While its online component has lost some appeal and it does not offer significantly more content than its predecessor, the offline challenges and the musical catalogue have improved and in the end, it's a very entertaining and fun piece of gaming for groups.

Pumped BMX + is a simple but addictive game centered around the sport of BMX. Its shortcomings are its length and the potential lack of appeal for players who are not into cycling sports.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a worthy successor to the previous title in the series and one of the most ambitious games to be released in the Wii U so far. A monument of content, exploration and complexity, this is a technically staggering work with visually breathtaking landscapes and the potential to spend literally hundreds of hours in its main and secondary missions. A masterpiece of the JRPG genre which is more than certain to gain a place close to the hearts of many who will dedicate themselves to explore this world.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. brings forth a very interesting and fun crossover between two of Nintendo's most cherished series featuring some of its most appreciated characters. The two worlds come together in a very successful way, even if it's clear that the mechanics of the Mario & Luigi series are more predominant than those of the Paper Mario series. The amount of tutorials could be lower to make the experience more fluid and its plot is too predictable but this remains a fun and enticing title.

Nova 111 is an interesting and original strategy game that makes use of stunning visuals and a very precise gameplay mechanics. It could only gain from a more practical save feature that would reduce the amount of times players will be forced to repeat the same levels over and over.

New Style Boutique - Fashion Forward is very well designed to its target audience and it's perfectly accessible to pick up and play. Everything in this game is done fluidly and despite a certain level of repetition, the players bound to be allured by this New Style Boutique will find plenty of reasons to dedicate themselves to this experience of fashion management.

One might feel tempted to mistake Freedom Planet for a copy of Sonic The Hedgehog but that would be tremendously unfair for this work from GalaxyTrail. Its fun and precise gameplay mechanics, along with a wide amount of content and very original levels will bring hours of 2D fun which will resonate particularly well with 16-bit platforming enthusiasts. Were the mixture between action and platforming be more balanced and the boss fights less burdensome on the player and this would become an instant landmark of indie games.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash brings the fun and entertaining gameplay that is expected from a title in the Mario Tennis series, along with a wide variety of characters and courts which will keep its players around the racquets for quite a while. It doesn't go beyond that, as it also leaves the impression that the game needs some additional work and the lack of game modes make its content feel rather empty.

Its local multiplayer mode is also quite fun and bound to keep a group of friends around the Wii U but its pricing policy is difficult to understand.

The return of Guitar Hero is a very welcome renovation of the series. Guitar Hero Live and its new television-like mode are a great help to the feeling of immersion and the design of the new guitar are great additions to a formula which was getting saturated. While the multiplayer mode could be more ambitious, Guitar Hero Live is a very recommended title for fans of music games.

3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is quite simply the greatest conversion that could be done with Sega's magnificent platformer. The best Sonic game of all time lost none of its appeal during its journey to the 3DS and is still as delightful to play as it was over 20 years ago.

Life of Pixel does a fine job at recreating the nostalgic environments of videogaming from the 1980s and 1990s, with all the references in the rights places and the visual and sound aspects that go with the job. However, its level design suffers from imbalances when the experiences become too repetitive and the gameplay too shallow, which harms the overall feeling of insertion into a 1980s and 1990s gaming setting.

Starwhal is an unusual and overall unique game that fully reveals itself on multiplayer. Its original and amusing gameplay and very entertaining multiplayer experience make this an option that will surely satisfy those who invest on it. Pity that its single player experience is a shadow of its multiplayer component and there’s no online mode to make up for that.

While the game is indeed varied and its visual environment is very well designed, it can often become very repetitive as it compels the player to repeat missions again and again.

1001 Spikes is a fun, varied and well-designed 2D platformer that makes use of old-school mechanics to impose a steep difficulty curve and a thousand and one obstacles that even experienced players will find challenging. A very welcome addition to the eShop’s library.

