We're still in the lean winter months, but February provided plenty of nourishment for downloadable game fans -- especially those who own Xbox 360s. Of the handful of titles delivered on Xbox Live Arcade, three originals stand among the best yet released through the service, most notably the stylishly minimal platformer N+, our pick of the month. The pace of games released over Nintendo's Virtual Console was similarly sluggish, but it, too produced a trio of keepers, the best of which is the original Harvest Moon. The Sony Store turned out to be the only disappointment. After several months of low quantity but high quality downloadable games, February saw the release of just a single title -- Go! Sports Skydiving -- and, despite its good looks, it wasn't exactly what you'd call a classic.

PICK OF THE MONTH

N+
(Xbox Live Arcade)
4.5 (out of five)

Proof that good games don't necessitate stunning graphics, N+ is a classic platformer that sees players controlling tiny stick men as they leap around small grey and white environments. The single-player portion of the game throws dozens of puzzle-like levels at us, testing our ability to deftly slide down walls, leap over mines, and avoid moving obstacles while collecting time-boosting coins. It's devilishly challenging -- and highly addictive -- stuff. But the multiplayer portion of the game can be an even bigger blast as up to four players race their teensy avatars side by side through wildly intimidating gauntlets. The only bummer: There aren't many players online -- yet.

Go! Sports Skydiving
(PlayStation Store)
2.75 (out of five)
The sole downloadable game released through the PlayStation Store last month is visually impressive but oddly vacuous. Go! Sports Skydiving is actually two games in one. The first involves using the motion-sensitive SIXAXIS controller to guide a skydiver into formation with the rest of his or her stunt troop, while the second has players performing solo tricks before letting out the parachute and trying to glide to a target zone. The graphics are great, and the controls are surprisingly intuitive. The problem is simply that there's too little to do. You'll master the game in a couple of hours and never come back. Then again, perhaps you ought not expect much more from a $6 game.

Commanders: Attack of the Genos
(Xbox Live Arcade)
4 (out of five)
Advance Wars has long held the relatively small market of cartoonish, military, turn-based strategy games in corner, and it's unlikely that this Xbox Live Arcade exclusive will change that. Still, it's a surprisingly competent stab at the category, offering a good selection of air and ground units and the ability to capture structures and produce bigger armies. Plus, it has boldly colorful 3-D graphics that blow those of any Advance Wars game out of the water. Commanders delivers only 15 missions in its campaign, but they're lengthy and challenging enough to keep players going for quite a while.

Lords of Thunder
(Wii Virtual Console)
3.5 (out of five)
One of relatively few must-haves for the short-lived TurboGrafx 16, Lords of Thunder was a noticeable improvement over its popular predecessor, Gate of Thunder, and seems to have weathered better over the years as well. The blaring heavy metal music and epileptic graphics have become more grating over time, but its nuanced tactics -- which include but aren't limited to the all important selection of varying types of armor prior to each mission -- and spectacular boss fights still stand as pinnacles of the 16-bit era. Old school shooter fans will be in for a treat.

Poker Smash
(Xbox Live Arcade)
4 (out of five)
The always-reliable Dangerous Book for Boys states that "poker is a game that must be played for money." This assuredly true proclamation automatically discounts any version of the game that has ever appeared on a video game console, the manufacturers of which don't condone or facilitate real gambling. However, Poker Smash isn't really poker. Yes, our goal is to create straights and flushes and other valuable poker hands, but the context is that of a Tetris-like puzzle game, in which the "bricks" aligned are actually playing cards. It's original, it's challenging, and it's scads of fun.

Phantasy Star II
(Wii Virtual Console)
4.25 (out of five)
If you're looking to get some bang out of your Wii points, this is the game. A 40-hour epic originally released on Sega's Genesis console, this classic role-playing game represented the leading edge of the genre when it was released in 1989. Its deep battle system features plenty of weapons, armor, and items to experiment with, and its captivating story remains one of the best in the Phantasy Star series. The only red flag -- especially for younger players -- are the graphics. While Phantasy Star II's futuristic locales were considered quite lovely when it was originally released, games have come a long way over the last two decades. Suffice to say the flat maps and pixelated characters will be received better by players who have strong imaginations.

Harvest Moon
(Wii Virtual Console)
4.25 (out of five)
This Super Nintendo Entertainment System cult classic is, of all unlikely things, a farm simulator/role-playing game. Players take control of a young farmer whose goal is to improve the family ranch by tending to the land, harvesting crops, improving the homestead, and, eventually, wooing a cowgirl and starting a family. Sounds dreadfully dull, doesn't it? You'll have to trust when we tell you it's an expertly crafted and sublimely soothing experience. It's also one of the best SNES games yet to mosey through the Virtual Console pipe.