All told, it's an impressive accomplishment, and a great start for the series on the Nintendo 3DS. I have no idea what the future holds, but for another few years at least, the beat will go right on for what may be the most important series on any Nintendo platform.

These caveats aside, Pokemon X and Y is a very successful update for the venerable series, and actually, it compares rather favorably to Diamond and Pearl in terms of content out of the box (not as much Black and White, which had half a continent to explore after the Elite 4 was done).

It's a heavy plot, wrapped in psychological terror, intricately-placed jump scares, and monstrous creations. It's worth experiencing, but make sure you turn out all the lights and grab your headphones to get the full Amnesia experience.

The controls may be cumbersome, and the pacing may be faulty, but it's a romp worth sticking with. With its superpowered premise, memorable characters, and fascinating gameplay gimmick, The Wonderful 101 is a theatrical blockbuster that's perfect for Wii U.

Above all, Rayman Legends embodies the spirit of what makes gaming so wonderful: it's enchanting, it's memorable, and most importantly, it's sheer fun.

Too much of Game & Wario feels like it's been done before. Its handful of smart designs provide fleeting thrills, while the rest are unfortunately forgettable.

Everything its predecessor was: an intense and enjoyable RTS that gives you the feeling of really being an armchair general. It is just unfortunate that after waiting so long for a sequel, it doesn't offer too much in the way of innovation.

I couldn't put aside how clunky the controls feel without a controller or mouse/keyboard.

Any person eager for the heyday of the pen & paper days of RPGs should find this a nice blast from the past.

It's clear that Pikmin 3 was not designed with the GamePad in mind. Even in our review guide, Nintendo recommends playing with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Controlling the virtual cursor becomes much easier the Wii Remote, and alleviates many of the camera control issues you may face when playing with just the GamePad or Pro Controller.

Mario & Luigi has also become known for its sharply humorous writing. While that's definitely present here, it's obscured by the sheer mass of dialogue.

A thoroughly well-executed absurd empowerment fantasy, and a fond farewell to its peanut gallery. This might not be the game to evoke essays on meaning and artistry, but I haven't had more fun this year.

The Fullbright Company's first indie effort is backed up by a touching narrative, one paced incredibly well, that effectively engages players through the bulk of the game's short three-hour runtime.