Despite some interface woes, Petit Computer is a crazy powerful sandbox if you know what you're doing - evident in the included sample programs and incredible feats that the Japanese community has managed in the time since its overseas release - and has the potential to be a great gateway into coding.

Masyu by Nikoli does earn our recommendation, particularly to puzzle fans looking for some interesting variety in their daily diets of Sudoku and Kakuro, but the presentation and controls on offer here do mar the otherwise satisfying experience of solving it. For hardcore puzzle fans it's unquestionably worth playing, but others may be put off by the game's steep difficulty and picky touchscreen controls.

It's best in small doses, and unlocking the Detective mode sadly borders on masochistic. Hardened criminals who are up for a truly difficult heist (including cheap captures along the way) will likely get a rush out of the close-quartered action, but more mild-mannered felons should think carefully before breaking into The Phantom Thief.

Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is a reasonable attempt to inject new life into an ageing franchise. A couple of the new game types are great, and the original is still pretty decent a few decades on, but unfortunately the other modes aren't really up to par. At 1000 Nintendo Points, it leans on the expensive side for what is a rather slim package that you'll only get the most from if you have a few Frogger-loving friends to hand. Think carefully before you dive in.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is a great looking, solid game, held back by a few design choices which stop it from being as enjoyable an experience as it should be. If you are new to the series and want to know what it's all about, then try Kingdom Hearts I or II before diving into this one. However, if you are a series veteran then step this way, as there is still a lot of fun to be had if you can overlook the small gameplay problems.

It's entirely possible that one day UFO Interactive will crack the code of a genuinely interesting game, but with a sense of humor about as basic as its mechanics - which is to say incredibly so - Johnny Kung Fu still has a ways to go.

Lighting up Crayon Castle is a labour of love, and puzzle fans will find a lot to love here.

If you're after a charming and creative puzzle-platformer, or simply a fun, fresh experience on DSiWare, Ace Mathician passes with flying colours.

If you absolutely have to have a 3D Harvest Moon game, this will fill a gap. It's hardly the most expansive and engaging the series has offered in recent times, and its central concept is of the take-it-or-leave-it variety, but it still has the potential to enthral if you let it.

Family Tennis 3D is a welcome dose of Japanese-flavoured tennis action that succeeds in its goal of being a game anyone can pick up and enjoy. Casual gamers can jump right in with Easy Mode, while more experienced players will still find a challenge on the Pro difficulty level. It's a shame that you can't throw down with anyone outside the family in a multiplayer mode, but even as a solo affair, it's a whole lot of fun. If you like arcade-style tennis that doesn't take itself too seriously, you should have a great time with this one.

Beenox has done some good work with the webslinger, but to call its latest Spider-Man game "amazing" on 3DS would be a massive stretch. The story is passable, nestling deep enough that you want to see where it may go, and almost in spite of itself delivers enough moments that really capture the essence of Spider-Man, but between the repetition and glitches there may come a point where you'll have to have a good think about whether it's a game you want to see through to the end of its six-to-eight hours.

Let's Create! Pottery sets out to offer a relaxing and easily accessible experience, but unfortunately misses the mark. While the improved controls do make this a more playable experience than its DSiWare counterpart, Let's Create! Pottery is still far from being the zen-like experience that it sets out to offer. If you really enjoy spinning virtual clay then this might be the game for you, but the daunting lack of fun here is enough to make any potential potters turn away.

3, 2, 1... Words Up! is a fun, no-frills word game rounded out by a nice presentation and the inclusion of multilingual play. A good value at 200 Points, traveling wordsmiths would be wise to keep this handy for an on-the-go fix.

Theatrhythm's varying difficulties make it easy to enjoy for players of all skill levels with the RPG mechanics an extra bonus for those who desire it. It absolutely does justice to the Final Fantasy brand, presenting its characters and, most importantly, music with love and respect that makes it feel like a tribute as much as a standalone video game. There are so many songs to play, items to find and characters to level up you'll find yourself struggling to put it down.

