Treasure Of Montezuma Blitz - A Gem of a Freebie, Or A Crystal Clear Rip Off?

Treasure of Montezuma Blitz is a gem-matching game which recently became available on the PSN store exclusively for the PS Vita, and best of all, the game is completely FREE - or is it?

The game itself is excellent, featuring a number of unlockable items including special Totems, and various items to give players an advantage during the game. 

Nevertheless, whilst the game itself is completely free for users to download, it does contain a number of small, hidden optional costs, which have the potential to make this game one of the most expensive PS Vita  titles you could own.

First of all, the in-game currency is called Crystals, and this currency can be used to purchase various totems or gem-bursting items etc, but up 1100 'Crystals' are also extracted at the start of each  of the game's five rounds as well.

The game starts with a good amount of Crystals, and there is a chance to win some Crystals back during the game,  but it is surprising how quickly the required number of crystals needed to even start a game seem to disappear. So how can you play the game now?

Well, players can win bonus Crystals by playing a daily scratch-card mini-game, which takes place once per day and features random amounts of Crystals (from 200-100,000), but even then, it could take a few days before players have one enough currency for even one round of the game.

The only other option is for players to purchase more Crystals via their online PlayStation Network accounts. There are different price packages available from the PSN store, the cheapest of which is just £2.99 for 1000 gems  or up to £15.99 for 100,000 gems.

Nevertheless, although the game does feature a 'free' way to win new Crystals, it is more likely that players will be tempted to choose the easier and faster option of buying more Crystals, and as the game uses a high proportion of Crystals per round, this apparently 'free' game suddenly becomes circuitously expensive.

Worst still, this game only allows the user five lives, which means that after five rounds the game is over, and users cannot play the game until the lives have been replenished. Again, there are two ways that players can replenish these lives. The free way is to wait fifteen minutes before starting the next five rounds, during which time, all five of your lives will be atomatically restarted.

Nevertheless, players are once again given the opportunity to purchase another five lives immediately. This time for 79p. Although this might sound like a small amount, the cost can quickly mount up.

 Furthermore, there does not seem to be any valid ezplanation as to why players' crystals are being extracted at the start of each round, but the more cynical amongst us might reason that the game has been specifically designed to encourage gamers to splash their cash.

The sheer brilliance of this game is not in question, but the fact that it includes potential expenses does raise a serious challenge to the notion that Treasure Of Montezuma Blitz is  a 'free' game just because it costs nothing to download. When it comes to this game, the old adage of 'you don't get something for nothing' is only too apparent.

HAVE YOUR  SAY...

Have you downloaded this game yet?

What are your thoughts on the potential hidden costs involved?

Should this game be described as a 'FREE' game?

Whatever your  thoughts on this issue, please leave your comments in the comments box below. Mini Gamers looks forward to hearing from you.

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.

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 Launch Titles: What titles will be available from Day One?

It is now less than a week until the official European launch of the PS Vita, which should hit the shop shelves on the 22nd of February 2012. However, if you haven't decided which PS Vita title you should choose first, our exploration of some of the initial launch titles should help you.

The official UK launch titles are as follows:

Asphalt: Injection

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II Plus

Dynasty Warriors Next

FIFA Soccer

Little Deviants

Lumines:Electronic Symphony

ModNation Racers: Road Trip

Michael Jackson: The Experience

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus

Reality Fighters

Rayman Origins

Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen

TOUCH MY KATAMARI

Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Virtua Tennis 4

WipEout 2048

There does seem to be a good mix of different gaming genres across the seventeen different core launch titles, with a further five titles said to be exclusively available for download from the Playstation Network Store on day one of the launch.

The five exclusive downloads are:

Escape Plan

Hustle Kings

Plants VS. Zombies

Super Stardust Delta

Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack

(*may be subject to change) 

Many of the launch games - Everybody's Golf, Modnation Racers: Road Trip, Wipeout 2048, (to name but a few) are sequels of prior PSP titles, which means that they are likely to have a big fan base when they hit the shelves, depending on whether or not the PS Vita console itself happens to sell the required units that Sony has predicted.

