Overall, Pokemon Sun and Moon take two generational steps forward, but also take one step back. Small new intricacies like battle enhancements and a refined presentation vastly improve the moment-to-moment experience of playing Pokemon. However, a sparse catalog of new Pokemon, shallow end game, and lack of launch Pokemon Bank support hold the titles back from being truly exceptional.

Overall, Pokemon Sun and Moon take two generational steps forward, but also take one step back. Small new intricacies like battle enhancements and a refined presentation vastly improve the moment-to-moment experience of playing Pokemon. However, a sparse catalog of new Pokemon, shallow end game, and lack of launch Pokemon Bank support hold the titles back from being truly exceptional.

Mario Party: Star Rush isn’t the Mario Party game we all were hoping for and a return to form for the series, but I think it’s a step in the right direction after the questionable Mario Party 10 on the Wii U. The party isn’t as hype as it needs to be, but some will be able to find a good bit of enjoyment in this title.

The original Yo-kai Watch got a pass when it came to battle depth and strategy, but Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls do not enjoy the same luxury. The battle system is not improved in any way, and as a result is both shallow and slow.

Unfortunately flying as your dragon feels like steering a double-decker bus underwater that occasionally gets pulled up by a crane. You will be unfairly killed by the game due to the terrible camera and everything (even the music) slowing down to a crawl during boss fights.

Excellent writing, impressive visuals, and great presentation save the game from the somewhat lackluster battle system and make it a solid game that will provide fun for fans of Mario games and the Paper Mario series.

The game is simple but challenging, yet it still manages to be enjoyable.

Soul Axiom for Wii U is a rough port of an interesting first-person puzzler that just doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The combination of frustrating controls, poor graphics that don’t live up to the PC version, and intentionally slow storytelling may be too much for anyone that is not a huge fan of the first person puzzle genre.

The levels were varied and the boss battles were spectacular. It is such a shame that the game does not have more meat on it, because in the current form I can only recommend Noitu Love: Devolution to the biggest arcade fans.

On one hand, SMT IV is one of the best games on the 3DS and is surely worth a playthrough by every 3DS owner. Apocalypse, however, is more or less a re-skin of the 2013 title with a new story perspective. Those that are looking to dive back into an SMT title with an expanded story and don’t mind retreading familiar ground will surely find a lot of recognizable fun in Apocalypse.

While some people may not like the older sort of play style, I think it works great in this game. Couple that with a good story, mostly solid graphics, and an excellent musical score, and Dragon Quest VII is yet another “must-own” JRPG on the Nintendo 3DS.

Tadpole Treble isn’t the most complex eShop game, but it deserves to be one of the most popular.

This game is great. If you like hand-drawn art in games like Muramasa and epic boss battles akin to Monster Hunter then this is the game for you. Overall the presentation, music, sound, and level design is just as epic as the story. The biggest issue I had involves a crash in The Crater due to the Wii U chugging on an abundance of lighting effects.

The entire experience is an homage to the classic video game that often does the right thing. While there are so many instances of greatness found throughout the 6-7 hour campaign, problems dealing with some of the core features of the genre hinder the overall experience.

Not a good game at all. When you find yourself just wanting to complete levels to see if the game ever changes and gets better, that’s a sign that something is very wrong. The core gameplay is simplistic, boring, and not the level of quality one would expect from a Metroid game. Other M may have been the most fan-derided Metroid game until now, but Federation Force will easily take the crown from here on out.

Other than that, the game is nice little package. It’s bursting with color and charm and the gameplay, while not new, is still pretty fun. While this definitely isn’t the kind of game that you’d be expecting to play on a home console, it’s still nice to have nonetheless. At only $5, Sunbreak Games’ semi-infinite runner should be a great addition to anyone looking for a fun, simple game for younger Wii U players.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed my time with BOXBOXBOY!. The is simple, yet charming.

It’s a simple, cheap, nostalgia-feeling arcade game that can be very addicting. A little more variety in the visuals and audio would have helped, but as it stands, if you are looking for a cheap and fun game, Reptilian Rebellion will give you a good bang for your buck if you enjoy high-score driven games.

As a Star Wars and LEGO fan, I found it extremely hard to dislike LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But, after playing through it in its entirety, I can’t help but feel robbed of my money.

As it stands, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a rushed and sloppy game on the Wii U.

Ultimately, Mighty No. 9 is just not worth the price. It has a satisfying set of mechanics, but that is all it has going for it.

If you happen to be a fan of word games, though, then this should be right up your alley.

At the end of the day, with a price-tag of only $2, you really won’t be losing much if you decide to try the game out of pure curiosity.

At the end of day, Kick & Fennick was a truly surprising experience.

With a price-tag of only $10, MixedBag Srl’s colorful shooter is easily one of the most original and enjoyable games out on the Wii U eShop right now.

However, those that decide to pick up the latest Shin Megami Tensei title will be pleasantly delighted by its gameplay and dungeon deisgn. With a near barren summer release schedule this year, Tokyo Mirage Session is the perfect game to sink hours and hours into.

The budget retail release of $39.99 will probably tempt some parents, but you can find better kid friendly games for the system for that price or cheaper.

Even though its presentation isn’t perfect, Toy Defense still manages to be a solid, little title. It definitely isn’t the deepest game in the 3DS’ eShop, but I found it to be a good title for passing time.