Again, I firmly believe that those who like clever, challenging puzzle games will eat this up – this type of game has even been proven to help make people smarter – and if you’re one of those who really wants the game on their Wii U, go for it.

All in all, Fossil Fighters: Frontier surprised me. It’s not a hard game, it’s not a memorable game, but it’s very solid.

In the end, Elliot Quest is nowhere near perfect and falls short of the classics it’s inspired from. However, it would be unfair to call it a bad game. It’s more a mixed bag; you’re either going to enjoy the game, or be annoyed with it.

Adventure Bar Story is a great option for RPG fans, mostly considering you can play it on the go and play in short bursts and enjoy it.

At times, it almost feels like the game was originally designed for the Wii with all the WiiMote use in the game, especially when at times it feels very unnecessary. The local multiplayer is still solid, but even then, questionable design choices in controllers you can use hinder the experience.

If you enjoyed Trine 2: The Director’s Cut, you’re going to enjoy Trine: Enchanted Edition. It has the same kind of stunning views, incredible atmosphere, and clever puzzles.

Code Name Steam is no Fire Emblem; it lacks the character development, RPG elements, and difficulty variation. Code Name Steam is a good game though, one which can be nurtured into a masterpiece when its sequel is inevitably released.

The game can be a bit frustrating at times due to some cheaply placed obstacles, and the graphics leave a bit to be desired, but as a whole, the game is a solid purchase for 3DS owners.

It can be quite hard but easily addictive especially when you try aiming for a high score that is posted for all to see. Some of the drawbacks are repetitive, generic enemies and the use of the touch pad to jump while trying to move about is a bit awkward but if you stick with just all buttons you will be fine.

While the premise is good, some the visuals are acceptable, and the story and music don’t actively harm the experience, the gameplay is utterly poor to begin with and makes bad choice after bad choice, marring the experience beyond repair.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars insures us that this series is still just fun and addictive as ever. Its new online ‘tipping’ system is original, and gives gamers more incentive to keep building.

Keep your expectations in line, realize this is a handheld game, and you will probably have a fun time with IronFall Invasion, much like I did.

Considering that it is an enhanced-port of a mobile game, one shouldn’t expect too much, but when there’s something like EDGE out there, then the lack of overall quality cannot be excused.

Maybe Stick It To The Man is just a simple platformer with only slightly challenging puzzle elements that can be finished in a couple of hours, but thanks to its quantity and quality of humor and jokes, to me it was one of the best eShop experiences I’ve played on my Wii U.

What could have been a solid experience on the 3DS is marred by these issues, and makes it hard to recommend to anyone.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse isn’t going to be a game that is mentioned in Game of the Year conversations at the end of the year, but it is a great way to kill some time in a beautifully created world.

If you want a different kind of puzzle game, Breezeblox is a solid, though certainly not perfect, option that is at least worth looking into.

Even so, it’s a beautiful game that offers some legitimately satisfying fun. Just don’t expect that to last too long.

It’s a simple game that won’t keep people enraptured for hours, but it’s a nice, pleasant distraction, and by giving so many options to the player, allowing them to approach the game how they like, it becomes a far more compelling experience.

At the end of the day, we give Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate our highest recommendations based on our experience with it, which has been thoroughly outstanding already in the short time we’ve played it.

If you happen to want to try a picture/word video game with friends, pick it up for just two bucks as it might work in that setting, but for the most part, I must unfortunately suggest that most players pass on the title – even keeping in mind the low price point.

Yeah, there aren’t many original songs, and it can be tough to judge depth at times, but those are hardly even problems in the grand scheme of things. The gameplay is a joy, the visuals are gorgeous, polished, and charming, the music is lovely, and there’s a ton of content for a low price.

While Shiny the Firefly does recover after its agonizingly slow start, it never becomes great.

With great art, strategy and music Lucadian Chronicles will likely be a card fan-favorite. Though at times loading was a bit slow, music was repetitive, and during dialogue interactions, music or sound was absent, this game made me want more.

Color Zen does so little wrong that, unless you have something against colors, abstract art, or artistic music composition, it’s hard not to recommend this game.

While there are a few parts of the game that feel less polished than others and I was left wanting a little more content, Thomas Was Alone is a great and consistently creative and enjoyable game.

The game looks and plays well, and has enough modern influences to make it feel like it was a game that could have been on the NES, but is best suited for a modern handheld.

The game runs at a smooth 60FPS, and the sprite work and character art are all very well done. Faces are animated, movements are fluid, and everything just has a high level of detail.

My problem with the game was the controls, or specifically how the jump isn’t responsive enough.

These “joyful” feelings will disappear after 10 or 15 minutes because of problematic controls. They are stiff, not easy to master and the camera movement tends to make things even worse.

I can see what this game was going for, and maybe with some more thought the formula could be made into the deceptively simple but addictive puzzle game it clearly wanted to be. However, as it actually is, PUZZLEBOX setup is mindlessly simple and plagued by consistently aggravating flaws that should have been fixed well before the game was released.

The game has excellent music, fun and addictive game modes, and tight controls. The game however does suffer from some lag issues but there is a patch coming.

A lot of love and care went into this game, and it shows in both the excellent mechanics and audio/visual package. It has its frustrating moments, but the overall enjoyment of the game manages to outshine any of those disappointing times.

It only lasts around two hours, and it’s nothing mindblowing in gameplay, visuals, or sound. In fact, it can be rather dull in some ways. But for just two dollars, it’s most certainly a fun little distraction, and while it won’t be totally enthralling throughout, it will offer some fun levels and exciting moments.

As far as one dollar board game-esque eShop titles go, it has one of the more enjoyable concepts, but the extensive amount of boredom one has to endure while an opponent takes a turn brings down the experience considerably, and ultimately makes it not worth the purchase.

The idea of Citizens of Earth is wonderful. The game is hilarious, huge, and chalk-full of personality. It is quite the shame that there are a few design and technical issues that limit the title from realizing its true greatness.

Despite being an interesting idea, Maze falls really hard on its poor execution: a boring experience during the first half of the game, the good ideas are hardly used in comparison with the bad ones and there are many flaws in the package as well.

Midnight is a small gem that hopefully future sequels might expand upon and showcase this games unique quality in a bigger spectrum.

This sequel surpasses expectations by going bigger and better than before. The gorgeously illustrated graphics, fun boss fights, and multiple gameplay types amount to a great new installment in the (hopefully) ever-growing franchise.

The game isn’t terrible. It isn’t good. It’s just there. Fans of Ivan Stewart’s Super Off Road may like this little trip down memory lane for $5.99. but be warned: it will be a short one, and you will find yourself going back to the NES classic.

The controls are in my opinion the only aspect that troubled me more than once.