The effervescent and copious presentation, the silly minigames, and the joy of shooting rainbows from a magic octopus to make a blissed-out cloud disappear (for example) make it worth taking Ash's giant wheel for a spin.

Syndicate manages to mesh the spirit of the old with the style of the new. It's not the return some fans would have hoped for, but it expands the franchise into new territory where business is booming.

Darksiders 2 is a series of peaks and valleys, but you spend more time at the top than you do in the pits below. More importantly, you spend even more time climbing and descending, claiming treasures and delving into the most dangerous parts of the world.

Runner 2 is absolutely worth playing, so long as you can deal with its unforgiving and occasionally frustrating nature.

Rather than decrying Level-5 for relying on a formula, I'm happy with the developer for providing me with such a consistent, and consistently enjoyable, experience.

The crux of combat holds Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance together despite its structural problems. The game's priorities are right, and cutting through cruft and seizing the core of the experience is a better result than the opposite end of the spectrum – a cluttered game that buries its heart in busywork.

You can judge Kinectimals all you want, but are you going to be the one who tells the little girl she can't have her own imaginary tiger? Thought not.

With a few smart and unobtrusive tweaks to its thorny heart, Trials Fusion nails its balance between purity and cruelty. The new tricks system doesn't betray the game's simple roots, and instead makes a perfect landing seem even less attainable at times – and more rewarding. The primal pleasures of Trials live on and into the future, leaning forward just a tad.

Rock Band may be dead and buried, but rhythm game fans jonesing for a fix should give Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd a shot. Its cheery aesthetic and anime styling may be a little off-putting for some, but its gameplay is solid and surprisingly challenging.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris's temples and puzzles are fantastic, but I found myself wishing for several more hours of gameplay.

Without the well-established relationships in Always Sometimes Monsters, the game would be a disaster. It would be an exercise in tedium and starving artists – but the writing makes it all worthwhile. Yes, even the act of making tofu burgers. In the end, love – even just the chance of it – is worth it.

Sure, it's missing the current-generation's marquee mode, but the on-court action is every bit as engaging and hospitable as it's always been, and the visuals are more impressive than ever.

Shooter 2 is not as consistent of an experience as its predecessor. Given Q's record of creating terrific "Encore" expansions for previous PixelJunk games, it's a bit disappointing that the franchise's first real sequel falls a little short. Still, I imagine it'd be a welcome addition to anyone's PSN library.

Gone Home offers its revelations in quietness and purity, and that's why you'll leave it with a spring in your step. Turning the world into a storyteller is nothing new in video games, but I think I've gotten to know it much better here, in its pajamas and inside, without all the noise.

The complexity of the GamePad makes it best suited for people who know their way around a video game, at least at first. Tying some of the fun to recognition of familiar Nintendo series helps the right initial audience self-select.

While the single-player campaign is something I can see myself returning to a couple more times in a quest for Achievements/Trophies, the multiplayer side of Crysis 2 has me utterly hooked. I came for the pretty graphics, was happy with the solid shooter underneath them and am pretty much beside myself with how unexpectedly good the online play is.

While the single-player campaign is something I can see myself returning to a couple more times in a quest for Achievements/Trophies, the multiplayer side of Crysis 2 has me utterly hooked. I came for the pretty graphics, was happy with the solid shooter underneath them and am pretty much beside myself with how unexpectedly good the online play is.

One of the two best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS (the other being Fire Emblem). It's big, it's deep, and for once, it's accessible. That's more than enough reason to go and discover what has been, to this point, one of Atlus' best kept secrets.

The combat is the best it's ever been, puzzles are short but satisfying, and Yamatai is a veritable platforming playground. For the series fanatic, there are loads of secrets to find and a new legend to digest. More importantly, it just may convince a new generation to like Tomb Raider again.

One of the best comedic diversions in Forza 5 is a trip through the Top Gear test track, this time set to a tongue-in-cheek London simulation mode. Some say that some variant of the Stig is also represented somewhere in the game ... though it's probably too nice to be his Drivatar.

A delicious blend that masks its less welcoming ingredients with the grace of Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Its innovative, genre bending mechanics, forgiving design, brisk pace, and lovely setting more than compensate for the occasional unlucky circumstance or superfluous battle.

What's remarkable about it all is that Xeodrifter crams this much into only a few hours.

Connected Franchise, with the introduction of owner mode, is a great realization of digital NFL ownership offerings seen in the past, while the new ball-carrier moves push the game forward. Of course, Madden 25 could use an update or two to iron out the Infinity Engine and blocking system's tendency to let nearly any running back plow through the defense.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter improved on its forebears, in both perceptible and imperceptible ways. I like all the other Laytons, but I like this one just a little better.

DJMax Technika Tune is in some ways mindbendingly new, but simultaneously comfortingly nostalgic. The look and feel of Pentavision's Vita music game recall my high school Dance Dance Revolution obsession pleasantly.

Despite all the insanity around the concept – and aside from all the weird "challenge mode" variants, unlockable ships, cute level descriptions, and all the other quirk – Retro/Grade is a well-designed music game with a completely original soundtrack. And that's as rare as a backwards shmup these days.

Maybe Joe Danger 2 doesn't stretch out of its comfort zone as much as it could, but its comfort zone is still a danger zone worth riding into, and easy to recommend.

The creepy atmosphere, the single-minded focus on extremely minimal actions, and the mocking self-awareness all contribute to a deft statement on games and how we play them.