Akari by Nikoli shines the brightest of Hamster's eShop puzzlers so far. However faint that praise may seem, watching these 50 puzzles unfold can be an illuminating experience once you wrap your mind around how they work.

Let's not mince words: Topoloco is awful. The fact that it chose to emphasize education over fun is not the problem; the problem is that it bungles even the educational side of things. It's slow, clumsy, brainless and annoying. If taking an endless series of barely interactive exams appeals to you, then perhaps you will enjoy Topoloco. Perhaps you will also enjoy finding a different hobby.

There aren't many games that have you anxious to slide aside a curtain; Project Zero 2: Wii Edition does. It's a fine example of a survival horror game despite some awkward controls and an over-reliance on cut scenes that occasionally break the moment. Even with these problems the tension remains consistently high thanks to its bleak, intriguing plot, an atmosphere that is second to none and excellent presentation.

Zen Studios has gone from strength to strength with its digital tables, and some of the ones included in Marvel Pinball 3D are quite possibly the pinnacle of their work so far. These four tables are dense enough to continually find som

Hardcore shmup fans have been waiting a long time for a solid eShop title, but while Flip the Core features some nice gameplay ideas, the need to keep flipping planes and trying to keep track of levels that keep constantly changing ends up taking too much focus off of the core shooting experience. The inexpensive $2 price tag makes the game at least worth checking out for those who just can't get enough arcade shooting action, but that comes with the caveat of keeping your expectations in check when you do.

Bomb Monkey's nothing truly explosive, but it's certainly no dud. It's a charming addition to the eShop, but with just a few tweaks it could have been much more satisfying.

Like the petri dish in which it takes place, Escape the Virus: Swarm Survival is shallow, but there's fun to be found. It's quick, hectic and has that "one more try" quality that makes for a good on-the-go game. It's let down by slightly lacklustre presentation and having no way to compare your high scores with friends, and the difficulty is artificially inflated by the small screen resolution, but for 200 Points these are quibbles. If the concept appeals to you and you enjoy beating your own records, you'll have a good time surviving this swarm.

Please know that Jewel Legends: Tree of Life is not, by any means, a poorly executed game, but it is one that has little to no ambition. The gameplay is familiar and the presentation is generic, but that doesn't mean it's no fun.

Perhaps Nikoli is too pleased with its hand-crafted puzzles to mechanise them with video game conventions, but lacking the will to really embrace its new medium ultimately will keep these puzzle packages from hitting their potential. Slitherlink by Nikoli suffers from the same indifference as previous - and likely future - releases, making it a tough sell for someone looking for more than just paper puzzles.

Lola's Fruit Shop Sudoku is without question easy to play, but how well it will hold a child's attention is another question. The rules of Sudoku are just complicated enough that this one might be a less than ideal fit for its target audience. On the plus side it looks and plays wonderfully, but unfortunately there's very little content on offer, and even the most interested children are likely to find it tedious before long.

Pokemon Conquest is a game that no one asked for, but many will enjoy - fans of either series will be drawn in by the familiar and be taught to love what's new.

As the first full-length retail title to come to be distributed through the eShop, Order Up!! could have gone either way. Fortunately though it has an excellent blend of the best of both worlds: the length of a retail game, and the addictiveness and replayability of a mobile one. Some minor issues do mar the experience a bit, but overall there's very little to complain about. It's frantic, fun, humorous and contains a massive amount of content. If this were a burger order, it'd be well done.

Save The Furries is a real mixed bag. Some levels feel focused and work very well, but others are floaty and chaotic to a degree that just isn't fun. It has its merits, but unless you're a big follower of this sort of puzzle game, you might be better off saving your Nintendo Points instead.

Unless you've played it before and can't resist the pull of nostalgia, this is one old Dog that isn't worth the adoption.

Heroes of Ruin does have a few rough edges and areas where greater refinement would have been welcome, but they don't detract from an accomplished effort on 3DS. A short campaign is offset by four separate characters to develop, and the experience feels entirely suitable for a fully-tooled handheld action RPG. It's the online structure that truly raises the bar for the platform; crawling through dungeons is a lot more fun with others to share the glory, and the inclusion of voice chat in particular is a highlight.