The new Chibi-Robo chapter is certainly not a triumphant return to its previous titles but that doesn’t mean Zip Lash does not have its charms. The use of the electrical cable and the collecting of snacks are welcome components and the outfits certainly extend the game’s replay value. It can, however, become repetitive quickly and lose some of its appeal, as its unambitious level design demonstrates.

The latest chapter in the Skylanders series shows that this name still has a lot to offer. The amount of content and the adding of vehicles, as well as the presence of guest stars Donkey Kong and Bowser make this yet another significant entry in the series.

Momonga Pinball Adventures offers something different and unique mechanics compared to other games of the kind. Its simple and effective gameplay mean that the player can get into it immediately but at the same time, it clearly does not go beyond the limits of a game designed for the mobile devices market.

This adaptation of Year Walk to the Wii U is nothing short of excellent, as the control system and the interaction between the player and the game works perfectly. The atmosphere is extremely rich and diverse and the player is properly put into the right context thanks to the additional points provided by the game.

While its local multiplayer will keep friends entertained, its lack of online multiplayer as well as the dearth of single player content make this a choice only for friendly gatherings where all the players are physically present.

It's a pity this gets disturbed by excessive loading times which drag themselves for far too long and that too much repetition of its ideas can make it dull and uninteresting after a short amount of time.

Zombie Defense is not the most ground breaking RTS and it does not assume the role of a revolutionary trailblazer as far as zombie narratives are concerned. That said, it's a competent work with well-implemented mechanics, a good upgrade system and can provide hours of addictive fun for those who invest in it, including a solid and challenging lifespan.

The Rivers of Alice is a rather linear visual adventure that while exhibiting well-crafted artwork and sound atmosphere, can become too slow paced and inaccessible to be considered as a groundbreaking game. It also has a rather short lifespan, which should be kept in mind by the players at the time of making a choice, even if it still features enough contents to be appreciated by those who enjoy the genre.

Praise for Level-5, as it was about time to bring Little Battlers eXperience to the European market. Its fluid and fun combat, along with the degree of robot customization will bring many hours of fun, which could only benefit from an online multiplayer mode and from a more elaborate plot.

Translating M.C. Escher’s mind-bending works into a game leads to The Bridge, a game whose puzzles, mechanics and visual presentation fit perfectly into the artist’s legacy. It does exaggerate on its difficulty level, which can make progression too demanding for many players.

Gotcha Racing is a fluid racer which was designed for a handheld format and which rewards those who invest into its mechanics. Its flaws lie on the lack of a more involving multiplayer mode and on its slow sense of progression, which can put many players off.

Extreme Exorcism is a delightfully fun and charmingly chaotic experience which renovates itself with each round of play. Boosted by a visual and sound environment that fit its concept perfectly, it would gain even more if only it featured an online component.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes follows the footsteps of Four Swords Adventures and brings forth a very well designed multiplayer experience, whether local or online, and a significant degree of challenge, even for experienced players. While it seems odd that a Zelda title dispenses with the eponymous princess and with Link, Tri Force Heroes does its job in an irrepressible manner.

Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a beautifully-crafted horror game that makes use of a perfect formula of fear and stress to immerse the player into its atmosphere. One of the best horror games in recent times and a compulsory element in the collection of anyone willing to be plunged into a world of fear where they have nothing to rely on other than their wits and a camera.

In the line of fan service duty, Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is a well-designed and visually appealing game that is bound to be appreciated by the series' fan base. It risks falling out of touch with the rest of the audience, though, as its cast needs to be enlarged and the lack of an online mode and of a training mode make the experience much more limited than what is usually expected from a fighting game.

Race the Sun offers a simple yet addictive and frantic-paced old-school racing action. The level design fits perfectly with its style and the ever-changing shape of the levels in 24-hour cycles adds a very welcome touch of challenge. Shame for the lack of a multiplayer mode, given the means available.

Star Sky manages to set up a soothing and relaxing atmosphere thanks to its soundscapes and visual environment but its interactive dimension is too absent and the lack of a proper narrative make this a very difficult title to captivate the players.

