The first time Mario set his hefty foot atop a hapless Goomba, the 2-D sidescroller was born. With each passing generation, game designers find new and innovative ways to keep this ancient genre alive. Here are reviews of two brand new sidescrollers that merge the best parts of the last 30 years.

‘Guacamelee!’
Drinkbox Studios
PS3/Vita
4 (out of 5) Globes

This game technically falls into a category called “Metroidvania,” meaning that it owes great allegiance to both “Metroid” and “Castlevania.” This means an open world to explore, with plenty of side-scrolling action. Exploration is rewarded with new moves and abilities, which in turn let you explore new areas to find even more stuff. The perfect addictive cycle!

The hook with “Guacamelee!” is the world, which is set in Mexico and loosely based on the customs surrounding the country’s Day of the Dead celebration. It’s colorful, laugh-out-loud funny and features great controls.

One caveat though: The platforming in this title can be brutal. You may have to time travel and get your 9-year-old self to beat some of the more difficult segments.

“Terraria” plays like internet sensation “Minecraft” in 2-D.
Credit: 505 Games

‘Terraria’
PS3/Xbox/PC
505 Games
5 (out of 5) Globes

Unless you’ve been hiding under an Internet-disabled rock, you have no doubt heard of indie darling “Minecraft.” That game’s mix of action and literal world-building has made its creator one of the most influential, and wealthiest, men in the video game world. “Terraria” takes the randomized, build-anything tomfoolery of “Minecraft” and makes it 2-D. Yeah. It’s as good as it sounds.

“Terraria” is more a brutal, life-changing addiction than a video game (in a good way). Once you enter your randomized world, you’ll be able to explore every nook and cranny at your leisure. And we do mean every nook and cranny. You can dig all the way to Hell and build bridges all the way into space. There’s also plenty of treasure to find and enemies to fight, including some really cool bosses.

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“Last of Us”
System: PS3
Release Date: May 7th
Uncharted and its two sequels are among the best looking, and best playing, games on the PS3. The company that created Nathan and Sully are back, this time trading in treasure hunting for, um, surviving a horrendous apocalypse. Early reports indicate this title looks and plays great, with people likening it to a video game version of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.”

“Pikmin 3″
System: Wii U
Release Date: Spring
It’s been nine years since Captain Olimar and his lovable Pikmin have graced a video game console. What to expect with this new installment? More of the same strategy and exploration you know and love, this time with an HD coat of paint. All of the Pikmin will fight and die at your hand!

PS4/Xbox 720
Neither of these next-gen consoles have been officially unveiled but the rumor mill is gristling so hard it’s about to fall off. In any event, all will be revealed by May’s E3 expo. Our guess? The Xbox will be available in time for Christmas but the PS4 will lag until next year.

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These games, for the newbie, offer up an engrossing serial narrative dealing with humanity’s place in a, um, federation of planets. There’s action, plenty of talking and decisions that have actual consequences. If a character died way back in the first entry, assuming you played it, they are still dead in the third. Pretty cool, right? Still, this installment takes great pains to catch new players up on the story.

“Mass Effect 3” is a sequel in more of a cinematic sense. The gameplay is fairly indiscernible from “Mass Effect 2,” except for some simple Kinect functionality on the Xbox version. If you liked the franchise’s mix of planetary exploration, morality-based conversation and third person combat before, you’ll probably like it again. The story, however, is all new and manages to end the trilogy with earth-shattering aplomb.

Of course, this is 2012 and online multiplayer must be shoehorned into every video game no matter what. It’s not bad, if you play these games primarily for the combat. You can even parlay online success into more allies and weapons in the single player campaign. Beware buying used, though. It comes with one of those “online passes” that must be registered for 10 bucks if you want to play online. In space, nobody can hear you grab for cash.

Creepy online pass or not, this is one heck of a close-out for the series. The main storyline takes at least 50 hours to complete and every narrative thread you’ve been wondering about gets unraveled in ways that are often surprising. Play it and then wait patiently for a new “Star Trek” series. It should only be another decade or so.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages.

