Overall it’s solid, fun, innovative, just not what I would want as the definitive Mario Kart experience, nor do I feel it tops what has long been considered the definitive Mario Kart experience for some time. But this is certainly a fresh take on the franchise that’s keeping things new and fun, and I’m having a blast with it.

Gamers looking for an in-depth boxing sim will not find it here. Those looking for wonderful puzzles to solve, characters to fall in love with, and music that will stick for years, this is your game. Punch-Out!! is going to be easily regarded as one of the stand out titles of this year on any system and is a must-own game for Wii owners.

Crashmo is pure puzzling gold and one of the best titles available for 3DS. If you haven't already experienced the exquisite Pushmo, now couldn't be a better time to get on board the Crashmo express.

Fantastic. With an insane plot, goofy characters and some incredibly well-designed gameplay, this is a game which should be on the must-buy list of any DS owner who does not hate fun.

Mission accomplished.

With a variety of modes, great stylus control and online play, Intelligent Systems has come up with a puzzle game that's hard to beat.

The best part about it is that there's something new going on every day, whether it's a new neighbor moving in, a nasty snowstorm on the horizon, or a holiday party at City Hall.

While these lackluster mini-games are no hidden-object puzzle or "make your own tea" chemistry set (as seen in Laytons 1 and 2), Unwound Future still has a solid set of puzzles for its main adventure, and the story itself is very engaging.

Buying the Skylanders Trap Team Starter Set probably won’t be enough for you. Again and again, you’ll run into times when you wish you had just a little more cash to buy that colored trap, or that Skylander. But more than any Skylanders game before it, Trap Team makes you feel good about your purchases– even if it’s your kid that gets to enjoy them.

I still can't help but feel that the game could have used just a little more content or even a few more graphical bells and whistles. Final word: great game.

The charming storyline, the captivating characters and the amazingly fun battle system all puts together one of the best RPGs on the market. When all is said and done, this game has easily broken its way onto my top ten favorite RPGs of all time.

SteamWorld Heist is one of the most well thought-out and fully realized gaming experiences I’ve had throughout this year. If you’re itching for a fantastic turn-based space adventure, look no further.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is one of the best games I’ve played in years. I spent every moment of its campaign gaping in awe at set piece after set piece. Raging dinosaur skeletons, suites overrun with plants, a kaiju battle, and a towering pyramid in the sand are but a handful of the sights to take in while playing Luigi’s Mansion 3. I never thought that the original Luigi’s Mansion could be trumped, but Next Level Games has officially outdone Nintendo with this gorgeous, wonderful video game. Bravo.

The learning curve will be steep for some, but give it a chance. The satisfaction level is even higher, and that's always the best reward a video game can give.

Seeds of Evil is an adrenaline thrill ride from start to finish. I strongly suggest a purchase as the multiplayer alone warrants a buy.

The Wii U has been home to quite a strong collection of sidescrollers: New Super Mario Bros. U, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and DuckTales: Remastered to name but a few. Gunman Clive HD Collection proudly joins that lineup, offering a fantastic experience at a fraction of the cost of those titles.

A more than worthy sequel to VJ.

With Sonic Mania, Christian Whitehead and his team have done exactly what fans have wanted for years: start with the old and incorporate the new, keeping great level design, heart-pounding music and charming art direction. Sonic’s back.

Twilight Princess HD reaffirms everything that made this game great the first time around.

I don’t know that I can say with confidence Generations will be the Monster Hunter game to woo naysayers; it’s largely the same gameplay and mechanics that players have come to know for a decade now. Yet, given how stunningly Generations presents the series’ core combat and crafting, along with the introduction of Styles and Arts, makes it the best Monster Hunter title by a fair stretch– so much so, that I implore anyone who has yet to try the series to finally give it a look by picking up Generations.

Risky Revenge's soundtrack is phenomenal. Even with diverse settings, each music track complements the location you're in and seamlessly transitions into the next track as you travel the various locations.

The gameplay manages to successfully merge the two Castlevania play styles, while retaining a firm hold on excellent design and presentation.

On a conceptual level, the game speaks to Nintendo’s constant refusal to retread ground unless there are new ideas to share and new stories to tell. Maybe Nintendo held a revisit to Metroid II so close to the chest for all these years for good reason. I would like to believe that Samus Returns took so long to materialize because it was carefully considered, and set up to be a milestone for the franchise. Another era of Metroid is beginning.

Kingdom Two Crowns is easily one of my favorite games and keeps me coming back again and again even without updates. It’s a game where starting fresh can feel great, but progress and advancement is rewarding. It took an already engaging and memorable game, Kingdom New Lands, and developed it into a well balanced multiplayer experience. It’s three versions in one are a stellar deal and the Norse Lands DLC is so much more than a cherry on top. For fantasy, strategy, and indie fans, Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands is a must.

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is one of the best titles in Wii's library.

If you’ve been hankering for a more classic Zelda experience, Echoes of Wisdom should do the trick. That said, with its unique Echoes mechanic in tow, this adventure feels like something new and old at the same time. Its gorgeous graphics and engaging soundtrack are a treat for the senses, brought down a peg only by some shaky performance woes. Still, the technical problems that Echoes of Wisdom has aren’t enough to dissuade me from recommending fans give this one a shot. Echoes of Wisdom is a wonderful, worthwhile addition to the Zelda library of games.

If you haven’t tried the Yakuza games yet, definitely start with 0. This is a fine example of what strong game narrative and character development should look like, and it’s just simply a darn fun game to play.

An absolutely amazing game. The lack of sixty hours of content leading up to it does rob the story of some of its impact and many characters don't get the proper time needed to fully flesh them out, but the great writing and high stakes of the events still make the game's thirty or more hours exceptionally compelling.