While Stone Shire has drawn inspiration from Minecraft regarding its mechanics and aesthetics, it seems to have failed when it comes to everything else. There’s no sense of purpose and no incentive to move forward on this game, where the lack of life and a flat experience prevail over everything else.

Gunman Clive’s transition to the Wii U brings virtually the same two games that were previously released on the 3DS with almost nothing else to present other than a technically competent HD conversion and remarkable sound upgrade. Beyond that, there’s nothing else to point out: a simple compilation, that’s what Gunman Clive on the Wii U is all about.

It’s true that Mercenaries Saga 2 is not a trailblazer and does not reinvent the wheel of tactical RPGs, its main virtues lie elsewhere: it acts as a very welcoming starting point for those who have just awakened to the genre and its battles offer a wide variety of interactions that are certain to satisfy the enthusiasts who like to fully explore their games.

Badland: Game of the Year Edition is a successful example of how a game designed for mobile devices can be interesting to play on the Wii U. Despite its inconsistencies and the lack of a solid plot, its gameplay provides some brilliant moments and the game is full of content and compelling ideas.

Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut may have its flaws but they don’t stand in the way of a game with well-designed challenges and a simple but compelling narrative. Each puzzle solved gives the player a unique feeling of satisfaction and an incentive to stride forward.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a tough as nails RPG which demands a good level of strategic thinking when tackling the adversities ahead. Featuring lush and beautiful environments and a majestic soundtrack, it's a fun and compelling experience for RPG fans who like going deep into their endeavours. Those who prefer a light-hearted approach should be careful though, as this game will not show any mercy.

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians does not follow the standard formula of most rhythm games but rather adds rhythm to a platformer. However its potential feels lost in a rather repetitive gameplay and poor technical execution, despite its very rich visual environments.

Animal Crossing's in-game social component seems to be growing at a never-ending rate. Happy Home Designer keeps treading that path and its main activities focus on one of the players' favourite aspects of the series, home decoration. With an enormous wealth of resources and its simple, intuitive controls, this is a perfect introduction to the series and a potential major influence to its next chapter.

Runbow is a delightfully fun multiplayer experience that brings together racing and platforming and where the gameplay is centered around colour. The execution of its mechanics is laudable and its unlockable content will provide fun sessions for long hours. It does miss out on its single player mode, where the experience feels much lonelier and its online mode could use some more appeal.

3D Gunstar Heroes is a conversion that excels in every possible way. Not only it brings the original game in a perfectly playable way and without any traces of aging but it even improves it with its exquisite 3D effect. A real 16-bit classic that can be played again and again.

While its platforming mechanics are overall competent, there's virtually no improvement whatsoever over the original and the visible result is that of something which stopped in time one decade ago, even in the visual component. Having some new elements would be welcome too, but that has also been left out of this anniversary edition.

Funk of Titans brings forth a very simple control system and some elements which if explored better, could make a more interesting experience. Unfortunately, the overall impression is that its mechanics are far too repetitive and its level design is flawed, which alongside an irregular frame rate contribute to make this a frustrating and unappealing work.

Picross e6 brings a significant increase of the amount of puzzles to solve and while in many games, bringing more of the same can make them dull, in the case of Picross it's actually welcome. On the downside, the innovation that was present in previous titles seems to be less prevalent on its sixth iteration.

Super Mario Maker is where fanship turns into craftsmanship for those who for years have wished to design their own Mario levels. The game is intuitive and perfectly accessible for experienced players and newcomers alike. The lack of multiplayer is difficult to understand, though, as is the nine day timeframe needed to unlock all contents of the level design tool.

Canvaleon could be an example of a fine idea and concept which suffer from its implementation. Its platforming mechanics and controls are very well executed but the cumbersome details which impose endless grinding and the need for drawing skills beyond what is expected in the videogaming medium make this a work that is very difficult to enjoy, not to mention redundant.

