Unusual and Rare Novelty Christmas Gifts for Gamers 2013...

 

 

 

 

With only a small number of shopping days left until Christmas, it can sometimes be difficult to decide what that perfect present should be, especially when it comes to pleasing the gamer in your life.

 

If you have exhausted the usual ideas of  gift tokens and game bundles, and want to get your videogame fanatical loved-ones something a little bit special this year, then look no further. Mini Gamers has found a collection of unusual gaming paraphernalia that is sure to delight even the fussiest of gamers. 

PlayStation Cufflinks

 

There are actually a surprising number of PlayStation cufflink designs available, but we thought that these Harvey Makin silver gamepad cufflinks sold from Amazon.co.uk looked particularly nice. 

 

Costing from as little as £8.50, and shaped like the standard PlayStation controllers, these would make a delightful gift for many male gamers. Hurry though, gifts like these are unlikely to stay in stock for long at this time of year.

 

Gaming T-shirts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gaming T-shirts or Hoodies like the one pictured above are another great gift idea. They typically tend to cost between £11.99-£19.99 online, and look very stylish. There are various T-shirt slogans and designs available this year for both men and women. A few of our personal favourites are:

 

• Eat, Sleep, Game [Men's T-shirt]
•  Eat, Sleep, Game [Ladies T-shirt]
• Xbox Achievement 'Left The House' T-shirt [Unisex]
• Xbox Achievement 'Got Out Of Bed' T-shirt [Unisex]
• Sarcastic Comment Loading 'Geek' T-shirt [Unisex]
• Vectorbomb 'Gamer' Hoodie [Unisex]

 

'First Class Gamer' Gaming Mugs

 

 

 

These 'First Class Gamer' mugs made us smile when we saw them. Featuring a standard 1st class stamp design, and with a price tag of around £9.99, these mugs are both a simple and practical little gift which will brighten up the home of any avid gamer. Better still, the mugs come in a blue design for male gamers, or pink for female gamers.

 

If you like the idea of a gaming mug but find that the 'First Class Gamer' design doesn't really appeal, then you might want to check out this small collection of alternative gaming mugs instead. Prices vary, but all of the featured mugs range somewhere between £5.95-£13.50 to buy, depending on the size and design of the mug:

• Evolution of the Gamer  [The Victorian Printing Company]
• Keep Calm and Kill Zombies [Twisted Envy]
• Space Invaders Retro [Makaya]
• Large Coffee Cup LOADING PLEASE WAIT [Makaya] 
• GRAND THEFT AUTO 5 GTA LOS SANTOS V GTA5 game mug [MintPrintz]

 

Car Air-Fresheners

 

 

 

 Okay, so a car air freshener is hardly the most exciting gift that you could hope to give to someone this Christmas, but it is fair to say that this exclusive range of novelty gaming-themed car air-fresheners by AAF-Geek, do put a new spin on the traditional car accessory, and at around only £3.99 each, they will make unusual stocking-fillers.

 

Again, there are many designs to choose from (like the one shown above,) but there were a few designs that we here at Mini Gamers HQ thought were particularly good:

• HALO CAR AIR FRESHENER
• SUPER MARIO & FIREBALL CAR AIR FRESHENER
• ASSASSINS CREED 2 CAR AIR FRESHENER 
• GAMER COUPLE CAR AIR FRESHENER    
• GIRL GAMER CAR AIR FRESHENER
•  GAMER 4 LIFE CAR AIR FRESHENER     

    

   Teen and Child Gaming Gifts

 

Whilst on the hunt for some of the rarer and more unique gamer-related Christmas gift ideas, we did stumble across a few items which seemed tailored to the teenage and child end of the gaming market. 

 

It was difficult to separate these items into their own separate categories, but we did think that they were worth a mention, so here are is a shortlist of items that we think will suit teenagers and children:

• Gaming Cushions:

 

 

These amazing cushions come in two separate designs: ARMY GAMERS WARFARE 3 18"  and ARMY GAMERS WARFARE DESIGN 4 18". They have been specially created by L & S Prints and will most likely suit teenage fans of games like Killzone, Call of Duty, Battlefront etc. Each cushion is machine washable and costs around £16.99.

 

• Gaming Chairs and Beanbags:

Gaming can sometimes be an uncomfortable pastime. Sore thumbs, stiff necks and bad backs are some of the more common complaints suffered by many hardcore gamers, but comfortable and practical seating can solve a lot of the aches and pains when one is gaming for an extended length of time.

