It's ironic, then, that the monotony of the new battle system still ends up being redeemed by a great story. And if great stories are your thing, The World Ends With You will warm your heart. If you are all about gameplay, you'll probably get bored fairly quickly.

James, I think I speak for us both when I say that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Explorers of Darkness will only appeal to Pokemaniacs who enjoy incredibly repetitive gameplay, practically GBA-level graphics and sound, and computer partner A.I. that's so dumb you'll want to stab yourself in the eye.

James, I think I speak for us both when I say that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Explorers of Darkness will only appeal to Pokemaniacs who enjoy incredibly repetitive gameplay, practically GBA-level graphics and sound, and computer partner A.I. that's so dumb you'll want to stab yourself in the eye.

Fans should love the challenge here, but the RPG crowd will probably be split on this one. The intense difficulty of the new battle system combined with more traditional RPG traits turns out to be great fun, but tricky.

Okami is a stunning game experience through and through. It has depth and longevity, as well as beautiful art direction, graphics, and music.

Octomania is not by any stretch a terrible game. It is a very lightly featured game with absolutely no frills and a decently fun battle mode that can provide a nice experience at times.

Despite its repetitive combat and occasionally cheap save point placement, there’s very little wrong with Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. It’s stylus control done right, and it’s a beautiful game to boot.

Its mini-games are definitely its highlight but once the novelty of them wears off, you’ll probably want to play the original titles rather than continue playing this one.

Sadly, Square-Enix still hasn't nailed the multiplayer component, and the obvious faults in its single-player gameplay will turn off most everyone else.

This game is targeted at hardcore shooter fans who like a good challenge. Its unforgiving difficulty, even on the easiest setting, makes Nanostray 2 hard to recommend for anyone else. Even so, its production values are apparent and its mechanics are solid (if a bit dated), making it a good selection for fans of the genre.

A great value for the money. It’s a fantastic multiplayer game, and even if you’re just duel-wielding by your lonesome, blowing zombies apart is incredibly fun.

The core gameplay has remained largely unchanged since the N64 days, meaning we've essentially been playing the same game for nine years, and we'll be playing the same game for another five or six years, at least. Get it, appreciate it, and enjoy it.

It takes a significant amount of re-tries to make it out of last place during any given race. And even then, some courses seemingly cannot be won.

Spitfire Heroes’ gameplay can be confusing and annoying all at once.

A good game that features fun gameplay, an entertaining story, an interesting gameplay environment, and plenty of places to explore. You’ll enjoy it if you like exploring a world that feels alive. Its greatest flaw is its sub-par graphics.

It is truly one of the powerhouse titles on the DS, and everybody should give it a try - especially Naruto fans.

Pinball Hall of Fame is unapologetically faithful to its source material, and doesn't offer any olive branches to those who have never found pinball compelling. Nevertheless, FarSight Studios has crafted a wonderfully authentic pinball experience.

While some mini-games are shallow and repetitive, and it doesn't take very long to see all the game has to offer, the effort that went into the game's production is evident.

But as a Wii title in 2008, a few added control gimmicks can't save this from the bargain bin of the slowing trend PS2 and PC ports that just shouldn't be.

The Dragon Quest atmosphere of Dragon Quest Swords only goes so far before you start itching for some gameplay variety (although the visuals never get old).

Since Apollo's adventure builds upon the Phoenix Wright trilogy and the original remains the best, playing the Ace Attorney series in order remains my recommendation.

Far too repetitive to hold interest, and even fans of the hack-and-slash genre will be bored by the lack of originality.

Overall, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a very interesting game but it definitely caters to a niche audience. If you don't like brain-teasers, it's probably not for you.

Decent but not exceptional.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While its children’s book license and wealth of tutorials clearly mark it as a game intended for younger players, its frustratingly difficult battles, annoying checkpoint system, and lack of level mapping make it a tough nut for even experienced gamers to crack.

A fun platformer that ends up feeling more like Prince of Persia DS than Assassin’s Creed. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the DS could use more action games like this. Sadly, the adventure lasts about a weekend, and there are no real unlockables after beating the game aside from an extra difficulty mode.

My Horse & Me is shovel-ware, pure and simple. It looks ugly, its gameplay is limited, and its primary features—show jumping and item-collecting—bear little resemblance to its target audience.

The simplistic design and superficial gameplay are sure to turn off everyone, including the young girl target group, and especially horse owners.