Uncharted: Golden Abyss Review [PS Vita]

There is little wonder why Uncharted: Golden Abyss has become one of the two leading PS Vita titles in the UK to date. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Uncharted series, the game is an Action-Adventure, similar to the Tomb Raider series, but this time featuring the rather ruggedly handsome Nathan Drake as the main protaganist.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is the series' first ever handheld version, and it is has therefore been designed as a prequel, which is set some time before the events of the original PS3 game, entitled: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

This is helpful, as it allows new gamers (who may not have had the chance to play the other three PS3-only games) to familiarise themselves with the in-game mechanics and main characters of the series, and also provides extra background information for existing fans.

The game has been specifically designed for the PS Vita, by a company called Sony Bend, in association with Naughty Dog, who were the company that first bought the Uncharted series to life on the PS3.

Nevertheless, it is clear that Sony Bend has been careful to preserve the core elements of the original games, and in doing so, have helped to create a portable version of the game, which is every bit as engrossing, exciting and graphically beautiful as the home console versions, which is really quite an achievement for a console of this size.

Moreover, Nathan Drake can now move, fight enemies and explore the in-game enviroments in a whole new way thanks to the PS Vita's touchscreen capabilities. For example, when Drake is climbing up ledges, gamers simply have to tap the next ledge and Drake will climb up to it, which makes those annoying accidental falls and missed jumps a thing of the past.

When fighting enemies, a quick swipe across the touchscreen in the direction of the on-screen arrow allows our main character the chance to use some brand new stealth attack patterns. If you are a traditionalist, however, you still have the option of using the button-controls like in the previous three games, but we found it more fun to use the touchscreen. It's just a matter of preference.

Other traditional elements of the Uncharted series have also been altered for the portable version. For example, treasure items are now organised into sets rather than appearing in list form, and there seems to be more of an emphasis on exploration than with the other games.  Puzzles are also plentiful, so there is lots of lovely replay action to be had.

In conclusion, it is difficult to explain how magnificent this game is to anyone who has not yet experienced it for themselves, but one thing is certain - if you are considering a brand new PS Vita, then this title is a must-have. Overall rating: 10/10.

Modnation Racers: Road Trip Review [PS Vita]

Yes, those cute little Mods have returned to the race track. This time however, they are racing on a whole new handheld system, so how does the new PS Vita version of Modnation Racers, called Modnation Racers: Road Trip, compare to the original game?

Those of you who are familiar with the original game will know that it was heavily-centred around content customisation, meaning that everything from Mod characters, Tracks and even Karts could be upgraded and customised with various outlandish and wacky designs.

The content customisation is still a huge feature of this game, but has been given the typical PS Vita overhaul that one would expect, so that the rear touchpad and front touchscreen are used in order to complete the desired effects.

Now even your karts can be customised with either a quick tap, or a gentle swipe of the finger across the screen, which seems to make the whole thing a lot less time-consuming than in the original game. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? We'll let you decide that for yourselves.

Tracks can be created simply by drawing the desired shape on the front touchscreen, which definitely enhances the ease with which new designs can be brought to life in the game.

Weapons have also been given an upgrade in this sequel, and can be upgraded to a maximum of three levels to make them even more powerful. Moreover, there are a total of seven different controls layouts to try. If the button combination you are currently using seems a little awkward, try using a different layout - you won't be disappointed.

As with the PSP game, there are Quick Race, Multiplayer and a Single Player Career Mode to complete, all with various challenges to test your racing skills. However, whilst the Quick Race mode works well on the PS Vita, the Career and Multiplayer Modes do seem a tad disappointing.

For a start, the Multiplayer in this game seems to be focused on time trial races instead of the ability to compete against friends in an actual, non-timed race. This is disappointing given Sony's plans that the PS Vita be viewed as a socially-centred handheld (a feature which has already been strongly utilised by other launch games).

Furthermore, the Career Mode does not seem to feature an actual playable storyline at all, but instead consists of different racing challenges designed to improve player's skill and accuracy on the race track, which is quite frankly a hollow and tiresome exercise, which it is necessary to complete if players which to unlock all of the customisable items on offer.