 

• The i-eX® Rookie Gaming Chair (pictured above) is a faux leather beanbag style chair aimed specifically at child and young teenage gamers. It is lightweight and easily movable and apparently gives great back and neck support. Nevertheless, like most gaming chairs on the market today, this chair comes with a rather hefty price tag of £44.50.

•  Faux Leather Metallic Gold Gaming Seat Chair This traditional golden beanbag chair is both hard-wearing and stylish. Whilst it cannot claim to offer the full-body support of an actual gaming chair, it will provide a comfortable and relaxing seat for child and teen gamers. Retailing at only £13.05 it is a real bargain and a good alternative for those of you whose budgets can not stretch to that of a 'high-end' gaming chair.

 

• Gaming 'Keep Out' Door Signs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 With most teenagers (and even some pre-teens) needing that little bit of extra privacy, these varied but apt gaming-themed door signs ought to make a great stocking-filler for any avid gamer.

 

With a price range of between £2.99-£7.99, the signs are easily within most household budgets and there is a range of colours and slogans to appeal to many different types of gamer. Here is a shortlist of our personal favourite door signs:

•  Gamer On Duty (Call of Duty Spoof door sign)
• Keep Out - Gamer at Work
• Gaming In Progress- Enter At Your Own Risk
•  Girl Gaming - Keep Out
•  Gamer On A Mission - Enter At Your Own Risk
•  Do Not Disturb- Gaming In Progress

 

 

That completes our Mini Gamers list of novelty Christmas gifts for this year. We really feel that there is something for everyone in this year's selection and we hope that this post has given you some fresh ideas for gifts and stocking fillers.

 

You may also find it useful to read some of our previous Christmas gift ideas articles by CLICKING HERE.

 

Don't forget to check in with us on Christmas Eve for our special 2013 Mini Gamers Big Christmas Gaming Quiz!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Game of the Week: Scribblenauts Unlimited [3DS]

Scribblenauts has finally made its 3DS debut this week. The game, which is called Scribblenauts Unlimited is the fourth title in the popular gaming series, produced by 5th Cell, the developers of the equally popular Drawn to Life games.

Fans of the series will already be familiar with the strong cartoon-style graphics and quirky gameplay which has characterised the previous games. However, there are a few changes to the 3DS version which fans should be aware of.

Firstly, the beginning of Scribblenauts Unlimited gives more backstory on how Maxwell initially came to own the magical green notebook, and why he is so keen to look for the tiny little star objects (known as Starites) in the first place.

 Furthermore, players are now expected to locate tiny Starite fragments (referred to as 'Starite Shards',) which are then combined to make whole Starites. When ten shards have been earned, one full Starite is granted to the player.

Starite Shards can be earned in a multiple ways. A brand new feature  called Starite Vision now allows Maxwell to see which objects or people in each level need his help, thus making it easier to locate the source of each Starite Shard. Tapping on the tiny Starite symbol at the top left-hand corner of the bottom screen will unlock Starite vision. Objects which have uncollected Starite shards will be shown as glowing either yellow or orange.

A special exclusive feature for the 3DS version of the game also allows players to swap hints and solutions to each level via the Streetpass function, and hints are provided for almost every object in the levels, making the solutions for the various puzzles that Maxwell must solve much more accessible than the previous Scribblenauts titles, while still remaining challenging. Not an easy task to achieve.

Another useful new feature is the Object Library, which is located in Maxwell's backpack. This allows players to store and re-use any previously created and summoned objects at any time during the game.

Players can also choose to play as other members of Maxwell's family, as these characters now replace the previous Scribblenauts Avatars. Maxwell's forty brothers become unlocked at various stages of the main game, but the avatars of Maxwell's twin sister, Lily and their parents, Edgar and Julie can only be unlocked after all sixty whole Starites have been collected and the post-game bonus levels are unlocked. Players can also customise their chosen avatar by tapping on the avatar and then selecting 'edit'.

Of course, the main skill in any Scribblenauts game has always been the ability to simply write any given object (with the exception of crude words and/or proper nouns) into Maxwell's notebook and spawn it into existence during the game. The available vocabulary of each Scribblenauts game has grown bigger with each new version, and Scribblenauts Unlimited is no exception.

As well as the adjective system that was first introduced in Super Scribblenauts, players can now attach multiple objects to each other. For instance, it is now possible to create a pig with wings.

 Furthermore, players can also choose to attribute other properties to objects, such as movement (e.g. a fast car) and new offensive capabilities (e.g. breathes fire). Players can also adjust the size, material or colour of their chosen objects, making for a much more personalised gaming experience.

