Dan Naylor
More Fibbage, more Quiplash. Do you need anything else?
Skylanders may be facing tougher competition this year, but with Superchargers it's stepped up its game to match.
If you're in the market for a little puzzler for your Wii U, Pullblox is for you. The amount of content straight out of the box, as well as the potential for thousands of player made levels, means you'll get value for money. The simplicity of the concept also means that anyone can pick it up and play, although later levels may get a bit too much for younger children.
A platformer in the mould of the Sonic-games of old, and as such, well worth your time and money.
If One Piece is a series you follow, my words aren't going to impact your choice to buy this. But if, like me, you're new to the series, Unlimited World Red is surprisingly enjoyable. It's all silly and over the top, full of daft enemies and exaggerated characters, and it positively screams "I am a game! Have fun with me!" Sometimes, though, that's exactly what you want.
I'm sure fans will need no convincing to pick this up, but as someone new to Musou battle games I found this an excellent entry point. Getting a rhythm going as you charge across the battlefield can be quite hypnotic, and while it is easy for anyone to pick up and play, mastering it will take much, much longer.
Pure Pool's greatest trick is its immediacy. Once the table is in front of you, you can just play over and over and over with no wait. With a variety of game modes to try out and the online suite there's plenty to keep you entertained, but while it may be a near-perfect simulation of pool, it doesn't come close to playing the real thing. People buy Gran Turismo because they're never going to be a racing driver or own a Ferrari. You can go down the local and pay 50p for a game of pool with your mates. Just saying.
The Gran Turismo of motorbikes.
A fun and surprisingly deep city-builder.
New handling model shakes up a familiar game, and is well worth a look.
Accessible, well made and full of really, really cool moments, it's hard not to love it. Add in a perfectly crafted Star Wars dressing and an impressive amount of cinematography and you have my favourite multiplayer shooter in years.
An almost endlessly replayable party game from the creators of the ultimate party pack.
If you're looking for a dip in and out arcade fix though, Extreme Exorcism ranks among the best I have ever played. Its fast and frantic nature allows anyone to play – and to feel good at it – while at the same time offering enough depth for score hunters to master the perfect strategy on it's various stages. This coupled with its excellent multiplayer makes Extreme Exorcism well worth a look.
Ubisoft has tinkered around behind the hood and gotten this series back on the right track. Long may it continue, as Syndicate is the best Assassin's Creed game in a long, long time.
Great party game to play with non-gamers.
Two of the finest RTS titles ever developed get a makeover courtesy of Gearbox
Finally a game designed to truly showcase what the Wii U's unique feature set can do.
The Banner Saga is one of the most original games you'll play this year. That such a small team has managed to create a story that will be unique to every player is astonishing, and that the story actually makes you care even more so. Buy this game.
Ground Zeroes is excellent, it really is. Not only is it one of the best-looking games ever made, there is simply nothing I would change about the gameplay at all. It's an appetiser that has me drooling for the main course, and that means it has done its job. If you can overlook the price tag and the fact that there's DLC out there for other games that provides more bang for your buck, then this is absolutely worth picking up.
It's a massive shame that so few people are playing Intercept so soon after release – and that the number is only going to go down – because Intercept is excellent, a diamond finally cut from the rough potential of Killzone Shadow Fall. Fragile systems that must be balanced during relentless assaults, clever enemies and perfectly built maps combine to make it the best mode in the game.