The cases are fun and challenging, the presentation quirky and likable, and the gameplay is as sharp as a tack. If you have any objection to buying this game, consider yourself overruled. It's just too good to pass up. [JPN Import]

This is still the definitive version of Max & the Magic Marker, and it's a smart purchase regardless of whether you played the game on Wii or PC.

Nevertheless, if you're a fan of puzzle games and want to treat your DSi (and yourself) to something fun for both quick and lengthy sessions, Dr. Mario Express is worth the prescription.

Rakoo's Adventure doesn't reinvent the endless runner, but it takes its unique theme and rolls with it, offering up some very entertaining gameplay and an abundance of unlockable goodies.. If you're a fan of the genre, or looking for something for younger players to enjoy, you're likely to fall in love with it.

An amazing technical achievement on the PSP, and is leaps and bounds better then last years Blazin' Trails. However you can't help but feel like you're playing a ho-hum console game that will leave you wanting more of almost everything.

It's a great game to be sure. Extremely playable and thankfully portable, it can have you going for hours on end. But seriously, I wouldn't mind if they tried to break out of the JRPG mold a little more.

The deep single player component, in-game shop and multiplayer will keep you putting for weeks, and with the possibility of downloadable content, perhaps even longer. Not the most casual golf title on the market, but all things considered, definitely one of the best you'll find on a handheld.

Ridge Racer Slipstream is flat in a few areas, particularly with the strenuous earning system and the lack of online multiplayer. However, if you're a fan of the series or looking for an ideal racer for the holidays, this one will rev your engine.

Exploring new gameplay elements the developers have breathed life into a series that could have been lost forever. The quirks that the game suffers from are more like hiccups in the attempt to create a classic title using an entirely new gameplay mechanic, the stylus.

We had a blast playing Need For Speed Hot Pursuit on consoles, and surprisingly, the Apple iOS version holds its own, with sharp graphics, high speed thrills and lots of in-game achievements. On the downside, you can only play as the police, but this is still a fun and very affordable App that we highly recommend.

It's tough to find serious fault with Paper Monsters. It's a well-crafted and enjoyable platformer that's worth $0.99. If we had to put a finger on one thing that bugs us, it's that Crescent Moon Games didn't go above and beyond what we've seen before, but that's a small issue in comparison to the much bigger picture. Quality title and well worth your time.

Despite its flaws, Mutant Storm is still an easy enough recommendation for twin-stick junkies.

For its attention to detail, nostalgia and unashamedly daft story, Metal Gun delivers. It's a shame that it's let down in the final analysis by a rather frustrating joystick, but we still had fun with it.

Speed and control niggles aside, it's an incredibly imaginative title that might lean on an old staple of gaming for its core gameplay, but also freshens the experience up enough to make a corner of that genre its own.

The game has longevity to burn, especially for Mega Man veterans.

A fairly basic but still entertaining adventure that provides a wonderful glimpse at the future of smartphone and tablet games.

The shooting and sports action should be more than suitable to your needs, and with the label Konami Classics Series established before Arcade Hits, that can only mean that the company's just getting started.

Not only is it packed with just enough content to warrant a look, but for beginners it's a great starting point...well...as great a starting point as any of the Pokemon games.

Wipeout isn't perfect, but it still delivers enjoyable platforming that'll only get better with the inclusion of future updates. For now, it's still worth $1.99.

Outside of the movie tie-in, it's essentially Hotel Dash with a different skin. Of course, if you're excited for the film and/or thoroughly enjoy time-management games, Hotel Transylvania Dash makes for a smart download, whether you go with the free trial or $2.99 Deluxe version.

Gizmonauts doesn't reinvent this particular genre wheel of gaming. It unashamedly offers up something you're likely already familiar with, but it does so in a package that's surprisingly refreshing, charming and loveable.

While we would have liked to hear (and feel) more from the audio, the combination of soothing yet tense gameplay and the gorgeous landscapes that gently ebb and breathe, makes On the Wind a very easy recommendation to make.

When you boil it right down, Reloaded is just a great compilation, plain and simple.

With a chippy monkey lobbing projectiles down upon you, the idea is to exact heated revenge by commanding your 'mobot' to place these blocks in a fire to heat up the pipes that he's standing below. Once you've thrown enough in there, a blast of steam shoots down at the snarling simian and, if he's standing in range, he'll recoil in pain and you'll gain a points bonus. Hells yeah.

