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.

One To Watch: The Sims 3: Pets [3DS]

The Sims 3: Pets is about to arrive on 3DS console, so what can fans expect from the second title in The Sims 3 handheld gaming range?

The Sims 3: Pets [3DS] allows players to create some unique pets for your Sims to play with, by customising different breeds of cats and dogs and giving them a choice of three individual personality traits, including: Brave, Skittish, Loyal, Piggy, Independant, Aggressive, Neat, Friendly, and many more besides.

This game also gives players the chance to immediately create two Sim characters for their household as well, so that they can instantly create a family unit (two Sims, one pet). This is an improvement on the original Sims 3 3DS game, in which you were only allowed one Sim to begin with, and it opens up several different possibilities for interactions between the chosen Sims based on their individual character traits.

One thing that Mini Gamers has learned will be missing from The Sims 3: Pets is the ability to map a photograph of oneself onto your chosen human Sim(s).  This is a shame as we thought that this ability was one of the positive aspects of the first Sims 3 game.

However, customisation of your human Sim characters can still be achieved by dragging the stylus on the bottom screen and reshaping parts of the Sim's face, which can in some cases produce a very effective lookalike for those players wishing to put themselves in the game.

Karma Powers are again used in this game. The all-new Karma Powers are as follows:

+ A Little Ray of Sunshine: Gives an immediate boost to Sims/pets with no interruption.

+ Transmography:  Turns a human Sim or their pet counterpart into either a cat, dog or  human Sim, depending on their current species.

-  Solar Flare: unleashes a random and dangerous Solar Flare on your unsespecting Sims.

- Feral Possession (pets only): Forces your normally lovable pets to go absolutely crazy and wild.

- The Sickness: Leaves your Human Sims feeling very ill all of a sudden.

Karma Powers have also now been upgraded so that it is possible to spend more play coins than you actually have available, so that you can use more Karma Powers in your Sims/pets lives. However, players should be aware that there are serious consequences for over-spending your play coins in this game...

The really brilliant thing about The Sims 3: Pets is that the pets in this game are also fully controllable. Ever wondered what it was like to be a dog or a cat? Now is your chance to find out. Have your dog/cat choose who to bite or sniff, when to dig holes or where to go to toilet - its all up to you.

One of our few gripes with this game is that the 3DS circle pad is used to control all the Sim/pet movements and object selections in and around the town. We found this awkward, especially if trying to select an object in another part of the house to where our Sim/pet was currently occupying. As a result, we spent a lot of our time zooming in and out during gameplay, which soon got very frustrating.

The Sims 3: Pets Trailer for 3DS, PS3 and Xbox Kinect

 

Overall, the Sims 3: Pets is not a bad attempt at bringing the PC experience of the game (minus horses) to the 3DS console. Players will find the new Karma powers very entertaining. Overall rating: 8/10.

Game of the Week: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure [3DS]

Spyro gets his first outing on the 3DS today in a new spin-off action game, which has been entitled: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.

The concept of the game is simple: There are a group of beings called 'Skylanders', who help to protect an area of their world known as the 'Skylands'. Now an evil tyrant, called Hektore, has frozen these magical beings and banished them down to Earth. Only the legendary Portal of Power can bring the Skylanders back to life!

 This game is particularly interesting, as it allows players to use specially-designed interactive figurines (some provided with the game itself) which can be connected to the console via a special hub known as 'The Portal of Power'.

Although this is not an entirely new idea in videogame entertainment, it is certainly an ambitious undertaking for a handheld console. What's more, is that up to 32 figurines can be purchased for use in the game so the virtual enviroment and character abilities can be expanded.

Characters also remember previous upgrades and in-game experience each time they are placed back in the Portal of Power, and in this way the whole virtual world of Skylanders really does seem to come to life.

Three figurines are thought to be included in the 3DS version of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - Dark Spyro, Gill Grunt and Trigger Happy, and each character comes with its own set of magical weapons and abilities. Some shops have also sold the game with either Stealth Elf and/or the Ignitor figurines instead.

