Despite the messy execution, there are moments of true beauty hidden inside Evoland (unlocking HD pre-rendered backgrounds being one) and there will be moments when you’re legitimately impressed with the next evolution, but there’s nothing in this game that makes it worth the $US10 asking price.

With the new (improved) control system and slight increase in visual quality, it would be safe to say that Wii U owners are getting the best experience out of Most Wanted - even if it is six months behind.

An incredibly fun bit of fantasy fulfilment as you get to test Earth’s mightiest heroes (cough) against each other. It is also a very dark look at these heroes and villains.

The ideas seem interesting enough, but in the end it looks, plays, and feels like a game from the mid 90’s; and not one of the the good ones.

It's hard to deny that a coop beat-em-up with loads of visual flair and plenty of replayability (thanks to the various characters and even character builds you can try) represents damn good value for around $16 (it's 800 of Microsoft's mystical Points.) It's frustrating that you can't really find anyone to play with online, but friends / local coop cures that and, let's face it, this sort of game is more fun with friends than strangers anyway.

One of the modes that baseball fans will love is the ability to play any match-up from the season with live updated player stats and rosters.

While I like my shooters, and I enjoyed playing The Devil’s Cartel for what it was, there is nothing there to set it apart from all the others on the market. It’s violent, fast paced, looks fine, and plays okay. But you can’t hi-five in the game anymore. Maybe that’s because when they finished making it EA decided there wasn’t any reason for a hi-five.

The graphics are really lovely, the greens are green, the blues are blue, and my elephantitis-afflicted hero is a sort of mottled grey. Career mode is a pretty good simulation of what actual golfers must go through, and is one of the best career modes in a sports game I’ve played in a long time.

BioShock Infinite puts the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth right at the core of your experience. It is absolutely central to how you interact with the game. But in a genre where you can’t see Booker’s feet, let alone his face, this throws up insurmountable and unavoidable barriers to how closely you can truly engage with Booker and his relationship with Elizabeth. Again, these challenges are self inflicted.

Ghost Warrior 2 falls into the trap of trying to be accessible to a wide audience - however the end result is casual and veteran gamers will feel ultimately let down by a complete lack of freedom and unoriginal gameplay.

It’s definitely a good game, one that shows promise for an action focused future in the Resident Evil franchise, but too many little annoyances add up to prevent it from being a great game.

The moment you step through the doorway and into Columbia, something magical happens. You’re introduced to what is easily the most "alive" city found in a game so far.

By design, Thieves in Time is a fairly simple experience, so if you want more of a challenge, maybe it’s time to graduate to something that’s going to stretch you a little more. I personally need more from a game at this stage of my life. Sorry Sly, it’s not you, it’s me.

The graphics are cartoon like, cute, and colorful, so the game has good eye-catching appeal.

If you’re a fan of Darkstalkers at all, waste no time in picking this up. If you haven’t played the series before, but have any interest in fighting games, you’d do well to consider this as well - this is the definitive Darkstalkers, and you may just find that something special that’s gripped the series’ cult of fans.

Heart of the Swarm is a solid expansion that builds on and refines the Starcraft experience. As a stand-alone game, its campaign is oddly paced, it's got unnecessary bells and whistles, and it lacks strategic complexity. But whatever grumbles gamers might have, Blizzard’s devotion to good storytelling and character development still makes the experience worthwhile.

If you’ve been thinking about dipping your toes into the JRPG scene, you absolutely must put this at the top of your list.

Although it’s in no way game changing, Gears of War: Judgment is a fast paced, satisfyingly violent, action shooter.

There are some lovely aspects to the game, that have been developed from the earlier experiences that so many people knew and loved. There’s a great soundtrack, and the game has a polished look about it that makes you want to love it. But underneath, there is so much that’s broken, that I currently wouldn’t recommend the game - as I experienced it - to anyone not willing to go through the pain for a glimpse of the game they once loved.

Sadly, whoever picks this up will find something to dislike, from an over-reliance on cutscenes to watered down fights, or the fact that smaller details are only found in the anime. What we have here is a title that is trying to be the best Naruto game ever made, but is held back due to not knowing what kind of game it wants to be; this is made even more frustrating by the fact that it comes so close.

