Nintendo DS

Soul Bubbles from French developer Mekensleep is a fantastic game for the Nintendo DS that is so polished in its presentation, so balanced in its difficulty, and so clever in its gameplay design that it effortlessly sails towards the top of the handheld's library, easily the equal of (or better than) even first-party Nintendo titles themselves.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief

Game Description: In Soul Bubbles you are a young shaman apprentice, who is entrusted with saving lost souls and guiding them to safety. You must protect these fragile beings from the hostile and dangerous world around them, and you do this by creating protective bubbles to keep the spirits safe. Manipulate your bubbles by first drawing them, then deflating them, cutting them or joining them to other bubbles, filling them with water or gas; then escape traps, extinguish fires and avoid all the sticky or dangerous surfaces that will slow the bubbles down. The game features 8 worlds, with over 40 levels to explore which will challenge the shaman in a variety of ways and push the physics capabilities of the Nintendo DS to the max.

Contra 4. Essentially, Konami has given the finger to all the other games of the series, and said, “Sorry, folks. You don’t count.” This game is all about giving fans of the old-school games the biggest dose of fanservice it possibly can.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Fantasy Violence, Language

Game Description: The action franchise that started it all is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an all-new adventure on Nintendo DS. Set after the events of Contra III: Alien Wars, the game follows mercenaries Bill Rizer and Lance Bean as they battle to save the world from a new extraterrestrial threat. Contra 4 takes advantage of the dual screens of the Nintendo DS to deliver larger than life action, with massive enemies, detailed platforming and mind-blowing set pieces. Across a variety of game modes, including full cooperative play through the main story mode, two players can take the fight to the alien army of the Black Viper and reclaim Earth for mankind.

Although Atlus has been on an incredible hot streak lately with games like Persona 3, Etrian Odyssey II, and R-Type Command, no publisher on earth has an output that's pure gold. A little chaff is bound to sneak in with that sweet, sweet wheat, and in this review I'm culling it out. The chaff in question? Izuna 2: the Unemployed Ninja Returns.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Game Description: The Unemployed Ninja Returns Izuna and her gang are back - and just in time for a wedding! Lured by the promise of free food (Why else would Izuna attend?), the festive event becomes a puzzling mystery when Izuna's sidekick Shino suddenly disappears, off in search of her long-lost sister. And making matters worse, the foreign gods have also arrived on Japanese soil, and they aren't very happy with the meddlesome, unemployed ninja. With disgruntled deities on the warpath, a sidekick to track down, and a missing sister out in the wild, it could all shape up to be one of Izuna's more exciting adventures. Sounds like a lot of work for a girl out of a job!