Moreover, many of these games feature new controls which are designed to demonstrate the PS Vita's new abilities. For example, in Everybody's Golf, whose previous versions have always proved extremely popular, the rear touchpad of the console is used to measure the distance of the ball to the next hole, and the front touchscreen can be used to reposition the ball before 'teeing off', or even rustle the leaves on the trees, or even make your character speak to you.

There are also exciting rumours concerning the game's multiplayer abilities, which suggest that as many as up to thirty competitors will be able to compete against each other during online play,  claim that a daily tournament will be available, and even hint that there will be a social forum available online for those players who wish to discuss the game, however, these details are still largely unconfirmed at present.

Nevertheless, with the PS Vita continuing to perform badly in the current Japanese gaming charts it is clear that Sony will have its work cut out to make its new handheld as popular as the original PSP console.

Some members of the gaming community are citing the high price of the console and its memory sticks as the main reason for its lack of popularity, whereas others say that ceasing the production of UMDs in favour of a new NVG cartridge format makes the PS Vita incompatible with existing PSP games, which has thus led to less interest from current PSP owners.

Whatever the good or bad points of the PS Vita console, it is an interesting addition to the handheld gaming scene and represents an important move away from handheld gaming as a solo activity and towards a more social handheld gaming experience.

Please remember to check out our PS Vita hands-on review once the console launches in Europe on Wednesday.



3DS Playable Demos: Have You Tried Them Yet?

It has been a few weeks since Nintendo released the first of their 3DS playable demo for Resident Evil Revelations in the Nintendo eShop, and since that time, two more demos for CRUSH 3D and Cooking Mama 4 have emerged.

Each demo showcases a particular level or aspect of the featured game. These demos can be downloaded for free, and can be used for 30 plays each, which gives players plenty of time to decide whether they like the game or not.



Crush 3D: Test out the various game mechanics and get a feel for the game.

Although the demos which are currently available are all of currently available shop titles, it is hoped that the eShop demos will soon feature games before their release date, allowing players to experience the latest 3DS titles way before they hit the shop shelves.

This not only avoids the disappointment of buying a game that one is not satisfied with, it also offers a good opportunity to explore the game mechanics and environments that will appear in the full version of the game.

Resident Evil Revelations: Check out the zombie hoardes in this game.

Future playable demos are thought to include games such as Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Metal Gear Solid: Snake 3D and Rayman's Origins, amongst others.

Mini Gamers has checked out the various demos ourselves, and was pleasantly surprised how good each demo was at portraying many aspects of the full games, including the stunning 3D graphics in most cases, although we do think that these demos should have been a feature of the Nintendo eShop from day one.

Whether you want to make pizza with Cooking Mama, enter Danny's mind in Crush 3D, or kill the zombies in Resident Evil Revelations, these demos should leave you feeling pretty satisfied and wanting to purchase the full title - if you haven't already. A very good addition to the Nintendo eShop's 3DS content.

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!

Spot The (Not-So) Deliberate Mistake...Anyone???

It is not often in the world of handheld gaming that a simple cover design gives us such a big laugh, but that is definitely the case with Capcom's latest 3DS offering: Resident Evil Revelations, which has reportedly gone on sale with a certain spelling mistake clearly visable.

The mistake, which affects a proportion of the game sold in North America, clearly labels the game as "Resident Evil Revelaitons" (see above). The mistake has since been commented on by a Capcom representative.

Speaking to Eurogamer, the representative claimed: "We apologise for the mistake, which will be corrected for subsequent productions of the game. We are working on a solution to provide affected customers with the correct packaging. Please visit Capcom-Unity for updates." [sourced from: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-26-capcom-botches-resident-evil-revelations-packaging]

Furthermore, a recent  NA price-drop for the game has now been announced, although it is not clear whether this has anything to do with the packaging error, or whether Capcom has simply decided to make the game more affordable to its audience. Whatever the reason, the reduction from $49.99 to just $39.99 ought to appeal to many cash-strapped gamers out there.

Mini Gamers does not think that the spelling mistake will harm the sales of Resident Evil Revelations in any way. The game has a strong storyline and interesting gameplay, which should help keep those gamers who have been affected by the  minor packaging error happy for a long time to come, and who knows, maybe the misspelled version will become a highly-sought collector's item?

