Witch & Hero is a bad game, and in some senses reminds us of the worst of DSiWare's legacy. Even if a title tries to sell over-simplicity and crudity by adopting an 8-bit aesthetic, that doesn't excuse lazy, unimaginative design and execution. This lacks strategy and skill, and is as mindless as they come; playing Witch & Hero feels like a chore, and it would be served better as a free PC flash game than a paid-for 3DS eShop release.

Overall, 50 Classic Games 3D is a half-baked product. Everything from its presentation to the depth of the games on offer is just so utterly basic.

Toki Tori 2 takes the Two Tribes mascot in a bold, ambitious new direction, and represents a unique offering on the Wii U eShop. At its best it's a visually appealing, intuitive experience that truly teaches you to use powers of deduction and to think creatively.

Gates to Infinity is a fun, charming roguelike with beautiful presentation, accessible mechanics, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that can only come from playing as Pokémon.

Anyone looking for a survival horror experience on their Wii U will definitely want to set their sights on the infinitely superior ZombiU instead.

This is an application for learning, and while it may not offer much lasting appeal, most parents should easily see the value in a purchase.

Naruto: Powerful Shippuden does one thing exactly right, and that's the humour. The actual gameplay gets a bit too repetitive too quickly, but a fun storyline and a personal goals feature do their best to keep things interesting.

Though it may not be broken, Forgotten Legions is an unattractive and downright boring game.

HarmoKnight manages to combine attractive cartoon-like visuals with engaging, rhythm-based gameplay to create an experience which can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with genre classics like Vib Ribbon, Gitaroo Man and PaRappa the Rappa.

Delivers on every level. It's fast, fun, and absolutely beautiful, with an open-world design that creates a real feeling of freedom to go with the sense of speed. There's a staggering amount of content, with races to run, cars to find and mods to unlock, and the unique online multiplayer adds heaps of replay value.

Unfortunately Neopica has not revolutionised the pet simulation genre with its latest offering. The whole experience is both repetitive and mundane, even for the most ardent of pet simulation enthusiasts.

It's one of the best games yet for 3DS, and evidence that 2013 is very much the "Year of Luigi".

Goony borrows level layout ideas from Q*bert and combines them with the addictive nature of endless runners, resulting in a somewhat unique entry in the genre. The inclusion of block editing, screenshot and QR code functions is welcome, while the multiplayer mode is a great way to pass a few minutes.

It's an accomplished effort, though, and a must for fans of the franchise that can't access the new home console version, or those that simply want to always be able to slay an almighty monster when on the move.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the perfect name choice, as this takes the already exceptional Wii title and adds a daunting amount of new content and a HD sheen. It's also not a game for everyone, and those that go in with eyes closed may be in for a nasty surprise at the level of commitment and skill required.

There are technical cracks in its brickwork, but in combining the familiar constructs of the LEGO video games with an original story, huge amounts of humour and a ridiculous number of things to collect or discover, LEGO City Undercover proves that LEGO titles can be blockbusters without a big licence.

It does a great job of adapting Spider-Man's fluidity and agility to a simple control scheme begging for open areas, but then sticks him in dull, enclosed buildings and sewers for most of the campaign.

Nano Assault EX basically offers up exactly what you'd expect from an eShop upgrade release — better controls, more options, and a brand new mode.

Easter Eggztravaganza is a weak attempt at cashing in on the Easter holiday. The gameplay is uninspired, the aesthetic quality is low, and the entire game can be played through in just around an hour. While some of the younger players out there might be entertained by this on for a short while, the truth is that it’s less exciting than checking out your grandmother’s Fabergé egg collection.

ATV Wild Ride 3D had a lot of potential, but it turned out to be a buggy little curio instead.

It starts with a steep learning curve, the interface can be creaky, and it's not the prettiest attraction around; but there's still plenty of creative fun to be found in this capable coaster creator.

Although the 2D perspective and Metroidvania-style features call to mind past classics, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate shouldn’t be directly compared to previous games in Konami’s long-running vampire-hunting series, because it tries to do things a little differently.

