Ultimately, The Sims 3 gives DS owners the Sims game they've always wanted, and it does a pretty fine job of condensing the console and PC experience into a handheld. In spite of the design and technical problems that crop up along the way, the game is just as entertaining and engrossing as ever, and the constant need to complete one more task, earn the next rank or achieve one last goal is a strong enough pull to keep you playing for hours on end.

If you buy Call of Duty games every year, there's no reason to pass on WWII, which is a quality installment in the long-running franchise. The single-player portion was surprisingly good, but with the exception of the new War mode, the multiplayer was not to my liking. The developers wanted the multiplayer to be more rapidly paced, but it lacks balance because the Airborne division is incredibly overpowered. The Nazi Zombies mode is fun, as always. WWII is a good break from the science-fiction mechanics of the past few releases in the series, and it's a worthwhile purchase since you're bound to sink dozens of hours into it.

Some people are going to hate it on sight, but I believe that like SaGa Frontier before it, Romancing SaGa has a welcome place in the gaming library of anyone who appreciates a completely free-roaming experience and isn't above being patient with the quirks of gameplay it holds.

It is an adventure game through and through, and it manages to capture the feeling of fun and exploration in a way that few games can.

The kid-friendly atmosphere makes it a great game for parents and kids to play together, and it's one of the rare movie tie-in games that's well worth the cost.

de Blob 2 is a great game that now has the chance to be experienced by a wider audience thanks to its multiplatform status. The casual platformer is much easier this time around, but it's still an enjoyable experience.

Signalis is the type of horror game that keeps you hooked from beginning to its true end. The story is told in a confusing way, but the delivery succeeds in keeping you intrigued enough to see its conclusion. Sparse inventory management aside, it achieves a nice balance between puzzles and combat, and even if you figure out that flight is a more formidable strategy than fight, the overall tension and sense of unease remains. For horror fans who want the feel of a bygone classic, Signalis is worth checking out.

If you look at Jade Empire as Bioware's next RPG, you'll be disappointed, as it is really a step back from Bioware's previous endeavors. However, when looked at as more of an action title, Jade Empire is much more palatable.

Overall, Dungeon Siege III: Treasures of the Sun is a good DLC pack. For $10, players get three to five hours of gameplay per character in some neat new environments. You also get new abilities and a solidly written individual plot, so it's a good value for those who enjoyed the base game. Nothing here's going to change the minds of non-fans, though.

Wild ARMS Alter Code: F contains too many technical and presentation missteps to be considered a classic worthy of the hallowed halls of RPG Valhalla, but coasting along on story and style alone takes it far.

Super Scribblenauts is about as straightforward of a sequel as you can get. It's almost easier to compare to an expansion pack than a full-fledged sequel. There are improvements and mechanical updates, but nothing really changes the entire experience.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a master class in how to update an old game while retaining its original feeling. It has a ton of adjustments, changes, fixes and features that completely change how the game plays, while managing to retain the same feeling of playing the game when it originally came out. It looks better, sounds better, plays better, and in general, it's the absolute optimal way to experience Star Ocean: The Second Story.

Quite solid, and if there is one problem, it is the steep learning curve. If you are new to manager-type games, then the huge amount of options can lead to quick frustration, but the tutorial and succinct manual alleviate this, if only a bit.

Minor complaints aside, Covenant of the Plume is a fun and unique strategy RPG, and it's a solid addition to any DS owner's RPG library.

Fight Night: Champion isn't a perfect boxing game. The addition of the referee is distracting at times, especially since it feels like he wasn't implemented well. Veteran players will lament the fact that their old practices make for a twitchier boxer until they learn the proper control scheme, and the training games aren't exactly exciting. Despite this, there's still plenty to love about the game. The Story mode is engaging, if familiar, and the Legacy mode gives the solo player something to work toward. The online mode performs well, the game still impresses graphically, and the fighting engine feels like a better tweak of what was offered in Fight Night Round 4. Boxing fans, both die-hard and casual, will find plenty to enjoy in this game.

Ghostrunner was a pleasant surprise. It's a short and fun action platformer that keeps you busy with challenging but fair stages, while smartly mixing things up throughout the experience. It's not quite as great in telling its story as it is with its movement and combat, and it can be frustrating at times, but when everything works well together, it's a satisfying and fun skill-based action game. If you are looking for a linear and challenging game, pick up Ghostrunner.

