One of the finest action games ever, spruced up in small but worthwhile ways for Wii U. A fabulous addition to the Bayonetta 2 package. [Christmas 2014, p.90]

Not quite the landmark the original game was, but a thrillingly absurd, deep and beautiful brawler. Soul-bursting sorcery for devotees of the combo. [Christmas 2014, p.86]

Not just a technological achievement, but a design one. There's never been a Smash Bros. with more see or do. How they've done it is anyone's guess. [Christmas 2014, p.74]

It's tough to balance clever, accessible and hard as diamond nails, but Stealth Inc. 2 does it - with a fantastic genre twist and buckets of charm to boot. [Dec 2014, p.82]

If you've never brought a Black Frost demon into existence, you're in for a treat. [Issue#116, p.92]

This gem is worth picking up again, even if it's just to gawk at the HD revamp. [Issue#116, p.90]

This game is absolutely charming and a lovely surprise. [Issue#116, p.84]

A new and promising hybrid that could lead the way for more collaboration. [Nov 2014, p.78]

A new spin on an old idea, with enough creativity and charm to keep Breakout fans amused. Peddlers of cynical arcade clones: hang your heads in shame.

If you're happy to keep paying for very similar Picross games, you'll get more than your money's worth out of this. [Aug 2014, p.87]

You'll struggle to find a tactical eShop game that offers more bang for your buck. [Aug 2014, p.76]

Stop reading and play: you'll have more fun if you don't know what's coming. [Aug 2014, p.68]

The game never misses a trick to punish recklessness and complacency. [Sept 2014, p.87]

It looks good, it plays good, it probably even tastes good. You fingers will dance across the pad like tiny digital ballerinas as you suplex your way to victory. [Sept 2014, p.86]

This game is all about trial and error. You will die frequently and tragically. [Sept 2014, p.82]

Old and new in almost the best ways. [Sept 2014, p.78]

A superior selection of 8-bit hits makes Remix 2 a fine sequel. [July 2014, p.84]

An aesthetically pleasing wonder for the eShop. It might be a short game, but it's definitely worth the asking price. [July 2014, p.82]

As magnificently, defiantly old-school as ever, Millenium Girl introduces enough new elements to come away feeling fresh and rarely compromised. [July 2014, p.81]

Though it re-treads some of the same ground as the original, Pullblox World is more of what we loved on 3DS: challenging yet simple and a joy to play.

Though the game varies from too restrictive to too free, it's an excellent little sandbox for learning to draw your favourite Pokémon.

Level-5 successfully overcomes our Inazuma fatigue with a cheery addition to the series that is a great hopping-on point for newcomers. Good stuff.

Kirby is more at home on 3DS than he ever was on Wii as HAL cooks up a delightful adventure that is perfect fodder for the young and young-at-heart.

It's that confidence that encompasses everything here - Mario Kart 8 steps boldly out of the shadows of its predecessors, using their systems, ideas, even tracks, but adapting them to fit its own vision of a truly skilful game that people will obsess over, learning lines, kart set-ups and tricks, but never abandoning what it is people loved about the series.

A strange, excellent new take on the genre. [May 2014, p.86]

Its difficulty curve may frustrate younger gamers, but Squids Odyssey is a fun and unique, turn-based action game that's worth spending a few squids on. [May 2014, p.85]

Zen captures the weight and feel of a pinball table as well as a game is ever likely to. [May 2014, p.84]

As fun as it is tough and cute to boot, there's nothing else quite like Scram Kitty And His Buddy On Rails on Wii U, or anywhere else, for that matter. [May 2014, p.76]

With six fantasy courses, Mario isn't taking his golf that seriously, but tournaments and challenges ensure there's plenty for serious sports fan to enjoy.

It's cruelly authentic in places, but the bombastic immediacy, improved balance and reverence for the source material are a great fit for 3DS. [Apr 2014, p.90]

Its measured pace is precisely what makes it such a fresh twist on the shooter. [Apr 2014, p.82]

Wright benefits slightly more from the fresh coat of paint, but Layton more than holds his own in this hugely enjoyable slice of comic mystery.

