An improvement over its predecessor in almost every area and as such the new lord of free-roaming gangster simulations – there's nothing to match it on PSP. But the narrative feels a little undercooked.

A gloomy, intelligent platformer, Nihilumbra will keep you playing until the bitter end.

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack is the best downloadable launch game for the PS Vita.

Despite some slight tedium in the mission variety, you’ll keep coming back to your Vita to play Volume weeks, months, even years later.

One for experienced series fans, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict marches in near-flawless fashion to strengthen the cause of turn-based strategy gaming.

With plenty of levels and items to collect, Frisbee Fever is an enjoyable arcade title with surprisingly high production values.

The controls take some getting used to, but the effort is worth it as Sky Gamblers provides hours of excellent dog-fighting fun – both in solo and multiplayer form.

An engaging, neon-bright puzzler, Slydris plays with the building blocks of the best and comes up with something pretty damn good.

It won't be to everyone's taste, but Stone Age: The Board Game is a deep and entertaining multiplayer package.

A bright, bold, and rather brilliant gamebook, Appointment with F.E.A.R. is a step in an interesting new direction.

An entertaining mash-up of dungeon crawling and Pac-Man. Lacks variety but always good for a quick blast.

A tough but ultimately rewarding board game reworking of some classic gamebooks.

Tiny Thief is a charming reduction of the point-and-click adventure, though its charm and polish cover over some pretty basic trial-and-error gameplay.

SteamWorld Heist is an unexpected and super-satisfying strategy smash - if you've enjoyed games like Codename STEAM or Fire Emblem, then consider this little gem an essential purchase.

Luigi's spooky Switch debut revels in the details whilst stealthily expanding his horizons. Scarily good fun.

Mario could learn a trick or two from his brother, as Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon stakes its claim as one of the most essential titles available for Nintendo 3DS.

An interesting and engaging puzzler, Dream of Pixels isn't revolutionary, but it's an enjoyable beast all the same.

It's one of the most creative and ambitious ideas to hit the world of games, but being able to magic up a fire-breathing giraffe counts for little when the included puzzles are often so cryptic and dull.

A brilliant JRPG that builds on the successes of its predecessors. Chaos Rings II isn't quite perfect, but it more than justifies its premium price tag.

Quite unlike any other twin-stick shooter you've ever played, Mushihimesama Bug Panic is a mini-masterpiece that combines gorgeous visuals with arresting gameplay.

While Bumpy Road is thin on content, it makes up for that with buckets of occasionally touching indie charm.

A bright and funny reworking of Bridge Constructor with some special Aperture Science trappings.

Chopper 2 is a demanding experience that won't appeal to everyone, but if you accept the challenge of this side-scrolling shoot 'em up you're certain to get your money's worth.

A bafflingly overpraised auto-runner that looks good but soon becomes tiresome.

Monument Valley's expansion pack exceeds all expectations by being even more inventive and surprising than the original game.

A shiny and entertaining hovering adventure, Power Hover is as beautiful as it is fun.

Few games are able to worm their way into your imagination and subconscious as well as New Star Soccer. You'll suffer the highs and lows of its simply presented matches with the grin of a true addict plastered across your face.

Xenoblade Chronicles is an embarrassment of riches, packed with content and depth. But it feels like a squeeze, rather than a natural fit, on Nintendo 3DS.

Part Mario, part Space Invaders, part every 2D game you can think of, Pix'n Love Rush's complex set-up will likely charm just as many players as it bamboozles.

Sonic Mania is a love letter to fans of the franchise, who will no doubt lap it up. But it also feels like a missed opportunity to be what Sega has never achieved before: a truly great Sonic game.

A gloriously inventive combination of Nokia's Snake and Tron's light cycles, Hard Lines includes a dazzling variety of modes and provides weeks of entertainment for short-burst gamers and dedicated score-chasers alike.

A superb word-strategy game with enough polish and charm to overlook its lack of multiplayer.

