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.

Nintendo 3DS: UK Launch Titles Explored...

With little over a week to go until the European launch of the Nintendo 3DS, Mini Gamers takes a look at the video game titles we can expect to see on the shop shelves very soon.


The full UK line-up was recently revealed by Official Nintendo Magazine. Amongst the already heavily
-publicised Nintendo 3DS games like Nintendogs + Cats, and Pilotwings Resort, there is a whole host of other gaming titles which are sure to have a wide appeal. The full list of  UK launch games is as follows:

 - Pilotwings Resort
- Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends
- Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog & New Friends
- Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends
- Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
- The Sims 3
- PES 2011 3D - Pro Evolution Soccer
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
- Ridge Racer 3D
- Super Monkey Ball 3D
- Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
- Asphalt 3D
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D
- Rayman 3D

[Sourced: http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/23504/news/nintendo-3ds-uk-launch-games-confirmed/]

The twelve UK launch titles (not counting all three separate versions of Nintendogs + Cats) cover an exciting range of genres from Sports and Life Simulations to Tactical RPGs and Platformers. There really does appear to be at least one appealing 3DS game title for every gamer out there, which is a truly impressive feat.

 Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Nintendo 3DS does not contain some disappointing omissions from its launch software list. For example, some long-running and popular video game series such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros, Metal Gear Solid and Professor Layton are all scheduled to debut on the 3DS in 2011, but most of them have been given a late Autumn or early Winter UK release date, dispite the fact that they are due to be released earlier in other countries such as Australia and in Japan. 


Obviously, there has to be a limit on the number of big-name titles that are released at the same time in order to ensure continued public interest, but it would have been nice to see one or two of the above game series make the 3DS launch games list.


Furthermore, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle has already proven itself to be an extremely popular 3DS launch title in Japan. The game shifted over 370000 units in its first launch weekend alone. However, gamers in the UK will have to wait until late 2011 to see what the game is really like.

With only nine days left until the 25th March 2011 release date, expectation and excitement over the 3DS and its launch games continues to grow. What do you think of the launch games on offer? Are there any titles which you wish had made the final launch list?


Keep checking in with the Mini Gamers blogsite over the next few days for more 3DS related news as it happens. If you are a fan of the 3DS already, why not take a look at our new Quizzes page? It features a quiz specifically about Nintendo's new console.