With over 22,000 words and adjectives now available for use within Scribblenauts Unlimited, there are just too many combinations for us to list here, but a full list of all the available object words can be found by clicking HERE .

Nevertheless, with all the fantastic new improvements that can be found in Scribblenauts Unlimited, there were two minor nagging details that, whilst not necessarily detracting from this brilliant game, were a tad disappointing.

Firstly, the Nintendo 3DS version of Scribblenauts Unlimited does not feature the object editor, which has been heavily promoted in advertisements for the Wii U version of the game.

Secondly, although the initial backstory cut scenes are shown on the top-screen, and are thus displayed in full animated 3D, the actual gameplay takes place on the bottom screen of the 3DS, and thus the levels in Scribblenauts Unlimited are not actually playable in 3D.

Nevertheless, neither of these two observations can alter the fact that Scribblenauts Unlimited  is still a masterpiece of innovative, imaginative gaming and is therefore a worthy addition to the Scribblenauts series.

 If you loved the previous games in the series, then you are bound to love Scribblenauts Unlimited just as much. If you are not sure about the game and wish to know more, then why not watch the trailer now? (see above). Overall rating: 9/10.

AABS ANIMALS REVIEW [PS VITA]

Aabs Animals is a new downloadable exclusive game title for the PS Vita. This game is different from almost every other pet simulation video game on the market in that the goal of the game is not really centred around caring for your new virtual pet at all.

Aabs Animals does not ask users to feed, wash, or even entertain their chosen pet (who all seem to be different breeds of cats for some reason). Instead, the idea is that gamers use the game's Augmented Reality backgrounds and PS Vita camera to create different digital screenshots featuring their virtual pet, and spend time petting their animals and adjusting their positions. It sounds pretty basic, and it is.

Like most PS Vita titles, this game does feature some unlockable trophies, but not in the way you'd expect. In Aabs Animals, trophies are unlocked by how much time users spend playing the game rather than a reward for anything that the user achieves within the game itself, and with only five trophies on offer, it is actually possible to unlock ALL the trophies within a mere six minutes of gameplay, which for its £3.99 price tag, does seem a little bit ridiculous.

There are some good points about Aabs Animals however, for example, two percent of the purchase price actually goes to the Headquarters for the Relief of Animals in Emergencies charity, which is a noble cause to support. Furthermore, the game's simple style and cute furry graphics means that even non-gamers are likely to enjoy it.

 Nevertheless, it could be argued that as the game doesn't feature any pet care tasks of any kind or any way of really interacting with your chosen pet at all (besides using the touch screen to pet it), the makers of Aabs Animals have removed some of the essential elements that make Pet Simulation games fun, thus leaving gamers with a stale and very limited 'five-minute wonder', which really isn't worth the money that we were asked to pay for it. Here at Mini Gamers HQ we say save up your money and buy a tamagotchi instead - much more enjoyable!!! Overall rating: 1/10.

Real Boxing [PS Vita]: The Affordable Game That Really Packs A Punch!

We here at Mini Gamers HQ were a little bit suspicious when we saw that Real Boxing had been priced for download at a mere £7.99. With so many other PS Vita titles retailing for almost triple that amount, we began to wonder why the game had been given such a low price tag. Nevertheless, within minutes of downloading the game, we realised that we had in fact purchased a real bargain...

 

The first thing that players will be expected to do upon starting the game is to customise their boxing avatar. Although the customisation options are less sophisticated than some of the current games on the market, players can name their avatar as well as choose the colour of an avatars shorts or trousers, gloves and/or boots, alter their hairstyle, and even add a range of interesting tattoos to help give their avatar a more personal look.

 

Next, Players are treated to a thorough tutorial. Real Boxing allows gamers to choose whether to conduct their boxing moves via the PS Vita buttons or the dual analogue sticks.

 

Mini Gamers found it better using the analogue sticks for movement and the buttons for defence and attack moves, but this may not be the same for everyone. Nevertheless,  the controls are surprisingly easy to master, with the D-Pad controlling left fist punches such as jabs, uppercuts, and left hooks, whilst the X, O, Square and Triangle buttons do the same for the right fist. Each of these moves can be easily duplicated by the left and right analog sticks as well.

 

 

Holding down the R button will allow your avatar to protect his face from any direct punches, whilst briefly pressing down the R button during your opponents attack will allow your avatar to dodge the oncoming blow and even give him the chance to execute a cheeky counter-attack.

 

The main object of the game is to drain your opponents health bar as quickly as possible whilst trying to stop them from depleting your avatar's stamina and destroying their health bar.

