If you’re keen on games that are easy to learn but difficult to master, Nidhogg is for you. The combat system is incredibly fun, and there are so many heart-stopping moments packed into each round that it’s tough to keep count. Once the online issues are fixed, it’ll be a source of constant competition for months to come.

With a few fixes to its economy and more free tracks in a future update, Forza 5 will grow into one of the best racing games ever made. It’s beautiful, it shows off the designs of vehicles in a way that’s never been done before, and the Top Gear license is used to enhance the experience. If you’re a casual racing fan who finds themselves overwhelmed easily, Forza 5 is your huckleberry.

Although it’s a very brief adventure that isn’t filled out quite as much as I would have hoped, Tearaway is a must-buy for all PlayStation Vita owners. It shows off the hardware’s many flourishes perfectly, and couples it with a solid foundation to boot.

It’s an improvement over last year’s iteration, but if you’re getting a next-gen console, you definitely want to wait to upgrade for feature parity with the PC version.

Even if you’ve never played an Assassin’s Creed game before, Black Flag is a great place to start, most notably due to its emphasis on a concise narrative with likeable and engaging characters.

Whether you’re a new or old Pokemon fan, X and Y is one of the best offerings from Game Freak yet, if not the very best.

Whether you’re a new or old Pokemon fan, X and Y is one of the best offerings from Game Freak yet, if not the very best.

Faith is very by the numbers in terms of the level of storytelling with a few hiccups in tow, but I have a feeling that like The Walking Dead, it’ll ramp up as time goes on. Whether you’re a fan of Fables or not, I see a lot of potential in The Wolf Among Us, and I’ll be following its progress beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Although it maybe could have stood to add a little more content with some meat on its bones (maybe a new dungeon, or the areas that were cut from the original release), Wind Waker HD is one of the Wii U’s “must buy” titles without question.

Although it does suffer from a few problems that have plagued the franchise since the beginning, the improved driving controls, captivating leads, and the sprawling city of Los Santos should win the hearts of any open world fan out there.

On one hand, it’s a very by the numbers campaign based shooter that doesn’t reflect a whole lot onto the overall lore of the franchise. On the other, it’s a magnificent multiplayer game that’s easily the best offering on the Vita so far. Wherever your proclivities lie in terms of player with others will no doubt change your expectations, but I personally had a blast online with Mercenary, and I think most shooter fans will too.

Just like Origins before it, Legends is a must-have for fans of the genre.

Brigmore Witches brings about a satisfying conclusion to the Dishonored narrative, and like Knife of Dunwall before it, not only augments the over-arching story, but stands on its own. If you can pick up a copy of the game at some point with all the DLC in tow, I’d highly recommend it for Daud’s two DLC tales alone.

Saints Row IV is an incredible achievement in the sub-genre of super power action.

Pikmin 3 isn’t the savior of the Wii U, and the lack of online play is a major bummer, but it’s still an overall satisfying experience, and another win for Miyamoto. It’s cute, it’s tactically deep, and if you can find a local friend to play with, it’ll last you a long, long while.

Even with its blemishes though, I really enjoyed my time with Shin Megami Tensei IV, and the demon collection and fusion system remains just as addicting as ever — just don’t expect it to top some of the other entries in the series, including Nocturne.

Provided that your a strategy RPG fan, if you’ve always wanted to see Mega Man X team up with Frank West and Jill Valentine, you’ll want to pick this game up for novelty alone.

At the end of the day, barring a few standout games, Game & Wario feels like a tech-demo for concepts that will be fully adapted on the Wii U at a later date — but it’s an absolutely stellar tech-demo, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

While Deluxe could have brought more new content to the table, it preserves the core Mutant Mudds experience to perfection, and then some. If you haven’t played Mutant Mudds to death already, the new ghost levels offer up enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile, and newcomers should not miss this chance to introduce themselves to a modern classic.

New Leaf could have stood to use a few actual new mechanics, as the mayoral system is not as deep as it sounds on paper, but the Animal Crossing experience is faithfully preserved. Playing with local friends and streetpassing together and comparing towns will help increase your enjoyment tenfold, but if you’re flying solo this time around, New Leaf is probably best for hardcore fans and newcomers — not for most gamers who are in-between.

Sanctum 2 puts a bit too much emphasis on the FPS aspect of the game.

It offers up a decent amount of missed opportunities, but still manages to capture some of the magic that Resident Evil was known for. If you’ve been waiting for a game in the franchise to return to its horror roots, this isn’t quite it, but it should leave you somewhat satisfied.

Soul Sacrifice could have stood to have a bit more direction, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best games on the Vita right now. Inafune had a great idea, ran with it, and backed it up with a solid combat system to boot.

Blood Dragon came out of nowhere and blew me away. As a child of the 80s and 90s, it was a wonderful blast through the past that I couldn’t stop playing. My only major complaint is the brevity of the package, but if you’re the kind of person who always goes for 100% completion, there’s more than enough game here for you to enjoy.

To date, there aren’t a whole lot of games like Monaco. There’s action oriented isometrics like Trap Gunner and strategy heavy games like Frozen Synapse, but Monaco succeeds in blending the two playstyles together effortlessly. Even if you aren’t the type who plays nice with others, Monaco offers more than enough content to help you channel your inner thief.

Pandora’s Tower may not be remembered as fondly as other games in the Wii’s lineup, and it feels a bit dated right out of the gate, but I couldn’t think of a better third party sendoff for the Wii.

Despite the two-part approach, Knife of Dunwall is DLC done right. It takes the core fundamentals from the original game without sacrificing the integrity of it and provides its own spin on the formula. Honestly, at this point I wish Daud was the main character of Dishonored to begin with. If you even slightly enjoyed Dishonored, this is a no-brainer.

As a solid mix of combat, exploration, and heart, it’s a shining example for Metroidvanias everywhere.