In conclusion, Modnation Racers: Road Trip on the PS Vita did not turn out to be everything we had hoped it would be. The customisation features are definitely brilliant, and the touch controls really do make the process a lot easier than in the previous game, especially when designing new race tracks.

However, if this game featured a better Multiplayer campaign and a proper storyline in Career Mode, it would have been an undisputable winner.

If you fancy a casual racing game with quirky characters, and no complicated campaigns, then this is definitely the game for you. If, on the other hand, you want a racing game with a solid Career Mode and good storyline, this game will most likely leave you feeling empty. Overall rating: 7/10.

Everybody's Golf Playstation Vita Review

With so many good titles appearing on the PS Vita since its launch a couple of days ago, Mini Gamers had a little bit of difficulty deciding which of the UK launch games to review first, so we have chosen that 'oldie but goodie' of a franchise - Everybody's Golf (also known as Hot Shots Golf in North America).

The original Everybody's Golf series has proved incredibly popular amongst casual sports fans on the PSP in the past, and we couldn't wait to get our hands on the latest (Vita) version to see what had changed...

Well, it seems that the brainy guys at Clap Hanz have subscribed to the old adage of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' with this title, as very little in the main gameplay seems to have changed. Players can still set shot power and distance via the 'X' button, take part in various Single Player or Multiplayer tournaments, and unlock various upgrades and customisable options for their on-screen avatar.

However, the main game does have some new features, courtesy of the PS Vita's front touchscreen capabilities: Touch the ball at the beginning of the game to reposition it on the tee, touch your character to have him or her speak to you, or even rustle the leaves on nearby trees.

The graphics are also greatly improved from the original handheld versions of the game, and now look sharper and more realistic than ever before, making the graphics seem closer to Home Console quality,whilst still retaining their rather colourful look.

Nevertheless, it has to be said that the real beauty of Everybody's Golf on the PS Vita exists mostly in its online abilities and features. For example, the Online Club House acts as the central hub. From here, players can enter any one of the floors or lobbies available.

Once in their chosen lobby, players can chat to other virtual golfers from around the world. This is done via text-based speech bubbles, and is fairly easy to master after the first attempt.

 Players can select from a set of well chosen phrases by pressing the L button, or if they are feeling adventurous, they can try to type a message on the Vita's touchscreen keyboard, by pressing the R button but this only allows for a minimum of characters and can prove difficult sometimes.

The Online Clubhouse is also a great way to make new 'friends'. Simply tap on any of the avatars in the online lobby and you will see a summary of their online profile, including their screen name, age range (if given), gender (if given) and country of residence. Press the Triangle button to send them a 'friend request' message.

If you decide that you want to add them to your Vita's Friends List, you will then be notified everytime your new 'friend' is online. Plus, if your 'friend' happens to be in the Online Clubhouse at the same time as you, a little yellow square with a smiley face will appear by the side of their chosen lobby.

Furthermore, the same little yellow square symbol will also appear in any Online Tournament Booking Lists, so you can always make sure of booking the same tournaments as your online 'friends'. Incidentally, players' lobby avatars are shown as tiny dots in the on-screen map. Lobby colours are as follows:

*Blue: Male Players

*Red: Female Players

Yellow: Friends

Disclaimer: *This is just an approximation. Although we found both red and blue dots in the lobby, we often found that players had chosen to disguise their real gender by choosing avatars of opposite genders. Please remember that there are some strange people out there in the real world and online, and choose your virtual 'friends' as carefully as you would choose your real ones...

Once you have added friends to your list, you can also use the triangle button whilst in the lobby to communicate to any friend who is also playing the game at the same time as you, and you can use the Group Messaging or Party Chat functions of your PS Vita to send private messages or even speak to them live over the internet.

There are two types of Online Tournament: The Daily International Tournament, and Unofficial Tournaments.

In the Daily International Tournament, players can choose to take part in three separate tournaments, all with different rules and regulations to test the skill of even the most professional of golfers.
The scores from these tournaments are then uploaded via the PSN store, and can be viewed by other Everybody's Golf users. Rankings change daily, so this is a good way of measuring your golfing prowess.

