The handheld gaming market has suffered another 'drought' recently, with many big-name titles choosing to settle exclusively for the major consoles instead, but that is all about to end as the next two months promise some interesting games for owners of the DS or PSP handhelds. Here we look at a few new release and pre-order games that have managed to catch our eye recently:
My Sims: Sky Heroes
The cute and lovable
My Sims are back for another round on the Nintendo DS and DSi systems. This time, your chosen avatar will take to the skies in an all-new adventure. Take on Morcubus (the usual villain from the Wii version of the
My Sims games) and his evil army to become the ultimate hero. Take part in high-speed dogfights, aerial battles and rescue missions with your chosen
My Sims. Encounter some new faces as well as some very familiar ones.
As with the last few
My Sims titles, this game is geared more towards males than females (but that should not prevent girls from having a go at it, I hasten to add,) however, the quirky characters and fun gameplay will be instantly recognisable to fans of the series.
Players start off as fledgling pilots and gain skills and experience to become heroes of the skies. Unique to this game, however, is an
Upgrade System, whereby aeroplane parts can be upgraded to provide greater movement, speed or ability. This certainly makes the game more challenging in lots of ways and definitely adds to the replay value of the overall game.
This game will not be to everyone tastes (sugary sweet storylines mixed with aeriel assaults don't come along every day, people!) Nevertheless, it is a fun little game which will appeal to the casual gamers amongst you. Why not give it a try?
The game will be available in the shops from the
1st October 2010.
Professor Layton & The Lost Future
Professor Layton and Luke return in the final installment of their adventure trilogy on the Nintendo DS and DSi, but don't worry, as we already know that a new title
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle is being planned for the 3DS and we also heard a sneaky little rumour that a new 'prequel' trilogy was in the pipeline too, so fans definitely have not heard the last of this logical detective.
In this game, which is released on the 15th October 2010, Luke receives a mysterious letter from his own future, prompting the Professor to embark on another puzzle-solving mission.
With over 165 separate puzzles, this game promises us more brainteasers than ever before, as well as a Super Hint system for when we really do not have a clue and have already purchased the three normal hints. However, as the new Super Hint function usually makes it so easy to solve the brainteasers, it will cost more hint coins to purchase one!
The Professor Layton games have always been a massive hit with us here at Mini Gamers, be sure to check in with the blog for a more in-depth review when the game is released.
Buzz: Ultimate Music Quiz
The new Buzz title does what it says on the box - it puts your musical knowledge to the test. As usual, this game for the PSP contains thousands of questions, so the chances of the same questions being asked twice are minimal. This game also features an ad-hoc wireless multiplayer mode so you can take on up to eight players and enjoy pitting your wits against your friends and family.
Fans of this series will already know what to expect. The single player mode consists of fifteen separate challenges filled with music video clips, photographs, audio excerpts and general trivia. Trophies and medals will be awarded for various accomplishments during each level, including getting the most amount of correct answers or answering questions in the shortest possible time.
However, there have been some minor changes to the PSP game which is refreshing for such a long-running games series. Firstly, the game now comes with a Personalised Commentary System, which means that Buzz can now call you by name!
Furthermore, there have been rumours that the game's irrepressible host, Buzz, has undergone a bit of a makeover himself for this title, but the developers are being very tight-lipped about what that will actually entail.
The game was originally scheduled for release at the end of October, but this date has since changed to the 12th November 2010. If you like music trivia, then this could be the game for you!
Tron: Evolution
If you were a child growing up the 1980s then you will definitely remember the film
TRON from 1982. The film broke new ground in its use of Solid 3D Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). It was aimed at the new videogame craze and most of the film was set in a graphically-enhanced world.
Nevertheless, the film was a little before its time in its approach to computer graphics, and unfortunately the CGI methods used all those years ago were not as convincing as today's models, so TRON was infamous for being a Box Office failure. Nevertheless, it did gain cult status in the early 1990s.
Now, twenty-eight years after the original film, a sequel called
TRON: Legacy is in the pipeline, and of course where there is a major film, there has to be a major game title to accompany it.
TRON: Evolution is set during the era between the two
TRON films. It has been developed by
Propaganda Games and
Disney Interactive Studios. Essensially the game will help to bridge-the-gap between the main plots in both films and help fans old and new to familiarise themselves with
TRON mythology.
"TRON is the most revered video game-inspired film property of all time, TRON: Evolution, the video game, will enhance the TRON experience for existing fans of the franchise as well as an entirely new audience." [Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.]
The game itself will be an action-adventure with elements of racing and role-playing games included in it and although TRON: Evolution is linked to the events in both films, it will also be a stand alone project, so no prior knowledge of TRON is needed to play the game.
TRON: Evolution is set to be released on the 26th November 2010. It will appear on all major formats including the Nintendo DS and PSP systems. However those of you in the UK who wish to see the film sequel TRON: Legacy will have to wait until the 26th of December 2010.
So there you have it - just a few of the games that we think are going to be massive hits over the next two months. Of course, October and November have many more brilliant games to offer us but it would take us a lifetime to include all of them in a single blog post.
However, Mini Gamers will endevour to keep you up to date with all the latest releases as they happen over the coming months and we look forward to hearing your opinions on new games as well. Watch this space!
