Most of the levels take place on small planetoids that Mario can circumnavigate; usually, when he comes to the "edge" of a planet, he'll simply flip upside-down and keep waddling on its underside. He can also leap in the air and rocket from one planet to the next. The game play changes radically from planet to planet: One minute Mario may be taking on a classic platform-jumping challenge, while the next minute he'll be surfing on the back of a manta ray.

Mario also has some nifty new power-ups, including a bee costume (which lets him fly) and a Boo suit (which lets him float through walls). "Super Mario Galaxy" is filled with goofy jokes, but I found myself giggling more often at the sheer ingenuity on display whenever I landed on a new planet. It's absolutely essential for any Wii owner.

And you'll need all those moves to solve the devious puzzles here. Most often, you need to ring the bell to turn an animal into an object — say, a bat into an umbrella — that you use in a different part of the puzzle. Each level consists of one tightly constructed brainteaser in which you're given an assortment of animals, objects and obstacles and have to figure out how to combine them to open a treasure chest.

"Zack & Wiki" may be one of the cutest games on the Wii, but don't let that fool you: It's quite difficult. Still, the puzzles are always fair and satisfying, making this a treat for fans of old-school adventure games like "Grim Fandango" and "The Secret of Monkey Island."

You have your usual assortment of fantasy heroes — knights, wizards, archers, healers and such — engaging in battle after battle against the forces of evil. As always with this series, the difficulty is extraordinarily high, especially since there's no way to revive characters who fall in combat.

"Fire Emblem" fans will be thrilled to find that "Radiant Dawn" is more of the same. But while the formula still works, I wish its Wii debut felt a little fresher.