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‘Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational’
Console:?Playstation Vita
Company: Sony
Grade: 4/5

This series is a weird mix. Aesthetically it’s a loud, often cacophonous, hodgepodge of Japanese tomfoolery. Below all of that, though, lurks one of the most realistic and fun golf sims on the market. This version could easily fool people into thinking it’s for the PS3. It looks great, plays great and offers up robust Internet functionality. The controls alone are enough to make you swear off tablet and smartphone golf games for life. It’s a pleasure to plan and execute shots using real buttons with no worry of touch-screen accidents. The game’s only downside is its steep difficulty. Even Sam Snead would have trouble getting a gold medal on the later stages.

‘Uncharted: Golden Abyss’
Console: Playstation Vita
Company: Sony
Grade: 4/5
Can a portable version of Sony’s biggest blockbuster franchise offer up the same cinematic thrills as its console counterpart? Well, just about. Using our comparo-tron supercomputer we have ascertained that this new “Uncharted” is about 85 percent as awesome as the PS3 versions. Still, 85 percent in the palm of your hand is pretty astounding.

What’s right? Almost everything. The graphics are unreal and make you want to nudge the person next to you to check it out. The story and voice-acting are as great as you remember, sending Nathan Drake in search of a lost city of gold. Ditto for the gameplay. It’s the same mix of action and puzzle-solving you know and love only, well, smaller. The game does lack some of the “holy crap” set-piece moments the series is known for, though.

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‘Resident Evil: Revelations’
Console:?Nintendo?3DS
Company: Capcom
Grade: 3/5

“Resident Evil” is the puss-filled patriarch of the whole survival/horror thing. The recent console installments, however, have been appealing more to action fans and less to horror junkies. “Resident Evil: Revelations” changes all of that. It’s a terrifying journey that retains the fast-paced gunplay that make the newer entries so much fun.

The graphics are the finest on the system. The quest is varied, and it’s just as long as its console counterparts. So why three globes instead of four? The controls are a bit stilted and benefit from the addition of the forthcoming second analog stick attachment. That’s an extra $20. But spending money is scary.

‘Amy’
Console: 360/PS3
Company: Vector Cell
Grade: 1/5

If “Resident Evil” is the patriarch of survival/horror, that makes “Amy” the racist uncle who only shows up at family gatherings to borrow money and steal earrings. In short, this game is awful. The controls are absolutely broken. You can try to pick up an item or hit an enemy, but the game won’t let you. It is endlessly frustrating. The storyline, dealing with a little girl with strange powers, is kind of cool — but it comes too little too late.

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This is WayForward’s third download-only title for a Nintendo portable. The first two, “Mighty Flip Champs!” and “Shantae: Risky’s Revenge,” set the bar incredibly high. “Mighty Switch Force!” mostly stays perched on that bar. It’s a fantastic looking puzzle game masking as a platformer. The hook? You can use the 3-D to ‘switch’ around layers of the game-world, creating new pathways. It’s fun as all get out, but can seem repetitive later on. You know, just like marriage.

‘Zen Pinball’
Company: Zen Studios
Cost: $7
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Grade: 4/5

On one hand, this is just a pinball game. It’s 2012 and long-haired dudes in Rush t-shirts aren’t exactly flooding the pinball halls. On the other hand, it’s a pretty dang good representation. The controls work flawlessly, the tables are varied and the 3-D almost tricks you into thinking you are staring at a real pinball table (for whatever that’s worth).

‘VVVVVV’
Company: Nicalis
Cost: $8
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Grade: 5/5

First of all, let’s address the difficult-to-catch elephant in the room. “VVVVVV” is unimaginably, ludicrously hard. This old-school sidescrolling adventure demands the most from those who play it. Usually this kind of mega difficulty is a turnoff, but it works here. Why? Speed. When you die, and you will often, you are right back to the challenge in about one-fourth of a second. This gives your motor skills the help they need to memorize tricky gravity shifts and jumps. This turns it from a frustrating experience to the most addictive game on the eShop.

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages. 

