The kind of game that sends reviewers thumbing through their thesaurus in search of new words to describe its greatness. I can honestly say that it’s as true today as it was the day of release.

There’s no question. You must play this game, at least through the field training. It’s just so amazing.

Marshall Faulk is the perfect cover spokesperson for this instalment as he embodies what 2003 is for Madden: steady, reliable, accurate, excellent, abnormally good… need I go on?

Even if you have never even played SMW, it's still fun to go out and play one of the games that truly defined the Mario franchise. This is a great game.

While the game might not be the greatest single player adventure we've seen this year, it very well may be the best multi-player one.

An excellent title, and almost certainly the very best GameCube title to date.

Best of all, the new Casual mode opens the series up to those who may have been put off by its characteristic difficulty, ensuring that newcomers and veterans alike will be able to get the same enjoyment out of Awakening’s storyline.

Once again props go out to Ubi Soft Montreal for meshing environments with an outstanding control scheme and stunning graphics.

Even four years later, the game remains a graphic marvel and is perfectly balanced in terms of gameplay.

This game needs to be in every Wii U owner’s collection.

Regardless of whether or not you have played Chrono Trigger before, the DS remake is an absolute must-own for any RPG fan and is easily one of the year’s best releases.

Another great thing about Xenoblade– it encourages experimentation. With most RPGs, falling in battle means a frustrating loss of progress and experience points if you haven't saved before a big boss battle. But with Xenoblade you return to the nearest landmark (or checkpoint) with all your experience points and new skills intact.

You will almost never get tired of playing Conker, as there are few tedious spots in the game. BFD terrifically spoofs such movies as "The Matrix," "Saving Private Ryan," "A Clockwork Orange," "The Untouchables," "Alien," "Star Wars," "Dr. Strangelove," and more.

Everything that made Mario Kart 8 special has returned and been amplified, and the additions (including new characters, plus one secret one that I won’t spoil) make for an even richer and varied experience. Along with Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a must-have for Switch owners. It’s a party on a cartridge, but even played solo it’s a blast. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be played in perpetuity for many years to come, and will do a wonderful job of tiding fans over until the releases of Arms and Splatoon 2 (something I had doubts about — yeah, those doubts are officially gone). You officially have two games that make a Switch worth buying, so get to it if you haven’t!

Quite possibly my favorite area of the game, the many boss battles each had a distinct feel and strategy to them.

The game told me I finished in around 4 hours, but I played for at least ten. With tons of hidden items, and five different endings, this game is sure to keep you occupied. Metroid Fusion is a must own title.

Besides the sound quality issues, players have little reason to choose the original cart over this GBA port. Everything that made Final Fantasy VI great on the SNES is here, and then some.

The game is short and let down by some noticeable issues, but beyond that, it’s a beautifully strange experience many will at least find interesting, with a fair few probably considering it brilliant.

While for the most part the tried and true Tony Hawk gameplay is still intact, this latest release in the series gives it a breath of freshness.

Bayonetta 2 doesn’t do anything particularly new, but it does serve as an improvement of an already excellent action title, perfecting the formula even further.

Put simply, outstanding.

The ultimate version of, what some perceive to be, the greatest action game ever made.

Its twisted levels beg to be replayed again and again even if you aren't interested in getting that perfect 100%.

The controls have also been polished, and GameCube’s controller is put to excellent use. The location of the Y button allows the gamer to press both A and Y, which makes grinding a lot easier, as the gamer must jump with A and grind with Y.

Quite simply the best Castlevania on the system, and an impromptu contender for best game – period – on the system itself. With link capabilities, a hidden character, and a bevy of secrets, Aria of Sorrow also has substantial shelf life and replay value.

Whether it be through design, story, or gameplay-– this solid title competes with some of the bigger titles we've played on some next generation systems.

SteamWorld Heist has always been a great game and the Switch version might just be the best way to experience it. Since it was originally designed on 3DS, the game is perfectly suited for portable play and the touch controls are replicated perfectly, here. Of course, it also helps that the core gameplay remains just as good thanks to great design and a unique take on the strategy genre that has yet to really be challenged by other developers. Thanks to these strengths and the incredibly charming and polished audio/visual design, SteamWorld Heist’s minor flaws are easy to overlook, thus making this version well worth experiencing for newcomers and for those who played previous versions.

An amazing accomplishment; it manages to root itself deep in the fertile nostalgia millions of gamers have for A Link to the Past while simultaneously morphing classic Zelda mechanics and introducing brand new ideas that fit in perfectly with the storied franchise.