How much you get out of Rayman Origins ultimately comes down to whether you've played it already. 3DS isn't exactly bursting with 2D platformers, so if you haven't sampled the magic of Rayman Origins on another platform this is well worth picking up. However, it doesn't compare favourably to the other versions and makes little use of 3DS's unique abilities. A good, solid 2D platformer, it'll still entertain and amuse in spite of its flaws.

Devil Band - Rock the Underworld is a poor man's Plants vs. Zombies. It's cheaper to buy but equally cheap on the ideas front, with nothing new to contribute to the formula and a worse way of doing what makes PvZ worth playing. Tactically bankrupt and equally light on entertainment, it's definitely one to avoid.

Kakuro by Nikoli is straightforward almost to a fault, and value-neutral novelties like local multiplayer make it difficult to justify its asking price. Considering there is only one other kakuro title on the eShop - the rather excellent and more diverse Telegraph Sudoku & Kakuro - Kakuro by Nikoli is by default a decent next step for more of this type of puzzle. However, if this is your first kakuro rodeo then you're better off grabbing Telegraph's less expensive and more expansive offering.

Had 99seconds an arcade cabinet yelling for our attention, we would stroll right on up to it and put in the equivalent of 200 Nintendo Points for a quick challenge of skill. It's a title limited in scope but 99seconds does one thing and does it with competence, and that's probably all that we could reasonably ask of it before marching on to the next cabinet.

Snakenoid Deluxe is every bit as bad as Snakenoid, which is understandable, as it's practically the same game. We didn't enjoy it very much the first time, and this re-release for the sake of asking "do you like me yet?" gives us no reason to reconsider our stance. The controls are awful, the gameplay frustrating and unaddictive and the presentation is entirely forgettable. Join us again next year for our review of Snakenoid Deluxe Remastered.

Even for WiiWare veterans, Art of Balance: Touch! is worth the double-dip for the extra puzzles, blocks and endurance mode, plus the ability to play on the go. Deceptively simple and gloriously satisfying, it's another strong addition to the eShop's puzzle line up.

At its heart, Chronicles of Vampires: Awakening is a very middle-of-the-road hidden object game. Fans of the genre won't be disappointed as the puzzles are decent, and it makes for a serviceable time-waster, helped in part by its at times interesting gameplay choices and slightly above average story. It's a step up over its predecessor, then, but not a big one.

We have a hard time imagining just who the target audience is for Sudoku by Nikoli, or why anyone should choose it over competing titles lurking in the DSiWare section of the eShop. Perhaps if you've exhausted every single sudoku puzzle available on the platform then the extra 50 will come in handy then Nikoli will look attractive, but everyone else will do just fine without it.

There's no doubt that Mario Tennis Open is a strong and accessible entry in the beloved series, and a group of friends gathered round can lose themselves in it for a long time. Solo players can still have a good time perfecting their skills, and playing online is a nice way to keep things interesting, but the missing RPG mode leaves a pretty big hole that a lack of substantial single-player content struggles to really fill - and unless you're a part of a cabal of 3DS owners you'll miss out on the real heart of the game: punching your wily opponent in the arm after a hard-fought match.

Paul's Shooting Adventure 2 is a pretty safe bet for fans of the first game. There are some minor gameplay differences, but overall the main draw here is its simultaneous 2-player mode. While this does require two copies of the game, the low price can justify another purchase. It may not move the series very far forward, but it sure is having fun along the way.

Shifting World certainly contains the germ of a great idea but it execution leaves a lot to be desired. Uninspired level design, a useless map, poor responsiveness and inexplicable slowdown all come together to make Shifting World feel like an unfinished beta version released at retail. Shifting World had potential, but in its current state, you're not missing much by passing on it.

