There's corny dialogue, and you'll probably get stuck several times, but Waking Mars' positives far outweigh its negatives, making it a cool space exploration game to have on the go.

Smart, mysterious and layered beneath a very welcome dose of otherworldly eeriness, The Silent Age will delight any adventure gamer who feels that the genre's revival, welcome though it is, is just a little too light-hearted in the 21st century.

Hands-down the best introduction to Picross puzzle solving you can get on the App Store right now, and even old hands should find something to entertain them. A superb puzzle game by anyone's standards.

While not a direct Metroid knockoff, this challenging and physics based App bears a striking resemblance to Nintendo's classic sci-fi adventures. Both gorgeous and incredibly thrilling, it's without question one of the App Store's best.

If you've tired of physics puzzlers and fancy a platforming experience with just a little more bite, then One Tap Hero deserves to go straight to the top of your download list. It's precision platforming at its best, with enough charm and ingenuity to win over even the most jaded mobile gamer.

We just wish the multiplayer stages had a bit more pizazz. There's a cool Super Smash Bros. type feel to the action, but it's slightly offset by lackluster temples and mountains.

Loco Roco is an amazing game, quite possibly the most charming game I've ever played. It's the kind of game that will automatically make you happy while you play it. As a handheld title its ideal. Its only real drawback is that for many of us it might be over a little too soon.

As we mentioned, cramming the Wii title onto the portable didn't happen without consequences. The game looks noticeably muddier on the 3DS screen, and occasional slowdown often appears at the worst moments. To be fair, though, neither of these complaints ruin the experience, and Nintendo fans would be wise to pick up Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D even if they own the console edition, as it's equally fun to play on the go.

If you missed out on the game the first time around, or simply came to gaming later on in life, this is both an excellent and depressing example of how far games could and should have evolved by 2012.

Throw in evil minions, boss fights and plenty of colorful eye candy, and Bucketz is one of the more intriguing games for smartphones and tablets, a smartly designed and cool puzzle experience that packs a solid challenge while offering up hijinks along the way. An essential pickup, indeed.

Mr. Particle Man is an interesting riff on classic arcade titles, with plenty of challenge and difficulty. You may not always like where the challenge comes from, but it's there just the same, and if you can surmount it you'll find plenty to like about the game.

N.O.V.A. 3 does exactly what's required of it: more of the same, but better and bigger than ever before. The refined multiplayer offering might still have some kinks in it, but it has potential to provide some extraordinary longevity.

This game hit me with the authority of a mack truck. I did not expect it to be this captivating.

A fantastic sequel. If it had online play and cleared up its long loading issues, it'd be a sure-fire five-star winner. As is, though, it'll have to do just being a great sequel and fun for all ages.

A very good sequel to a pretty slick original, in other words.

The FPS component of the game may not be thrilling in the early stages of the game, but the scope for experimentation in defenses make this a very compelling purchase from the very start.

Factor in addictive chiptunes music and those aforementioned graphics, and ZiGGURAT will quickly become a guilty pleasure, one that is well worth your time and dollar.

Concerns about difficulty spikes aside, this is an action strategy title that packs in a depth of tactical gameplay that you wouldn't expect from the first ten or so levels. Please do persist with it though, as hardened strategy fans will find a meaty action game beneath the shallow surface.

It's been awhile since we've had a Nintendo DS game come along and totally kick our ass, but Bangai-O Spirits does it in a very good way.

Put very simply, Inferno+ is everything we want from a twin-stick shooter: gorgeous visuals, a thumping soundtrack, varied gameplay and an intriguing twist on the genre. Even by Radiangames' high standards, this is a fantastic game.

Certainly a real gem for puzzle fanatics, and anyone looking for something really new and really unique for their PSP has gotten themselves a real head turner.

If you can get past the game's "buy as you go" set-up and increasing difficulty, you'll find tons of value in Cogs. The presentation is top-notch and the gameplay will grind your gears, and we mean that in a good way.

Really, though, it's all about getting together with a few friends and beating the living tar out of each other. Up to four players can take part in a fight, selecting from 26 characters throughout the game.

The excellent fusion of music and traditional block falling play continues to impress, reinvigorating the series and leaving the door wide open for even cooler sequels down the line. Pick this up immediately, and grab a pair of headphones while you're at it.

Bad Hotel is, in short, the stuff of wonderful nightmares: an eerie soundtrack, a menacing palette and an all-pervading sense of inescapable doom. Yet it's also one of the most original and atmospheric tower-defense games we've played all year.

Clubhouse Games is an example of substance over style, and I love it. While the games won't win any awards for graphic achievement or soundtrack, they're still quite fun to play.

Slick graphics and action packed levels.

The game is solid if you haven't played the first, but the loose steering causes too many deaths.