Battlefield Academy is not going to win awards for its graphics (although it has a unique style) and equally, you will not be aghast at its realism. It is very simplistic, but it is also very addictive. It is one of those games that gets the balance or formula just right, and it combines its parts into a whole that is a lot of fun to play. Highly recommended.

The combat itself is fun, with most of the enjoyment on offer during team-based modes when you're working together to assault (or defend) objectives.

Tomb Raider is a mature experience featuring a young, strong woman who - armed with grit, determination, and intelligence - rescues not only her friends but herself as well. Surely there’s a lesson in that for the rest of us.

This is a solid effort at porting Ninja Gaiden 2 – one of the best hack and slash titles of this generation – to a handheld. Unfortunately, it still has the poor camera and occasionally sloppy level design of the original, problems that are further compounded by the Vita’s small screen.

For $1.29, there’s no argument: it’s well worth helping Volty. Just be aware that it’s a little bit clunky mechanically, and that you’re largely on your own when it comes down to figuring out what to do. It’s pretty tough, but still recommended if you like a challenge.

Overall, Oozi: Earth Adventure is a nice little throwback to 16 bit gaming. The predictability of enemies may make this a walk in the park, however ramping up the difficulty to max provide a decent - often frustrating - challenge.

Crysis 3 is set in a world that can take your breath away - but as an overall experience, it's flawed. Crytek’s third installment is undoubtedly a beautiful product, but it is not yet a beautiful game.

Tomb Raider earns its score for daring to go big and then executing on that goal with considerable aplomb in every important area. It looks great, plays well, and is fun from beginning to end. Even more than that, it does all of those things with more skill and finesse than almost any other game before it.

A combination of an average shooter (that won’t appeal to shooter fans) and a (tension and atmosphere barren) survival horror game.

It's a bit on the short side, sure, and the visuals have a tiny hiccup here and there. Everything else about the game is perfect. Seriously, it's exactly right. If you like your action to be intense, dramatic, and totally ridiculous, this could very well be your game of the year.

It’s a shame that a title seven years in the making could result in something so lackluster. Aliens: Colonial Marines had the foundations of a solid game, involving writers (David Weddle and Bradley Thompson from Battlestar Galactica fame) and a talented artist (Syd Mead from Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron). It even had the right voice talent bringing back Lance Henriksen as a Bishop-model clone...But it appears that the elongated, ‘stop-start’ development ultimately resulted in an inconsistent and disappointing final result.

Exploring Ni No Kuni is a wonderful, magical experience.

SiNG Party is fairly inoffensive (except for the Bieber demon) but also pretty uninspiring too.

Poor online play doesn't stop you from getting a few mates around for an old fashioned side-by-side slugfest, and this is where Accent Core (and the franchise in general) delivers in spades.

Fans of the series may want to pick this up to get another taste of what used to be an amazing franchise, but be forewarned that it's not what you're hoping it to be and that you should probably steer clear.

It has been a fantastic experience to re-appraise one of my all time favorite games and, despite the game looking a bit long in the tooth, it still has the wonderful level of depth and challenge as it did when I first played it way back when.

My main issue with Seduce Me is that, despite the invitation that is right there in the title of the game, none of the characters want to cooperate. No matter how high your score with a character - and hence your implied closeness to that character - they still play as though they want you to fail.

Ninja Theory have been faithful to the original games, but still added enough of their own lick of originality to warrant the return.

Uninspiring, unpolished, and unnecessary.

The wide variety of exercises will ensure you don't get bored. Recommended for the fitness enthusiast in your life.

Competent sums it all up really. If you like the idea of an action RPG with a big emphasis on the action, lots of repetition, and game design that never quite achieves the entertainment level you think that it could, you'd be fairly well served by this.

A solid interactive companion to the television show and will please fans in the right age group, even if it's just for a weekend.

Easily one of the most jam-packed, visually impressive launch titles that has probably ever been released.

I liked Mass Effect 3 when it first released and I have to say I am liking it even more on the Wii U. Again, I think it is the graphics and the controller that do it for me.