Meanwhile, Unofficial Tournaments are small online golf matches between various players. The tournaments run every half an hour throughout the day or night, in order to cater for various world time zones, but must be booked by the allotted time. Press triangle whilst in the online lobby to view tournament details.

Scores from the Unofficial Tournaments are NOT uploaded, but are a fun way to play golf. Players can also use the L or R buttons between rounds to communicate via text with other players in the tournaments.

Pre-selected text phrases include things about various scores, general chit-chat and congratulations for winners. Furthermore, all phrases which apply to that particular round (such as I scored a bogey) appear at the top of the phrase list, so they are easy to find. This helps to give the game a much more realistic feel to it.

Winning tournaments or achieving high scores during the game may also help to unlock new trophies, which also adds that extra incentive to play.

In conclusion, whilst the main gameplay of Everybody's Golf hasn't really changed too much on the PS Vita, this is not such a bad thing, as it gives the game that kind of cosy, familiar feeling for fans of the original series, and also serves as a brilliant introduction to the franchise for new players.

The online features are what really make this game a good launch title though and is where the game manages to impress us the most. If you are looking for a fun and quirky game with loads of online interactivity, then this is definitely the best PS Vita game for you to own. Overall rating: 10/10.

PS Vita Review: What's So Good about the Playstation Vita?

It has been a bit of a sombre launch for Sony's latest console, with only two of GAME's stores choosing to open at midnight last night for those a hundred or so gamers who were desperate to get their hands on a PS Vita before the official UK launch.

Nevertheless, despite an apparent lack of interest,  Mini Gamers was determined to get to grips with, what could potentially be a very interesting piece of gaming technology. So, what's so good about the PS Vita?

First Impressions:

The PS Vita is definitely a lot thinner and lighter than its predecessor, with a sleek finish on the outside. We immediately notice several new additions to the usual PSP-type design. Small, round silver power and volume buttons at the top of the console, add to the stylish feel of the console, and a lit up 'Home' button, featuring the Playstation logo is found on the left hand side.

Furthermore, the usual UMD-slot has now been replaced by a nifty cartridge slot. However, unlike the 3DS, whose cartridge slot is open and easily accessible, the PSV's new slot is covered (a bit like a mobile phone's charge slot) and proved quite tricky when we eventually placed our first game cartridge into it. However, after a bit of practice, we were fine.

The initial menu screen seems a lot sharper and brighter than ever before, and features many items which were not available on the PSP. Many of these new features (such as 'Near' and 'Party') are to do with the concept of multiplayer and social online interactions, which is also a heavily-promoted feature in many of the PSV's software titles.

PS Vita Home Screen: LiveArea

The main screen of the PS Vita interface is called: Live Area. From this menu, players can interact in online social forums, check the progress of any current downloads and access games and game information.

The best thing about this area is that it is entirely controlled via touch. For example, to select a game, players only need to tap on any icon with their fingers. To close an open Live Area application, simply peel the displayed 'page' away from the screen. This is both stylishly accomplished and very futuristic.

Welcome Park:

Our first introduction to the new features of the PSV were via the console's Welcome Park, this interactive tutorial proved very useful in showing us all the varied touchscreen or tilt aspects of the new console, and also gave us an opportunity to earn some interesting trophies.

Trophies:

For those of you who haven't got a PS3 console at home, the concept of trophies will be brand new to you. Basically, for every game that you play on the PSV, you will be awarded certain trophies for different achievements. For example, in Everybody's Golf, you can unlock a trophy by simply competing in the Daily International Tournament just once.

This gives added incentive to play PSV games, furthermore, the details of your latest Trophies can then be shared with your fellow PSV gamers via the 'Near' social interaction application if you wish.

AR Cards:

When the Nintendo 3DS first came bundled with its own set of Augmented Reality Cards, we were totally bowled over by the sheer quality of them, that was until we managed to have a look at Sony's PS Vita collection of wide-angled AR Cards.