Aside from the strict multiplayer set-up and smaller issues, Puzzle Quest Galactrix is a top-notch sequel. If you need a solid portable puzzler or just want a little something different, head to Galactrix's final frontier.

SquareEnix did its hardest to push the Nintendo DS on a technical level, and this crude approximation of Level 5's graphical work with Dragon Quest VIII can at least be admired on that level.

We're stilling waiting for someone to deliver the next true Battleheart, and do so without a freemium structure underpinning everything, but until that time comes Heroes of Destiny makes for a great stop-gap.

For the introductory price of $2.99, Guerrilla Bob can't be beat. It's a fun traditional action game along the lines of Smash TV and Minigore, and what it lacks in a strong Campaign Mode, it makes up for with the awesome Survival Mode and Crystal connectivity.

Our only complaint involves a noticeable lack of imagination when it comes to stage design, where each level begins to look the same, with similar enemies and hazards. If anything, cybertime played things too safe instead of letting its creative juices flow.

This is the same Shantae: Risky's Revenge we know and love, but on much better screens. If you beat this game months ago, there's little reason to download it again. If, on the other hand, this is your first time playing, then by all means. It's $2.99 well spent.

All things considered, Amateur Surgeon 3 is a very worthy addition to the series, and will delight fans of the earlier games. If you're new to this maverick surgical action, you may find the humor just a little too dark, and the action a little on the squeamish side, but if you like your gaming to have an off-beat flavor then you owe it to yourself to get stuck into this frantically meaty gameplay.

From the wealth of stickers to the challenging levels and creatures, it's one of the 3DS' more enjoyable RPGs, with adorable characters, catchy music and subtle yet effective 3D graphics. Our advice? "Stick" with it.

Yes, some things work better than others, but you'll learn to deal with the game's quirks in exchange for that old Disney magic, though if you're a big Kingdom Hearts fanatic, Square Enix already had your support.

Legendary Starfy is a terrific debut, despite the overly cute presentation. You'd do well to wish upon this star.

So is Unstoppable Fist worth a purchase? Yes, especially if you're a fan of those brawlers from back in the day. The game's enemies are a bit cheap (we would nix two-hit baddies altogether), but you'll make serious headway on Easy and Medium. On top of that, the outstanding presentation (the soundtrack is free, by the way) makes spending that $0.99 a smart decision.

For the most part, though, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a welcome throwback.

both challenging and casual friendly. Hardcore gamers will obsess over high scores, while the average Joe can play at his or her own pace, effortlessly merging droplets by sliding a thumb around the screen. Fun stuff.

Online play via infrastructure also feels a little broken, with some frustrating lags and glitches also coming into play during a game.

As it stands, TrackMania DS is a suitable and fun racing game. We would like to see more with a sequel, including longer tracks, a friendlier track editor and online options, but for now, it's still worth a few laps.

The concept is OK, and the retro graphics have a cool 8-bit vibe. We just cannot muster enough excitement to care. Poor collision detection means enemies reach your character even though it seemed like you executed a high enough jump to vault over them. Meanwhile, the randomness of the weapons simply makes the game tougher than it should be. No one in his or her right mind should want to go from a flamethrower to landmines. Factor in just three stages, and Super Crate Box is a big letdown.

A surprising good time, designed elegantly in every category and feeling like a refreshing change of pace from the other failures in the Star Wars release line. The force is strong with this one, even if it's made of Lego blocks.

We keep coming back for more, largely because the developers did an excellent job making it seem easier than it is, like doing a keg stand or tying a cherry stem with one's tongue. What? Not everyone can do that? Nonsense. Well, in this case, we spend upwards of 30 minutes failing to break 200 meters.

All of these components have been combined to produce a game that exudes fun.

Bullet Time is almost useless due to awkward controls.

It's just a good, entertaining puzzle game that manages to somewhat stand out from its predecessors, and it's worth buying if you love the franchise or need a fun videogame to keep you busy.

Still, we can't fully recommend a basketball game if the main function of the game is this broken. If you can't shoot worth a damn or defend worth a damn, then, really, what's the point if the AI is just going to run right over you?

It takes quite a while to unlock the best weapons, and having to go back to the same old spot to slaughter ten more wolves gets old fast.

It all comes down to finding the game mode that's right for you and then immersing yourself in what is one of the App Store's weirdest but still enjoyable Apps.

The biggest issue, though, is the game's length. You'll blow through the first chapter in 45 minutes or less, and the second (accessed via in-app purchase for $0.99) is equally short...On the positive side, it's time well spent, and with more chapters presumably on the way, Emissary of War has even more potential. Worth a buck? Absolutely.