3D Streets of Rage 2 is the best conversion that could be made of Sega’s classic beat’em up. Everything that was good about the original was enhanced for the sequel and this new version for the 3DS eShop is nothing short of a near-perfect conversion of the beloved and iconic early 90s game.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson continues the use of very visible physical attributes of its female characters to catch the player’s attention but this does not hide a disproportional difficulty curve and changes to the combat system that make it less enjoyable than its predecessor.

Devil’s Third could very well be an outstanding piece in the third-person shooter genre but its overwhelming flaws and lacklustre campaign mode plague it with unacceptable impediments. Nonetheless, its multiplayer mode has potential for fun and intense sessions.

Blocky Bot does what it proposes – it’s a simple, quick and down-to-Earth platformer whose gameplay is immediately grasped on by the player. It does its job at providing fun sessions of platforming action but once its levels have been cleared, there aren’t many more reasons to pick it up again.

Never Alone offers an average experience as a platformer with puzzles to solve but it's the game's narrative and tribute to the Inupiat people that makes it stand out as a unique experience. A perfect choice of artwork and use of cultural traits contribute to make Never Alone an insightful work which can also be enjoyed as a game.

Cube Life: Island Survival fills a gap in the Wii U's catalogue and that is something to praise. At the same time, the games's own shortcomings and flaws make other gaps which, according to producers Cypronia, will be corrected soon. This is absolutely necessary, since Cube Life, as it is, does not go far enough to become a significant title in the Wii U's library.

Bike Rider DX2: Galaxy turns a very simple and common concept into something fun and rewarding. Its very precise and accurate controls and a well adjusted difficulty curve mean that any amount of time spent around this game will be fun. While some of the bicycler's powers seem to be superfluous, Bike Rider DX2: Galaxy can be a non-stop roller coaster of speed and skill.

Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 sticks to the formula of the series and doesn't go beyond that. Its contents and character exchange mechanism are worthy of praise but it quickly becomes repetitive and the different modes don't show that much difference between them.

Roving Rogue departs from a unique and refreshing concept – what in the world happens when videogame heroes end their quests? It doesn’t go much further than this, though, and quickly becomes a repetitive and unappealing generic platformer, which is a pity as there was a great potential to explore with such an original premise.

This follow-up of 2006’s Karous is a simple and amusing vertical shmup, a genre which perfectly embodies the “what you see is what you get” principle. Unfortunately, this also acts as a reminder of why the shmup fell out of the gaming market: Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden- brings nothing new to this niche and other than a few hardcore fans, it will be virtually ignored by the vast majority of the public.

Comic Workshop 2 is less of a follow-up and more of an update of its predecessor. Most aspects have been improved and there are some new tools which can be quite useful for those eager to create their own comics on the 3DS. The option to share images on Miiverse is also a welcome arrival.

Don't Starve gives the player a charming Tim Burton-like visual environment, only to be merciless to all with its extremely punishing death experiences. Still, the more one dies, the more one will learn and the experience is diverse enough to keep the most persist players hooked around its mechanics.

Tappingo 2 is less of a follow up and more of an expansion of the original. While it presents a decent price/contents relation, its dearth of new ideas and frustrating controls will keep most of the public away. Still, for those who enjoyed the original and who are into a Picross-style of gameplay, Tappingo 2 can be a fun and entertaining choice, even if for a short timeframe.

Iron Combat: War in the Air is bold enough to present a certain degree of innovation into a genre that mostly relies on the past. Unfortunately their implementation is not up to what they propose to do and as such, War in the Air ends up being a repetitive and often too demanding game with some confusing controllers and monotonous levels.

The main mechanics are all there, this time with the additional factor of online multiplayer, which can lead to intense moments of bedlam across territories. What it offers in ambition, though, it lacks in innovation and graphical quality, with very modest visual and sound environments and a resolution that can be problematic in the first model of the Nintendo 3DS.

Its retro aesthetics adjust perfectly to its new ideas and despite its limited lifespan and very minimal plot, Xeodrifter has all the conditions for an intense and rewarding sidescrolling experience.

Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven is one delightful gem of the 3DS eShop catalog. Even if it might take a while to settle in and its amounts of text may be a bit too much for some players, it rewards everyone with an enveloping plot and very well implemented character developments.

Nihilumbra does a perfect job at creating a nihilistic setting which will plunge the player in a gloomy, depressive spiral. Its visual and sound environments fit the game's plot without any flaws and the initial difficulty level allows the player to finish the plot-driven part of the game without problems. Things get more complicated once the player reaches the following segment, where the difficulty level hikes dramatically and the whole experience becomes much harder.

After previous chapters in the series, the Wii U gets what is so far the most advanced and richest version of Art Academy. While it’s certainly no professional design software, it has a good pace to its lessons and is set to appeal to the players who want to give a boost to their artistic aspirations.

Yoshi's Woolly world features a beautifully-crafted world where colourful settings, a superb level of interactivity and a delightful soundtrack are topped by an involving and compelling gameplay experience. A magnificent title from any point of view.

Harvest Moon: the Lost Valley could easily depart from the Harvest Moon formula and stand out on its own. Instead it ends up steering away from the series and not satisfying neither the Harvest Moon fans nor those expecting something different.

While it does provide the player with something to look forward to, the game's lack of offer in terms of variety and sub-par visuals, along with a very shot lifespan, mean that High Strangeness will most likely not cause an impact with the vast majority of players, all due to its own flaws.

Elliot Quest boasts a charming retro look and sound environment and its dungeons are very well designed and laid out. Unfortunately its performance is way below par and its gameplay mechanics make it too difficult and repetitive to play, while the locations outside the dungeons are too confusing to keep track of.

Guac’a Mole is an intense and fun game based around the physical contortions that the players will have to perform in order to reach their goals. Nothing short of fun and original, with very precise controls and an old-school arcade-type of experience. Pity it doesn’t provide for a longer experience and has no online leaderboards, which could provide some welcome sense of competitiveness.

Swords and Soldiers II is an amusing and humourous strategy game that doesn't take itself too seriously as far as strategic planning is concerned. Local multiplayer is fun enough to entertain well beyond the lack of replay value of its single player campaign.

Ultraton is a fun and addictive arcade-style shooter which in many ways follows an old-school pattern of gameplay. It could surely benefit from a more extended lifespan and more variety on the attack patterns of the bosses but it still stands as one of the most fun shooters available on the Wii U's digital market.

Its characters are well-presented, the narrative is fun and there's potential to the fighting system but the game overall lacks polishing, some of the mechanics become dull quite quickly and the difficulty curve needs a serious readjustment.

A strong emphasis on its online mechanics means that most of Splatoon is to be experienced on a multiplayer basis, which would be at a higher level if all future options and contents were already available. Given the importance of cooperative online play and team work, it's also difficult to understand why there's no voice chat but despite this shortcoming, Splatoon has all conditions to become a must have classic, once all the contents are made available.

Heart Beaten is a hilarious, simple and addictive experience, similar to WarioWare in the sense that it is based around wacky minigames...and it all ends quickly, as there are only fifteen such minigames and once they are cleared, the game pretty much becomes redundant.

Quell Memento follows the footsteps of its two predecessors so closely that it requires more original content to stand out on its own. Nevertheless, it features quality level design and it gives the player a certain margin to experience the game without too much pressure or excessive requirements.

Trine’s first entry is a marvelously-crafted mix of RPG and platforms which includes ingenious level design, a very attractive audio-visual component and a very captivating storyline. It might not excel as much as its sequel but it works as a perfect introduction to the series.

Excave II successfully addresses some of the shortfalls of its predecessor and improves on gameplay, graphical environment and variety of items. Nevertheless, its price - double that of the original game - does not seem fully justified and the lack of a structured and coherent narrative is still a shortcoming for a game that could certainly benefit from more ambition.