It might not have the chops of Clash Royale, but Plants vs Zombies: Heroes is still a lot of fun.

A game about being a king with king and human problems on his shoulders that you need to solve carefully, thoughtfully, and creatively while working with limited information.

Cadence of Hyrule is a startlingly successful remix of the classic Zelda template, bringing a whole new rhythmic core to the Hyrule we all know and love.

Monster Hunter Generations is the most complete game in the series yet, and the best one at that. If you have friends or family you can hunt with regularly, this is an absolute essential for 3DS.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is a deep, enthralling game but the presence of some flawed elements mean it's not as good as the previous "Dawn of Sorrows."

Well produced and highly addictive, Tiny Heroes will find favour with fans of the genre – providing they don't expect anything startlingly original.

Don't let the cuteness fool you: Monster Burner is a tough arcade puzzler.

iOOTP Baseball 2012 Edition is able to deliver the thrill of the game through mere text, though fans of the series might wonder why play hasn't been pushed on a touch.

An impressive game with a gorgeous world you'll want to explore, Air Mail is only let down by its lack of challenge.

Thumper doesn't work quite so well on Switch as it does on VR, but it's still worth a look if you can't get the other version.

A fierce and compelling FPS that will keep you enthralled from the second you load it up.

A puzzling platformer with its feet firmly on the ground, Rinth Island is a brilliant slice of gaming that almost anyone will enjoy.

Samus Returns is not the most faithful remake in history, but taken on its own terms it’s a fun shooter with just enough Metroid flavour to keep fans happy.

rustration, fury, and eventual elation - it's all in a day's work for OlliOlli 2. A near-perfect sequel.

Dragon Quest VIII is a game that's one big nostalgic nod to the past, for better and for worse. Despite this, its vibrant world and memorable characters will pull you through to journey's end.

Pumped and packed with action, coming out on top in Aqua Moto Racing 2 may be a touch easy at times, but it's never dull.

SpacePlan won't appeal to everyone, but its absurdist sci-fi story and polished design makes for lacking gameplay mechanics.

A feature-packed RTS that's smart, intuitive, and has the gameplay chops to back up its gorgeous looks.

First impressions count, and your first impression of Bug Princess 2 will probably be 'wow', closely followed by 'good lord', as you weave and blast through its glorious waves of hellish beasts.

There's fun to be had spinning the reels, but King Cashing 2 doesn't do enough to stave off the inherent shallowness of its battles.

A pint-sized facsimile of the massively successful home console brawler, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition overcomes its minor interface issues to become one of the finest portable punch-ups we've experienced in years.

An engaging, polished, and deep strategy game with just a few niggles to dull the shine.

Indeed, it's somewhat ironic that only now, with the integration of Wi-Fi, Pokémon has become the community game it's always pretended to be. Casting a retrospective eye upon the series, it would appear that every game since the series started in 1995 has just been a level up. This, finally, is the real deal. [JPN Import]

It might not have the drama of the courtroom, but Devil's Attorney is still a great way to waste a few hours getting criminals off the hook.

Bravely Default breaks from the traditional JRPG mould time and time again, providing dozens of hours of clever adventuring.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem is fantastic fun, offering the speed and variety of a top notch action game with the vibrant colour and characters of a great comic book.

Night in the Woods is a rich and heart-filled story that's easy to fall in love with and incredibly hard to forget.

Cute but incredibly difficult, Penumbear oozes brooding malice and will cause a great deal of frustration - but the unique gameplay is tight and appealing enough to keep you enthralled.

One of the must-have PSP games of the year, LocoRoco 2 delivers everything we could have wanted - more stuff to unlock and plenty of joyful, secret-packed levels full of weirdness and wonder.

Hotline Miami is brutal, gory, masterful, essential. You'll play for the arcade mob shootings, and stay for the psychedelic style.

Rogue Legacy is a frightfully fun twist on Castlevania, but the nature of its RPG backbone can turn the adventure into a bit of a grind.

