Action & Adventure Video Games

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate combines most of the content from the Wii title Monster Hunter Tri and the Japan-only game "Monster Hunter Portable 3rd" to offer players more than 200 quests full of classic monster-stalking action. As always, gamers take on the role of a hunter and battle large beasts through a variety of locations both on land and in the sea, and then return to their base settlement to take on more quests, exchange goods, purchase items, and upgrade weapons and armor.

Multiplayer remains a core part of the Monster Hunter experience, and 3DS gamers can enlist the help of AI companions or join up to three local friends, including Wii U users, to take on tougher monsters, using their touch screen to quickly access books, maps, weapons, and mini-games. Capcom also plans free post-release DLC updates including new quests and cross-region multiplayer action. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Drawn to Life meets Pokémon as players design their own characters, guide them through side-scrolling landscapes and dungeons, and engage in one-on-one battles in Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! Players begin by creating their own Formees, choosing from more than 600 shapes and customizing their character's color, size, and voice. Gamers then use their stylus and touch screen to guide their Formee through a variety of themed worlds, collecting coins, opening treasure chests, laying eggs, and taking on mini-game challenges put forth by other Formees.

Players unlock themed dungeons as they explore each level, and the goal in each dungeon is to defeat other Formees, collect key-like jewels across three floors, and eventually battle boss characters to unlock special powers. Sharing creations is encouraged in Freakyforms Deluxe, either through random StreetPass encounters or through the trading of QR codes, and up to four gamers can get together to create characters at the same time in the Formee Playhouse. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the animated film about a kind-hearted videogame bad guy seeking a new role in life, Wreck-It Ralph picks up where the movie finishes, with Ralph and his nemesis Felix teaming up to help rid Mr. Litwak's arcade of menacing Cy-bugs. In classic platforming action, gamers use their stylus and touch screen to run and jump through four game-themed worlds, including the candy-coated world of Sugar Rush, and the war-torn landscape of Hero's Duty. Players can grab a variety of collectibles along the way, and the game can be played a second time with a new set of rules. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the titular animated series, Transformers Prime: The Game finds Optimus Prime, the Autobots, and their human friends Jack, Miko, and Raf teaming up to prevent Megatron and the Decepticons from using a mysterious power source to take over Earth. The story mode finds gamers using their stylus and touch screen to engage in brawler-style combat and fast-paced driving sequences, while multiplayer options include co-op action and competitive Brawl, Battle for Energon, and Emblem Match modes. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

3DS users once again put themselves in the middle of ABC's hit gameshow as they run, duck, jump, and contort their bodies through a variety of wacky obstacle courses in Wipeout 3. Players use their stylus and touch screen to guide their character through 12 new winter and summer courses, avoiding familiar pitfalls like the "Sweeper Arms" and "Big Balls," and watching replays of outrageous spills. Multiplayer fans can join friends for local or online competitions, and gamers can visit the new Wipeout Shop to purchase performance enhancers or unlock new characters. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Nintendo's flagship franchise returns to its side-scrolling roots with a new focus on coin collection in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Levels are filled with power-ups and classic koopa-kicking, goomba-squashing action as players run, jump, fly, and warp through pipes. New features include the Golden Flower power-up and special rings, which respectively transform blocks and enemies into coins, and a mask that creates a coin trail behind Mario as he runs. The game also offers local wireless two-player co-op action, and asynchronous "Coin Rush" multiplayer competitions via StreetPass. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Released in conjunction with the three-quel feature film, Madagascar 3: The Video Game puts players in the roles of Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria, for zoologically fueled adventure in a circus tour across Europe. Through a series of mini-games, the animals perform publicity stunts at famous landmarks, as well as acts of derring-do under the big top. They'll also need to watch out for animal control officers, who can cut their circus careers short with a quick trip back to Central Park. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Gamers experience the supernatural in 3D as they use a 16-page augmented reality notebook to rescue a young girl trapped in an old mansion in Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. Young Maya has been cursed by a mysterious woman in black, but players can help rescue her by using the "diary of faces" and the 3DS' AR features to explore the mansion, unlock video clips, and battle spirits that appear to float around the real world. Other modes include games of hide-and-seek, memory tests, and a variety of supernaturally themed photo activities. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The interactive adaptation of Tintin's computer-animated debut is an action-adventure game in true spirit, presenting players with a variety of platforming challenges as they proceed along a central storyline, based on the Steven Spielberg film. Players lead the ambitious young reporter to explore exotic locations around the world, overcoming perilous situations with clever thinking and agile button-presses. Captain Haddock, Snowy, and other characters can be unlocked, to play through parts of the story from their own perspectives, using their distinct strengths and special abilities.

Much of the game is played like a 2D platformer, presented in polygonal 3D. Tintin must climb, dash, and make nimble leaps to find his way through each level. In both single-player and co-op modes, his companions lend a hand in puzzle solving, whenever Snowy may need to squeeze ahead through a tight gap, or Haddock may need to stay behind to hold down a gate trigger. Other escapades have the heroes driving, swimming, sword fighting, and piloting a plane. The player's point-of-view shifts as puzzle and action sequences are presented from conventional perspectives. Graphics are in the style of the movie. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

The Carnival Games series continues with Wild West 3D, a collection of 25 Western-themed mini-games designed for 3DS. Try your luck or test your skill in games like Outlaw Wrangler, Ricochet, Git the Gold, Shooting Gallery, Blind Man's Bluff, Posse vs. Bandits, and Nugget Falls. As you progress, you'll win tickets for virtual prizes, unlock sidekicks like a rattlesnake or armadillo, and earn coins by encountering other Wild West 3D owners via StreetPass. You can spend your winnings on spins at a slot machine, in-game clothing and accessories for your cowgirl or cowboy, and more. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide