along with Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and the way that this is distributed over time and progression. At the same time, I cannot help letting out a loud sigh due to the fact that I have to do the same things all over - just to enjoy all the new goodies.

Pokémon X/Y is a marvelous refinement of a tried and true concept, both larger and better than its predecessors. Despite this, it is unmistakenly a repetition of that old concept, one which may be past its prime in the presence of contemporary iterations on the concept, such as Skylanders or Ni No Kuni.

Sound Shapes is an experiment that won't be the killer-app the Vita needs. But it still offers an experience unlike any other on both platforms.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted has a number of flaws that prevent it from reaching the same heights as Forza Horizon or Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. But at the same time it has some great ideas of its own to make it entertaining. I would've wanted Criterion to work more on the sense of speed and removing the graphical bugs, but besides that Most Wanted is a great racer that will give you a good time both online and offline.

Saints Row: The Third has both highs and lows. The freedom, entertaining sillyness and some good ideas are held back by what too often is a tasteless, repetitive and mindless game. While the flawed controls and lack of technical polish frustrates further, there is certainly a lot of fun to be had with the over the top action, not least in the online co-op mode.

Rift is probably the most stable and solid MMO ever to launch, and includes most of the functions you've grown accustomed to during the evolution of World of Warcraft. It's polished, has a lot of content and rich lore, but yet doesn't manage to feel unique or for lack of a better term, good.

I can give my warm recommendations for Pit's return in Kid Icarus: Uprising – but also an ice-cold warning for the terrible controls when Pit reaches ground from being airborne. Book an appointment at the orthopedic clinic already, because this will take a huge toll on your wrists and elbows.

Visually Sine Mora is stunning, when it comes to gameplay it will wear you down. I can only recommend it to hardcore shoot 'em up fans, the rest of you ought to be a bit more careful. However, this game is a good reminder of how good it is that games has become so much more forgiving during the last 20 years.

Despite trying to act as a gritty tale of survival, Resistance 3 is in essence just a regular shooter, with far more action filled firefights than lurking tales of humanity. Thankfully it's a well made game and has an impressive arsenal of excellent weapons, and the multiplayer - including a much-missed co-op mode - is a lot of fun.

Charlie Blackmore's adventure is very beautiful and meticulously designed - with charming music and game mechanics that haven't been seen anywhere else. But creativity cannot alone earn a score, and Stacking lacks too much soul and is too careful when it comes to its humour.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the latest installment in the franchise and brings updated graphics, two new game modes and new weapons to the venerable shooter. Its qualities are undeniable, but the question is if these are the qualities requested by the player base? With only primitive features to support the esport community, it's not hard to imagine that the game will get a lukewarm reception.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend is insanely beautiful and it offers game mechanics that few games in the genre can match. But sadly it's a bit too narrow and hardcore for me to fully embrace it and instead I find myself being very bored.

A well-made conversion of the incredibly popular PC-game. The lack of features and modes is made up by a great interface, very good controls and the awesome possibility to play four player local co-op.

Resident Evil: Revelations is a beautiful game and a welcome addendum to a series that gradually has turned away from its roots. If the story hadn't been chopped to pieces - this game, with its narrow spaces and scarce ammo, would have been able to compete with tense horror titles like Dead Space.

Dragon Age II continues the tradition of being a solid RPG in the spirit of the original game, but fails to fulfill its true potential due to sloppy quality control and incessant corner-cutting. This is a game that truly could have outshined Dragon Age: Origins with its many improved mechanics, but instead leaves us slightly disappointed.

A fall forward as Konami introduces a new indicator for manual passing and shooting. Long distance screamers in the top corner are a bit easy to pull off and slide tackles are too often penalized. Pro Evolution isn't bad, it's just second best.

Dragon’s Crown is a beautiful side scrolling 2D beat ’em up that mixes in loot chasing elements of action RPG’s like Diablo and the grinding aspects of a Japanese RPG. At times a frustrating game, but in the end a rewarding experience that should be enjoyed in small chunks at a time.

Blacklist feels like Splinter Cell Conviction 2.0, which is not necessarily a bad remark. A few bugs and a less-than-interesting story chases away the top score. Nice split screen action and a sound that makes for a thick atmosphere keep it above average even though Sam Fisher himself is boring beyond belief for a character with at least six game titles to his name.

Despite originally being a PC game, Torchlight still manages to make the transition to Xbox 360 with pride. The frame rate is a bit rough, but apart from that it shines brightly and is well worth its asking price.

New Art Academy is a good tutorial for aspiring artists, or for portable drawing. With well-presented, educational tutorials, it's a good pick up that features a comprehensive journey through multiple disciplines and art styles, although with a very small screen.

Shift 2: Unleashed delivers intensive racing for real gear-heads, with a daunting difficulty level and impressive physics. The Autolog function is excellent, but the experience is marred somewhat by the cumbersome controls, far too agressive opponents and a too hard easy mode for newcomers.

Being very similar to the original, game this is more an expansion than a sequel. There is a new focus on getting down on the battlefield yourself piloting tanks or helicopters, but some of the charm is lost in the process.

Beautiful design and flawless presentation make SSX a hard-hitter this season. Unfortunately, its lack of local multiplayer and thin singleplayer experience doesn't quite make it live up to previous games in the series.

Bleak, beautiful and violent, Vampire Smile provides great and atmospheric sidescrolling action. The lack of variety makes me only play in relatively short burts, but I keep coming back for more.

A charismatic but simple turn based strategy game. Skulls of the Shogun gives more laughs than tactical resistance, but is easy to learn and fun to play against friends.

While Ezios final chapter is a fun romp through Istanbul, it could just have well been incorporated into Brotherhood with a bit of editing. The saving grace is the fleshed-out multiplayer modes and the interesting effects the bombs have on it. With a bit of luck the series will get back on track after the two latest interim-games, so fingers crossed that Assassin's Creed III dares to evolve the series as much as the second game did.

Nathan Drakes first portable adventure is equally as impressive as it is disappointing. Bend Studio have created a visually impressive adventure with an excellent control scheme, but the haphazard use of some motion controls and the lacklustre story are a small let-down.

”Same mechanics, new skin” seems to be the motto for God of War: Ascension. A prequel without big flaws that lacks some extra spice. Fans of the mechanics and the character will find instant recognition but somewhat less satisfaction than the previous games.

Despite being priced as an expansion, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution delivers a full experience with a solid campaign. However, at the moment the multiplayer leaves much to be desired, with poor architecture and weak matchmaking.

There's no real reason to buy the PlayStation Vita version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as the touch-screen controls are both simple and repetitive. The home console editions are both better and cheaper.

Lego City Undercover is a bold new direction for the Lego series. In many respects it is a successful first try, but there are quite a few technical mishaps. The open world concept needs some work, the load times are horrible and the lack of co-op is very disappointing. The game-play is still as simple and entertaining as ever though, and some of the missions and puzzles are among the greatest in the series.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an ambitious and good looking game, and if you're into more action packed role playing games you'll find a lot to like here. The sense of freedom is a bit of an illusion though, and the linear layout is a bit of a shame. But as long as you're aware of this you'll have a good time in Amalur.

Those of you who put in the time and effort needed will have a lot to gain from Rocksmith. Not just high scores, but the feeling of actually learning to play an instrument.

The Vita does not shame Street Fighter x Tekken, but the game is harder to control with the smaller buttons and the lack of two shoulder buttons. Despite that, this is still a good game with great online capabilities.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the Vita is basically the exact same game as the PS3-version. The problems I had with that version still remains, but the fact that Criterion managed to squeeze the entire game into the Vita is remarkable and it really does offer you the same experience, with the big advantage of being portable.

Puzzle Dimension is a beautiful puzzle game where you guide a marble around in a three dimensional labyrinth. The gameplay is good but perhaps a bit too repetitive to be truly great. The PSN version surprisingly lacks online leaderboards, an omission that also subtracts from the overall impression.

Payday 2 is a real gem of a cops and robbers game when everything clicks. Overkill manages to capture the atmosphere of classic heist movies and the gameplay is about a whole lot more than just shooting cops. Artificial intelligence is a joke though and the game is pulled down by quite a few bugs that can be anything from annoying to totally game breaking.

More a missed opportunity than anything else, The Unfinished Swan is a pleasant fairytale story with a some good ideas and one or two magic moments. In the end though it is easy to come away with the feeling that this was a brief and very linear experience that just hinted at something that could have been truly great.

A nice mix of a handful different genres, where tower defense and Angry Birds are the most prominent ingredients. As you can probably imagine, the use of so many game mechanics at the same time can get too messy from time to time. The game is still worth checking out, though.