Moreover,  both the figurines and the portal/hub are non-platform-specific, which means that figurines which are supplied with the Wii version of the game, for example, can also be used with the 3DS version.  Nevertheless, with an average price of £8 per figure, it may take gamers a long time to actually complete their collection.

The 3DS version of  Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is more of a platform-adventure than the other versions. Players must collect special 'crystals' which allow them to unlock bonus levels. Whenever players successfully finds a crystal, they will enter into a timed-battle against one of the Skylander enemies. If they win the battle they can unlock the bonus levels.

Another feature of the 3DS version include the ability to 'tag-team' between the supplied Skylander figurine characters, enabling players to make the most of their combined skills and experiences.

The 3D environments are stunning and really do add to the illusion that the player is battling dark forces in an actual magical realm.

Official TV Trailer

In conclusion, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a unique game that seems to suit the 3DS very well. The game has tons of replay value and will appeal to platform-adventure fans of all ages. Definitely a game that it would be nice to see at the bottom of your Christmas Stocking this year. Overall rating: 9/10.

Review: Spider-Man: Edge Of Time [3DS]

Everyone's favourite neighbourhood Spider-Man swings into action in his very first 3D outing this week in Spider-Man: Edge of Time.

What is immediately apparent is that this particular game has at least attempted to build on the success of the last Spider-Man game title, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which saw Peter Parker's alter-ego split into four distinct personalities from four alternative universes.

Edge of Time has a similarly strong narrative plot, with Future Spider-Man uncovering a plot to assassinate the his past-self with a dose of anti-venom. Nevertheless, actions in one time zone have serious repercussions on the other, can our hero use this knowledge to his advantage?

Nevertheless, where the strong narrative in Spider-Man: Edge of Time could be seen to potentially form the backbone of the game's success, it is more often than not the reason that the game seems static in places.

For example, having two Spideys in the same place but in two different time zones means that players are often be expected to play through the same levels with only minor adjustments to allow for the past/future changes. This can get a little boring at times.

Of course, the main objective of this type of game is to 'get the bad guys as quickly as possible', but even in this task, the game only seems average at best. Enemies are reasonably easy to beat in most of the levels, except during the big Boss Battles, where one would expect things to get a little bit harder.

However, Spider-Man: Edge of Time soon becomes a game of two different extremes, as these aforementioned Boss Battles seem to take the combat to an almost 'impossible-to-beat' standard, with several Bosses having huge energy bars that hardly seem to drain, or weak-points that are difficult to locate. Although this is fun for the first few levels, it soon becomes frustrating.

Nevertheless, Edge of Time does have its good points too. Graphically and audibly speaking, the 3DS version of Spider-Man: Edge of Time is probably the closest representation of the home console version(s) of the game that players could ever wish for.

The game is fully voice-acted and the banter between the characters really does make the player feel part of the Spider-Man universe, which is then further enhanced by some incredibly slick 3D graphics, which are guaranteed to impress all who see them, and rounded off with some pretty solid camera angles.

There are also some really good timed events within the game too, these help to elevate some of the tediousness caused by some of the more static levels within the game. The dramatic tone of the music also helps to build the tension here too, helping to convinced even the most normally calm person that he/she is about to run out of time any second.

Furthermore, the so-called 'Web of Challenges' function has been carried over from Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, providing successful players with a new selection of bonus missions and challenges to undertake once the main campaign mode has been completed. This does help to enhance the game's replay value slightly.

Official Debut Trailer

In conclusion, the 3DS version of Spider-Man: Edge of Time is a good visual representation of the home console versions and has some limited interesting features. Nevertheless, the game features difficult bosses and repetitive gameplay, which is likely to bore most hardcore gamers within a matter of hours. Overall rating: 6/10.

Game of the Week: Virtual Villagers - A New Home (DS/DSi)

The popular PC games franchise, Virtual Villagers, finally landed onto Nintendo DS/DSi consoles this week. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, Virtual Villagers is a real-time, strategy-based virtual life simulation.

 Players must help to take care of a  tribe of people after their previous home has been destroyed by a volcanic eruption, and they are now forced to work to rebuild their homes and the tribal population. The Nintendo DS version is actually a condensed volume of the first three games from the PC series.