With workable controls, this could have been a half-decent, low-priced download game. As it stands, however, it's one of the worst games on the platform and one of the worst launch games on any system, ever. Avoid.

There was a lot of wasted potential here. To its credit though, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion looks fantastic.

Wii U exclusive controls aside, FIFA 13 is proof that the series can and will work great on the new console - it just needs a bigger community right now.

Skylanders Giants delivers what would easily have been the best toy/game of my childhood and I can foresee this being the game that gets a lot of young kids into the medium. The fact that it looks and sounds great and has amazing quality toys to go along with it only sweetens the deal.

Unfortunately, despite being fun, there's just not much to it. It's a quarter of a story and just one online mode. And while the whole tower defense thing works, and the game looks, sounds, and plays perfectly well, you can't shake the feeling that you've seen it all before.

A big bonus to Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed is that up to ten players race against each other online, either in arena game modes or your usual races.

It's fantastic, and filled with excitement. "Fantastic" that such a good title has been part of the initial release, and the "excitement" comes from seeing the obvious graphical potential inside the machine, waiting to be exploited by future developers.

Sine Mora is a unique take on shoot 'em ups and if you're a masochist, the arcade and challenge modes are perfect for you. It's a welcome addition to the genre, and somewhat of a surprise title - especially this late in the console cycle.

The control pad is used for skills and your inventory, but outside of this none of the motion control or other features are used.

New Super Mario Bros. U feels lovingly crafted and is a welcome change from earlier, rushed, or unpolished games in the franchise. The platforming aspect is perfectly balanced, offering a decent challenge but never straying into the realms of frustrating or awkward.

It really is a breath of fresh air for the kart racing genre. If anything, it goes to show that Nintendo may need to do a little more than just add a new feature to their next iteration of Mario Kart.

The revamped HUD works a treat, and the convenience factor of not having to install a huge number of mods is also a major plus.

While it's not broken, Back to the Multiverse, is very limited and uninspired.

If you own a brand spanking new Wii U, buy this game and give your imagination a workout.

It may not be at the top of your play list in the long term, but as an ensemble it's well worth a look - particularly if you have a fondness for the various included Nintendo franchises.

A fun little game that will give you hours of "just one more fight then so I can get even" entertainment.

While the gameplay will seldomly challenge any experience gamer, there is a definite appeal due to the simplicity and sense of achievement with all of the hidden extras.

It's a fun first person shooter. One with story issues and awful characters, but also with hunting and manta rays and hang gliding over beautiful scenery.

You won't beat survivor mode on your first playthrough, you'll die a lot, and you'll fear the dark more than in the majority of survival horrors released in the last generation of gaming. While the game isn't perfect, it's easily the best title available in the survival horror genre at the moment.

I feel The Walking Dead is so special that five to ten years from now people are still going to be talking about it and referencing its importance. I imagine this series will be the first to make many gamers cry, it is that emotionally powerful.

While Zone of the Enders sometimes feels like a retro grind, The 2nd Runner is stylish and engrossing.

In Epic Mickey 2, when you finally figure out what it was you were supposed to be doing, you just want to slap your forehead, because it just feels like another pointless hurdle.

It looks like Nintendo have finally grown a pair and are willing to partake in an older gamer's market - delivering mature, dark, and often violent titles like Arkham City. It is also a comforting display of loyalty from a brilliant studio like Rocksteady, who haven't just ported the game, but honestly had some genuine fun with the new hardware of the Wii U.

If you've been hanging out for some wholesome fun, F1 Race Stars has got it - in bucket loads. Now all we need are some more tracks!

Seasons is to The Sims what MSG is to cooking (minus the possibly toxic side effects): it enhances the overall experience. Even if you've played it to death already, the simple application of weather and seasonal content guarantees plenty more mileage from the original game.

Hitman: Absolution falls short of the mark because it's trying too hard to be something it isn't. Hopefully next time IO Interactive lets Agent 47 get back to what he does best. And that's not saving damsels in distress, running from the cops, or fighting "sexy nuns". Instead, it's killing people - cleanly, quietly, and without any unnecessary fuss.

Absolutely delightful.