Meanwhile, those of you who are interested in Mini Gamers' impressions of the game, please read our recent review of Resident Evil Revelations by CLICKING HERE.

Game of the Week: Resident Evil Revelations [3DS]

Yes, another addition to the hugely popular Resident Evil game franchise has hit the shelves today. Resident Evil: Revelations is set in the interim between Resident Evil games 4 and 5, and features the two main protaganists, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield alongside their newest BSSA colleagues, Parker Luicani and Jessica Sherawat, as they struggle to take down various Zombie hoardes.

Resident Evil: Revelations is the second game in the series to be released for the Nintendo 3DS handheld. However, it is hoped that this game will have a more RPG feel to it than Capcom's last effort, Resident Evil Mercenaries, which caused quite a stir upon its release when information about the game's arcade-style perma save function came to light.

In the latest game, (set in 2005), BSSA agents, Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat are dispatched to a ocean liner called the SS Queen Zenobia, which has been the victim of another Il Veltro terrorist attack, and now has a raging viral outbreak aboard. To make matters worse, contact is then lost with both of the agents. Now it is left to Jill Valentine and Parker Luiciani to find them...

For fans of the Resident Evil series so far, there will be lots of familiar elements, including a limited supply of ammunition, nevertheless, there are also many 3DS-exclusive features too, such as the ability to use the stylus to solve puzzles or swap between weapons.

This game also features several new elements to the classic gameplay too, such as the ability to swap between a first-person and third-person shooter viewpoint so that players can choose which shooting style suits them best throughout each level of the game.

Also, a new piece of equipment known simply as the Supply Scanner allows players to detect items that have been hidden around the game's different environments.

In conclusion, this game is likely to appeal to any Resident Evil game fan without question. The eerie, dark environments and the stunning 3D visuals help to engage players into the storyline. One disappointing aspect of the game is that there does not appear to be such a variety of enemy types as one would expect from this franchise, but there are still lots of things to find, solve and do in this game. Overall rating: 8/10

Crush 3D Review: Is It Really Worth The Wait?

Yes, Mini Gamers is back and our recent technical difficulties seem to have been resolved! Well, what better welcome back present than a review of Sega's latest 3DS offering, Crush 3D: With Another Dimension.

For those of you who were not lucky enough to play the original game when it debuted on the PSP system back in 2007, Crush 3D is essentially a Puzzle game. Players have to collect a set of marbles hidden around different rooms in order to gain access to an exit door which then leads on to the next level, and so on.

The storyline is rather basic and involves a young teenager named Danny, who has offered to test out a brand new invention from a slightly mad - but brilliant - scientist. The machine is called a Cognitive Regression Utilizing pSychiatric Heuristics (or C.R.U.S.H machine -get it?) and it allows Danny to switch from a 3D environment to a 2D one at the push of a button. This also allows the player to access marbles that were previously hidden from sight.



It may sound simplistic, but there are a number of special rules in place which help to determine when and where Danny can perform his nifty 3D/2D switch. For example, a switch cannot take place when Danny is stood in front of an object or a solid wall, meaning that players have to rotate the camera in order to shield the object from view - think Echochrome, and you will be able to understand how this concept works. Add to this some zany enemies to battle and some cool collectibles to collect, and you have the bare bones of a really good game, with lots of replay value.

Nevertheless, whilst the original PSP version  was heralded as an innovative masterpiece, this version seems to lack a certain finesse about it, especially in the graphics department, which now features a plain-looking central character and colourful block-style environments.

However, the puzzles themselves have been refined and will tax the brains of the most hardcore puzzle enthusiast for quite some time. Spotting the solution to each level appears to get harder and harder as the game progresses, and it can often feel like quite an achievement when you have finally reached the Exit Door.

Furthermore, as this is a 3DS title, players can also make use of the Streetpass function, which allows players to leave items that they have collected in different levels of the game, so that their friends can gain access to them too.

In conclusion, Crush 3D: A Puzzle With Another Dimension makes a refreshing puzzler for the Nintendo 3DS. The puzzles are charming and difficult, and the game itself has lots of replay value. Overall rating: 8/10.

