Nintendo Intelligent Systems

The most fun I've had spending 50 hours—and 50 dollars—in a long, long time.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Cartoon Violence

Game Description: Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door is a full-blown role-playing game starring a classic 2D character! Time passes and pages turn, leading Mario to turn back to his paper form as he faces a new threat. Crawl through classic-style dungeons as you explore a number of levels, all taking you to different worlds and time periods. Every new chapter is a new adventure as you help Mario collect the Seven Star Stone jewels he needs!

Borrowing the slick control mechanics and stylish aesthetics of 2002's excellent Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission stands as a timely and more than competent re-telling of the series' origins for those of us eagerly awaiting the next installments.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Violence

Game Description: A Game Boy Advance update/remake of the original adventure shooter, that adds a whole new mission continuing the story after the defeat of Mother Brain. She's battled baddies on nearly every Nintendo system, cleaned house in the Super Smash Bros. series and recently blasted off for heroic adventures on the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. Samus Aran returns to her roots and relives the story that started it all revealing for the first time full details of her meeting with the Metroids.

The original Advance Wars distinguished itself as one of the most complex and sophisticated titles on the Game Boy Advance (GBA) by bravely doing something few other carts have dared to do: it rewarded gamers for their intelligence and careful observation instead of their digital dexterity.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence

Game Description: Advance Wars 2 expands on the original title with even more strategic action and all-new features that take the game to the next level.

The greatest fault I can attribute to Fusion isn't its restrictive form, but its overly predictable progression. I've never played any previous Metroids extensively and I could still sense where the game was taking me a mile away. Fusion doesn't put much effort into disguising its gameplay devices.