Jeopardy! for Wii U is a faithful adaptation of the incredibly popular TV quiz show, but that’s about as far as it goes. There's nothing too new or exciting is present to entice strangers to the game, but it is still a thoroughly enjoyable and family-friendly game. While this may not appeal to all gamers out there, anyone who is a fan of the show and wants to try their hand at answering a few questions themselves will definitely get a kick out of this version.

Retro City Rampage is a unique offering on WiiWare, with an utterly chaotic sense of gameplay and storytelling that's as baffling as it is often brilliant.

Both love letter to the purist gameplay ideals of yesteryear and free-spirited embrace into what the future may yet hold, RUNNER2 is the rare breed that wants to grab you by the hand and lead you on an earnest, cheerful adventure.

Wheel of Fortune is a flawed but basically solid family version of the long-running game show.

Don't let the small number of levels put you off: Splash or Crash is not a game to be played through once and put aside. It's an addictive, well-presented game that's all about honing your abilities with each of the unique objects to score the best times possible. Though we wish its leaderboards extended online as well, Splash or Crash comes well recommended.

Real Heroes Firefighter 3D suffers from below-par visuals and a game engine that feels nothing short of cheap. It isn't a patch on the Wii version - which wasn't outstanding to begin with - and any fun that the game provides disappears quickly in a puff of smoke thanks to annoyance after annoyance. With so many other titles out there, it really can't be recommended.

A real sense of exploration and wonder, deeply customisable characters, engaging combat and the sublime satisfaction that comes from proceeding through an adventure using your own, handmade maps — Etrian Odyssey IV wraps all these up in a beautiful, pastel package that dungeon crawling fans will absolutely love.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on 3DS tries to emulate the terrific offering on Wii U, with what seems like a disregard of its platform.

Viking Invasion 2 is a capable tower defense game that doesn’t do much to improve on an unbroken formula; with an intense difficulty curve and emphasis on replayability, you’re sure to get plenty of hours out of this purchase. While it may not have enough to draw strangers to the genre in, fans of games like this will definitely find something to enjoy here.

Ben 10: Omniverse falls into a lot of the same traps that lesser games in this genre do — lots of repetitive button-mashing gameplay, uninspired level design and clunky controls.

A lighthearted dungeon crawler with an original hook, Picdun 2: Witch's Curse is as intuitive an introduction as you could hope for to the genre.

The 3DS version of Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game manages the admittedly impressive feat of being even worse than its brainless console sibling. Essentially the same game made uglier, more cumbersome and laggy, there's absolutely nothing defensible about this one. If you absolutely must own a copy of this game, the Wii U version is the way to go. Don't put your 3DS through the shame of running this garbage.

Moke Moke is a great example of DSiWare done right. It's simple, fun to play, looks and sounds great, and costs about the same as a cup of coffee. The intentionally floaty control will turn some people off - and anyone who finds Balloon Fight clunky should steer well clear - but if that's not an issue for you, Moke Moke is a blast. It's especially worth checking out if you've got a few furry friends to battle it out with, but the gameplay variety and extensive customization options give solitary players more than enough reason to Whack-a-Moke.

Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game is simply not very good. The action becomes repetitive almost immediately and it only gets worse from there, with collectibles almost impossible to see against the environment, glitches preventing important things from spawning, and a complete and total lack of challenge. Done right, a mindless button-masher can be a lot of fun; this game seems to exist only to remind us how easy it is to do them wrong.

Ah! Heaven isn’t a bad game, but its simplicity tends to hinder the overall quality. It’s very short, easy – save for a few dicey jumps – and holds little replay value. If it were a longer game or if there was a bit more variety in the provided gameplay, then this one would definitely be worth playing. As it is though, it’s difficult to recommend a game that is this far from heavenly.

After thirty years of fame, the Fist of the North Star series deserves a much better celebration of its history than this sorry piece of software. Hardcore fans of the series may find that their love of the source material helps paper over the gaping cracks — the same goes for dedicated followers of the Dynasty Warriors lineage — but if you don’t fall into either of those two camps then you should leave this well alone, and simply track down a copy of the 1986 anime movie instead. It will provide more enjoyment during its 110 minute running time than Ken’s Rage 2 can muster during several days of gameplay.

Wreck-It Ralph could have been so much more. Disney clearly spent a lot of time injecting the film’s world with strong gaming influences and tons of variety, and it’s baffling that the developers didn't build upon this. Instead, it feels like nothing more a half-hearted attempt to cash-in. It looks and feels like a retro game in some ways, but it’s simply far too shallow and devoid of fun to draw you in. As a result, you should probably save your quarters for a more worthwhile effort on 3DS.

For players of a certain persuasion there's plenty of love to go around for EnjoyUp's latest: costing about the same as a few plays at your local arcade, 99Moves offers a rock-hard retro challenge. But just the same as the coin-munchers of yore, one person's challenge is another's cheap trick. 99Moves doesn't do a great job at differentiating the two.

Brain Age: Concentration Training takes Nintendo's cerebellum-enhancing series onto the 3DS in style. It boasts a wealth of content, smart presentation, and loads more charm than you'd expect from a brain-training game.

Transformers Prime is aimed squarely at the younger/casual Transformers crowd and anyone that falls under that umbrella will likely get a kick out of making Optimus punch Megatron in his stupid face, although the further you stray outside of that demographic the less there is here for you. The game largely accomplishes what it sets out to do and pulls off some generally impressive presentation, but with its sights set on rudimentary mechanics it struggles to satisfy beyond being a semi-adequate tie-in to the show.

Bloody Vampire is a bit rough around the edges, and it's far from original, but it combines its sleeve-borne influences into a stylised package that's a lot of fun. Fans of Metroidvania-style games looking for an eShop fix will get well more than their $5 worth of fun here, and newcomers up for designated save spots and the absence of a map should definitely look into spending a vampire weekend with Latis.

Though it's good to see a fighter that anybody can play, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth takes simplification just a few steps too far. The core gameplay is fun in short sessions, and there's a decent amount of content and care taken, but after a while the battles become overly-similar and begin to grate. With more variety this could have been a super power, but in its present form the concept lacks a certain punch.

Witch's Cat isn't a particularly innovative game, and it suffers from maddening difficulty spikes, but it's still a lot of fun, with a good selection of levels, plenty of replay value, and addicting gameplay that invites "one more try" many times over.

If Zen Pinball 2 is the beginning of a new distribution model on the Wii U eShop, of free apps accompanied by paid DLC, then it's an extremely rough start. The infrastructure is clunky and, to be blunt, unacceptable, which could be enough to put off some that decide it's too confusing or clumsy to be worth the effort.

Picross e2 is yet another fun Picross game, but for the most part it simply feels like an expansion pack for the previous title. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, especially when the core gameplay is so entertaining.

Fire Emblem: Awakening's masterful tightrope walk between luring in curious onlookers and appealing to the hardest of cores is a sight to behold.

Suffice it to say, if you're a Madden NFL fan and you own a Wii U, this is definitely a title you're going to want to at least consider adding to your game library.

As clunky and poorly considered as its title, Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade is awful. Relying entirely on the shallow and repetitive waggle that should have died along with Wii, there's absolutely no reason to recommend this obnoxious, screaming, clattering monstrosity at all.

Ikachan is not a bad game, but there's very little to recommend it apart from its pedigree and connection to Cave Story. There's not much to explore, no real challenge, and no reason whatsoever to come back. It introduces concepts that depart almost immediately, and does not provide optional objectives, and its lone boss fight is criminally easy. It may be worth taking a dip, but don't expect much depth.

Ultimately, The Cave represents a flawed attempt at a brilliant concept. The backtracking and item juggling can make the game's more esoteric puzzle solutions a chore to figure out, but the foreboding atmosphere, layered backstories and branching paths are all solid marks in its favour. The visuals and soundtrack are also great, as is the writing - but presentation isn't everything, and we wish it was actually more fun to play.

Rapala Pro Bass Fishing seems to wish to coast on its attention to detail, but the stiff, unresponsive gameplay, annoying intrusions, terribly long loading times and seemingly broken controls make it all but impossible to appreciate the smaller things.

Riding Stables 3D definitely has the best of intentions - the StreetPass features, the passively unfolding storyline, and the variety of mini-games - but ultimately it's just not that impressive. The graphics are underwhelming, the sound is aimless and dull, and the frequent load times break any connection you might have otherwise had to your horse. As it stands it feels like the foundation of a much better game, but unfortunately this is the one we got.