 

Stamina can be restored by simply standing still and not throwing any punches, but your avatar's health bar will continue to deplete with every successful punch from your opponent, so defence is equally as important as attack in this game.

 

 

There are two main mini games included in Real Boxing. Firstly, there is a Clinch mini game. If your avatar's stamina bar and health bar are both almost depleted, then holding both the L+R buttons together will allow your avatar to execute a clinch (AKA a grapple).

 

Once in the initial clinch, players must move the PS Vita console from side to side very gently so that the moving indicator arrow stays in the 'green zone'. A successful clinch earns your avatar some extra stamina and can even increase their health bar slightly, making a knockout from your opponent less likely.

 

Secondly, if your avatar has been knocked out by their opponent, the game automatically enters the KO mini game. Essentially, what this entails is a mad button-press of the L + R buttons before the on-screen count reaches ten.

 

If you manage to successfully fill your avatar's energy gauge before the count reaches ten, your avatar will get up off the mat and the fight will resume. However, if an avatar gets knocked out too many times during a round, it becomes impossible to fill their energy gauge and you will lose the fight against your opponent.

 

 

 The game features three game modes: Career Mode consists of three tournaments that begin with a group stage and progress to a few knockout rounds, where your avatar will hopefully earn a championship belt and the chance to increase either their strength, speed or stamina, which will hopefully help your avatar to progress in subsequent matches. Bonus points will also be awarded if players manage to successfully execute the challenge set at the beginning of the tournament.

 Exhibition mode allows players to jump straight into the ring against a CPU opponent. This is good for gamers who are just looking to fill a bit of spare time and also makes for excellent practise when playing against other gamers in multiplayer mode.

Real Boxing also features both online multiplayer and local multiplayer, which means that players can choose to test their boxing skills against online opponents or challenge their friends in ad-hoc mode.

 



 

This game has been brilliantly designed by its creators, Vivid Games, and has made the leap from the iPhone to handheld console very well. In fact, any flaws in the game are minor.

 

The commentary is sometimes a bit repetitive, with the same phrases being offered again and again, and the fact that the menu can only be accessed via the touchscreen is slightly annoying, but none of that really matters once players immerse themselves in the action of the game.

 

This game is a must-buy for any boxing fan. It has excellent gameplay and graphics, which far excel its £7.99 price tag. Overall rating: 8/10.

 

 



Hands-On with the Hudl: Has Tesco's Tiny Tablet Got Something For The Whole Family?

 

Since the creation of the Apple iPad,  Tablets have become increasingly popular amongst many sectors of society, but this surge in popularity has often meant that most tablet devices now come with a rather hefty price tag. 

 

The well-known Supermarket giant, Tesco, has recently decided to invest in the growing interest in tablets and handhelds with its creation, the Hudl, which, at its retail price of £119.00, is decidedly more affordable than most other Tablets on the market. So, what does this handy pocket-sized device hope to offer its consumers?

 

The Hudl comes in four colourful designs with rounded corners that makes it easy to hold, whilst the 7-inch smudge resistant screen helps to deliver crystal clear HD display to the Hudl device.

 

 

The Hudl also allows users to stream the latest movies from Blinkbox, which, unlike most monthly subscription sites (Netflix, or Lovefilm for example), charges viewers on a pay-per-view basis, with an option to either rent a title for up to thirty days, or buy a title to own.

 

Furthermore, the Hudl features a slot for a Micro-HDMI to HDMI-cable, which allows users to connect their Hudl up to the big screen so that the whole family can enjoy the entertainment as well, however, it must be noted that this isn't actually included with the device and must be purchased separately, which is a slight disappointment.

 

Moreover, the Hudl boasts an impressive quad-core memory chip, a ten point multi-touch screen and an in-built gyroscopic sensor, as well as access to thousands of the latest gaming titles from Google Play,  which is great news for all the gamers out there

Music lovers have also been catered for with the Hudl. Users will have access to thousands of music tracks through either Blinkbox  or Google Play. Furthermore, the Hudl's in-built stereo speakers mean that users can choose to share their music with their mates, or opt for a pair of Hudl headphones when travelling on the bus or playing music at night etc.

 

Avid readers will also have the option to download and store several books from the Google Play store, including all the latest book releases. Thus, the Hudl makes the perfect travel companion, by keeping all forms of downloadable entertainment in one easily accessible place.

 

 

 

The Hudl also features a camera, which has a 2 megapixel front-facing fixed focus and a 3 megapixel automatic rear-facing focus. Unfortunately these kind of megapixels are not particularly great, and are often found in some low-end mobile phones.