Overall, Dungeon Siege III: Treasures of the Sun is a good DLC pack. For $10, players get three to five hours of gameplay per character in some neat new environments. You also get new abilities and a solidly written individual plot, so it's a good value for those who enjoyed the base game. Nothing here's going to change the minds of non-fans, though.

By creating a timer feature that tracks how much time we're away from Quinn, Stay extends its memorable experience beyond our gaming monitor and asks us how long we're willing to stay away when it has negative consequences. With great narrative and relatable content, the title falters in creating far too complex puzzles that transform the game from Stay into Stuck. However, Quinn's story (and our story) create solid and thoughtful gameplay that keeps us coming back for more. If one can overlook the puzzling mishaps, Stay is a title that reaches out to all of us and creates a worthwhile experience.

Fight Night: Champion isn't a perfect boxing game. The addition of the referee is distracting at times, especially since it feels like he wasn't implemented well. Veteran players will lament the fact that their old practices make for a twitchier boxer until they learn the proper control scheme, and the training games aren't exactly exciting. Despite this, there's still plenty to love about the game. The Story mode is engaging, if familiar, and the Legacy mode gives the solo player something to work toward. The online mode performs well, the game still impresses graphically, and the fighting engine feels like a better tweak of what was offered in Fight Night Round 4. Boxing fans, both die-hard and casual, will find plenty to enjoy in this game.

If you've never liked side-scrolling brawlers in the vein of Golden Axe and Double Dragon, then feel free to move on because the neat little additions and charming art style of Castle Crashers will do nothing to win you over. If your eyes fill with tears of nostalgia at their very mention, though, then don't be put off by the price of 1,200 MS points because it's worth every penny if you have the friends with whom to enjoy it.

It's gorgeous (if you have a high-end system), it's fun, and it has some truly unique features that set it apart from the pack. With time, there might even be some patches that clear up the remaining oversights, like the interface and the auto-save.

It would be easy to overlook Skylanders: Giants as "just a kids' game," but to do so would be a disservice. Giants is one of those rare titles that offers something for everyone, whether you're a kid, a casual player or a hardcore gamer who has been playing for years. In the end, it's plenty of fun, and that's what really matters.

Like its predecessor, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is astounding. The music remains catchy across all of the genres it tackles, and while the playfield can be busy almost all of the time, the mechanics will place you in a trance once you get into the groove. The more straightforward arcade approach works very nicely, and the alternate control methods do well as far as easing players into the manic rhythm action. The only real drawback is the smaller selection of songs out of the box, but if you can live with that and the hope that more DLC will fix this issue, the game is another must-have rhythm title on a system that has no shortage of excellent titles in the genre.

Some minor flaws aside, Atelier Shallie doesn't break the mold and is an excellent ending to the Dusk trilogy. While the presentation lacks a little polish, it has the most refined and enjoyable version of the core franchise mechanics to date.

Yoku's Island Express is a game that you'll encourage others to check out the minute you start playing. Aside from the gorgeous aesthetics, the use of pinball mechanics is inspired, and the execution of the mechanics is done well. It's a relatively short experience, but it feels packed with tons of side-quests if you can deal with the backtracking seeming to go on a little longer than usual due to the pinball mechanics. Overall, Yoku's Island Express is a brilliant game that adventure fans need.

Death's Gambit saw the opportunity to take two genres and tweak them enough to make a new game out of it — and it worked. The core mechanics, while markedly unoriginal, are genuinely fun to play, and the stunning sound and visuals make it a treat to experience. This game is far from perfect, though, with a lacking story and unfortunately glitchy points, but is still worth the time and money to check out. While I wouldn't say that Death's Gambit is an improvement upon either Metroidvania or Souls-like games, it's a great addition to both genres.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a charming, fun and well-made game with plenty of humor and excellent gameplay. It's an example of how you can expand on a tried-and-true formula in a way that makes it distinctive and exciting. The only thing that drags it down are some bugs and occasional difficulty spikes that feel more frustrating than fun. If you're a fan of XCOM-style games but want a new approach, you should absolutely try MYZ, which is one of the best surprises of the year.

Ultimately, it's hard to go wrong with Zen's Star Wars Pinball. Though the included tables don't quite surpass Data East's classic, they are all solid pinball experiences and among the best tables that Zen has produced — even if the Star Wars license wasn't attached.