Personally, we think it's a good management sim that's worth pouring at least $6 into. That'll give you a solid foundation with a fast track to scoring resources at a fairly consistent clip; it also helps if you're a Jurassic Park and/or dinosaur fan. However, if the mere thought of in-app purchases makes you cringe, this simply isn't the game for you.

Topia World Builder is as fine a toy as any videogame out there, and is just as deep as your imagination is prepared to travel. If you need at least some direction in your gaming, you may be frustrated before you uncover its wonders, but for those who are prepared to dig a little deeper the game has plentiful treasure to be unearthed.

It's not likely to worry the likes of Final Fantasy any time soon, but Pocket Titans provides a pretty fun RPG experience that's definitely worth the one dollar asking price.

The absence of online multiplayer knocks Ridge Racer 3D down a peg, a ton of recycled content overshadows the new stuff and occasionally, the action slows down when too much happens on screen. Those nitpicky complaints aside, this is one of the best games the young 3DS has to offer.

With a lengthy single player mode, limited but engaging multiplayer games and attractive visuals given the hardware, World at War is among the system's best shooters and worth your cash. Enlist today.

A fully realized microscopic world full of dangerous bugs, impressive 3D effects, nice mix of ground and flying stages, bonus modes, items to unlock.

Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero is a fun DS game worth experiencing. Sure, it has a few problems, but the enjoyable gameplay will keep you busy for hours.

Even if you think the endless runner genre has nothing left to offer you, we still recommend giving Despicable Me: Minion Rush a go. It's packed full of variety and imagination, and not even the occasional frame-rate hiccup can take too much shine off this very worthy movie mobile game.

Although we'll take one of the higher-up versions just for the sake of looking at the unimaginable frame rate and getting some online multiplayer in, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is still a solid recommendation on the handheld front.

We just wish these levels were longer. EA broke them up to make the App more casual friendly, but hardcore players will breeze through much of the game with little effort.

The animation effects, while simple, are true to the nature of the game, right down to how the little gobs of mercury break up when you hit a divider or go around a wall a bit too fast.

So yes, Virtual Tennis Challenge has some issues, and it would have been nice to see actual players instead of made-up dudes, but it's still an entertaining and at times intense sports game with attractive graphics and a fairly deep tournament mode.

Sophisticated it ain't, but if you can stomach the subject matter and the gentle nudges towards the in-app purchase store, this is as fine a way to kill a ten minute wait as any other.

Unfortunately, there's only one mode, making Fruit Ninja a one-trick pony. But considering the price of the game and those advanced online features, we'll let it slide. Clearly, the best type of app is the one you can't resist playing and/or can easily play any time, and that being said, this game is worth every penny.

A highly enjoyable tactical espionage adventure that forces you to think in new and exciting ways. It's also a sweet puzzle game, a card-based strategy title that takes familiar (albeit stale) gameplay mechanics and breathes life into them.

We had a lot of fun with Catapult King: the graphics are gorgeous, it's an interesting take on the typical physics puzzlers on the App Store, and it has a very responsive control system that befits a precision puzzler such as this.

Even taking those issues into account, KingHunt represents excellent value for money. It's clearly been a huge labor of love for all those involved, and it's about as good as we've come to expect from this niche genre of mobile gaming. Perhaps a future update will bring just a little more variety in combat.

While the visuals are the weakest part of the game, it's by no means a deal breaker. NBA Street Showdown finally brings the game of basketball to the PSP, and does it with authority.

If all you want is an easily digestible single-player experience to enjoy on the go, one with surprisingly impressive graphics, consider VS. Racing 2 $0.99 well spent.

God of Light doesn't shine bright enough to break away from other established puzzle games. The game has an interesting concept, but its imprecise controls and lack of challenging puzzles hold it back from being great.

What matters though is that mobile gamers can at last enjoy a faithful and enjoyable act of service to a treasured gaming franchise, and it's one that takes advantage of all the graphical bells-and-whistles that modern hardware spoils us with.

It looks and sounds great, controls well, offers up a solid quest and good extras. It's getting the score that it is not because of its flaws, but just because it isn't better.

It's cool while it lasts. Unfortunately, the lack of mission variety makes Rocket Riot a bit tedious, while the missing multiplayer mode is a real letdown. Had it come packaged with even local MP, we would've increased the score.

We just wish it were a bit deeper. Although blood flows freely, you cannot perform finishing moves to lop off limbs. On top of that, there's no story to speak of.

