Wii U

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It’s been three years since we last saw Sam Fisher in action in Splinter Cell: Conviction, an entry that eschewed the usual stealth trappings in favor of heavy-duty tactical action. Many fans of the series didn’t care for the direction the series was taking and, if Blacklist is any indication, Ubisoft paid attention. Blacklist is easily the best, most fully-featured game in the series since Chaos Theory. READ MORE

How do you follow a game that not only revitalized a franchise, but also restored many players’ faith in the power of the platformer? 2011’s Rayman Origins combined a refreshing and gorgeous aesthetic with smooth, interesting level design, and had some seriously questioning Mario’s place as the top of the genre.

Rayman Legends follows up in the most straightforward way it can: by stepping up its game in every possible aspect.

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DuckTales Remastered is just that: an HD conversion of an NES classic. It isn’t a remake or a reboot, and should not be viewed as such. Most of the mechanical and design changes are subtle. The real draw is the presentation: the adorable HD visuals and robust animations, fully-voiced cutscenes and yet another energetic Jake Kaufman soundtrack. As long as you know what you’re getting into here (or aren’t above choosing “Easy” mode), DuckTales is just as fun as it was on the NES, with a hefty helping of extra charm. READ MORE

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After a flurry of fighting game re-releases, Capcom has pointed Iron Galaxy’s arcade-port expertise to a beat-’em-up. It’s not just any of the company’s myriad brawlers, though. Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara have long been missing from home platforms for various reasons, and it’s a shame, because the inventory and decision-making aspects of the game make it quite distinct. READ MORE

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Console re-releases of handheld games are always risky propositions, no matter what the game in question is. Often you get poorly-handled ports that look awful, and don’t adapt well to the console control schemes. On rare occasions, however, you get an updated version that matches the original game and feels right at home on consoles. Resident Evil: Revelations, last year’s 3DS release, is now in HD on modern consoles, and it’s a perfect fit. It probably won’t satisfy those who have already experienced the original version, but it provides evidence that not all re-releases are worth skipping. READ MORE