Just like a catapulted boulder, this arrived suddenly out of nowhere and knocked us off our feet. Great fun. [March 2014, p.89]

Retro's starting to pull the same trick it managed for Metroid - Tropical Freeze draws on decades-old ideas and punches them into excellent new shapes.

Plays brilliantly, but is slightly hampered by its reliance on the original code. [Feb 2014, p.87]

Few thrills, but bags of challenge. [Feb 2014, p.86]

Korg M01D achieves what it sets out to, but its insistence on being so precise a simulation closes the door to regular users looking to have some fun. [Jan 2014, p.88]

A classy, thoughtful update that packages the best of the previous Wii Fit games with some ace new mini-games. A genuinely fun flab-shifter. [Jan 2014, p.84]

The multiplayer pillar is wobbly, but a lightness of touch elsewhere keeps the game steady. Not a stellar year for Call of Duty, but solid enough. [Jan 2014, p.78]

Just prepare for a sense of incompletion unless you spend around 70 pounds more than the base price. [Jan 2014, p.74]

Lumpy in places, thumpy in others, this is generally good fun. [Dec 2013, p.86]

It would take a flinty heart not to be moved when iconic characters come into play. [Dec 2013, p.82]

A 2D platformer with a heavy focus on swearing fairies and religious themes should not be this good. That's the game's last contradiction: it really is.

Like some work of over-stimulated fanfiction with a Tony Stark-size budget, this plays out with all the excess, in-jokes and idiocy that entails. Wonderful.

Human Revolution respects how you like to play games and is good at all the things it attempts, from the stealth to the shooting to the RPG systems.

A huge, almost constantly entertaining game. Brash, soulful and clever, it's astonishing that a title on a yearly schedule came out this meaty.

This is the road the Final Fantasy series should have taken; a refreshing new take on JRPG that will have fans of the genre giddy with excitement.

Classic Zelda fare riddled with veins of audio-visual mastery and an inspired gameplay twist. The greatest Legend Of Zelda title of recent years.

Not so much a baby step into HD 3D platforming as a triple backflip onto a Goomba's dome. A constant source of joy, surprise and ideas, ideas, ideas.

Goodbye, old friend: it's been one hell of a ride, albeit a very familiar one. Azran Legacy represents a rock-solid end to a Nintendo handheld champion.

Capcom's lawyer sim continues to carve its idiosyncratic niche with sharp storytelling and impressively polished production values.

Despite its potential, the Starter Pack feels a little limited. That said, four solid games is not to be sniffed at and we imagine there's far more to come.

A worthy companion to the Wii U version, it's a very good game and an interesting take on handheld 3D platforming, something still in short supply on 3DS.

It won't be giving Mario any restless nights, but this is a far better balanced proposition than the 'hog's Wii output and is solid fun throughout.

It's still one of the most accessible yet deep role-playing games around. It's still going to capture the hearts and imaginations of kids and adults alike. And, yes, you'll still want to catch 'em all.

Don't expect a revolution, but with dozens of thoughtful changes and the best Pokemon battles ever, X and Y cap an incredible year for 3DS.

Mixes trademark difficulty and accessibility with surprising finesse. Not just a brilliant entry in the series, but a benchmark for other games of its type.

We expected a voyage down memory lane, but were instead treated to an adventure that is as fresh as it was when it first appeared in 2002. Splendid stuff.

The seeds of discontent yield one of the fullest Harvest Moon crops in recent years. Be sure to stick with it through the slow bits: you'll thank us for it.

Zen's finally come over to the Light Side. [Oct 2013, p.89]

There's a subtlety of theme and a sense of personality here that is matched by almost nothing else on 3DS. [Oct 2013, p.83]

Tight, breathless platforming challenge. [Oct 2013, p.80]

Well, this is a real adventure. Few other eShop games are as ambitious or as intelligent about how to achieve their goals on the required smaller scale.

Played with patience and a willingness to learn, this isn't just the most surprising game on Wii U - it's the best.

Like the world's darkest buffet, Blacklist offers a lot to choose from, but all of it seems a tad undercooked. This is almost always good, but very rarely great.

Barmy, brilliant and the best GamePad advert to date: consider us excited about Wii U again.

Nintendo keeps promising us new ways to play on Wii U and we can't help but feel KnapNok might have got there first. There's nothing else quite like this.

