Introducing the NEW 3DS...

Nintendo have today officially announced a new handheld console in its 3DS range via a Japanese-exclusive Nintendo Direct broadcast. The console, which so far has the working title of 'New 3DS', boasts a SNES style colour-scheme for its four main buttons, and is expected to come with several new features, including a small circular analog stick, called a C-stick, and in-built Near-Field Communication, which will be used in conjunction with Nintendo's Amiibo range.

However, for those of you who were expecting an NFC peripheral to adapt your existing 3DS console for use with Amiibo, Nintendo are still planning on releasing a 3DS NFC adapter some time in 2015, but the advantage of the new 3DS is that this technology will already be available within the console itself.

There have been two models of New 3DS announced today: The standard model and a new XL model, which has been called New 3DS LL. both models will be slightly larger than their current 3DS counterparts. This all sounds very appealing, but rather controversially, the console features a whole new CPU and therefore, the new 3DS titles will not be compatible with the older 3DS systems. This means that gamers who wish to play the new titles will be forced to upgrade to the new system.

One of the titles which has been announced for the system is a new Xenoblade Chronicles game, although details of how the game will use the features of the New 3DS console are unknown at this present time.

The New 3DS will launch in Japan on the 11th of October  this year and is expected to launch in Europe and the US some time in 2015. The news of a new 3DS is a slight 'mixed bag' for those fans who have already invested in a 3DS or 3DS XL, but the New 3DS will be much more advanced than its predecessor, and thus may well tempt gamers to either trade in their old consoles, or splash the cash on the New 3DS when it becomes available.

So, what do you think of the New 3DS? Are you tempted to buy one? If you have any thoughts about the new console and wish to share them with us, then please feel free to get in touch via our comments link at the bottom of this post.

It looks as though 2015 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in the world of handheld gaming. Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news about this console as it develops.

PSN Down After DDoS Attack?

 Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) is reportedly down for maintenance today after a DDoS attack. DDos stands for Distributed Denial of Service, whereby hackers make several computers on their network all contact a specific website or server repeatedly. The unexpected and sudden increase in traffic can make the website load very slowly for genuine users, or in extreme cases, can shut the site down completely for a while, which seems to have been the case here.

                                           

                                           ©2007 HowStuffWorks

 According to an article by ShackNews, the PlayStation Network and several other gaming servers have fallen victim to various DDoS attacks recently including: Blizzard's Battle.net servers, which run some very popular online games such as Hearthstone, Diablo 3, World of Warcraft. It appears that the attacks started with the Blizzard servers before swiftly targeting Riot's League of Legends, Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile, and then moving onto Sony's PlayStation Network.

The attacks are reportedly the work of a group of hackers who are calling themselves Lizard Squad. The group have posted several Tweets over the last few days taking responsibility for the attacks. The situation is ongoing as all of the affected servers attempt to get their services running again.

There was  a routine maintenance already scheduled for Monday the 25th of August 2014, but now the server and its relevant services could be down for even longer than Sony had originally planned.

Sony Announces Adventure Mega Pack Bundle For PS Vita...

The SCEE (Sony Corporate Entertainment Europe) have today announced a new Adventure Mega pack bundle for the PS Vita, which is expected to be released some time in Autumn this year. The bundle will feature five popular PS Vita adventure games:

• Uncharted: Golden Abyss
  Join Nathan Drake on his only PS Vita adventure so far, and help him to uncover the dark secret behind the massacre of a Spanish expedition to Central America around four hundred years ago.

• Tearaway
  The vibrant papery world of Tearaway unfolds in your hands, allowing you to reach into the game with your godlike powers and help your new messenger friend, iota or atoi, complete a very special delivery.

• Gravity Rush
  Take part in an epic adventure with abilities that use the PlayStation Vita system’s unique control methods.

• Escape Plan
  Help Lil and Laarg escape from a dangerous factory by tapping the rear touch pad, blowing into the microphone and much more to confuse enemies.

• TxK
  Play through 100 levels of colourful and vibrant blasting action, complemented by a stunning music soundtrack.

As with other Mega Pack bundles, The PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack comes in two forms:

1) The PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack: This comes with an 8GB Memory card and a voucher with download codes for each of the five games. This is perfect for gamers who already own a PS Vita and who just wish to add some new titles to their game collection.

2) The PS Vita + PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack: This comes with everything listed above, but also contains a Wi-Fi enabled PS Vita console to play the new games on!

Tearaway is just one of five full games included in the Adventure Mega Pack

Both packs are very good value for money. The solo Adventure Mega Pack is expected to cost around £39.99, which is about the average price of a singular full-priced PS Vita title, whilst the PS Vita + Adventure Mega Pack version is only £199.00, which is the average cost of a PS Vita console, so users are essentially getting five free games.

If you like adventure games but couldn't afford to purchase them from the PS Store, or you are new to the PS Vita and are looking for a good starter collection of games, then this is one deal that you simply cannot afford to miss out on.

Still not sure if a PS Vita Adventure Mega Pack Bundle is right for you? Check out some of the other 'Mega Pack' bundles in this series that might appeal to you:

PS Vita Action Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 18+]

PS Vita Sports and Racing Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]

PS Vita Kids Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]

PS Vita LEGO Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]

 PS Vita Disney Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]

PS Vita Indie Games Mega Pack [PEGI Rating: for persons aged 7 or older]

Super Smash Bros Wins Most Wanted Consumer Award at Gamescom 2014!

It's official: Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS are the gaming community's most anticipated games of 2014. Both versions of the game have been awarded the prestigious 'Most Wanted Consumer Game' award at Gamescom 2014.