Virtual Villagers does seem to naturally suit the Nintendo DS consoles, and Mini Gamers is surprised that there has not been a DS console release of this game until now.

The overall gameplay is simple: Players can assign tasks to the villagers. They can choose from a selection of jobs such as Farmer (grow new plants and crops), Priest (nuture the souls of your tribe, boost morale), Parent (give birth and raise children to adulthood), Builder (erect huts and other buildings for the tribe),or a Healer (to heal sick or wounded villagers)  etc. This will help your tribe to grow, develop and settle into their new homes.

As this game is played in real-time and features a strong story progression, your tribe members will continue to learn new skills and grow in ability within the task that you have set for them, even if you are not playing the game - The tribe continues to function even when your DS/DSi is turned off!

The same can be said about the Villagers lifespans. Villagers who are born into the tribe will start off as babies and progress through childhood, adulthood and old age, where they will ultimately die.

However, it has to be said that the entire life process can be fulfilled quite quickly, so you might lose more inhabitants to death than you want to. Nevertheless, players do have the option to 'freeze time' overnight if they wish, which can be useful if you want to build a very skillful tribe or limit the amount of deaths or illnesses that occur whilst you are away from the DS console.

The game also features over sixty different puzzles for players to solve. Players must raise the villagers skills up to a specific level in order to solve puzzles, which takes a bit of time and patience, but is very rewarding, as these puzzles provide clues, which will then help the player to unlock the secrets of Mysterious Island.

 Virtual Villagers: A New Home  also contains a good selection of mini games, which can be completed to earn extra skill points or to speed up certain daily tasks. The mini games include tasks such rain-dancing, fruit-picking or fishing and even sawing wood, amongst others, and they help to add extra entertainment value to the game.

Official DS/DSi Trailer

In conclusion, this cute and gentle game will not suit everyone, but is likely to appeal to fans of strategy games and real-life virtual simulations such as Animal Crossing, Enchanted Folk or My Sims. The attention to detail about each villagers thoughts and feelings help to create a very realistic virtual environment and makes this an incredibly charming game.

It has easy-to-understand controls, which also makes it a good game for younger gamers to enjoy, but does not exclude older gamers who are looking for a simple and fun little game for those spare few  hours. Overall rating: 8/10.

Why October 2011 Could Be The Most Exciting 3DS Games Month So Far...

It could be argued that handheld gaming has undergone a bit of a drought recently, especially in terms of 3DS games. Nevertheless, there are several upcoming 3DS titles on the horizon which have given us a slight cause for celebration.

As well as some great movie tie-ins such as The Adventures of TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn and Captain America: Super Soldier, 3DS gamers are also scheduled to get their hands on some unique 3DS games, including James Noir: Hollywood Crimes, Dr. Lutrec and the Hidden Knights, Spiderman: Edge of Time, The Sims 3: Pets and NCIS 3D, to name but a few.

Nevertheless, there's more good news for fans of retro games and virtual board games, as both Mahjong 3D: Warriors of the Emperor and Tetris 3D will be making their debut on the 3DS console by the end of the month.

It may not be Mario Kart 7, but we reckon that this eclectic list of games will help to keep most 3DS gamers satisfied in the run up to Christmas. What's even better though, is that the Mini Gamers blogsite is dedicated to previewing and reviewing as many of the new games for you as is humanly possible.

Remember to check in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news on these games as it occurs.

Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright TGS 2011 Trailer Revealed...

A new trailer for the 3DS Puzzle/Adventure collaboration, known simply as Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright, has recently surfaced on the Internet following its unveiling at the Tokyo Game Show 2011.

The game is the result a collaboration between Level 5 inc and Capcom and features characters from both game franchises. However, it had previously been suggested that the game might actually be a fabrication - hopefully this trailer will dispel any notions that this game might be a myth!

Japanese Official Trailer shown at TGS 2011

Very little is known about the game's main storyline so far, but from what we have seen, it would seem to centre around Witchcraft, Castles and Medieval Knights.  Phoenix Wright must defend his client (the blonde woman in the dock) against accusations that she is a practising witch.

