A platformer that easily holds it own against the Castlevanias and Metroids of the world.

Brilliant physics puzzles that force you to think on your feet, fun co-op and a huge, gorgeous quest for just over £10. Trine 2 is eShop gold.

Step aside Guitar Hero Metallica: this is how you really do a band-specific music game. Drips with Beatles love from start to finish.

A great tower defence strategy game that'll certainly get the grey matter going. [Oct 2009, p.86]

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.

The strategy game we never knew we needed, but now we don't know what we'd do without. [Feb 2010, p.78]

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]

Overkill is the most offensive, outrageous game we've played and we love it. Mature lightgun fans need this.

One of the toughest Mega Man games yet. A great download for hardcore retroheads. [May 2010, p.86]

A sequel done right. It deals with the original's issues and adds features to keep things fresh.

It's ideal both as a family game or as great post-pub entertainment. [Christmas 2007, p.64]

It may be 17 years old, but this may just be the best RPG on the DS. You need this.

The ideal way to get into Wii gaming. It's funny, simple and approachable, and gamers and non-gamers alike should get something out of it. [Christmas 2006, p.62]

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]

It's still worth considering even if you played it on the Wii first time around. [Mar 2008, p.74]

A great end to a great series - we hope there's more but if there isn't, at least it's gone out on a high. [Feb 2009, p.86]

For the first Pro Evo on the DS it's a fantastic achievement. If you're after a portable football fix it's a must-have. [Mar 2007, p.72]

A must-play for Final Fantasy veterans. It won't gain any new fans though. [Oct 2008, 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.

We hate using the word 'hardcore' but if we had to attach it to any game it would be this one. [May 2010, p.73]

Great fun for pretty much everyone, hardcore and casual gamers included. [July 2008, p.88]

Tiger 11 gets the balance between a full-on sports sim and playful swingabout spot on. Disc Golf gets an online mode and there's also a new mini golf mode which adds a selection of wacky putting courses for you to navigate. This is great fun in multi-player mode.

Would have been a nice little bonus on its own but the added extras make Four Swords Anniversary Edition a must play for any Zelda fan who owns a 3DS.

Rock Band 3 is about as complete a music game as you could hope.

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]

A brilliant sequel that improves on the original in every conceivable department. Essential.

A massive handheld RPG crafted with incredible attention to detail and a real sense of fun. [Apr 2010, p.86]

Good old-fashioned strategic action. [Mar 2008, p.68]

If ever there was a game to get gamers and non-gamers playing together, this is it. Addictive gameplay, online play and more vareity than Noah's Ark make this a surprising must-have title. [Nov 2006, p.84]

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.

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.

Dark, terrifying and brilliantly exciting, Revelations is a triumph on 3DS. [Feb 2012, p.89]

Let's face it, there's probably many Wii owners who don't actually use their Wii online and probably don't even know about the Virtual Console service. For these people, this is their first chance to play the Mario games they knew and loved 20 years ago. They're still as good as we remember them...

Easily the best football game on a Nintendo system. It takes a while to get used to the new controls but once you get your head round them, they become second nature. [Mar 2008, p.58]

There's so much depth and richness to the experience. [June 2007, p.78]

Takes an old genre and breathes new life into it. Top-down racing hasn't been this fun in ages. [Oct 2009, p.86]

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

Not so much a sequel as the Cube version with new features, but still essential for anyone happy to start again.

Matching experimentation with (almost) consistently brilliant gameplay, this is as much a marker for what's to come as it is a truly excellent launch game.

A deep, fulfilling and rewarding strategy epic. [Mar 2008, p.80]

Bright, happy and endlessly amusing, Beat the Beat is toe-tappingly terrific. [July 2012, p.87]

Not a major overhaul of Mario vs. DK, just a few tweaks to make this the best in the series yet. [Feb 2011, p.88]

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.

The ultimate retro game and a huge challenge. At around 7 quid, this is essential. [Dec 2008, p.82]

A fantastic experience from start to finish. It is a game that truly expands what narrative video games can be capable of, and does so with a engrossing story that draws players in until the very end, all six of them.

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.

Gripes about the lacklustre visuals and unwanted gameplay tweaks aside, Guitar Hero III is truly great, even if it's somewhat harder than we were expecting. [Christmas 2007, p.75]

This is Rare back at their best. Original, absurd and utterly addictive, Viva Pinata is a riot. [Oct 2008, p.90]

The result is another mesmerising entry to the series. There's little incentive to replay it after you've finished, but it's one of the most enjoyable narrative rides in gaming today, and it burns bright and strong while it lasts.

Superb golf. [May 2011, p.93]

The very definition of bitter-sweet, giving with one hand and then taking away with the other. By default it's the best side-scrolling platformer on the 3DS and yes, it's even better than the original New Super Mario Bros. But that came out six years ago now, and in that time we'd really expected the series to have progressed a little further than just a 3D effect and Coin Rush mode.