Cat Frenzy offers up two modes that feel completely different, making it suitable for those times you want to give your brain a little shake or just want to switch off before bed. Its controls aren't quite as intuitive as you would think, but they don't take too long to pick up. If cat sounds leave you growling, though, you'll want to hit that mute button pretty sharpish.

Bird Mania 3D is the most pleasant kind of surprise: simple, fun, addictive and inexpensive. Charmingly simple yet rewardingly versatile gameplay overcomes any concerns we might have had. For a fast and fun score attack game, you really can't do any better.

Amoebattle is a pretty solid gaming experience that's unfortunately let down by an almost painful soundtrack, as well as a tendency to pad out levels in a way that feels artificial. If you can get beyond those things, however, you'll find a well-controlled and intuitive experience that brings out the best of the RTS genre without over-complicating it.

Block Factory is an attempt to do something different, and it manages it competently while using some of 3DS' functionality well. However, more than anything it's a greatest hits package of some existing block-dropping games with creation options that feel limited. With more fleshed out customisation, even on a stylistic level alone, it could have been something much bigger than it is.

Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room is, simply, awful. It's a meager collection of five games that range from tedious to broken, and the in-game incentives to keep playing - tickets and challenges - just serve to underscore the dullness of the experience on offer.

While Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir has a genuinely interesting premise, it's let down early by its own technological limitations, and the disappointment is fairly consistent from there.

We Sing Pop does exactly what you'd expect from a karaoke game, fleshing out the experience with a variety of modes that make minor adjustments to the basic act of singing along to a song. It's fun for a party, with modes that allow non-competitive sing-alongs or deadly face-offs, but those playing solo may wish for a basic career mode beyond pointless achievements.

I Must Run! is a challenging but nonetheless entertaining entry into the 'runner' genre, and while its linear storyline isn't going to be for everybody due to its high demands, that's not all it has to offer. The endless mode is just as tough but leaves out the lives and set level lengths so that you can focus on beating your own distances and times alone, though lack of online leaderboard support is disappointing and undermines its potential.

Anne's Doll Studio: Tokyo Collection seems tailor-made to incur our displeasure. As an unnecessary and overpriced sequel to a game that was unnecessary and overpriced to begin with, we certainly didn't expect much of it, but by removing features from an already flawed formula it ends up disappointing even our lowest expectations. We're very much looking forward to the next release in the series, which at this rate we have to assume will consist of nothing but an unresponsive title screen.

Though lacking in any type of structured play, Colors! 3D's robust free drawing system and unique ability to let anyone create their own three-dimensional artwork more than make up for this.

This title has much to recommend it, as long as you're willing to look beyond some of its faults.

Penguin Patrol aims to provide one thing: a well made game of clever movement puzzles. At that, it absolutely succeeded. There's really nothing more to it than that, however, and the experience as a whole does feel rather slight.

A title overflowing with charm and verve, with a style that can entertain children and adults alike. It has a couple of missteps, the biggest of which is the occasional use of gyroscope controls, while simple puzzles and missing object searches don't quite match the title's overall quality.

SpeedThru is quite similar to ThruSpace with a graphical makeover, and can be cleared quite quickly and easily if you're not particularly interested in getting good scores. If you are, however, the game can last you quite a while, and for those who quite enjoyed its predecessor, the new level types are worth checking out.

The Island of Diamonds isn't going to win any new gamers, but it's a fitting conclusion to a series that tried its hardest and ended up falling just short.

While it may appear to be fairly frivolous at first glance, at its heart it is a substantial experience, well balanced to be either dauntingly complex or an RPG-lite, depending on the player's wishes.

Completely average in every way. It has a few control related quirks that certainly rub us the wrong way, but overall the game's biggest crime is that it doesn't attempt to provide much of an experience at all.

Arc Style: Soccer!! 3D has its share of bizarre design choices, but the appeal of creating your own team from scratch, player by player, and pitting them against teams designed by your friends is undeniable. Unfortunately this requires you to have friends who own the game, and the single player experience doesn't measure up nearly as well.