No European release has been announced yet, but the game is scheduled for release in Japan some time in 2012. The game itself will be the first time that either franchise has appeared in 3D. As a result, the graphics will juxtapose the familiar 2D images with 3D ones.

Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright looks like a very interesting title. Mini Gamers hopes that a European release date will be confirmed some time in the next few months.

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.

New Suikoden Game Announced For PSP...

Konami has announced that they will be producing a new Suikoden game for the Playstation Portable.

The game was announced at this year's Tokyo Game Show, and its title has roughly been translated into English as Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century.

OFFICIAL JAPANESE TRAILER shown at TGS 2011

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Suikoden games franchise, the first Suikoden game was developed in 1995 and the series has previously appeared on the Playstation I and II, as well as on the Nintendo DS and PSP handheld systems.

In each of the previous Suikoden games, players must attempt to recruit all 108 Stars of Destiny in order to unlock new abilities and bonuses. The games also featured many turn-based battle modes, including one-on-one duels.

However, what marks this new game out from its predecessors is the fact that it is being produced from scratch by a different production team than before, and the game itself seems like a self-contained episode based on - as opposed to a continuation of - the previous games in the series. This means that Suikoden fans could be seeing a lot of new gameplay features alongside the more traditional ones. Only time will tell if this serves to enhance the Suikoden franchise or not.

Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century is still in development and it could be some time before more solid details about the game start to emerge. Watch this space!

Flare Red 3DS UK Release Date Scheduled For September...

Mini Gamers can reveal that the long-awaited Flare Red 3DS console will be arriving in the UK on Friday the 30th of September 2011.

The red 3DS console has long been a favourite amongst 3DS owners ever since it was first revealed alongside the two launch colours, Aqua Blue and Cosmos Black,  back in early 2010.

However, the red console never actually materialised during the 3DS launch in March this year, leading to disappointment from those gamers who had set their heart on owning a red one.

Recently, Nintendo announced that the Flare red (AKA Flame Red) 3DS console would be released in Australia and the USA in September, but did not specify a UK release date - until now...

Mini Gamers is relieved that there is now a solid date for the UK Flare Red console release, but with only fourteen days left until the console's apparent release, we can not help but wonder what those initial gamers who originally wanted a red 3DS console but decided to opt for one of the launch colours instead will do now.

This brings up a very important issue in the world of handheld gaming. Should companies like Nintendo be allowed to announce or display a particular colour of console in their pre-release marketing campaigns but then delay its release until several months after the console's original release date? Is this not simply causing unnecessary disappointment to gamers?

HAVE YOUR SAY...

Are you hoping to purchase a Flare Red 3DS console?

What makes the Flare Red colour so attractive to gamers?

Did you originally want to purchase a Flare Red 3DS console but opted for one of the launch colour consoles instead?

Are you now disappointed that you did not get a Flare Red 3DS?

If you wish to discuss this issue with other gamers, then please leave us a comment. We'd love to hear your thoughts.



Sony Announces 75 Possible Launch Game Titles For The PS Vita

Sony have reportedly released a list of 75 videogame titles which should become available when its latest handheld console, the PS Vita, launches early next year. However, we also ought to point out that these games are all currently 'work-in-progress' and thus it is possible that some of the games included on the list might change by the actual launch date.

Futhermore, the console is set to launch in Japan in December this year, and it is yet unclear whether some of these games will be exclusively available in the Japanese launch, or whether the same games will also make it to the European release as well.

Nevertheless, the list includes games from a wide range of genres including educational titles, which is unusual on a Sony handheld, and thus it looks as though Sony are determined to cater to as many gamers as possible from day one of the PS Vita launch.