Voting opened on the 9th of August 2014 via the Gamescom Facebook page and the voting booths available live at the event itself, which kicked off on the 13th of August.

It's an impressive win for the games, especially as Gamescom is the biggest gaming expo event in Europe and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Super Smash Bros is set to debut on the 3DS in October, with its Wii U counterpart being released in December this year.

Super Smash Bros 3DS was also awarded the title of  'Best Mobile Game', whilst the Wii U version was nominated for 'Best Action Game' by the Gamescom  Judging panel. A full list of Gamescom  panel-voted awards along with the winners is available HERE.

The public and panel Gamescom  awards have already proven that Super Smash Bros 3DS is a hit with fans ahead of its release, which will no doubt be reflected in the sales figures when the game finally hits the shelves. Well done, Nintendo!

Game Of The Week: The Swapper [PS Vita]

The Swapper is a 2D side-scrolling sci-fi platform game, which was originally developed for PC, Linux and Mac operating systems, but which has been recently adapted for the PS Vita and PS3 by Curve Studios.

The game essentially explores the issue of human cloning. Players take on the role of a person stranded on a damaged space station from which they are desperately trying to escape. Players must explore the station and find orbs that are used to activate certain doors, allowing them to progress further into the game.

Players will be given a handheld cloning device early in the game. This eponymous device is called 'The Swapper', which has two main functions: firstly, using the device will allow the player  to create up to four simultaneous clones of the original playable character, and secondly, the device gives players the ability to swap control to any of these clones as long as they are within the original character's direct field of vision.

Clones will mirror the original character's movements exactly throughout the game unless they are blocked by the various coloured lights that can be found throughout the environment. Each coloured light has a different affect on the clones:

Blue Light - Prevents players from creating any new clones, but clones who were created before the blue light area can walk through the blue areas without any difficulty.

Red Light - This prevents clones from being able to jump, which can be especially tricky in certain sections of the game.

Purple Light - This light causes a combination of the red and blue light effects upon the clones. Thus, new clones cannot be created whilst in a purple area, and already created clones will be unable to jump whilst in the area of purple light as well. Successfully navigating the coloured lights and other environmental obstacles such as gravitational reversal is a player's primary concern within the game and it is not an easy task to achieve. 

As well as the lights, there are a number of puzzles which will have to be solved. Each puzzle is difficult enough to make players think, but not so brain-taxing that the game feels boring or impossible to complete.

The game does allow players to go back and forth between already explored areas of the game. This is useful as it does allow players the chance to solve all of the game's puzzles in whichever order they choose to do so, which means that they can apply the knowledge gained in latter portions of the game to any of the earlier puzzles that they have not yet completed.

In conclusion, the game has a visually atmospheric graphic style and a simple but pseudo-philosophical narrative, which will keep most players adequately entertained. The only disappointing factor about the game is that it does seem a little too short, but on the other hand, the game never seems to lag or get boring either.

The game is available to download now from the PS Store. If you are looking for a nice new sci-fi game that will not leave you badly out of pocket, then this may just be the game for you. Overall Mini Gamers rating: 8/10.

New Japanese Joystick Peripheral Unveiled For 3DS XL Consoles.

Nintendo's 3DS XL console has certainly been no stranger to peripheral enhancements, with the Circle Pad Pro launching just last year and the new Amiibo Peripheral expected to launch some time in 2015, but now Japanese gaming peripheral designers, Cyber Gadget, have announced their plans for a new joystick attachment for the console as well.

The joystick, which is known as the Cyber Arcade Stick, is designed to make it easier for 3DS XL users to play their favourite arcade-style games, without having to resort to some tricky D-pad controls. The joystick is expected to cost around 3,002 yen (approximately £17.24), and is set to launch throughout Japan on the 31st of October 2014.

Unfortunately, those of you who were hoping to get your hands on the Cyber Arcade Stick before the European release of the new Super Smash Bros game look set to be disappointed, as no Western release date has been announced at present. Watch this space!

Thai Ban On 'Tropico 5' Video Game Amid Fears To National Security...

A new city-building game called Tropico 5, which was due to be released in Thailand has now been banned by the country's Ministry Of Culture, because it is felt that the game may "impinge upon national security. " [sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/thai-government-bans-military-rule-computer-game-tropico-5]

The game allows players to take on a Presidential role on a fictional tropical island,  player can colonise new lands, draft political rules for their new colony, and, if they so wish, they can also choose to declare military rule and create their own dictatorship.

It is not yet clear why the fifth installment of this franchise has been banned when previous games in the series such as Tropico 3 and 4 were considered appropriate for public viewing, However, there are rumours that the game may hit just a little too close to home for some people's liking.

Thailand's military has been ruling the country since General Prayuth Chan-ocha staged a millitary coup in May 2014 – the country's eighteenth coup in eighty years – effectively overthrowing the democratically-elected government and taking control of the country as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

According to New Era, Thailand's marketing manager, Nonglak Sahavattanapong, censors at the Ministry Of Culture banned sales of Tropico 5 as they believed it would "impinge upon Thailand's national security, and deeming it a public threat to peace and order...We've had licences to distribute Tropico 3 and 4 before, but in the fifth instalment, the storyline has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation."
[sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/04/thai-government-bans-military-rule-computer-game-tropico-5]

The game was due to be released in May this year, but was subject to approval by authorities under the 2008 Films and Video Act, which requires that officials screen all games before they are distributed in the kingdom, where it was subsequently banned. The game's developers will not be appealing against the decision to ban the game.