Although the cards are quite plain in appearence and certainly less colourful then the yellow and black 3DS cards, they can be used with standard PS Vita games such as Reality Fighters (see screenshot above) and also come with its own set of AR Mini Games, which can be downloaded for FREE from the PSN Store.

The first set of  PS Vita AR games are Table Football, Cliff Diving and Fireworks, which is not actually an AR game in and of itself, but can utilise the AR technology to create stunning real-life backdrops for the virtual firework displays.

Sony also intends to create more free AR software for PSV users in the future. This brilliant Youtube trailer shows the range of AR Mini Games which should become available over the next few months:

Downloading:

Our next stop was to check out some PS Vita goodies from the PSN store. Here we also noticed that Sony's promise to have EVERY PS Vita core title available for download was being fulfilled. Every launch title was definitely available for download, as well as some PSN exclusive PS Vita titles like Escape Plan, which was available for download at the stunning price of £9.99!

Nevertheless, Mini Gamers wanted to really test the PS Vita's downloading prowess, so we opted to download a couple of films instead. Normally this would have taken around two hours on a standard
PSP console, so we were pleasantly surprised that it only took around twenty minutes on the PS Vita!

The best thing about the PS Vita's downloading process though, was that we could check the progress of the download in the main LiveArea, but were able to continue playing our new games and exploring the console while the download was taking place. This was never possible on the original PSP console as was a really refreshing aspect of the new handheld.

Software:

Mini Gamers will be looking at some of games available for the PS Vita more closely in the coming days, so we won't dwell on any specifics here, but we do feel the need to mention how sharp and clear the graphics were in the games which we tried. The games appeared to be of Home Console quality rather than that of a mere handheld.

Furthermore, some of the finely-tuned Vita only controls really led to some quality gameplay, such as the ability to trace a pathway for Nathan Drake with our fingers in Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but that's another story...

Conclusions:

The debate over whether the PS Vita is a good or bad console continues, but our first impressions of the device is that it is both gaming-centred and socially-orientated meaning that it creates its own exclusive community where people can now play their favourite handheld games not in isolation, or with a sparse collection of friends,  but together, through a solid worldwide network, online.

The PSV has a lot of good aspects to it, such as a touch screen interface, sharp, quality graphics, fast downloads and multimedia functionality, which are all fantastic qualities for such a tiny handheld to possess, but which are somewhat shared by other handhelds (3DS) and gaming tablets (iPad 3) in the current entertainment market, which may help explain why the PS Vita has not yet managed to achieve dominance in this field.

However, the PSV has been able to offer some great gaming titles during its initial launch, and this has also been enhanced by a fully-working download service and Internet Browser, which was something that the Nintendo 3DS was unable to do for several months after its initial launch.

All in all, the PS Vita is most definitely a next-generation handheld, and it offers a range of fun and interactive ways for PSP fans to play the latest range of top-quality Sony games, without needing to fork out for an expensive PS3 console.  This handheld definitely deserves some respect. Overall rating: 10/10.

PS Vita Minis: What's In Store?

With only a few weeks to go until the launch of Sony's PS Vita console, Mini Gamers decided to take a sneaky little peak at the interesting collection of mini games that will come preloaded on the day of the PS Vita's launch.

The mini game selection has been carefully compiled under the rather sweet title of the PS Vita 'Welcome Park' [*translated from the Japanese, and may be subject to change] and is designed to show off and guide users through different aspects of the PS Vita, as well as challenge gamers in a variety of different tasks.

One of the first games in the Welcome Park, is called Digit Chase. The idea is that players use the PS Vita's rear touchpad, touch and multi-touch functions in order to pop virtual 'bubbles' that will appear on the screen.

This may sound simple, until the bubbles start overlapping and numbered bubbles with the same number start to appear, causing the player to work his/her fingers around the different touch sensors of the console at rapid speed. In addition, the game is timed and keeps track of the players best time.

Once they are through with the bubbles, players are treated to a moving carousel of numbers to try and defeat and another numbers game involving the Rear Touchpad, but we wouldn't want to spoil the surprise... All in all, quite a fun little game.

