The game that launched the Mario & Luigi role-playing series in 2003 returns, and it's just as much fun to play now as it was then. No need to worry if you didn't play the original on the Game Boy Advance (or, indeed, hadn't been born) back in 2003, the 3DS version is all that's needed. It has exactly the same simple yet surprisingly subtle game mechanics, silly story and occasionally hilarious dialogue. All wrapped up in better sound, with lovely graphics rebuilt from scratch (which does make the lack of any 3D elements slightly surprising). Mario and Luigi scurry around, getting into (avoidable) fights, getting out of them in rather better shape if they time their jumps properly and level up along the way. And it's all done with three buttons: one for Mario, one for Luigi, and one for both of them at the same time.

After what can best be described as a skeletal launch for Street Fighter V, Capcom have at least ensured that this game ships with all the essentials – a cinematic storyline, a robust online outing and even an arcade mode. Aesthetically, however, it is also uncharacteristically weak. It has the user interface of a free mobile game, face models that vary from competent to horrifying, and Marvel Cinematic Universe-focused art direction that lacks the vibrant flair of the comics. All compounded by a conservative character roster, with just six relatively uninspired newcomers – not to mention a lack of X-Men. Thankfully these shortfalls can be forgiven because the game engine is one of the most ingeniously inspired systems Capcom has ever built. The six selectable Infinity Stones introduce wild effects, giving real latitude for imaginative team synergy, and the active switch allows for meter-free character swaps at any time.

PS4, Xbox One, PC, EA, cert: 16 Despite the lofty reputation that the original Mass Effect trilogy (2007-12)has garnered, it's crucial to remember that those games had no shortage of bugs, errors and glitches on release. Bearing this in mind will make the failings of Andromeda far more palatable. Chiefly, those irritants are in the domain of animation, with characters' facial features and physical movements feeling wooden and unnatural. These are real problems in a game where relationships are central to an investment in the universe. Set 600 years after the events of Mass Effect, you play either Sara or Scott Ryder, helping guide an ark vessel to a new home world in the Andromeda Galaxy, where new threats await.

Episodic gaming has long been dominated by narrative-driven puzzle adventures, making it hard to imagine the format being used for anything else. Enter Hitman, a pseudo-reboot of the series that simultaneously refines its stealth-focused gameplay while also delivering bite-sized portions of assassination action. A training mission prologue delves into the origins of Agent 47, the genetically enhanced titular hitman, before turning you loose in Paris to dispatch a fashion designer with designs on exposing undercover MI6 agents. Although missions have specific goals, the game excels by offering almost total freedom in how to execute them. Infiltrate a party in disguise and poison a target, or arrange unfortunate accidents to take them out.