Martyn Locker
SteamWorld Heist is another huge leap forward for Image & Form. It's more than just a worthy successor: it's a magnificent showcase for an entire genre.
Super Mario Maker isn't much of a 30th anniversary game; it's more of a tool. A tool that takes advantage of the most iconic mechanics from an entire genre's 30-year heritage.
AlphaDream has refined its own RPG formula to near-perfection while accommodating another series. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a modern classic.
Greg Lobanov has produced a game that has it all. It's a truly heartwarming story with unique gameplay, clever puzzles and a colourful cast of characters in a gorgeous world that never feels limited by its retro-inspired, two-dimensional roots.
Three Links are better than one in the latest The Legend of Zelda game, as Tri Force Heroes' focus on multiplayer gives the series a breath of fresh air.
If you've grown tired of last year's game then you can probably sit this iteration out; for first time players, or those returning after a couple of years' hiatus, Formula 1 games have never felt so authentic, so in-depth, yet so accessible. Slip on your race suit and climb into the cockpit.
If you have any interest in puzzle-platformers, don't let Omno pass you by. It's one of the most heartwarming adventures you can experience on PlayStation 4 with a level of charm seldom found in the medium.
It's hard to avoid comparisons between WRC 10 and the increasingly liberal depiction of rallying in the DIRT and Forza Horizon series, but where they've veered off in a new direction, WRC 10 remains faithful to its source material and offers a fine emulation of the World Rally Championship with a few technical niggles.
FAST Racing NEO delivers Shin'en's trademark aesthetic polish and applies it to an otherwise fully-fledged package that racing fans will lap up.
Game Freak's solitaire-meets-horse-racing mashup Pocket Card Jockey may be niche, but the gameplay is so quirky, addictive, and simply unique there's no excuse to not give it a try.
Gunman Clive HD Collection may lack new content, but the original 3DS games have survived the transition to Wii U admirably. Newcomers: don't miss out again.
Morris may be dead, but there's no denying that Annapurna Interactive's knack for publishing charming video games with unique gameplay is alive and kicking. Beyond its unique flavour of puzzle, there's a vibrant world full of characters who can't wait to share their stories. If you have the patience to do so, it's well worth hearing them out.
The Wii U eShop proves to be the perfect home for STARWHAL, as a multiplayer-focused gem; however, its lack of online modes make this one difficult to recommend.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is too much of a traditional JRPG to bring new players to Wii U, but it’s a solid exclusive that Shin Megami Tensei or Persona fans will adore.
Bandai Namco's Pokkén Tournament makes the fighting genre accessible to a younger audience, but does little to accommodate more experienced players.
Just Die Already takes the outrageous nature of Goat Simulator and brings it to a completely new concepts and premise. But, while the experience is fun and a laugh, it is fairly shallow and physics don't hold up to other games in the genre. A funny time, but definitely nothing to go running to tell your grandparents about.
Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut is too flawed to recommend, and its audience will have already grabbed it at a fraction of the Wii U eShop price in a Steam sale or similar.
The FMV acting is great, as are the production values but ultimately the story just doesn't hold up. There's simply too much repetition required to uncover everything Night Book has to offer.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash serves up a feast for the eyes, but Camelot has lost too much of the charm and character that made its predecessors so special.
King Of Seas ultimately suffers through a lack of visual polish, some frustrating gameplay mechanics, and dull pacing and sequences, which when all combined together create a thoroughly unremarkable experience that doesn't manage to hold its own against even some of the most average of pirate games on the market.