A repackaged version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with added characters, gameplay balancing and slightly improved netcode. For newcomers to the series, getting into this will be a harsh and unforgiving journey, but for fans it's a must thanks to the added characters and slight balance tweaks.

The shift mechanic is the real star here, and transforms even the most ordinary sequences into thrilling race experiences. But there are flaws, such as logical mis-steps in the storyline and generic presentation. They don't matter too much though, especially in the multiplayer mode.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem delivers exactly what it should, and is yet another challenging puzzle games for the Nintendo DS. Fun and well made, but without much innovation.

If you are a The Sims-fan this is a no-brainer and you probably already playing this. For the rest of us, not already commited to this game, the expansion adds to the already massive micro management of The Sims 3 which in turn disturbs the flow of the game and at times becomes rather tedious, almost a chore. Don't let the cute furballs fool you, this is The Sims 3 and if your not into this game before then this expansion, solid as it may be, will not make you a believer.

The game mechanics are even better than the third game, but it still lacks quality in the story and this time even in the AI. Play this with your friends or get ready for gears of frustration.

Yakuza 4 isn't as compelling as the third game, nor does it introduce a lot of new, interesting features. But it's still a fun romp, and sometimes when I walk down the streets in Kabukicho it feels like I'm back in Shinjuku, and that's a rare feat. Not for everone, but fans of the series could do worse.

Last year I raved over Madden NFL 11 and loved most of the features in the game. This year is either a transition year with small adjustments or my great score from 2010 was a product of my absence from the series for over ten years. If you are a hard core NFL fan that craves every small adjustment Madden NFL 12 may be for you but the rest of us can wait for a price drop or just go and play Madden NFL 11.

A real classic that shouldn't be missed if you can't play Metal Gear Solid HD Collection or the older versions with better controls. You'll need the classic controller as well to enjoy this properly as well.

The highly anticipated return to Dunwall gets tainted by the fact that Dishonored's sum is greater than its parts. When these parts are separated from each other in uneven trial the brilliance is somewhat lost. Great concept art sketches, though.

Taking inspiration from games such as the Call of Duty-series, this is less of a flight simulator and more of an action game played in the air, and is all the better for it. The somewhat tedious flight missions are mixed up with much more entertaining helicopter-missions and the online modes for both competition and co-op work well.

Mario will always be Mario, but the constant coin-chasing has ironically enough led to some inflation. It's a great game, but we won't remember it as one of those immortal Mario classics.

Julian Gollop is back with yet another masterful turn based strategy game, and if you can see beyond the weak story and the gimmicky 3D effects - that don't to much to enhance the bland graphics - you'll find a spiritual successor to his old games. Laser Squad: Shadow Wars would have been an equally good name.

A strong heritage results in a bland mix of mini games. To only include three competitive games (which happens to be the best thing in this compilation) is just insane, especially when the majority of the others goes from "pretty okay" to "horrible".

This HD remake offers a lot of bang for your buck with hours upon hours of gameplay. Although it's just the main game that truly delivers a good combination of story, fan service and combat. The other two titles doesn't even come close to the level of the original, which is a shame.

Starhawk is a very basic but entertaining MMO shooter with a strategic base building twist - jet fighters turning into battle mechs is rarely a bad idea. The single-player experience is almost laughable, but the online multiplayer experience is addictive.

SoulCalibur V fits the bill if you want a quick duel against a friend via the online or offline mode, but to be honest the unbalanced character roster, bugs and lazy design is offputting. Project Soul promised us so much more, but the end result is disappointing.

The game mechanics are solid, bosses are satisfying creatures. The Suda 51/Mikami/Yamaoka trio clearly have a lot of ideas on their plate, but the games' infantile humor and macho bravado goes a little too far, and the end result lacks the magic that's promised in the beginning.

Sonic Generations is a great history lesson about the series descent from greatness. It starts off fantastic and the 2d-part is good overall, but the 3d-versions of the tracks are filled with the same problems the series has had in the later half of its lifespan. On top of that there are way too few levels and the quality of them is anywhere between great and horrible.

Kirby has always managed to be fun for both kids and adults, but his latest adventure is only for the young ones. Never before has the pink little creature felt so average.

The dark fantasy world of Soul Sacrifice has a wonderful tension to it and the game has a wonderful narrative, however it’s core mechanics are not what they should be. For a game that focuses so much on fighting it’s also kind of disappointing that only the boss fights are worthwhile.

Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition is a good tennis game at heart, and the series has been criticised far too much in the past. However, the Vita edition doesn't bring too much to the table, but feel free to check it out if you absolutely need a game of tennis on the go.

Penny Arcade Episode 3 shines through as a well-written and truly funny, fantasy comedy. However, it loses some of it's momentum due to a lack of variation in the actual gameplay elements.

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is the most accessable version of Magic to date. Experienced players may feel limited by the premade decks and the slightly flawed single player modes, but it's still good fun and well worth its price.

The Sims Medieval tries to reinvigorate the series, and ends up losing most of what made the previous games great, instead taking the game off into a very different and overly simplistic direction, shedding all freedom for no real benefit.

A monster collector game that draws on the Dragon Quest series fauna of iconic monsters. Being more complex than Pokémon, this is a game to be played primarily for the joy of breeding and raising little monsters, as the story offers little interest. If you like Dragon Quest and Pokémon, this is the a game for you.

I’ve had fun with Crysis 3, but not as much fun as I had with the two games that came before it. This is not a bad game by any means, but it is the least good in the series so far.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is a game experience as refined as it is typical. You get to follow Harry Potter and his friends as they finish their epic fight against Voldemort in this light hearted adventure puzzle game. It will delight LEGO and Harry Potter fans alike, but if you were already bored with the previous game, this is one to skip.

A joyful and intriguing experience. I love how the developer trusts my instincts and completely lets go off my hand right from the start. Super cute creatures and wonderfully warm environments makes it a particularity good choice for the younger audience.

Rome II is bigger and more than its predecessor on all fronts but more is not always better. While the battles are more cinematically grand than ever, the strategic map is bogged down by more illusion of choice than previously. There is lots of fun to be had here but several annoying design decisions do their best to try and keep me from having it.

The customisation options are the main focus in this portable golf game, but apart from that the game treads on very familiar ground. I'd hold out for an inevitable Tiger Woods game if I were you.

Shadowrun Returns is a faithful reinterpretation (and in a vague sense, sequel) to the SNES game from 20 years ago, maybe a bit too faithful. Though most aspects of the the wild and unruly Shadowrun world is included, the promise of this game lies more in the open embrace of the mod community than the included adventure.

A multiplayer centric WW2 shooter that puts great emphasis on realistic mechanics and ambiance. Unfortunately realism does not always translate into fun, resulting in a game with little appeal except to the hardcore fans of the era.

ShootMania is a difficult game to rate. The pre-made game modes that come packed with the game are kind of disappointing and not that fun to play. At the same time, the tools for creating own content such as new game modes, maps and weapons are fantastic in every way, and gives us players everything that is necessary to create splendid game-play in an entertaining way. If you like creating or modifying things, this is the game for you. If you just want a good shooter game on the other hand, you should probably wait and see if the community will create any amazing game modes before you buy ShootMania Storm.

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars offers exactly what you expect – no more, no less. Despite new game mechanics, such as RTS-parts and more spaceship battles, this game clearly shows that the LEGO franchise is in desperate need of something new. It's the visually most impressive LEGO-game of them all, but then again – we say that every time, don't we?

Diggs Nightcrawler is a really charming story presented in an awesome way. Though some game play elements are kind of bad, the funny characters and a smart integration with the Wonderbook makes up for most of the flaws.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a worthy successor in the Paper Mario-series that will probably satisfy both veterans and newbies. Most of us will unmercifully get stuck within a puzzle or a dead end, but do know that there's no shame in looking for answers on the Internet.

Doesn't quite live up to its own potential, and is ultimately bogged down by some poor gameplay decisions. It borrows and repurposes core gameplay ideas from previous games, adds a few new ideas into the mix – but the end result doesn't quite shine as brightly as it should. At worst, it feels like a hodge-podge of ill-suited ideas glued together in the most superficial ways. But the storyline delivers a good conclusion to the previous side tracks and builds up a lot of anticipation for the next main game.

Thieves in Time resembles a mini game collection made for PlayStation 2. The rough graphics, ridiculously long loading times and at times tedious platforming moments are justified by a well told story and lovingly created mini games.

WWE All Stars contains arcade-style wrestling that borrows freely from regular fighting games, introducing concepts such as juggling to a genre that doesn't quite benefit from it. The inprecise controls are frustrating, and overall the game offers a decisively average gameplay experience.

It's Ridge Racer racing as usual with a couple of improvements. The lack of online play and Download Play game sharing is disappointing, but the steroscopic 3D is impressive. Perhaps not the strongest 3DS launch title, but well worth your while if you're after arcade racing.