An impressive range of modes and variations, alongside a decent local multiplayer offering, means that experienced players can have a handy computer simulation that serves its purpose. This title is let down, however, by unappealing visuals, with ugly avatars and the useful details on game rules being undermined by the bland presentation.

Rhythm games and zombie slashers both have the potential to be a lot of fun, but their marriage here in Zombie Slayer Diox is one of conflict, and the weaknesses of both genres are far more vividly on display than the strengths.

A simple game, but that's not a bad thing. The warm, welcome graphics and fantastic music are the perfect frame for a game of this type. It's simple but it's fun, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters.

One of the most attractive, exhilarating, entertaining and outrageously fun titles so far on 3DS. While Mario has recently brought his style of gaming bliss to the handheld, Uprising provides a substantial amount of content, its own brand of adrenaline pumping set pieces and wonderful humour. It sweeps you along at breakneck speed, and is a must-have title for that very reason.

Pirates Assault is, simply, a fiasco. With none of CIRCLE Entertainment's customary charm or craftsmanship to be found, it's an uninspired slog through tower defence mediocrity.

For that low entry price you still get a polished, easy to control golf game with short, quickly consumable challenges that lend themselves nicely to portable hardware.

It's both punishingly difficult and endlessly satisfying, and it does an excellent job of keeping the action varied and the tensions high.

With a downright addictive gameplay formula, a sprinkling of creative boss fights and a mountain of replay value, it's difficult to find much negative to say about Zuma's Revenge.

Aahh! Spot the Difference is by no means a terrible experience, but it is forgettable in practically every way.

It's less predictable than its previous instalments, smartly ditching the dead wood in favour of a fresh approach that emphatically reminds us why the series has been going for 14 years.

May not be the definitive version of Snake's Cold War escapades but that doesn't stop it from being a clever, well thought-out and simply great game - frame rate hiccups aside, the impressive and intelligent use of stereoscopic 3D makes the game an absolute joy to look at as well.

2 Fast 4 Gnomz doesn't have the most unique concept in the world - or even on the WiiWare service - but it does have a fun soundtrack and an oddly addictive charm.

This is one for the puzzle junkies alone, for those people that need a stopgap until the professor comes off sabbatical – but in the meantime, he can rest assured that his tenure will remain unthreatened by the likes of May Stery.

For those looking for quick, clever puzzles on the go, you could certainly do much worse.

The action tower defence experience is relatively compulsive, with the daily structure implementing a combination of strategic thinking, frantic item gathering and action-filled combat. On the downside, the control scheme feels awkward, especially for left-handed gamers, and the lack of alternative options is a surprising oversight.

With gameplay that is both simplified and complex, solid controls, attractive presentation, online multiplayer and a touching, well-paced plot, this title can be considered as a definitive entry in its genre.

For its price, iSpot Japan is indeed a passable time waster. It has more than its share of frustrations, but ultimately it accomplishes what it sets out to do.

Rhythm Heaven Fever doesn't do much new with the series apart from a lacklustre multiplayer mode, or really capitalise much at all on now being on a home console, but the amount of whimsy and joy burned onto the disc still make for a remarkably fun game.

While Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is technically no worse than its forebears, its events are too much of a mixture when it comes to quality and after four years the blemishes and inconsistencies are beginning to wear thin.

The challenge is almost non-existent, most of your deaths will be control or camera related rather than from genuinely messing up, and a loop of an annoying 40-second song plays endlessly.

A good if unspectacular Tekken transition. Its 41 characters and 60fps frame rate is unmatched on 3DS, and while it arguably lacks a truly meaty challenge for a single player it's enjoyable enough that you won't really mind. It won't set the world alight, but it's another strong addition to 3DS's array of big name scrappers.

Nothing about this game provides enough fun to make it a worthwhile investment, and thus we'd advise you to steer well clear of it.

While flawed in a few areas, the superb online experience and high speed action strapped into the little cartridge here packs enough thrills to satisfy any 3DS owner with an insistence for speed.

Despite the moderate price-point of 600 Nintendo Points, less than an hour of gameplay with no replay value is a hard sell. Though consistency is an expected staple in episodic gaming, the unchanging nature of these games does absolutely nothing towards even attempting to attract new fans.

