‘Tis the season to be jolly and if Nintendo has its way, to be jolly playing its video games. Nintendo has a good number of big-name games on the shelves or on the way this season, and I had the opportunity to play several of the new games at a Nintendo trailer at the Redmond Town Center. I’ll break them down one by one.

The first game was “Epic Mickey” for the Wii. It’s purported to show the more devious side of the long-beloved Disney icon Mickey Mouse, and gives the player a broad and robust control over Mickey’s actions. The way the player chooses to approach enemies and situations affects how the story unfolds. I didn’t get a chance to play the game myself, but from watching another guest play it, the game seemed compelling, as well as easy on the eyes.

Next, I got an opportunity to look at “Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-land Mayhem!” on the DS, which features the two title characters in a light-hearted conflicts. The premise is that at the opening of Mario’s new theme park, the first 100 guests received a mini toy model of Pauline, Mario’s original damsel in distress. Donkey Kong was guest number 101, and decided to express his frustration by stealing the original Pauline, and setting up a series of traps and challenges for Mario.

Every level of the game involves getting mini-Marios to a door. The player has to actively manipulate the environment by temporarily adding and removing bridges from a severely limited supply. It’s a puzzle, but it takes place in real time.

I was genuinely surprised by how challenging even the first couple levels were, and I was told that there was a much greater variety of challenges throughout the game, so that it never gets old. There’s even a way to make one’s own levels after the player beats the game.

“Mini-land Mayhem” has already been released – it didn’t seem like a landmark game, but it was enjoyable and would certainly be a treat for puzzler or Mario fans.

Next came “Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies” on the DS, which has been out since July, but is still arguably one of the hottest games on the market. It’s a traditional style role-playing game with modern elements. It’s the first Dragon Quest game on a portable system, has customizable characters and boasts social features that let players team up online to tackle dungeons, or get bonuses simply from having their game turned on while near another’s game. The battle systems and general interface were smooth, and the promise of side quests means the game will never get completely stale.

Another huge role-playing game for the DS soon to hit the market is “Golden Sun Dark Dawn,” the third installment of the Golden Sun series. It comes out Nov. 31 and features a modified version of the world from the first two games.

The main characters are the children of the original main characters, a prospect sure to excite fans of the first two games. I was shown a quick demo of the combat system, and was impressed that, even though it sticks to the general framework of RPG combat, there are a couple unique facets to the combat that make it distinctly fun. The combat also made fantastic use of the two screens. “Golden Sun Dark Dawn” promises to be an immersive experience for fans both new and old.

Donkey Kong is featured again along with his partner Diddy Kong in “Donkey Kong Country Returns” for the Wii, a platformer reminiscent of old Super NES games. The graphics are spiced up, of course, and the game utilizes the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities fairly well.

Players (the game allows up to two at once) can interact with the background and with certain obstacles by banging the controller like a drum, and at times the player is actually allowed and even forced to go into the background to progress. There are plenty of curious features – barrels that launch Donkey and Diddy Kong in every which direction, stumps, baddies, and interactive plants and dandelions in the background. Everything felt intuitive, though, and I was instantly engrossed in the game. The Nintendo employees demo-ing the games, in the spirit of competition, often remarked that it was “on like Donkey Kong.” When “Donkey Kong Country Returns” hits the shelves on Nov. 21, it certainly will be.

Whereas Nintendo’s other featured games may appeal more to hardcore gamers, “Wii Party” seems to aim directly at families and the casual crowd. One Nintendo employee said that the goal of the game was to “take the fun into the living room,” and I think it certainly accomplishes that. There are minigames that require passing remotes back and forth, collaborating instead of competing, and even playing hide and seek with remotes. There was nothing mind blowing, but the minigames I got to look at were immediately enjoyable – perfect for a pleasant time with friends or family.

The final game that I played was “Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.” It’s the third “Professor Layton” game, and stays true to the aesthetic of the first two.

In contrast to the more action-oriented Nintendo games on the holiday market, “Professor Layton” is a puzzler that takes the gamer through a wide variety of puzzles seamlessly integrated into a plot riddled with larger mysteries. The puzzles range from simple to frustratingly difficult, but the game provides hint systems to keep the story moving along if one puzzle proves exceedingly difficult. I had enough time to solve a single puzzle, but I wanted more. It was an addicting experience. “Professor Layton” has been out since Sept. 12.

By no means are these the only holiday offerings by Nintendo, or for video game fans. Nintendo is also pushing “Kirby’s Epic Yarn,” which features the adorable pink hero in a likewise adorable adventure where everything is composed of yarn. There’s a limited-edition Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Wii, colored red in homage to Mario’s costume. As a whole, Nintendo’s holiday offerings are diverse and generally well-crafted – promising gifts not only for children, but for older gamers as well.