The full list of games is as follows:

SUMIONI (ACQUIRE) - INK ACTION

SRPG (Working Title) (ALPJA) - Simulation RPG

MALICIOUS (tentative) (ALVION) - ACT

No title (AQUAPLUS) - Dungeon PRG

STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN (CAPCOM) - Fighting

Shirotsuku (CAVE) - Simulation

New shooting (CAVE) - shooting

Emergency Escape Adventure Trust or Betrayal (Tentative) (CHUNSOFT) Adventure

DJ MAX TECHNIKA PORTABLE (Working Title) (CYBERFRONT) - DJ SIMULATION

Jurassic HUNTER (Working title) (Digital Works Entertainment) - action

slotter mania (V DORASU) - Slot Simulation

Hello Kitty to issho block crash V (DORASU) - Block Crash

FIFA (working title) (EA) - Sport

MAPLUS PORTABLE NAVI 4 (Working Title) (Edia) - NAVIGATION

RPG (Working Title) (FURYU CORPORATION) - RPG

Ragnarok Odyssey (GungHo Online Entertainment) - Action

TBA (GungHo Online Entertainment) - Action

TBA (GungHo Online Entertainment) - Action Puzzle

New title (GUST) - New genre

SUDOKU by Nikoli complete edition (HAMSTER) - Corporation Puzzle

Monsters Rising (Tentative Title) (IDEA FACTORY) - Card Game

DRAGON'S CROWN (Ignition Entertainment) - Action RPG

Shin Megami Tensei series (Index Corporation / Atlus) - RPG

Persona4 The GOLDEN (Index Corporation / Atlus) - RP

Pachi-Para Series (IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING) - Pachinko 

No title (KAGA CREATE) - Adventure Game

No title (KAGA CREATE) - Shooting Game

ASPHALT : INJECTION (Konami) - Racing

AR COMBAT DigiQ (Konami) - Simulation

Oh to Maoh to Nananin no himegimi tachi - shin ohsama monogatari- (Konami) - Role Playing

Shinsei Zenkoku Taisen Version (Konami) - Mah-Jong

METAL GEAR SOLID HD EDITION (Konami) - Espionage Action

Baseball (Konami) - Sports

New RPG title (LEVEL-5) - RPG

No title (MAGES) - Adventure Game

Saikyo Todai Shogi (Mainichi Communications) - Table

Marjong Haoh (Mainichi Communications) - Table

New Action RPG (Working Title) (Marvelous Entertainment) - Action RPG

New Action-Adventure game (Working Title) (Marvelous Entertainment) Action-Adventure game

New Simulation RPG (Working Title) (Marvelous Entertainment) - Simulation RPG

New Fantasy RPG (Working Title) (Marvelous Entertainment) - Action RPG

Next Education [English Grammar] (Media5 Corporation) - Education

Next Education [Test preparation for certified administrative procedures specialists] (Media5 Corporation) - Education

Next Education [TOEIC TEST] (Media5 Corporation) - Education

Gundam Franchise (Working title) (NAMCO BANDAI) - ACTION

Super Robot Taisen Franchise (Working title) (NAMCO BANDAI) - TBD

Tales of Innocence R (NAMCO BANDAI) - RPG

ANIME ACTION (Working title) (NAMCO BANDAI) - ACTION

Ys -Foliage Ocean in CELCETA (Nihon Falcom Corporation) Action RPG

Daito Giken Official Pachi-Slot Simulator Series (PAON Corporation) - Pachi-Slot Simulator 

No title (POLYGON MAGIC) - Android Communicator

Little Busters! Converted Edition (PROTOTYPE) - Adventure Game

Jumpin' (Working Title) (Railfan Holdings) - Jump action

RPG (Working Title) (Rideon Japan) - RPG

Super Monkey Ball (working title) (SEGA) - Puzzle Game

Ginsei Igo (SilverStarJapan) - Table

Ginsei Shogi Huun Ryuuko Raiden (SilverStarJapan) - Table

Escape (Sony) - Survival Stragtegy

GRAVITY RUSH (Sony) - Action Adventure

Sound Shape (Sony) - Action / Music Creator

STARSTRIKE DELTA (Sony) - Shooting Game

Reality Fighters (Sony) - Fighting

LittleBigPlanet (Sony) - Action

WipEout2048 (Sony) - Racing

FINAL FANTASY X (SQUARE ENIX) - RPG

Sangokuhime (SystemSoft Alpha Corporation) - strategic simulation + adventure

Battlefield of Maidens 2nd (SystemSoft Alpha Corporation) - strategic simulation + adventure