Like dormant seeds, this is slow to germinate but, given time, it blossoms, an explosion of scintillating strategy and pheromone-laced fruitiness.

Genius Sonority has looked beyond the waves this time around and what it has found has helped strengthen the good signals we got last time.

So it is that 3DS's incredible first-party run continues. In the year that has given us the definitive Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing it only makes sense that AlphaDream should step up and deliver the best Mario & Luigi game yet.

The platforming equivalent of rubbing your tummy and patting your head while your childhood enemies tickle your armpits with a dead pigeon. Luigi U is cute, but scattershot in its approach. Mario remains the 2D king... for now.

This is an ensemble piece built purely for the ensemble and if you're happy to accept that there's no pretence of there being anything beyond that, you won't just enjoy Project X Zone, you'll love it.

Despite sometimes feeling like a dry run for LEGO City: Undercover, this is rescued (aptly) by some brilliant heroes and top DC affection.

The very definition of a mixed bag, Game & Wario is innovative, but stingy with it; silly, but a bit of a slog. Beware the bad eggs, cherish the prize ones. [July 2013, p.82]

How does NST keep Mario/DK feeling so fresh? Yet another clever and expansive puzzle game, if not exactly the most relaxing example of the genre.

This might be the brightest of 2013's 3DS stars. A beautiful, generous, warm-hearted game in every way and a worthy successor to Wild World's crown.

Toki Tori 2 features puzzling of the highest order in a world that could afford to be a little more user-friendly. Be brave and give it a go.

As with any rehash of a great, it's the problems that stand out, but the uninitiated will find a huge amount to love. DK's still playing his second fiddle very nicely.

What had the potential to be the best Resi of recent years ends up being merely a solid port. The overall experience still plays best on 3DS.

Accessible beat-'em-up that puts on a dazzling display. Comic fans will love its use of DC, but shallow gameplay puts this in the 'luxury purchase' bracket.

Forget the license behind it, this is a lovely little 2D brawler. [May 2013, p.79]

An amazing amount of thought has gone into this; in an industry dominated by scattershot excess, this is a perfect exercise in honing a single strength.

Lovely art design and catchy tunes make this a pleasure to play, but it lacks the precision of, say, Elite Beat Agents or Maestro! Jump In Music.

A great title for genre fans and a well-paced intro for newbies, this also manages to be the best distillation of the Fire Emblem series we've ever seen.

There are elements we can't defend, such as the dated visuals, or the limited soundtrack, but taken as a whole, Devil Survivor Overclocked is a huge, ambitious game that works perfectly on its own terms.

A lovingly crafted, laugh-a-minute, gem-packed open world LEGO game, the likes of which we've never seen before, but have always wanted. [Apr 2013, p.74]

It has more heart than any game in recent memory. [Apr 2013, p.68]

Had this been four times longer it would have been one of our favourite games. [March 2013, p.92]

Expanded and miniaturised, Ultimate finds its natural home on 3DS. Only the lack of online and faffy controls prevent must-buy status.

Delivers a deafening roar of an RPG adventure, but its bark is louder than its bite. The beast might've learned a few new tricks, but it can't hide its age.

A massively entertaining racer that grabs and runs with the power of the WiiU. It's tough, but we're Nintendo gamers. We eat tough for breakfast. [Apr 2013, p.80]

It's a compromise between action and exploration, between the series' history and contemporary trends, between traditional presentation and modern technology. It's the best Castlevania game we've played in years and it might be the best action game we've ever played on a handheld console.

Among the toughest games on the console and none the worse for it. Want to hear what your own screams sound like? You won't find better on the 3DS.

A fantastically well put-together game hamstrung only by the inherent limitations of the sport itself. No other Wii U title offers such great value for money.

Professional, fully featured and a tad bodacious, this undoubtedly sets a high bar for fitness games on Wii U.

Look past the tilting troubles and Spin Cycle purifies Curve's original idea with its condensed puzzling. Plenty of plop for your buck, too.

Years of slow innovation have resulted in a game worthy of the LOTR name. Probably not a classic, but the journey there and back again is a treat.

The attention to detail, the personality, the tiny touches; this feels like a game that someone loved making, and you'll love playing it as a result.