Sound Loop will appeal to the musicians amongst you - or at least it tries to. Record a sound-clip, using the console's in-built microphone and it will be placed as a little looping orb, which circles the centre of the screen.

Moving the orb around to a different position will affect how often the sound-clip is replayed, and with a bit of practise, the 'looping' effects can be used to create rhythmic beats, similar to those found on a DJ's mixing decks.

Players can choose to change the backing music with the simple tap of a button. We have to say though, this one will probably send even the most hardcore DJ Hero fan a bit 'loopy' by the end of the game. Not a particular favourite.

Snap + Slide is the first of two camera-themed games in the Welcome Park. The objective is simple: Snap an object using the PS Vita's in-built camera, and this game converts the image into a delightful little sliding titles game for players to complete.

Players can choose to use either the front camera or the rear camera in order to obtain a suitable image. Furthermore, the player can decide exactly how many tiled pieces the image will be broken into, thus altering the difficulty of the game. A good reinvention of a classic puzzle game.

Skate Axis helps to introduce the Tilt Sensors, which we predict are set to become an important component of many future PS Vita gaming titles.

Players must control a tiny skateboarding stick figure. The idea is that players must tilt the console to either the left or the right in order to successfully avoid several ball-shaped obstacles that appear to block the skater's path.

Each successful dodge is rewarded with a number of points. This is a fun mini game, and very innovative. Definitely worth a try (or even several tries) in our opinion.

 Hello Face is another game which uses the PS Vita camera functions to its advantage. In this game, players must snap a picture of anything that looks like a face (teddy bear,Smiley-based fridge magnet, etc) and the 'face' will appear on the screen in the shape of a transparent cube, and then the game will add slightly animated features to it, such as large cartoon eyes, and the face will appear with various phrases and quotes, depending on the picture it is based on.

This game is very creative, even if it does border on the 'slightly trippy' side of life. This is definitely another Welcome Park success.

In conclusion, the PS Vita Welcome Park is an interesting and varied collection of games, which will be very useful for all those cash-strapped gamers who cannot afford the main launch games at the moment.

Plus, all of the mini games featured in the Welcome Park have unlockable trophies and rewards, so there is even more reason to replay this set of interactive tutorials.

 So there you have it - details of the various PS Vita mini games that you can expect to find when the console launches in the UK on the 22nd of February 2012. We hope that you have found it useful.

Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blog for more news of this handheld console in the weeks leading up to, and after, the UK launch. We promise you all an in-depth review of this apparent 'Next Generation' console.

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Scheduled For March 2012 Release Date...

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock is currently scheduled for a March 2012 UK release, according to a brand new trailer, which features several famous Doctor Who alien races, including the Cybermen, Daleks and Silurians, amongst others.

The new trailer (shown below) also gives a greater indication of the kind of environments and gameplay which players can hope to see in the final game:

The game, which will be heading exclusively to PC, PS3 and PS Vita, centres around the relationship between the Eleventh Doctor and his new wife, River Song, as they travel through time and space, trying to solve the problem of the 'Eternity Clock', and save planet Earth from extinction.

The trailer has definitely whetted the appetites of us here at Mini Gamers, and we look forward to learning more about the game and its gameplay throughout the coming months. Watch this space!

PS Vita Price Cut in Japan...

Sony has reportedly been forced to slash the price of its latest handheld console, the PS Vita, after just under four weeks since its initial launch date.

The console debuted in Japan on the 17th of December 2011, but despite its heavy pre-release promotion, the device only managed to reach number four in the Japanese gaming charts, before slipping to number five last week, which has placed it not only behind its main competitor - the Nintendo 3DS, but also behind its predecessor the Sony PSP.

Now Japanese retailers have been forced to lower the price of the PS Vita in order to entice more potential buyers. According to the GamesRader website, the price of more expensive 3G wireless model of the console has been slashed by almost twenty percent in some cases.

With the PS Vita still expected to reach its European launch date on the 22nd of February 2012, it shouldn't be too long before UK fans start to get their first taste of the handheld, which promises a lot of new features and hardware improvements, including dual analog sticks and a five-inch OLED touch-screen amongst others.