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PlayStation Vita
Release date: Feb. 22
While the PSP wasn’t a runaway success like the DS, it still moved a ton of units. The forthcoming PSV will up the ante by offering experiences that almost rival those found on a PS3 or Xbox 360. The new portable also boasts front and back touchscreens, 3G functionality, dual analog sticks and one of the prettiest displays in all the tech-o-sphere. Oh yeah. It also launches with a new “Uncharted” game. May as well get that wallet out now.

iPad 3
Release date: February or summer — or who knows
The current rumor is that the third iPad will be released to commemorate Steve Jobs’ birthday on Feb.  24. Rumors also indicate the tablet will be 10 times the speed, feature eight cameras and communicate with alien life. Yeah. People write a lot of crazy stuff about Apple products. It’s safe to assume, though, it will have a better screen, faster processing and Siri implementation. Expect to be hearing a lot of “Siri. Run ‘Angry Birds.’”

Nintendo Wii U
Release date: After June
The Wii U made a brief appearance at last year’s E3 conference, but the system is still shrouded in Nintendo-branded mystery. All we know is the general “hook” of the system, which seems to marry the motion controls of the original Wii with an iPad. Soon you’ll be able to stream games right to the tablet controller if your roommates hate you for clogging up the living room. 

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To players of the first one simply wondering if it rules: Don’t worry. It rules. To everyone else wondering what all the fuss is about, “Batman: Arkham City” is a stellar action/adventure game that takes the exploration element of Nintendo’s “Zelda” and “Metroid” titles and molds it over the Batman license. It is that, though, and so much more.

Batman’s arsenal of moves has multiplied, and you’ll likely never tire of taking out Gotham City’s many petty thugs. The map offers an entire city to explore, which boasts hundreds of secret items to find.

The game is, of course, filled to the brim with memorable villains. Just about every notable bad guy makes an appearance here. If there’s any one complaint that can be volleyed against “Arkham City,” it’s that some of these classic baddies aren’t given enough narrative thrust. But if that’s the major complaint, you know this is a great game.

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‘NBA JAM: On Fire
Edition’
Console: 360/PS3
Company: EA
Grade: 4
The NBA Jam series isn’t a basketball sim. It’s a crazy, and often absurd, dunking contest populated by bobble heads. Any game that allows you to play as Sarah Palin or the Beastie Boys surely isn’t too concerned with realism. Still, there is plenty of great arcade fun to go around, and this latest installment is no different.

‘NBA 2K12’
Console: 360/PS3
Company: 2K Games
Grade: 5
Gamers weaned on “Madden” have learned to expect only minor changes to each year’s iteration of their favorite sports titles. With that logic, “NBA 2K” has done enough work to last through 2015.
2K Games must have given their laurels to Marv Alpert, because while “2K11” was great, “2K12” is pretty much the best basketball game ever made.

Every fiber of this game is exponentially better than “2K11.” Last year’s edition let you complete challenges as Michael Jordan. Now you can complete challenges as Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and tons more classic dribblers. The attention to detail shines in the franchise mode, the many online challenges and, obviously, the game play itself. You’ll be hard pressed (get it?) to play a better hoops sim in the foreseeable future.

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UFC Personal Trainer
Xbox 360 Kinect
THQ
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

When
you think of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, you think of bloody
battles that you have to pretend you aren’t watching when your spouse
comes home. You don’t, however, think of a healthful personal training
system.  That may change with UFC Personal Trainer, the new title that
uses the Kinect to whip your sorry butt into fighting shape.

The
game boasts real UFC trainers and uses them to great effect. It’s kind
of like a sassier, angrier Wii Fit. There are plenty of pre-made
workouts and even more standalone exercises to partake in. There are
also several arcade-like minigames that, aside from a boxing exercise,
are pretty average. Stick to the main workouts.

Child of Eden
Xbox 360 Kinect
Ubisoft
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Child of Eden is, at heart, an on-rails shooter that has you purging infected systems in the Internet of the future. The Kinect-based controls shake up the formula a bit, tasking you to stand up and quickly move your hands around to music in order to purge archives or dodge enemy attacks. It’s hard to describe what makes this game so cool. It sort of feels like you are playing something that has been lifted from science fiction. It’s easy to imagine Data or Tom Cruise’s character from Minority Report playing this title in their down time.