Undoubtedly one of the system's best titles to date, Logan's Shadow brightens up the PSP library with a thrilling mixture of remarkably entertaining gameplay and astonishing presentation.

There are a few problems here, but none of them are big enough to detract from the fun you'll mostly be having.

A remarkably generous offering from Team17. Fun, playable, and stuffed to bursting point with content.

A gorgeous-looking game, Badland doesn't quite have the moves to make it a classic.

The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+ on Switch isn't just a brilliant port - it's arguably the best way to enjoy a modern roguelike classic.

Fantastic retro presentation meets intriguing modern design, Forget-Me-Not is a breath of fresh air.

Super Smash Bros is as fast, frenetic, and wonderfully satisfying on handheld. And this pint size version has more of everything - including fighters, trophies, and modes.

Cut the Rope: Experiments adds lots of kooky contraptions to the original hit.

Beautifully presented and utterly compelling, Async Corp. is one of the best iOS titles you'll play all year.

If you've ever complained about games being dumb, buy this game - it genuinely might make you that little bit smarter.

A relentlessly stylish sensory assault that's so in tune with its underlying mechanics that it works, despite the game's obvious flaws.

Final Fantasy V might not represent the high point of the series, but Square Enix's sympathetic graphical overhaul and that ever-engrossing job system mean that it feels surprisingly fresh in 2013.

Whether you're a long-standing admirer of the original books or a complete newcomer, Forest of Doom is role-playing adventure at its finest, and comes back with delicious fan service to boot.

Rocket Robo is a charming and attractive casual puzzler in which its maker fleshes out its basic concept with solid controls and varied level design.

A well put together match-three puzzler with a solid RPG built around it, Darkin is well worth some time and effort.

WWE SuperCard is an unexpectedly strategic and fun collectible card game. No, seriously, it's really quite good.

A bright light in a increasingly dull genre, Framed is a puzzler with enough going for it that you can look past its little problems.

A wonderful, super engaging arcade squiggler, Magic Touch ranks with Nitrome's best.

A bright and wonderfully well put together game, Silly Sausage ranks with Nitrome's best.

A nicely balanced and supremely well executed mix of match-three and casual tower-offence.

One of the big surprises of the last few weeks, this one is well worth checking out.

A decent digital port that frees players from fiddly overhead, leaving them to admire clever mechanics and addictive gameplay.

ReRunners is the Sonic game we all wanted, with a healthy dose of competitive multiplayer thrown in.

A game that does things differently. And while it doesn't always work out, it's still worth some of your precious time.

Whatever genre this sits under, we need more of it. It's fun, pretty, and simple in the best way.

The Big Journey may have some un-fur-tunate issues with its controls, but it's hardly claw-ful - I dare say you'd better play it meow.

Holedown is a sweet and satisfying game of shattering blocks. It's like a casual game for grown-ups and people with attention spans, and I'd definitely suggest you go and check it out.

The beautiful, adventurous, and lengthy Oceanhorn is a strong stand-in for The Legend of Zelda on iOS, but don't expect it to top the real deal in any respect.

Junk Jack owes a significant debt to Minecraft but has a personality of its own. A worthy companion to the real thing.

With an engaging, lengthy story and a shockingly good technical presentation, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt easily becomes Nintendo Switch's best port, and one of the best RPGs on the system. If you haven't played it yet, do so immediately.

Reckless Racing is one heck of a good time, delivering stunning graphics and fun off-road action both online and off.

Part Time UFO is a wonderfully intuitive, unapologetically mobile arcade game that's guaranteed to brighten up any day.

It might look a bit dated now, but Final Fantasy IV Advance is a classic gaming experience.

The largely nonsensical story does tarnish its appeal ever so slightly, but it's certainly one of the better games you'll play from the palm of your hand. It's just a beautiful bullet-hell ballet for your Vita.

Just as polished and poised as you'd expect, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers continues the legacy of its predecessor without really adding anything new.