Adventure Bar Story may not seem like a monumentally ambitious title but it strikes a good balance between an RPG and a management simulation. It’s also rather fun to prepare meals and while some tasks may become too repetitive, it’s still an addictive experience.

Bloo Kid 2 is a fun and competent platform game which perfectly captures the spirit of late 80s and early 90s platformers...perhaps a bit too much, as it resorts to blatant copying of some of the biggest names in the field.

Pazuru follows the line of enjoyable, fun and addictive puzzle games that are often found in handheld systems. Its presentation is remarkably simple but the games provides a long and entertaining experience, with accessible mechanics that are welcoming to everyone and rewarding to the most skillful and persistent of players.

Mighty Gunvolt intends to be a tribute to the 8-bit era of Mega Man...and quite a fitting tribute it is, all the conventions of the 8-bit action game are accurately portrayed in this bonus giveaway which comes along Azure Striker Gunvolt.

Trying to merge an RPG with a puzzle game might seem a complicated task but Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition handles that perfectly. With an immense amount of content, a very long lifespan and its easy-to-learn mechanics, this is set to become a landmark in how to join two different genres, as well as how to bring the elements of two series together.

My Style Studio: Notebook takes its attempt to recreate a school notebook a bit too far, so far that it ends up with an unpractical experience which does not feel intuitive at all for the player.

This is a game that makes strategic thinking very difficult and the shallow plot and undeveloped character progression further downgrade its RPG credentials. On the other hand, it does have an attractive action component, rich and enticing visual and sound environments and a well-implemented steam-as-fuel mechanic.

While the game's plot is mostly unnecessary and there could be a wider variety of enemies, the top notch production values and the game's overall fluidity are enough to seduce anyone who enjoys action gaming.

Everything has gone wrong on Suspension Railroad Simulator. While the concept itself already puts it in a niche, the way the game is developed and presented displays an urgent need to throw it back into the drawing board and completely rework it on every aspect.

Affordable Space Adventures is an example of a game which is competent and creative enough to keep the player focused on it for a while, but whose technical limitations, slow pace and lack of compelling rewards turn it into a rather dull effort after a certain amount of time.

Boxboy is a fun and addictive puzzle game that is certain to keep players around it for some time, not just because of its mechanics but also because it introduces new ideas and challenges at a very high pace. It only suffers from its washed away visual style, which could have used more work, even for a game of this genre.

The concept behind Proun+ is very appealing but its conversion to the 3DS format ends up mutilating the game and depriving it of its essence.

OlliOlli clearly stands out as a fun, addictive, frantic and extensive game, free from boasting grandeur but very involving nonetheless. The cross-buy possibility is another point in its favour and hopefully something that will become more disseminate in the future. It could have landed earlier on Nintendo's eShop, but this doesn't make it any less recommendable or fun.

Gets several points right, especially its artwork and visual environment. There’s a lot of content to unlock and its difficulty curve is balanced enough. Where it fails is on providing a more captivating gameplay, as the game forces the players to constantly look down to their GamePads, wasting time in the process.

Excave may have an interesting concept but its overall simplistic implementation and uninspired enemies and locations mean that even the biggest action RPG fans will quickly find themselves bored by this game and seek something more compelling and involving.

Bringing Out Run to the 3DS under the name of 3D Out Run is an excellent way to get this Sega classic back into the stream. Keeping the same spirit as the 1980s racing hit, 3D Out Run is a perfect conversion to the handheld format and all that made the original game a cult classic is on its place.

The focus is clearly on action and character development, as the game's plot is minimal but there's a great amount of missions to complete. Sadly it can repetitive on a long-term basis and the sound component really needs to be reworked.

The control system needs some improvement, though, and the voice acting is far from the best ever done, but the narrative and exploration suit well those who are looking for a sci fi adventure in the Wii U's eShop.

Zombie Incident is another welcoming sight of a retro-style game that is being released on the 3DS eShop. Its gameplay is addictive and the visual and sound environments fit perfectly within the era it pays tribute to, but several elements can make the experience frustrating.