Appologies If You've Been Trying To Contact Us...

Hello Everyone,

you may have noticed that the Mini Gamers blogsite has not been answering comments or publishing its usual content over the last few days or so... This is because of some technical difficulties which we hope to resolve very soon.

We hope that you will all bear with us as we attempt to iron out these minor problems. Please rest assured that we will attempt to answer all game queries as soon as possible. In the meantime, please feel free to use the Mini Gamers Suggestion Box, which still appears to be working.

Thank you for your patience in this matter, and please enjoy the articles and interactive features during - what we hope will be a very short absence.

Yours Sincerely,
Mini Gamers.

New DS and 3DS Games For January 2012...

January 2012 has officially begun, and with it comes a lot of new gaming titles for us to enjoy. This is the Mini Gamers January 2012 release calendar, a short guide to what should be available for our handheld consoles by the end of the month...

January 2012:

DS GAMES

JEWEL MATCH 2

Fans of Jewel Match will be treated to this brilliant sequel game, which is due to be released on the 13th of January 2012.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this game, it involves matching rows of similar jewels in order to accrue points. Other 'Match-3' games of this type include the Bejeweled series, which has become very popular over the past five years.

Jewel Match 2 will feature over 150 levels and two game modes. There will also be a chance for players to unlock new spells and other bonuses or build beautiful castles.

Another Match-3 game is Heroes of Hallas 2: Olympia, which should be heading to the Nintendo DS console on the 30th of January 2012.

Players take on the role of an ancient ruler of a place called Olympia. Players must compete in Match-3 games in order to gather materials that will in turn help to restore the land to its former glory and unlock lots more interesting bonuses.

January 2012:

3DS GAMES

CRUSH 3D

Although this game was originally considered for cancellation because of poor 3DS sales figures, it seems as though Crush 3D has had a reprieve.  Crush 3D is now scheduled for release on Friday the 13th January 2012.

Crush 3D is a new version of an existing PSP puzzle game, in which players can switch between a 2D or 3D world by simply crushing or flattening it.

The 3DS version promises over fifty challenging levels set across four separate environments. There is lots of bonus content to collect or unlock, and players can even use Streetpass to exchange gifts with friends.

WINTER SPORTS 2012:

Feel The Spirit

This is the first Winter Sports title on the 3DS, and it promises not to disappoint. Winter Sports 2012 features over fifty different challenges in six sporting disciplines. The game also features loads of slow-motion replays and unlockables.

Winter Sports 2012: Feel the Spirit is scheduled for release on the 20th January 2012.





REEL FISHING PARADISE 3D

Scheduled for release on January 20th 2012, Reel Fishing Paradise 3D has been rendered in full autostereoscopic 3D, to create a fishing simulation game like no other.

The game features fifteen different stages and features different fishing techniques, from Fly fishing to Bait fishing. Players must travel to different locations, where they can catch, keep and care for their fish in two 3D virtual fishtanks.

TALES OF THE ABYSS

The popular RPG game has its debut on the 3DS at last. Tales of the Abyss tells the story of Luke fon Fabre, sole heir to a family of aristocrats. Luke has been left with no memories of his past, following his kidnap almost seven years earlier.

  Luke has been kept sheltered and spoilt by his family since his return, but suddenly finds himself thrust into the outside world, by the  Order of Lorelei, keepers of the prophecy known as the 'Score'. 

 Luke must get along in this confusing and often hostile world. He knows nothing about those who might be his friends, or those who already are his enemies. Alone, Luke must learn of friendship and sacrifice, of duty and choice. Luke's actions could help to save the world in which he lives or destroy it.

Tales of the Abyss on the 3DS features special new animation and an 'ARTES' shortcut, which gives greater scope during battles. The game is scheduled for release on the 27th of January 2012.

Resident Evil: Revelations is scheduled for release on January 27th 2012. The game is set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5, and the game will seek to test players through a variety of game mechanics, including a limited supply of ammo, and more emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving.

Thus, that marks the end of our January 2012  DS/ 3DS release calendar. We hope that you have found it interesting. Remember to check back with the Mini Gamers blogsite for more news and reviews after the games are released.

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!

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.