A Boy and His Blob

This E.T.-like tale of a boy who helps a lost alien find his way home features possibly the most adorable video game heroes of the year. Puzzle-style gameplay requires players to navigate a path strewn with obstacles by figuring out what shapes the extremely pliable blob should assume – ladder, trampoline, parachute, balloon, etc.

New Super Mario Bros

Over the years, Nintendo has revamped its flagship character, Super Mario, so many times, we’ve lost count. But now, developers have taken the stout, mustachioed plumber back to his 2-D, side-scrolling roots – and it’s a step in the right direction.

MySims Agents

The mini James Bond (or Jamie Bond-the customizable lead character can be male or female) in this spy adventure may use a few gadgets while sniffing out clues, but chases, fights, or weapons of any kind are absent from this story. Instead, players solve a series of interconnected mysteries the old fashioned way: They follow footprints, they search for clues, they interview witnesses (with sometimes very humorous results). Kids can’t get by on hand-eye coordination alone – logic and deductive reasoning key to winning this game.