Typoman is a challenging, if at times frustrating platformer with a great core concept. It relies too heavily on trial and error and the controls could be a bit tighter, but the puzzle design and stark, haunting aesthetic more than make up for any drawbacks.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a landmark achievement in RPGs unmatched in depth, scope and beauty. While it suffers from a few common RPG issues like grind and fetch-quests, the overall quality of the experience far exceeds anything in competitors like recent Final Fantasy or Elder Scrolls titles. If you have the courage, Xenoblade Chronicles X offers a quest hundreds of hours long and rich in unforgettable moments.
A Fistful of Gun is a tough-as-nails throwback to classic top-down arcade shooters. It's best played with friends, but its finicky control schemes and steep learning curve make it difficult to get into.
Broforce finally explodes into its final release. The old-school difficulty might shock more casual indie players, but the pitch-black absurdist humor and deep, dynamic gameplay will keep you coming back for more.
System Shock Enhanced Edition is clunky, confusing and still absolutely brilliant. Night Dive has done impressive work to make this game playable on modern hardware, but the game still has a steep learning curve. A complicated and chilling experience await those who dare to enter System Shock.
Shiftlings is a smartly made puzzle game with an endearing story and art style, but unintuitive controls and killer load times make the Wii U version a real struggle to get into.
Adventures of Pip is a solid platformer with a clever premise. Those two aspects combine to make a game that is deceptively simple, charming and memorable.
Super Mario Maker is tricky to review and score. It's a heck of a first effort from Nintendo when it comes to level editors, with a shockingly deep number of options. However its few limitations are puzzling, and its time-based content gating makes it very slow to start creating.
I hate to describe Not a Hero as a smarmy British take on Broforce, but the similarities are undeniable. The quality is the same too. Relentless action, strong gameplay variety and a killer wit make Not a Hero one of the best indie games of 2015.
Sym is a valiant effort to convey how social anxiety feels, but its platforming mechanics aren't solid enough and distract from the story and themes. The art style is striking, but the story and thematic elements are too broad to leave a lasting impact.
The Weaponographist is a decent mix of Roguelike and arena brawler, but the controls are a bit stiff and there just isn't enough content or personality to put the game above its similarly-priced competitors.
Splatoon has a huge amount of potential wrapped in an addictively bizarre visual style. That said both the solo and multiplayer aspects are relatively simple and have a lot of room to grow with DLC and updates. Hopefully Splatoon will get better with age but for now its inky competitive action should keep you busy for a month or two.
Republique Remastered is an effective, modern point-and-click adventure, and one of the few good mobile-to-PC upconverts. The controls and gameplay take some time to get used to. But it's well worth it to explore the lovingly realized world of conspiracy and paranoia.
"Epic" is a criminally overused word these days, but Xenoblade Chronicles deserves no other descriptor. This existential saga of man vs. machine is finally available to the masses and on a portable to boot, with some graphical sacrifices. If you have a couple hundred hours to kill, I can think of few better ways to do it than with this JRPG masterpiece.
Story of Seasons doesn't rewrite the book on farming sims, but it's a big, healthy break from the Harvest Moon series that adds a few strong new ideas. It's Harvest Moon in everything but name, and one of the best of this kind of game to come along in a while.
Mario Party 10 introduces some great new uses for the Wii U GamePad and makes smart use of the Amiibo figurines, but unfortunately its main mode is still bogged down with bad ideas from Mario Party 9. If you ignore the main mode and explore everything else the game has to offer there is definitely fun to be had here, but it doesn't live up to the series' colorful, deceptively deep gameplay history.
Ace Combat Horizon Legacy Plus is exactly what you want from the series: Ace Combat on the go. This new version isn't essential if you have the original 2011 release, but if you've never bought the game, the new Amiibo support and other features make the Plus edition the one to own.
Pix the Cat remixes classic arcade concepts into an addictive new concoction of high scores and vivid art and sound. It has many similarities to Pac-Man Championship edition but definitely possesses its own style and gameplay quirks. At $10 it's a real bargain.
Grey Goo isn't a paradigm shift but Petroglyph still really know what they're doing when it comes to RTS. They introduce some clever new twists on the formula and tell an intriguing story in the process. For anyone wishing for a spiritual successor to Command & Conquer, Grey Goo is definitely it.
Like hidden treasure, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker packs a lot of value into an unassuming package. With a supremely addictive set of charming, brain-teasing levels, stellar production values and a budget price, Captain Toad is the perfect way for Wii U owners to wrap up 2014 after indulging in Smash Bros.