If you've already played Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D to its fullest extent and you're craving more on-rails hunting action, then Wild Adventures is the game for you. If instead you're a new player to the genre, then the former is definitely the right place to start.

Despite its problems, Tokyo Crash Mobs remains an entertaining and enjoyable romp, and there's more than enough of the classic Puzz Loop brilliance to make it a worthwhile download, especially if you're already a card-carrying fan of Mitchell Corporation's work. It's just a shame that it doesn't improve dramatically on the existing entries in the series, because this is one franchise that deserves to have a genuine renaissance.

As a tie-in game for a line of hunting gear, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 is surprisingly capable. It's by no means a flawless experience, and we find it hard to recommend it very strongly, but anyone who does decide to give it a shot - so to speak - may find themselves pleasantly surprised.

It successfully recreates the experience of casting and reeling, but doesn't do much to hook players beyond that.

Galaxy Saver might not set the world on fire, but it's an interesting twist on the genre. And at only 200 Nintendo Points it's difficult to not recommend that shooter fans at least take a chance on a game that will offer a few hours of shooting fun, with some unique arcade twists that fans perhaps haven't seen. It's easy to wish for more, but from an inexpensive DSiWare title that is quite fun to play, it's difficult to be too critical.

101 DinoPets 3D isn't egregiously bad - one game-breaking glitch aside - but the experience it provides ranges from dull to muddled.

This isn't how a game port to a more powerful system should be, and if you absolutely have to sample Mickey's latest adventure we suggest looking to your old system or the Wii Menu.

Despite the rare occurrence of frame rate drops, and the stunted online play, Mass Effect 3: Special Edition is a love letter to video game and science fiction enthusiasts everywhere, as it does all it can to please the fans and engage newcomers to its immense and beautiful universe.

Fans of the genre will love Unchained Blades; for the uninitiated, it's a great introduction that has more than enough charm to keep rookies crawling through Titan after Titan.

If you're a fan of the show this game is an absolute must-buy and not to be missed. However, if you're a newcomer to the series you may want to steer clear of these lumps, or else you're in for a confusing, but absolutely algebraic, ride.

Just Dance 4 still has the right moves, but soon might be a good time to learn a few new ones.

Skylanders Giants is a great adventure game for its target audience and the perfect excuse for the rest of us to collect the toys. It's hard to shake the feeling of déjà vu though, with Skylanders Giants looking, feeling and playing almost identical to the original. It's also a shame that the obvious potential of it RPG mechanics haven't been realised yet.

As far as lazy rehashes go, this one is at the absolute top of the list.

There's very little to say about Air Battle Hockey 3D. The visual presentation is pretty bland, though the 3D effect is certainly well-done. The controls are intuitive and reliable, while the core gameplay is fairly dull. Those with two copies of the game will at least find some enjoyment in the head-to-head battles, but anyone who intends to fly solo might want to let this one soar past.

If you can't find anything better to spend your money on at this point in the eShop's life, somebody should probably take your wallet away.

It's still one of the more original gaming experiences out there for those willing to try something a little different.

The gameplay may be familiar, but the effort that was put into making this one stand out from the rest ensures that there's something to be found for both casual and hardcore gamers.

Jump Trials Extreme represents a marked improvement over its predecessor in nearly every way. It controls better, looks and sounds better, and introduces a welcome Time Attack mode and much-needed quick restart option.

Taken on its own merits, Goooooal is a decent digital approximation of a specific tabletop toy.

For better or for worse, 3D Game Collection won't surprise anyone, and it's even less likely to excite, but players looking for a predictable, on-the-go fix of classic board game archetypes should have some fun with this collection.

Boasting classic twin-stick shooter gameplay with a variety of different power ups and multiplayer modes, this is definitely a worthy addition to any gamer's library, even if the difficulty curve might drive you a bit batty.

Sometimes licensed games made for younger players can surprise us, and exceed our expectations. Sadly, this is not one of those times.

Cake Ninja XMAS is refreshingly unpretentious - it's almost as if the developers are aware of how bad it is - but that's about the only positive thing you can say about it.

Identical gameplay and setup to its predecessors makes Anonymous Notes Chapter 3 a well-known quantity at this point, so whether it's worth diving into is dependent on how much you cared about the other two episodes. Nothing here will convert a nay-sayer, but if you want to get your dungeon crawling on the cheap then Chapter 3 is an adequate way to do so.

