Ultimately, Skylanders: Giants isn't going to convert many gamers my age as I think we might be a little too cynical for a game that's so blatant in its "pay-to-play" model.

Another fantastic entry in its series, and easily one of the best 3DS releases of the year. The game retains the charm and wit of previous Paper Mario titles, and its new sticker mechanic makes combat even more engaging than before.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion looks great and controls well, boasting some inspiring Disney stages, but there just aren't enough of them. Overall, the title struggles to find its stride but also possesses a unique charm that demands attention.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is a marvelous return to form, expertly adapting to the 3DS all of the strengths of the franchise– compelling characters, top-notch production values, and the all-important puzzle– into a cohesive game. We love the thrill of a good solution, and this latest entry to the series provides them in spades.

Ultimately, I may have mentioned multiple times that x or y was my favourite part, but in the end I really enjoyed everything this game had to offer.

Liberation Maiden may not be Suda51′s best work, but it is nonetheless a solid, albeit limited, game. The presentation values alone warrant the price tag, and the game has a sort of a "big game" feel to it, which is wonderful considering its small price.

Despite all of these issues, though, 2 Fast 4 Gnomz has a weird, hypnotic charm.

These Pokémon adventures will likely be the swan song of the ageing Nintendo DS system, so I'm glad to see it go out on such a high note. Whether you're a Pokémaniac, a rookie trainer, or a nostalgic Red & Blue fanboy, Black & White 2 are must-play games.

Despite my small grievances, I still welcome the new return to Unova with open arms.

Truly a holistic success. This is a game that feels like a love letter to fans that enjoy beat-em-ups, RPGs and anime. It's a courtship of elements that create a single piece of work that is both familiar and imaginative.

The folks at Big John Games have something here in Kart Krashers, but it just feels so incomplete, for lack of a better term. There's a lot that can be improved upon and controls that need to be fine tuned. If they can get that done and even add more to the plot, then this game could be a step into a whole new subgenre of either platformers or racing games.

Minor complaints aside, it's great to see an enhanced version of Cave Story available on eShop. The stereoscopic 3D adds a little depth, which is nice, and the game controls as wonderfully as ever. But once again, choosing the best version depends on personal preference.

Denpa Men: They Came By Wave probably won't win any awards for originality, but its parts, cobbled together from its RPG brethren, make up a quirky whole that boasts its own personality.

While Rising Board 3D's gameplay certainly has potential, that little penguin that could is often the little penguin that can't, constantly crashing into mountains that you'll swear had no business being in the middle of the ocean, or failing just a simple spin because you didn't have enough practice moving your Circle Pad just so.

Generic title? Check. Generic setting? Check. Generic graphics? Check. Generic audio? Check. Generic gameplay? Check. As one might be able to see, the problem with Heavy Fire: Afghanistan – The Chosen Few 3D is it's uninspired.

It's a game that naturally intersects action platforming with lateral thinking, never splurging on one over the other. Fractured Soul's dual-dimension gameplay, combined with its speed run-focused online leaderboards and forgiving checkpoint system, showcase it as one of the finest 3DS games among both retail and online titles.

Thirty-five levels will take plenty of time to shoot through, though it'd be nice to have a "free play" option, without time limits. And with plenty of achievements, treasure, and medal to earn, the game's good for any shooting gallery fan or gamer on a budget.

Whether the 3D effects are worth that extra soy latte is up to the consumer, but they're certainly good-looking– and SpeedX 3D is great-playing.

While it may not push the series forward quite like some of Mario's earlier titles, that hardly matters in the long run; what's here is a heck of a lot of fun to play, with enough content to keep fans busy for a long time.

Pokémon Conquest is one of those games that looks awful on paper, but is brilliant in its delivery.

While Crazy Chicken: Pirates 3D's single level might seem incredibly repetitive, it is only $1.99– and its presentation, quirks and all, is just endearing enough to justify those two bucks.

An enticing action-RPG adventure that will take you on an eye-popping romp through classic Disney locales and have you swinging your keyblade to no end in its fantastic battling system. But for all it does right, it will still manage to leave a sour taste in your mouth at times.

In the end, I was left with the feeling that Johnny Kung Fu was sold short of its true potential. The basic premise is good, the gameplay (well, half of the gameplay…) is spot on, but sadly, the game is hindered by an unnecessarily brutal spike in difficulty and a repetitive, unrewarding design that makes a game that was once unique and challenging, turn into to a bore of a reaction-time test.

Compared to the slickness of the movie, Spider-Man's DS outing just doesn't make the cut. It's not abysmal, but it also doesn't rise above the mediocre.

The Amazing Spider-Man for 3DS is a mixed bag of a game that manages to amount to more than the sum of its parts. The combat is incredibly simple and varies little throughout the game, but the sheer power of the character and great flow of combat makes it satisfying and fun to watch.

This is not the first time an Activision-published title has taken shortcuts on a Wii version of a multiplatform title, and in each case it has left Wii fans not simply with a lower-res product (which ought to be expected), but a completely different and inferior game (which ought not to be).

Regardless of what kind of Final Fantasy fan you are– casual, veteran or newbie– Theatrhythm has a little something for everyone, but only if you enjoy rhythm games, because that's what this is.

Marvel Pinball 3D contains a couple bumps, but other than that it acts as a fantastic pinball fix for on-the-go gaming. A few minutes of play quickly becomes an hour with this eShop title, fully highlighting the "I can beat that score if I play one more game" hook.