Nevertheless, with such poor sales figures in its native country, is the PS Vita just doomed to be a massive flop, or will it really shape up to be the next generation console Sony claims that it will be? Only time will tell...

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Will you be buying a Sony PS Vita when it launches in February?

Have you already pre-ordered the PS Vita? How does this news make you feel about the handheld?

How do you think the recent price slash will affect future sales of the device?

If you have something to say about the latest PS Vita developments and you wish to share it with us, please leave a comment in the comments box below. Mini Gamers would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Doctor Who Game Heading To PC, PS Vita and PS3 in 2012...

Yes, it's true! Everyone's favourite Extra-Terrestrial Doctor will be making his appearance in a new videogame entitled Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, which is set to debut some time in early 2012.

Very little is known about the game's content at this time, but we do know that the main plot will feature both the Doctor and River Song as they journey together in the TARDIS. The game will be split across multiple time zones, and actions that players choose to take in one time zone will have a direct affect on what happens to events in the other zones.

We also know that the game promises TV-quality graphics, which have been designed using full motion-capture technology, meaning that the characters look very lifelike.

In addition, both Alex Kingston and Matt Smith, (who play the TV versions of River Song and the Doctor,) have been busy adding full voice-overs to the game, so the characters will not only look authentic, but will sound authentic as well.

It could be argued that past attempts to bring Doctor Who into the videogame era haven't always been that successful, with Doctor Who: Top Trumps (most game formats), Doctor Who: Evacuation Earth (Nintendo DS), and Doctor Who: Return to Earth (Wii) seemingly failing to strike a chord with the majority of their intended audiences.

So will Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock finally turn out to be the videogame that everyone is waiting for? Well, when you consider that the game is being produced by SuperMassive Games, who won a Develop: Industry Excellence Award earlier this year, things are definitely looking good.

The BBC has also released its first teaser trailer of the game. It doesn't give a lot away, but we do think that the game certainly sounds intriguing. Have a look for yourself (see below) and see what you think:

Remember to check in with Mini Gamers in the New Year for all the latest news about this exciting project, and please join us here on Christmas Eve 2011 for some 'just-for-fun' gaming trivia!

Sony Says Only ONE PS Vita Account Per Console After All...

It seems as though Sony have got themselves a little bit confused lately. A recent article by Wired.com suggested that the new PS Vita console would allow users to have multiple accounts on the one console, as long as each account was set up on different memory sticks.

This caused a mixture of surprise and anger from the gaming community as the PS Vita Memory Sticks have already been said to be very expensive - often triple the price of most other memory sticks on offer in the shops today and much more expensive than the memory sticks previously used in Sony's other handheld console, the PSP - so having to purchase more than one in order to have multiple accounts could be deemed as a little bit outrageous.

However, things have got even more complicated, as Sony has backtracked from their original statement and now claim that the PS Vita will only allow for ONE account per console.

A Sony representative has since provided the following statement: “[The] PSN account is tied to the hardware and the memory card, not just the card...In other words, PlayStation Vita is intended to be played by only one user”  [Sourced from: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/12/sony-vita-psn/]


The PS Vita launches in Japan tomorrow, and is expected to reach the rest of the world by the 22nd of February 2012. It is unclear what kind of reception the console will get when it reaches UK stores, but all this early controversy is probably not helping its reputation at all.

Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news on this topic in the coming months.

PS Vita Gets European Launch Line-Up

Sony have released the official list of PS Vita titles that gamers can expect to see at launch when the new console gets its European debut on the 22nd of February 2012.

Amongst the latest sequels of some of the core Sony franchises such as Everybody's Golf,
Uncharted: Golden Abyss and ModNation Racers: Road Trip, to name but a few, there are also a couple of brand new games on the list which seem worth getting excited about.

These include Escape Plan, a puzzle-platformer in which two odd-looking characters called Lil and Laarg (or little and large - get it?) must escape from a factory in a monochrome world where they are about to be pulped into mush. The game has an air of the macabre about it but definitely has a very unique and intriguing back-story as well as refreshing and somewhat humorous gameplay.