A great title that both pays tribute to the series and takes it somewhere new.

Anniversary is the best game in the series by far. [Christmas 2007, p.72]

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]

This has to be some of the most impressive enemies you'll ever see on the DS. [Feb 2007, p.70]

It was going to be hard to do the original justice, but this remake does and then some. [Christmas 2010, p.68]

A love letter to Dead Or Alive fans and a dizzying companion piece to SSFIV3D.

This is a highly accomplished party game that stands head and shoulders above the mess of shovelware garbage out there, even if it does lack the depth of its slightly more meaty handheld brother. [Nov 2009, p.65]

Black Ops on Wii is a fantastic shooter packed with all the features of its HD brothers, with the only exception being split-screen multiplayer.

Whether it's teamplay you want or epic solo adventuring, DQIX handles both with class. [Aug 2010, p.83]

A sensational racer, it's far more polished than most full-price racers on Wii. [Aug 2011, p.102]

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.

A great choice to lead the Wii MotionPlus charge, combining summertime fun with great gameplay.

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

It's nothing short of an ingenious set-up and, while there's the odd glitch, in general matches are fast-paced and exciting.

The greatest character and planet creation kit ever. If the exploration had been better this would be gold but then you'd probably be paying £30 for it.

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.

If you're after a good racing simulation on the DS then GRID is one of the best out there. [July 2008, p.97]

This has overtaken "Wii Sports" as our favourite tennis experience on the Wii. It's great fun even if you're not a Sega fan, but the lack of online is an insult to Wii gamers. [Apr 2008, p.70]

While not without its faults, this is a fitting follow-up and a hugely satisfying experience. [Mar 2011, p.92]

The Wii's answer to Dark Souls or Spelunky. Harder than your average Metroid-a-like, but with a greater sense of accomplishment. Dauntingly good.

Kirby goes back to his roots. No strings, no plurality, just ace co-op adventuring.

This is the perfect example of what we expect from multi-format Wii U games, with everything seen in other versions and more Nintendo-only stuff on top.

Its core is as exciting as ever and the new features justify trading in last year's edition.

In an industry embarrassed by brains, this is a shining beacon of measured character work, deep-rooted ideas and whip-smart dialogue.

Offers almost everything we want from a BM game. Multiplayer japes don't get better than this. [Dec 2008, p.84]

Its style and sense of humour turn a simple slash 'em up into something genuinely enjoyable. [Mar 2008, p.64]

There are so many nooks and crannies for your ball to explore and you get awards for hitting certain areas and fulfilling tasks.

If you're up for a challenge, this is a fantastic game. Like a lot of puzzle games it can be frustrating but it's worth the bother.

A beautiful nostalgia trip that also stands on its own blurry blue legs. Utterly heart-warming.

It's a bit user-unfriendly but in terms of features this is easily the greatest Guitar Hero game yet.

A brilliant adventure whose shortness is its only drawback. Well worth a look.

The comedy is top-notch as ever. [Christmas 2008, p.99]

If you already own "Madden NFL 07" then for once we do actually think it's worth trading it in because there are so many new features that it's improved in almost every way. [Oct 2007, p.86]

Yes, VVVVVV is challenging and some rooms can have you squirming in frustration as you die over and over again but with nicely positioned checkpoints ensuring you go back in for more, it's hugely addictive.

By all means get DJ Hero if you're a fan of music games and have a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, because Freestyle Games has put together a fantastic music title. Everyone else will just have to wait until the price drops.

It would be a crime if only hardcore gamers enjoyed this. The deepest game on DS, full stop.

The further you delve into the game's intricacies, the richer the experience. [July 2008, p.70]

A highly original RPG that oozes class through the screens and speakers. The unique battle system is a great idea, despite being let down occasionally by iffy controls. [May 2008, p.87]

As a true Resident Evil game it'll disappoint but as a lightgun game with depth and atmosphere, it's a great package. [Jan 2008, p.66]

SSX Blur looks great and plays brilliantly. The controls don't try to make you feel like a boarder - they just make you feel in touch with the game, and that's what the Wii is all about. [Apr 2007, p.76]

A great start to the series - if they're all this good, we'll snap them all up. [Oct 2008, p.92]

Essential for Metallica fans and GH experts, but everyone else should stick to World Tour. [June 2009, p.82]

As hilarious as ever - chalk up another must-have purchase for Strong Bad. [Jan 2009, p.93]

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

Five-a-side is a great addition. Just as well, as the rest is mostly similar to last year's game.

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.

A clever puzzle game that will have you thinking and shaking at the same time. [Christmas 2009, p.101]