 

In fact, some of the main concerns about the new Hudl device centre around the fact that the camera does not produce clear images: "Images look washed out and grainy, and any range in lighting conditions within a single scene seems to cause the camera all kinds of problems"

[Sourced from: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/tesco-hudl-1183138/review/6articleContent]

 

Thus, whilst the Hudl seems to work perfectly well as a media player, it will not necessarily appeal to any amateur photographers out there. Unfortunately, it appears that the video function also produces similarly blurry and unfocused results.

 

However, its reasonable nine hours of battery life, coupled with the fact that it has an micro SD slot which can expand the Hudl's storage capacity to an optional total of 48GB, may go some way to redeeming this little device. 

 

 

The colourful rubber backing is handy when the device is being used by young children as it provides extra grip, but does give the Hudl a rather clunky look rather than the polished and sleek look of the new Nexus 7, for example.

 

The Hudl comes with Chrome, the quick and simple browser from Google. It comes pre-loaded with the most popular Google apps like YouTube and Google Maps, plus  access to over one million apps and games available for immediate download on Google Play.

 

Furthermore, Hudl uses the Android operating system, so users can access the very latest apps on Google Play easily.

 

 

The Hudl also features Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi capabilities, which makes browsing the web, conducting video calls and sharing music and photos across other Wi-Fi devices very simple. 

 

Parental controls can be set quickly via the use of a simple pin number, making the Hudl a very family-orientated Tablet device. Furthermore, the Hudl allows users to conduct their Internet searches via Google Safe Search for added protection.

 

 

 

 

In conclusion, although the Hudl may not be the best-looking or most high-functioning tablet on the current market, its colourful design and easy-to-use interface is definitely appealing for first-time tablet owners. The Hudl is particularly aimed at those users who enjoy downloadable entertainment and readily provides this.

 

 As one of the cheaper tablet devices on the market, the Hudl really would appear to give its users value for money in terms of entertainment and Internet browsing capabilities, despite some obvious flaws, such as the camera functionality. Overall rating: 8/10.

 

 

 

 



PS Vita TV Could Change Handheld Gaming For Good!

 Sony have unveiled a brand new micro-console, which will allow users to play their existing PS Vita, PSP  games on their television screen, and even stream some PS4 content directly to the television as well via an HDMI cable connection and the use of a Dualshock 3 controller, which is thought to come bundled with the device and an 8GB memory stick.

The new console, known as PS Vita TV will also allow users to use many of the television streaming and social networking services that are already featured on the PS Vita and PS4.

The fact that the new device does not need an in-built screen also has a direct impact on the price. In fact, the slim-line 6 x 10cm PS Vita TV is going to cost around ¥9,480 (£60), or with a bundle price of around ¥14,280 (£95). when the device launches in Japan on November 14th, 2013.

Although there have been no definite details about the European release of PS Vita TV just yet, the lower price tag and the opportunity to take handheld gaming onto the big screen is likely to make this device a popular choice amongst the array of handheld and mobile gaming devices available to date, and helps to bring the gap between home consoles and handhelds even closer together than ever before.

Mini Gamers will be reporting on the progress of PS Vita TV as it develops. Watch this space!

Are you a Tearaway?

Tearaway is a brand new innovative gaming title from the clever people at Media Molecule, the critically-acclaimed developer behind the award-winning LittleBigPlanet™ series. Created specifically for PS Vita, and utilising many of the handheld consoles touchscreen features,  the tactile world of Tearaway is a beautifully-crafted, 3D open environment built completely out of paper that behaves as much as possible with the physical attributes and limitations of actual paper.

In the game, players control a messenger called Iota, (or Atoi, if playing as the female character). The idea is to guide your quirky little character around his home world of Sogport, jumping on different 3D platforms, overcoming obstacles and avoiding monsters, until his or her message is safely delivered.

Players are invited to interact with the virtual environment as much as possible, from helping the messenger to bounce onto higher and higher platforms by tapping the rear touchpad, or ripping open a new portal with their fingers on the touchscreen, or even using the PS vita camera to design new 'skins' or objects, and much, much more.

It sounds very exciting. The game was revealed at Gamescom on the 15th of August 2013, but Media Molecule has already cancelled its plans for an October release date, opting instead for the 22nd of November this year.

Media Molecule is known for its highly creative and brilliantly interactive gameplay, and Mini Gamers thinks that Tearaway is destined to be equally popular as the LittleBigPlanet games, and we look forward to bringing you more news on this title as it develops. Watch this space!