If it had a lower difficulty and an easier way to acquire power-ups, Colossatron would be an instant classic alongside Halfbrick's other releases. For now, it's still a monstrously good time, and a novel way to let loose on some of that built-up holiday stress.

Aside from some suspicious analog problems, the game suffers from a horrific plague that hurt previous EA Sports releases: LOADING.

It's a thinking man's game that requires a high chain count and wily thinking in order to assure survival. Some leniency for more amateur players probably should have been granted, but that's probably something that will be saved for "EEE II."

Ideally, an endless mode would have topped off the game nicely, but for now, Rock Runners is a smart mix of old and new school design, wrapped in a joyful platforming experience iOS users will dig for weeks. Kudos to everyone involved.

It's a fun game overall. Having to restart several times on one board gets a little crazy, but there's a wonderful sense of relief and satisfaction once you complete a stage.

Now factor in the overall goal: grab a set number of stars in the fastest time possible, and Dream Track Nation becomes extremely irritating.

A refreshing change of pace from all the runners and tower defense games populating the App Store, and the neat x-ray effects look cool.

The concept doesn't evolve much, outside of unlocking different types of rocks, and tedium quickly sets in once you've seen the handful of locations, Egypt and China to name a couple. Still, it's a cool distraction and a different take on one of cinema's biggest action scenes, but is it worth $2.99? No.

You may think of it as a castrated form of Tetris Attack, like I did initially, but the infectious qualities of the game will prove something: even though it's not nearly as timeless as some of your favorite puzzlers, this little animal-themed gem still has merit.

At the end of the day, though, Outland Games is the same old runner we've played over the last few years. On the positive side, it is both polished and fun, making it a worthwhile download regardless of whether or not you played Monday Night Combat. That said, you don't need to know anything about that Xbox Live Arcade shooter to enjoy what this quality game has to offer.

Even though it's not as fast paced as other fighting games, we heartily recommend Karate Champ.

Tetris: Axis is one of the sweetest 3DS games you'll find. It lacks the fun Nintendo themed stages that made Tetris DS unforgettable, but there's so much content, we doubt players will mind; and seriously, you should already own a copy of Tetris DS anyway.

This is an extremely fast-paced fighting game that features no slowdown, highly-detailed characters and environments, and enough gameplay features to hold me over for quite some time.

How you approach Marvel Puzzle Quest depends on your expectations. It's not complete, and having to pay for stronger characters is a bummer. That said, the concept works, there's plenty of other stuff to unlock and the multiplayer will keep you entertained. Considering it's free, you have nothing to lose by downloading it.

A very solid release for the GBA and quite the stocking stuffer if all you have is the basic Nintendo handheld, but next time we get a release such as this, let's touch it up a little bit more.

Most of the fun, therefore, comes from trying to gather each bit of scrap as quickly as possible, paying close attention to a board's layout and narrowly missing dangerous electric currents while crashing through force fields.

Girl on Fire didn't blow us away. Marginal improvements don't hide the fact that it plays almost exactly like its competitors. We can say with confidence, though, that it's without question one of the best runners on the App Store, as well as a cool companion to the books and movie.

The simple downfall of Meteos: Disney Magic is that it's no longer about puzzle solving. The action is fast-paced and entertaining, but lacks the addictive quality that makes the original something still worth owning.

Even if all the initially-exhilarating combat comes to feel a little repetitive after a while, there's no denying that Epoch 2 is one of the best cover-based shooters you can get for your phone or tablet.

But one can't help but find a slight disappointment in comparison to Brain Age, as it doesn't really allow us to expand our smarts like we want it to.

A casual App with a lot of depth, depending on how serious you get into it. It's also the type of game that could entertain you for several weeks. Both user friendly and cool, we strongly recommend that you download it, especially because it's free.

The point of the matter is that Sega Rally Revo brings the series back to life without dumping what made it so damn crucial in the first place.

Be Together doesn't so much reinvent the wheel as paint it pink, slap it on a wedding car, and send it roaring off into the distance, but physics-puzzle fans will certainly find plenty to be enamored with here. It doesn't do anything particularly new for the genre, and the constant romantic giggling and burbling of the characters might drive you up the wall, but when all's said and done it's a solid enough puzzler.

Beach Buggy Racing is a lighthearted and fun racing game. It's very similar to Mario Kart, but its lack of multiplayer holds it back from being great.

A brisk, beautiful, fluid, and entertaining endless-runner.