The lack of proper tutorials for newcomers makes the game way too hard from the start for anyone that doesn't understand baseball. There's a great sports game in there, but it's hidden behind a steep learning curve and the lack of assistance from the game. If you're up for the challenge you'll probably be pleasantly surprised. I however will let the dream of baseball remain just a dream.

It's only during multiplayer sessions that Raskulls shines, as the campaign is quite bland. But playing against other people at home or over the net can be plenty of fun, as long as you can find other players.

Syndicate is a fun shooter but it falls short of being great. The campaign is on the short side and feels slightly generic, although the action itself is immensly entertaining. The separate co-op mode adds some great value and ends up being the stronger part of the package.

There is something appealing about the soccer mechanics in the Inazuma Eleven-series, but the way the concept stands today it's no more than decent. The Inazuma-series has potential, if just Level-5 (who are also behind the Professor Layton games) dares to develop it further.

Patapon 3 doesn't quite make it all the way, despite the much sought-after multiplayer and the entrancing music. The large amounts of micromanagement and grinding draws focus from the core gameplay, and the end result is a finicky adventure where the outcome depends more on your equipment than your ability to drum up proper instructions.

There is something appealing about the soccer mechanics in the Inazuma Eleven-series, but the way the concept stands today it's no more than decent. The Inazuma-series has potential, if just Level-5 (who are also behind the Professor Layton games) dares to develop it further.

An average point and click-adventure with an unsympathetic protagonist and a lackluster plot. Deponia is heavily influenced by Monkey Island but doesn't come close to the LucasArts classic. The puzzles won't challenge a seasoned veteran, but could prove stimulating for newcomers to the adventure genre.

Cars 2 is no Mario Kart-killer, but it's an okay game for us who don't have the Wii and Marios cart-racer. The game is challenging, has a good turbo-system and is great fun when played with a couple of friends.

Even thought it's a frantic and hypnotic shooter, Galaga Legions DX fails to live up to the brilliance of Pac-man Championship Edition DX. It is not difficult to get through – in fact it is perhaps too easy and definately too short – but the difficulty in posting a good score makes you come back for more.

As an unusually cute twin-stick shooter, Gatling Gears offers a lot of fun despite a general lack of originality. Co-op adds to the fun as always but there are enough smaller annoyances to make the 1200 point pricetag feel a bit high.

Thanks to a generally well done puzzle design, the Swedish game Unmechanical offers good entertainment that manages to stick out in the crowd of indie games despite a few borrowed concepts.

F.E.A.R. 3 has a few misses here and there, but when it hits the mark it becomes incredibly entertaining. Considering the improvements compared to the second game we're really looking forward to another installment in the series.

A great story and an entertaining game as long as I'm playing by myself. When the massive online part comes into play the experience starts to fall apart and the lack of tools to communicate with and a very poor player versus player component makes it hard to see anyone continue paying to play this for very long. It is different and interesting though, so giving it a try for the first free month included is still recommended.

With so many different gaming mechanics, pretty 2D platforming levels and humorous cut scenes de Blob 2 could have been a roaring success. But the end product has far too long and badly designed levels that just feel repetitive. During shorter gaming sessions it still manages to deliver a fun experience, but overall we're a little disappointed.

Tokyo Jungle is an interesting wild-life simulator in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, void of humans. Choosing one of the many animal races available, the race is on to take over territories, form a flock and survive the dangers of the urban jungle. It's a nice concept that unfortunately falls a bit flat due to its inherent repetitiveness – eat food, procreate, eat more food, take over more territories. But in smaller doses, it will deliver unique and interesting experiences.

Arma 3 is as much a tool as it is a game, and it is by far the best tool Bohemia has created so far. Its not perfect though, and it's still a product for a very specific audience. I wish a few compromises had been made to make it more accessible and fun.

Sony offers us a more casual karting experience along with all the tools you need and more for the creation of levels. LittleBigPlanet Karting is good fun for the youngest and inexperienced, but hardcore gamers will probably give this a pass due to its lack of challenge.

The Bridge is a very competent puzzle game that is set in a beautiful world that really draws you in. However, when you’re there you get a slight feeling of emptiness due to the lack of story.

A fun and well written prologue to last year's adventure hit. This game tells a smaller and a more personal story that is somewhat hurt by really awful puzzle-design at certain places.