The learning curve ain't too steep for your average punter, but the overall difficulty is. The many, many deaths of Kurt can be demoralising and extremely frustrating; however despite this it does grow on you after a while - especially with another player to share the experience.

EA have proven with Most Wanted that the Vita is capable of much more than the likes of Call of Duty: Declassified or even Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, and Most Wanted should be at the top of your want-list for Vita as a result.

An excellent game with an almost Grindhouse film aesthetic to it.

Roller Coaster Tycoon 3D is disappointing in every key respect, and not recommended - unless you have a morbid curiosity and are interested to see how they managed to mess it up.

Ultimately, it's about as disappointing as a game could be. It's less "Call of Duty" and more "cynical cash grab," attempting to con Vita owners out of their hard-earned. At a budget price, with the bugs fixed and a name that better suits the experience, things might be different; as it is, this game is less Declassified and more Disgusting. Avoid, and tell your friends to do likewise.

It's a competent tie-in with plenty of goodies for fans of the series.

It's guaranteed to provide you with a few good belly laughs, plus some genuine brain teasers as well.

But if anything is going to distract you from the mangling of classic Bond movies it will be the awful gameplay.

That Treyarch and Activision aren't just resting on their laurels, and are happy to inject new ideas into the experience, is something that should be rewarded by your interest. Interactivity in the way the campaign flows, in particular, is rewarding and fresh, and is something I hope we see more of.

For those who like their adventures on the darker, twisted - but still humorous side, Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes might just tickle your fancy. A worthy successor to the original.

While it's not the graphically violent, frantic, and desperate game that recent shooters have become, Killzone feels almost relaxing with its deliberate pace and disconnect from reality.

Regardless of the questionable depth, and maybe slightly high price, you'd have to have a heart of stone to regret time spent with When Vikings Attack. It might be a bit repetitive, but it continues to be fun to biff cars and bombs about, all while listening to the humorous banter between your lot and everyone else.

Even if you never go online, SFxT is a fantastic fighter and one that adds enough to a familiar formula to be well worth the investment - even if you have all of the other versions of Street Fighter. And at the end of the day, that's what really matters. If you like portable pugilism, it's a must-own.

I found Deadlight very entertaining, and consider it one of the best platformers I have ever played. I highly recommend it to pretty much anyone who likes the sound of a fast-paced horror action platformer that also has a decent story and amazing visuals.

There's very little in this game to find offensive, and kids will go crazy for all the cool new characters to learn and experience, and build on the fun that was had in the first title.

You don't need to know anything about the characters or the story to enjoy this iteration, and fans of the series will be able to learn a little more about the Professor's past. Those looking for the series to evolve, however, might want to leave this one alone in favour of the upcoming Level 5 / Capcom crossover Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney.

This is a whole new, uber-improved racer that will change your view on the Need for Speed franchise for the better. Best enjoyed with eye-drops as you won't want to blink.

Harry Potter for Kinect really failed to pull me into the Harry Potter world.

The stupid grins on our faces, the uncontrollable laughs and the humming of the music long after the race was over, show that his game is fun right through to its adorable little core.

For those who can't get enough, Liberation is a handy portable companion to Assassin's Creed III, but it is definitely a lighter experience both in physical form and in terms of content.

Mixed bag: On one hand, the vehicular combat is solid. On the other, it's let down by poor mechanics and a slew of unwelcome gameplay additions.

WWE '13 offers a lot more of what we want (and less of what we don't) than last year's release. It features a lot more customizations, a larger roster, and superior story mode. It feels more polished. This is the game WWE '12 should have been.

Guild Wars 2 can be what players want to make of (and take from) it, which is pretty much what every good MMO should aspire to. All up, it's been a resounding success.

A truly spectacular game. Of all of the possible results that may have sprung from the circumstances that now surround the development of the Halo franchise, Halo 4 is the most welcome (and surprising) imaginable.

It's a flawed gem, but still well worth a look.

There are still a few little quirks, and likely still some balancing and other changes required, but it's clear that this is a great World of Warcraft expansion, and that the team behind the game are still focused on giving WoW players what they want. Recommended.

Okami is beautiful to witness and plays like a true classic.