Sengokuhime 3rd (SystemSoft Alpha Corporation) - strategic simulation + adventure

Moe Moe Great War Modern Version ++ (SystemSoft Alpha Corporation) - strategic simulation + adventure

NINJA GAIDEN Ó (Tecmo Koei) - ACTION

LUMINES (Ubisoft) - Music Puzzle

Rayman Origins (Ubisoft) - Action

[Sourced from: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/318872/ps-vitas-70-work-in-progress-titles]

The list may help to promote the PS Vita to users of the original PSP handhelds, who may have been worried about a lack of decent software at launch.

The PS Vita's predecessor, the PSP Go wa criticised by gamers, mainly for two reasons: Firstly, the console did not have enough core titles to sustain interest from the handheld gaming market, and secondly, the PSP Go only featured downloadable games, with no UMD slot, which meant that there were no hard copies of the software available for purchase anywhere.

With Sony's announcement that it will be producing PS Vita games on a new type of memory stick called an 'NVG card', and now a detailed list of possible launch titles, it seems as though Sony is determined to correct past mistakes and make the PS Vita into a truly memorable console. However, only time will tell if the gaming community is ready to accept such a device.

Remember to check in regularly with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news on this subject as it develops.

Game of the Week: Starfox 64 3D [3DS]

The Star Fox 64 game, (which was actually a sequel to a  SNES game called StarWing,) was first released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1997, and now over fourteen years later, lead character, Fox McCloud and his intergalactic team is set to take flight again in order to stop his nemesis, Andross, from destroying the universe, and this time around, the whole battle will take place in full autostereoscopic 3D.

For those gamers amongst us who are old enough to remember the original version of the game, the worry here will most probably be that the game will be too familiar and thus not offer enough new content to entice them to purchase a 3DS version.

Nevertheless, there are a few subtle differences between the original version and the 3DS updated version, which does make this game a lot more challenging than its predecessor.

Vehicles in the game are mainly controlled via the Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad, which can sometimes feel a little bit awkward and difficult to move, however, for those brave gamers amongst you, Star Fox 64 3D also has the option of using the gyroscopic features of the 3DS console - by tipping the console left or right - which does enhance the gameplay and make it more believable, but can also slow down your progress through the various levels slightly.

As in the original game, players who perform badly during the in-game missions may find themselves  sent back to a previous (supposedly easier) level depending on how well they are deemed to have performed in the mission(s) included in each level.

However, in the 3DS version, this gameplay structure has been improved. Thus, players can now unlock different portions of the Star Fox 64 3D storyline depending on which characters you manage to locate and save during the missions, which does increase the game's replay value.

Having said that, the game's overall storyline remains virtually identical to the previous Star Fox 64 title, and for veterens of the series or hardcore gamers alike, it can be completed in under two hours of constant playing.

Nonetheless, the missions are fun and engaging, and the 3D graphics look really great and do seem to add to whole experience.

Furthermore, the game now features a new Score-Attack mode, which allows players to revisit any of their previously unlocked planets and try and gain a new high score. Again, this increases the game's replay value immensely.

The game also features a Multiplayer Mode for up to four players. Players can battle their family and friends in various aerial dogfights. The Multiplayer Mode also features new power-ups and weapons not used in the original version.

Unfortunately, the Multiplayer Mode does not include Internet capability, which means that it is restricted to local wireless play only. Nevertheless, the game does support the 3DS' Download Play function, which means that your friends can connect with their 3DS consoles, even if they don't own a separate copy of the game.

Overall, this game is a very good update of the original Star Fox 64 title. It makes excellent use of the 3DS capabilities and also includes some changes to the main gameplay mechanisms, which certainly ensures that the game can be replayed many times over.

Veterens of the Star Fox games will however find several familiar elements throughout the game, which may mean that the game is easier to complete than it will be for newbies to the series. Ultimately though, this 3D version of Star Fox 64 is a brilliant edition, which is not to missed. Overall rating:9/10.