Wii

I love Legend of Zelda games. The exploration, the combat, and the reinvention of the cast at large that serve to suit the individual game rather than any grand over-arching story have made Zelda one of my favorite video game franchises. I loved pushing gravestones in the original, discovering the dark world in A Link to the Past, linking my adventures together in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, directing the wind in Wind Waker and playing through the mansion in Twilight Princess.

I’m also a fan of traversing the larger games. Horse-riding in Ocarina of Time, train-riding in Spirit Tracks and especially sailing in Wind Waker were all great. Jumping from Skyloft and knowing that your bird will be there to catch you blows all of those things away. No matter how many times I did it, the sensation was wonderful. It throws you right into the Skyloft way of life, and really embodies who Link is and always has been: an adventurer who (if you play the way I do) has a gigantic grin on his face the majority of the time. READ MORE

While last year’s Kirby’s Epic Yarn was a nice, relaxing title for the Kirby franchise, it’s been 11 years since The Crystal Shards, which was the last proper console entry featuring Kirby’s signature copy powers and abilities. We’ve had several handheld iterations, ranging from great to average, but Kirby’s been long overdue for a new, grand adventure. Return to Dream Land is a spectacular, well, return to Nintendo’s home consoles, building up on its entire series legacy for what’s arguably the best game in the series. Welcome back, Kirby. READ MORE

The Wii version of SEGA’s Captain America: Super Soldier is a surprisingly solid action-platformer despite its movie tie-in roots. Taking place as a sort of side mission between the events depicted in the movie, CA:SS starts off with an introductory/tutorial level on the front-lines before proceeding to the main locale, Baron Zemo’s castle. The Baron is not pleased at the fact that HYDRA has taken over his family’s estate for their research purposes, but he’s not really in a position to do anything about it other than give Cap — normally his hated enemy — some pointers about its layout via radio. READ MORE

The original Wii Play was largely a tutorial for the Wii remote, disguised as a series of simple games and bundled with a controller for not much more money. It racked up sales, not because it was a particularly desirable disc to have, but because it was usually a cheap way to snag another controller. Wii Play Motion, bundled this time with a Remote Plus and showing off its advanced functionality, bears quite the resemblance to its predecessor. The difference? Though none of the twelve included minigames show any sort of advanced replayability or draw, they feel like they have just a bit more personality to them. It’s enough to make an already-short experience a bit sweeter. READ MORE

The Lego series of games, developed by Tt Games, has become such an established franchise by now, with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and Batman editions under its belt, that this review is almost unnecessary. If you are somehow unfamiliar with the trademark puzzles, character-swapping and wanton destruction of property, you have really been missing out on some quality family-friendly fun. The latest iteration focuses on the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean movies, including levels based on the recent release On Stranger Tides. (The game was actually released about a week before the movie, in fact.) It may be one of the best versions yet.

Like every other licensed Lego game, Lego PotC features a wide array of characters (although quite a few are the same character in different outfits), many of whom have unique skills that you will need in order to progress through the game’s puzzles. Some shoot guns (or throw axes, in the case of Will Turner), some shoot big guns (or bombs) that can destroy special silver bricks, some (all women) can double-jump to reach extra heights… the list goes on. Jack Sparrow’s special ability, his magic compass, is really well-implemented and key to solving several puzzles by letting you track down the item you require. As you progress through the story, you will unlock new characters for use in Free Play mode. Additional characters can be earned via the hub world (“The Port”) after you defeat them in combat and/or pay their fee.

While the story mode is the usual Lego pantomimed bowdlerized versions of the movies’ story (the hanging scene that begins At World’s End is… different, to say the least), it mostly serves as a vehicle to get you familiar with the stages’ layouts and unlock characters. Even an obsessively meticulous playthough will fail to yield every secret a stage has to offer. If you want 100% completion, you need to experience Free Play mode, which gives you access to characters (and their skills) that the normal story does not. you can do this either solo or with a friend, as usual; the Lego games have some of the best family play around, with unlimited continues, no reading required, and no blood. Although the mini-figs do break apart in ways that would be unsettling if there were blood. (Best not to think about that too much.) You can also find and purchase cheats (“extras”) that just add to the fun.

In the end, whether or not you need to pick up Lego PotC depends solely on how big a fan you are of the franchise. If you are not much of a fan of the PotC movies you can skip it without missing much, especially if you have played one of the other Lego games. But if you enjoy the Lego gameplay and are amused by the antics of Jack Sparrow (who is animated so brilliantly I could almost swear they used motion capture) and friends, this is a slam-dunk pick-up. 

Pros: Same great Lego gameplay with the fun of the Pirates movies, if that’s your thing

Cons: Of course, that may not be your thing