The graphics and sound act as a perfect compliment to the gameplay. Each of the five levels represent a different aspect of human life, from beauty to evolution. For instance, the beauty level features flowers, butterflies and a fitting soundtrack. Too bad there isn’t a gothic culture of the 1990s level. The only complaint, then, is that the game is over too soon, finishing in just a few hours. Such is life.

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‘Mortal Kombat’
Console: PS3/360
Company: WB Games
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

As you can tell by the name, this title seeks to return to the franchise’s roots. This means gruesome fatalities, fighting along an old-school 2-D plane and tons of secret moves. The fun, albeit ridiculous, storyline is also a nod in the retro direction. It involves the game’s cast traveling back in time to the original tournament in order to make sure their parents fall in love, um, or something. Time travel is so confusing.

But how does it play? Great. The controls and move sets are different from the original games but still solidly executed. Be careful, though. The single-player mode can be aggressively difficult. Luckily, there are more game modes than you can shake a stick at. Four player co-op, tag-team modes and online tournaments are only a few of the reasons that make this a great purchase for fight fans.

‘Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition’
Console: 3DS
Company: Capcom
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Who would have thought that in the year 2011 a Street Fighter game would be considered a top-tier purchase for the launch of a new system? Believe it, because this title is helping Nintendo’s new handheld fly off of the shelves. It’s easy to see why. “Super Street Fighter IV” for the 3DS is easily the definitive version of the game and probably the best portable fighter of all time.

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‘Patapon 3’
Console: Sony
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

The Patapon games are an interesting combination of genres. Take the rhythm-based gameplay of “Parappa the Rappa” or “Dance Dance Revolution” and mix liberally with God sims games like “Populous.” Then, dust with RPG elements. What you are left with is a game that is as fun to play as it is difficult to describe.  

‘Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection’
Console: Square Enix
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Classic Final Fantasy games get re-released more often than Eagles hits collections. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Square Enix is again giving “Final Fantasy IV” that re-release treatment. This may be yet another repackaging of an RPG classic but, thanks to some goodies, it is absolutely the definitive version.

This is actually two games in one. Square Enix has packaged together the original FFIV with 2009’s Wiiware sequel, “The After Years.” Not only have the graphics received a much-needed upgrade, but there are also several brand-new scenarios and an updated soundtrack. 

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Dungeon Raid
Company: Fireflame Games
Cost: $2.99
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Must. Play. Dungeon Raid. That will be your mantra once you get your hands on this addictive RPG/puzzle hybrid. Mix Bejeweled with a role-playing game and pepper liberally with arcade intensity. The end result is total and utter addiction. Recent updates have beefed up the game significantly, adding a level system, more enemies and achievements.

Drop7
Company: Zynga
Cost: Free
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Remember the time you wasted when you first discovered Tetris? Prepare for a repeat when you get your grubby little paws on Drop7. This deceptively simple puzzler tasks you to arrange numbered globes on a playing field. When you match the number on the globe to the number of globes it is next to, they disappear. Soon you’ll be lining up massive combos, and before long your wife and job will be history. Cool!

The winner

Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP
Company: Capybara Games
Cost: $4.99
Grade: 5 (out-of-5)

This is a meditative game that blends the best parts of a point-and-click adventure with a moving narrative and a whole lot of artsy tomfoolery. The soundtrack is unbelievable, and the whole package perfectly showcases what the iPad can do.

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Pilotwings Resort
3DS
Nintendo
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

Remember Pilotwings on the SNES? Remember that flight sim minigame on Wii Sports Resort? This is a mash-up of both. This is essentially a fleshed out version of what was found on Wii Sports Resort with a Pilotwings license slapped on. It still rules, though. The 3D here is top notch, as it lets you accurately guess depth and makes flying more intuitive and fun. There are tons of vehicles and secrets to unlock which makes repeat visits to Wahu island more enticing.

Bust-A-Move Universe
3DS
SquareEnix
Grade: 3 (out-of-5)

Another system launch, another Bust-A-Move game. This is the same fun puzzler you’ve been playing since you were a kid. Keep matching colored bubbles until you get rid of them all. Snood operates on a similar premise. The hook here? Well, there isn’t any really. There are some minor 3D effects but nothing to write home about. If you haven’t played the game in a while it might be worth your time.