The other new title is simply called Unit 13, and is a Special Ops type game in which players can choose one of six operatives who are then expected to complete thirty-six gruelling action-based missions in nine different locations.

As both games have been constructed from scratch to take advantage of all the console's best features including the dual analog sticks, they promise to be a very good indication of the PS Vita's capabilities and the kind of new games we could be likely to see on the console in the near future.

Does this mean that the European launch of the PS Vita will be a success? It is impossible to tell whether Sony will have definite success with the new console. The PS Vita has already been heavily criticised for its expensive memory card prices and its new NVG game cards system, which have now replaced the UMD system used on older PSP handheld consoles.

Nevertheless, the list of launch game titles definitely seems promising enough at the moment. The full list of first-party launch titles can be seen by CLICKING HERE.

Remember to check in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more details about the launch over the next few months. For more details on the PS Vita's apparent pros and cons, please CLICK HERE.

Netflix Comes To The UK - What Does This Mean For Our Consoles?

Netfllix, (the American DVD movie rental and video streaming company), has announced today that it plans to bring its resources to Britain. Nevertheless, instead of a DVD rental service, Netflix will be offering a video streaming service to TVs, PCs and videogame consoles for a small monthly fee.

It is thought that Netflix  has decided to extend its services to the UK after problems with the DVD rental portion of its business led to the loss of around 800,000 subscriptions to the American version of its business.

Nevertheless, it is thought that the Netflix video streaming service will have a positive impact on UK video game consoles, including the 3DS, which has tried to forge its own links to the American version of Netflix already, and which is already geared to showing 3D videos via its own video streaming service.

It is thought that the Netflix service may also be offered on the upcoming PS Vita console, however, we must point out that there are no direct plans for this at the moment.

No commencement date for the UK version of Netflix has been announced yet, but it certainly seems as though Netflix is determined that its launch should attract as many potential customers as possible.

Remember to check in with Mini Gamers over the coming months for more news on this exciting development.

PS Vita: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - What Do We Know So Far?

With only a few short months before the Playstation Vita emerges onto the Japanese gaming market, Mini Gamers examines the recent spate of news articles concerning Sony's new handheld device, and asks whether the PS Vita is gearing up to be an international success or whether it will all turn out to be a bit of a disappointment...

THE GOOD

The PS Vita (then known only as the 'Sony NGP') was announced on the 27th of January this year after months of speculation about its existence.

Amongst other things revealed about the new console, were its hardware specifications, including an enhanced graphics card, front and rear cameras, a rear touch pad and OLED touchscreen, and dual analog sticks, making it one of the most technological handhelds that Sony has ever produced.

However, Sony then surprised gamers by announcing that the console would be relatively low-priced despite its technological advances, with the 3G wireless version priced around £219, whilst the non-3G version was expected to cost around £187.

More good news came recently. Sony announced that the console would not be region-locked, unlike its main competitor, the Nintendo 3DS, meaning that gamers could purchase PS Vita software cheaply by obtaining it from other countries, including America.

Sony also recently announced that it would be offering previous PSP owners an opportunity for 'cheap downloads' of their previous UMD games onto the new console. According to gaming website, Siliconera, Sony plans to offer gamers downloadable PSP titles at a 'special price' when the console launches in Japan.

 However, it is yet unclear what form this price reduction might take, or whether similar offers will be available next year when the console launches in North America and Europe.

Sony have also provided details of the various launch dates for the PS Vita console release, which have now been confirmed as:

December 17th 2011 

Japan

 February  22nd 2012  

Worldwide release including Australia, America and Europe.

This  means that although Japan will get the Vita in time for Christmas, it won't be too long before the rest of us get to experience this nifty little console for ourselves.

THE BAD

Sony's recent announcements about PS Vita Memory Stick prices came as a shock to many gamers as the lowest prices were almost triple the price of most memory sticks and a lot higher than those memory sticks used in the older PSPs. Nothing really to suit poorer budgets. Details of the PS Vita memory sticks can be found by clicking HERE.

