New Super Mario Bros. U plays it safe in the right areas while providing enough new things and challenge to make it worth not only playing, but coming back to for series veterans. Featuring tons of platforming fun, it plays wonderfully on both the GamePad and Wii Remote and has the best level design of any New SMB-series game to date. A notable improvement from NSMB 2, it does just the right amount of new things to seem different from past games, while still giving fans what they expect in a Super Mario Bros. title.

Guardians of Middle-Earth is a very pleasant surprise. A well-crafted title that fans of either RTSes or tower defense games will enjoy, the season pass setup ($14.99 by itself, or $29.99 with the full game via retail) ensures that new content will be coming for quite a while to this already jam-packed downloadable title. Those in the mood for a relatively easy to learn RTS-style game or with Hobbit-fever will find a lot to like here.

There's a ton of excellent shooting arcade action in Under Defeat HD, and it's absolutely worth seeing what Dreamcast importers got to play 6 years ago.

Since Aero Porter only resembles a traditional airport sim, it's hard to recommend for Aerobiz fans, but those with an affinity for fast-paced puzzlers will probably like it. It's certainly not a graphical showcase, but there's a lot of enjoyment to be had once you get past the crippling difficulty spikes. It's a lot more fun than a baggage-sorting game sounds, so If you've got the patience, give it a shot.

Chasing Aurora is a perfect example of what an eShop game should be - simple, but beautiful, while offering up an experience that can't be had anywhere else. A treat for the eyes and ears, its presentation sticks out amongst Wii U titles with ten times the budget and resources. Its $15 price tag is a steep considering the complete lack of online functionality, but anyone who loves score-based games will get their money's worth out of it.

Just Dance 4 is a hard game not to like. It's completely unpretentious and simply exists to make you have fun, hopefully starting a party in the process. The soundtrack is strong and the choreography is as good as ever. Unfortunately, without full body tracking, the game is simply not as enjoyable as it is on the Kinect. Knowing that it's only tracking the motion of the Wii Remote, and a single arm by association, lowers the motivation to perfectly nail the moves. Those used to playing the game on the Wii or who don't care about accuracy will be content, but anyone who owns a Kinect would be better off picking up the Xbox 360 version - especially considering it costs $10 less.

While it's an excellent game, it's hard to recommend Mass Effect 3 for the Wii U unless you missed out on the series before and only have the Wii U to play it on. Even with this 'special edition' including the From Ashes and Extended Cut DLC to extend the campaign, knowing that not all of it will be coming to this version hurts its overall value. It's hampered more by the upcoming ME Trilogy release coming to both the 360 and PS3 that will allow you to get all three core games (sans DLC) for the same price as this. Given that both the PS3 and 360 versions of ME 3 go for $25 tops now, it's impossible to recommend if you own either of those systems.

This is arguably the definitive version of Trine 2, offering more content and the ability to draw and aim with a touchscreen. While some of those controls can be a bit finicky when in the heat of battle, it does offer a fun and interactive way to play this brilliantly crafted game. Trine 2: Director's Cut does the Wii U's eShop a favor in creating a platformer that's both luscious and well designed and could easily go as a standalone product in some capacity. Even if you own the original, this is definitely worth checking out to see the enhancements.

The Wii U version of the title is practically the same as the other console versions, but unlike Wii U ports that originally came out months ago, it's possible that prospective buyers have still not purchased it. If that's the case, the Wii U version is as fine option as any, but those who have the game have absolutely no reason to buy it again. Still, forgetting its a port, Assassin's Creed III is the best game in the Wii U launch line-up and should be a must-buy for those yet to experience its incredible adventure.

At $29.99, the game could be a fun purchase for those primarily into multiplayer, but its current price-point and lack of significant Wii U GamePad functionality add up to a release worth skipping.

There's a giant world to explore here, loaded with details and fantastically pretty. Whether you're stealthing your way through a ramshackle outpost or climbing a radio tower on top of a mountain, it's always engaging, pulling you effortlessly from one scenario to the next and hitting all the right notes along the way.

FIFA Soccer 13 for Wii U isn't the worst version of this year's popular soccer game, but it's certainly below standards for most modern console owners.

It may be a flawed experience, but it's certainly an addictive one.

If just a few nagging flaws would have been corrected, ZombiU could have been a revelation for the floundering genre. Still, with top-notch graphics, a huge world and great exploration elements in play, it remains a must-buy for the console for those with the patience to see it through.

Still, it remains the same great game as before, so those who have yet to venture out into the great unknown as Death are guaranteed a great launch title with the Wii U version of Darksiders II.

Madden NFL 13 is the first Wii U port we've played that uses the console to make a notable impact on gameplay. Instead of simply throwing in disposable features, time was taken to ensure the GamePad was utilized to its full potential.

Even with its imperfections, Hitman: Absolution is a magnificent achievement that goes well beyond expectations and will lead future stealth action titles into a better tomorrow.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion must not be overlooked; it may be marketed towards today's youth, but it's adult gamers who grew up in the '90s that will truly appreciate it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II continues the trend of a Michael Bay action film packed into a video game format. There's spectacle, voice talent, zombies, and finally a story with a good set up and player agency to boot. It may lack significant innovation, and the missions set in the 20th century are far from compelling story pieces, but with a robust multiplayer experience and a half-decent story, Black Ops II does the series proud.

F1 Race Stars isn't the worst choice for those desperate for a kart racing fix, but it's truly a title reserved for Formula 1 fans and their offspring. While the racing is enjoyable, its lack of polish and unique features make it play second fiddle to Mario Kart.

Capcom broke out their calligraphy brush and created a masterpiece that, while shows some signs of aging, remains an awe-inspiring experience like no other.

While a property as strong as The Avengers warrants more than a Kinect game, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth rises above the movie-tie in it would have likely received instead. A great opportunity for fans to step into the shoes of their favorite heroes, it's a fun fighting title that makes great use of the Kinect with multiple characters, modes and an impressive amount of polish. Unfortunately, it's not a deep game and the limited combat options will disappoint hardcore fighting fans and hurt replay value with casual ones.

Nike+ Kinect Training is not a fun game, but then again, it was never meant to be about entertainment. It's a game that will push you to your limit and make you break down if you don't know what you're getting yourself into. It feels more realistic in routines and schedules than something like Your Shape, but lacks in presentation with an unresponsive user interface and poor objective and calorie counters.

Sleeping Dogs: Nightmare in North Point is priced accordingly as it's a short and repetitive story that doesn't play to the main game's strengths. It removes Wei Shen out of everything he accomplished and places him in nightmare scenario that's purely tedious and unrewarding. The only redeeming value is that you get to see the lovely Not Ping once more - that and the informative mythos that surrounds the game at an appropriate time.

Halo 4 isn't quite the revolution everybody has been waiting for, but it's on the right track. 343 Industries have done a superb job in replicating what fans love about the franchise while adding their own distinct style to it. With a meaty and well told single-player campaign, multiplayer that will keep gamers engaged for months, if not years on end, and a bustling community to engage with, Halo 4 is an immeasurable value that will not disappoint.

Johnny Hotshot is a good pickup if you're in the mood for a light gun game on the 3DS, and as a bonus, it has a little side-scrolling shooting in there too.

Liberation Maiden is an outstanding on-rails shooter worth its $8 price tag.

While it's enjoyable at times and boasts some charm, it's ultimately an unfulfilling puzzle platformer that tries to go outside its box with limited success.