Nintendogs + Cats
3DS
Nintendo
Grade: 4 (out-of-5)

The first Nintendogs was a smash hit and helped to sell a ton of DS systems. It’s easy to see why. It was a pet sim that starred a ton of cute pups. Nintendo has wisely released a followup for the 3DS that is sure to make you squeal with delight. It’s cute. It’s cuddly. It has cats. Not much has changed since the first outing, aside from better graphics and the ability to take your dogs for “walks” by carrying the 3DS around with you. 

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Pokemon Black/White
Nintendo DS
Nintendo
Rating: 4 (out-of-5)

Hide your kids. Pokemon is back and ready to again turn those pesky tots on to the wild and wacky world of OCD impulses. Gotta catch them all, indeed. However, this time around the house that Pikachu built has received a much-needed facelift. There are actual innovations here! The Pokemon series tends to evolve slower than a Madden-saur.

The new iterations boast three-on-three battles and actual in-game animations. Gone are the days of sad, static Pokemon. The Internet functionality has also received a huge boost. It allows for instant battles and trades via a suite of tools that appear on the bottom screen. Some of the new Pokemon are pretty stupid, though.

Okamiden
Nintendo DS
Capcom
Rating: 4 (out-of-5)

The cynical among us derided the PS2’s Okami as a shameless Zelda knockoff. If that was your take, then this DS sequel isn’t going to change your mind. It is full of nods to its source material, from familiar dungeons to the slow accumulation of weapons and tools. Still, there is enough new here to make it a must play for the system. Besides, nobody stopped listening to Phish because they cribbed from the Dead. Bad example?

It is amazing how hard this game pushes the ancient DS hardware. The graphics are gorgeous and the game is a fully explorable open world. It must be noted that this kind of seamless play was something Nintendo’s own developers were unable to pull off with the actual DS Zelda titles. The quest, which takes place in a lovingly rendered rural Japan, is lengthy. Perfect for you gamers who can’t yet afford the 3DS. "

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Item: Nintendo 3DS
Gaming system: Nintendo
Release date: March 27

It is universally agreed-upon that the worst thing about 3-D are those stupid, stupid glasses. The magical elves at Nintendo have concocted a workaround with the upcoming 3DS portable system. The system features glasses-free 3-D and more horsepower than previous DS iterations. The launch lineup includes the pet simulator “Nintendogs & Cats.”

Item: “Duke Nukem Forever”
Gaming system: Xbox 360/PS3
Publisher: 2K Games
Release date: May 3

This game has been in development since 1997. That right’s — 14 years. It’s been so long, actually, that the gaming industry had given up on it. Well, the king of Clinton-era first-person shooters is back. “Duke Nukem Forever” promises to deliver more of the same over-the-top and satirical action for which the series is known.

Item: “L.A. Noire”
Gaming system: Xbox 360/PS3
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release date: May 17

Rockstar is set to bring the world of Raymond Chandler to life with the company’s upcoming “L.A. Noire.” Set in the Los Angeles of the early 1950s, it focuses on hard-boiled detectives and the secret underbelly of mid-century Hollywood. It’s an open world title akin to “Grand Theft Auto” but with an emphasis on detective work rather than shooting hookers and blowing stuff up. You can probably do those things too, though.

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Apple and AT&T start an open relationship

Apple and AT&T have been going steady and producing little iPhone babies for years. The thrill, however, is now gone. Steve Jobs and company are saying no to monogamy and will open up the iPhone for use with Verizon in February. Verizon users shouldn’t hold their breath for the mythical white iPhone 4, though. 

iPad 2

Yeah, the original iPad just came out in April. Still, we all know Apple loves the pitter-patter of incremental updates to their product line. Rumors indicate the iPad 2 may be out as early as March — and may include cameras, a gyroscope and bigger speakers. Early adopters are about to be pissed.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo will release the follow-up to their mega-successful DS portable gaming system in March. The 3DS uses some kind of mystical technology — really, we could not begin to explain it — to give players a full 3-D experience with no glasses. Finally, the tyranny of stupid- looking glasses is over! Goodnight, my sweet red-and-blue prince. 

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