Sony have announced that they will cease production of UMD games for the new console, opting instead for a new game-cartridge system, which they have called NVGs. However, this means that the console will also be incompatible with older PSP games as it will no longer feature a UMD slot.

This means that PSP owners will be forced to either keep their existing PSP consoles as well as buying the new PS Vita in order to continue using the original games, or they will be forced to sell their existing software and then purchase a downloadable version for the PS Vita. Either way, this seems to be quite an off-putting factor for older PSP fans. 

Furthermore, Sony have recently announced that downloads on the 3G model of the PS Vita will now be limited to a disapointing 20MB during the console's initial launch, but Sony has stated that this may vary in the future.

PS VITA: IS THE FUTURE LOOKING 'UGLY'?

   It is yet unclear how the PS Vita will perform in the weeks and months after its release in both Japan or the rest of Europe. The console is vastly superior to the PSP or PSP Go, and, despite one or two minor bad points, the PS Vita does have plenty of  appealing features.

Nevertheless, the PS Vita has come under heavy-fire from critics who say that Sony are simply trying to rival the Nintendo 3DS, which, despite its obvious gaming advances is still struggling to make a good impression in the overall gaming market. Does this mean that the PS Vita is doomed to fail?

According to SCEJ President, Hiroshi Kawano, he does not see 3D smartphones or the Nintendo 3DS as a threat to the success of the PS Vita.

Speaking at the Tokyo Game Show 2011, Kawano claimed the two consoles were radically different, not only in their price and performance, but also in the fact that the PS Vita will contain many more elements aimed at 'Social Gaming', which has become very popular over the past few years.

Furthermore, Kawano claims that 3D smartphones only have gaming as a bonus, rather than as their main focus and therefore, he does not believe that this will be a major competitor for the PS Vita console.

Kawano said: "Gaming is not the main focus of smartphones but merely just a bonus. The PS Vita, on the other hand, is designed for games, with extra features like social networking elements and applications built on top of that... people who want to buy a gaming system will not go out and buy a smartphone for exactly this reason." [Sourced from: http://au.gamespot.com/events/tgs-2011/story.html?sid=6334983]

The PS Vita looks to be shaping up nicely, with several games such as Escape Plan, Gravity Rush, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, and Little Big Planet to name but a few. Nevertheless, one thing is certain - the PS Vita will only succeed if gamers want a console and go out and purchase one. Thus, one question still remains: Is the PS Vita what current gamers really want?

Mini Gamers in interested in what you think about Sony's latest offering. Why not leave us a comment and let us know? We'd love to here your thoughts on the subject.

PS Vita: Memory Card Prices, Battery Life and Region-Free Gaming Confimed...

Sony has confirmed several more interesting details about the release of its upcoming handheld gaming device, the PS Vita.

Details so far include confirmation that the console will indeed be without any region locks, meaning that software from one country can easily be played on a console from another country. According to GameIndustryBiz, Sony Worldwide President, Shuhei Yoshida recently responded to some gamers on the social networking site, Twitter, who asked if the console would be region-free by saying: "Yes, it is." [sourced from: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-09-19-playstation-vita-region-free]

Sony has also listed the prices for its new PS Vita memory cards which range in size from 4GB to 32GB. As usual, the larger the card's capacity, the more expensive it will be. The current prices are as follows:

4GB - £18 ($29)

8GB - £27 ($42)

16GB - £46 ($72)

32GB - £72 ($124)

Unfortunately the Memory Sticks are not as cheap as most gamers were hoping for, but as every current PSP owner knows, large capacity memory sticks are necessary for people who wish to download full-games and entertainment software or other applications from the Playstation Network Store.

Further information was also released about the console's battery life. According to Sony, the PS Vita has around 3-5 hours of battery life once it is fully-charged, which is equivalent to nine hours of music playback and five hours of video playback.

The PS Vita is scheduled for release on the 17th of December 2011. No European release dates have been set, although the console is expected to launch in North-America, Australia and the UK some time in early 2012.