Cinemax keeps up its streak of high-quality, accessible music tools with Rytmik World Music, and anyone with a passing interest in music creation will find the suite a joy to tinker with. While the sample count is the smallest it's ever been and the interface has lost some of the character of prior releases, there's still a lot of creativity to unleash and fun to be had with what's on offer.

Make no mistake: escapeVektor is a great game. It's not without its flaws, but they're extremely minor when compared against everything the game gets exactly right.

Fans of Mickey will get some enjoyment from the better stages and adore the presentation, while others may bemoan the fairly regular blips of confusing design and messy execution.

Castle Conqueror - Heroes 2 is a welcome return to all of the things that made the first Heroes so interesting. It feels like a slight step backward - due mainly to a weaker soundtrack, a less interesting graphical style and AI that's a little too intelligent - but it's still a more than solid buy for those who enjoyed the first game.

While Zombie Skape functions and does what it sets out to do, you'll be hard-pressed to get any lasting enjoyment out it.

The problem with Wizard Defenders is that it's executed so poorly, with harsh difficulty levels that make even the Tutorial unbeatable and sticky, temperamental controls that infuriate in the process.

While it's nice to finally have a "proper" Call of Duty game on a Nintendo console that makes convenient if simple use of the GamePad, it's a shame that Black Ops II isn't one of the series' best.

The 3DS eShop is home to some truly amazing titles, and Hydroventure: Spin Cycle is another upstanding addition to that stellar selection. It successfully builds on the foundations laid down by its WiiWare parent and delivers a physics-based puzzle experience which challenges the very best the genre has to offer.

Fans of the genre should have a good time digging through Gardenscapes - just don't expect anything too novel or exciting to pop up in this patch.

007 Legends' greatest failing is that it cherry picks moments from Bond's illustrious history but fails to capture their hearts, all the while lacking self-generated value as its own game. Die-hard Bond fans will feel underwhelmed - if not peeved - by the treatment of these films, and the lowest-common-denominator approach to gameplay is downright bland.

Murder on the Titanic is the kind of game that doesn't do anything overtly wrong, but it also fails to do anything new or exciting.

Chuck E. Cheese's Alien Defense Force is an awful game. On the bright side, it's built entirely around one of the few games from Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room that actually worked. Unfortunately there's absolutely nothing else here, and you simply play that game over and over again. Or, more likely, not, because you have better things to do with your day. Trust us.

Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion dripped with potential upon announcement, but the final result is a more smudged affair. A fun, if basic, platformer lies at its heart, yet it's coated with unbalanced difficulty and drawing mechanics that interrupt its flow regularly, while the number of worlds is very disheartening. Disney fans will get a kick out of seeing which characters turn up, but if you're expecting another Castle of Illusion, you're going to be disappointed.

It doesn't mean much due to it having no competition the past couple of years but NBA 2K13 continues the series' dominance in the basketball sim genre.

As an RPG that digs into the table-top history of the genre, Crimson Shroud is both a great deal of fun and an artistic triumph.

It's difficult to call Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition the definitive version of the game, but it does well to stand on its own merits. Frame rate issues aside, the incorporation of GamePad controls makes this feel like a natural experience, almost as though the game was originally made with Wii U in mind.

Assassin's Creed III pushes the foundations of the series forward in many new directions, and while a degree of these go sideways the title still manages to pull off one of the most impressive and immersive game worlds we've seen in some time.

Darksiders II is very, very good. In paying homage to the Zelda series - while adding its own unique flavour - the team at Vigil has crafted a game that will appeal to those looking for a grittier take on the action-RPG dungeon crawler, while helping Nintendo fans scratch that Hyrulian itch for the time being.

For players that want to add some exercise to their gaming routine, or Wii Fit junkies looking for a next generation fitness fix, Your Shape Fitness is an excellent choice. It takes a different approach from Nintendo's efforts, focusing on a huge variety of traditional exercises rather than mini-games, and does what it sets out to do very well.

Don't let the incessant trolling of its Miiverse community delude you, as Funky Barn is not an entirely bad game. It's far from pretty, but its simple gameplay is quite addictive while it lasts and it controls well.