TNT Racers sets itself apart by refusing to focus on the traditional 'win the race' conditions of other driving titles, meshing in cross-car combat well. Its difficult later levels will ensure that you stay in the driving seat, more than possibly cursing while repeatedly hammering the retry button, for a while to come.

A steal. Frantic, fast-paced four-player action, copious achievements and three levels of difficulty come together to make this an experience worth replaying many times.

Back to the Future: The Game successfully translates what made the original movie great into a fun, challenging, imaginative and funny adventure game that's often a joy to play. Telltale has crafted a loving tribute to the film, then, but this is a loveless port, marred with frequent load times and small presentational glitches.

Though Wicked Monsters Blast captures the feel of titles such as Point Blank well, unfortunately the lack of content blows it apart. What's there is of good quality and presented in appealing fashion but, unless you have a regular stream of people ever-ready show off their multiplayer skills, there simply isn't enough of it.

Newton Vs The Horde has a lot of great ideas, but literally everything it attempts to do fails in the execution. While we at Nintendo Life would have loved the creative, versatile zombie bash-fest chock full of hilarious dialogue that Newton Vs The Horde so wants to be, what we got instead was an impenetrable, horribly-controlled slog through tedious situations and offensively unfunny palaver.

For gamers with small children, Lola's Alphabet Train may be a useful addition to their collection. A fun presentation, simple controls and full voicing means that youngsters are likely to respond pretty positively to this one; the only question is how long it will hold their attention. For the price, however, pulling it out for brief learning sessions can still make Lola's Alphabet Train worth the purchase.

Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword may not be the prettiest game on the eShop but it sure is one of the most challenging, striking a good balance between difficulty and precision.

Nothing short of a travesty. It's an ugly and uncompromisingly detestable assemblage of poorly recreated winter sporting events that has no business even existing. If you purchase and subsequently subject yourself to Winter Sports 2012, then you have nobody to blame but yourself. You have been warned.

CRUSH3D is enjoyable, challenging and unique among the 3DS's current library. Its central idea never quite ignites into genius-level design and it sometimes descends into trial and error, but it's worth a look for puzzle fans.

A truly impressive achievement, and the definitive 'mature' title on the 3DS. With production values worthy of a home console release, a significant volume of content, a blend of the series' different game styles and a subtly evolved control system, this title feels like a tribute to and progression of the franchise. There are some downsides though, including spikes in difficulty and drops in frame rate that are occasionally jarring in contrast to the rest of the title.

While there's nothing drastically wrong with it, Puppies World 3D is still a mixture of niggling flaws, missed opportunities, humdrum presentation and broken promises; the kind of shovelware that has plagued the industry for years, never aspiring to go above and beyond what has already come before it.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a game more difficult to complete than Stonekeep. Not because its design is devilishly clever or because it has fantastic AI, but simply because it is a pain to play. The game suffers from frequent slowdown, a nonexistent plot and motion controls that are completely sanctimonious.

Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Case of the Crumbling Cathedral is more of the same, and at this point you should know that it's not much to behold.

Zoo Resort 3D is more Pokémon Snap than Zoo Tycoon, and while this will appeal to those not looking for an in-depth management sim on their 3DS, its accessibility from its simplicity is soon countered by its repetitiveness. Mind you, it's technically impressive, with some of the best visuals around.

With its crafty level designs and unique visual style, Mutant Mudds offers up the best of both 8-bit and 16-bit worlds, all the while giving fans of the genre a classic 2D platformer. Mutant Mudds might very well be the best eShop game to date, and one no platformer fan should miss.

Anne's Doll Studio: Gothic Collection might at least have held some appeal for a small audience, but its limited customisation is a big strike against a title whose entire appeal relies on creativity. Add to this a dull interface, poor design and confusing "white out" effect and you have a game that fails in both concept and execution. It's no wonder that these dolls look so depressed; Anne's Doll Studio had the same effect on us.