Platform: PS Vita

Zen Pinball 2: Aliens Pack

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date May 13, 2016

I’ve mentioned it a number of times now, but for those that haven’t been paying attention – I’ve fallen in love with Zen Pinball 2. I know, I sit here with technology capable of amazing things, able to transport me to amazing new worlds and whatnot, but what do I do? I emulate an old-fashioned arcade staple which is now practically extinct.

In my defence, Zen Pinball 2 does things that no real-life pinball table could do. Most tables contain all sorts of outrageous animatronics and ramp formations that just couldn’t or wouldn’t get made. So, not only does Zen Pinball 2 create amazing tables, as the title of this post suggests, they pick up some amazing licenses too. It’s fair to say that even if I wasn’t a massive fan of ‘Aliens’, I’d still have glowing things to say about these tables.

Tags Alien Pinball, Alien Vs Predator, Alien: Isolation, Aliens, AVP, pinball, review, Vita, Zen Pinball 2

Severed

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date May 5, 2016

I’m no stranger to DrinkBox Studios’ releases. Whilst I found Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack an enjoyable romp, Guacamelee! is genuinely one of my favourite Metroidvanias – and in fact, platformers – of all time.

Naturally I was excited to learn of Severed, the developer’s next project – and a PlayStation Vita exclusive, no less. Whilst what I found in its six-hour adventure lacked the endearing charm and whimsy of Guacamelee!, it absolutely featured the level of style and creativity which makes DrinkBox games so special.

Tags action adventure, Adventure, drinkbox studios, First Person, Guacamelee, Handheld, metroidvania, RPG, severed, Touchscreen, Vita

SteamWorld Heist

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date March 15, 2016

I really don’t play my 3DS nearly as much as I should. I don’t think this is all my fault, though, as a lot of developers keep on making huge, sprawling epics rather than bite-sized chunks of joy that I actually have the time to play. If developers could bear in mind those of us that have full-time jobs, significant others and interests other than gaming in mind, that’d be great.

I say all of this because I’ve found that SteamWorld Heist is a perfect package in just about every way. It’s a perfectly accessible, turn-based strategy game, meaning I didn’t have hours of tutorials to work through. It’s perfectly suited to the 3DS, taking advantage of the layered 3D effects. On top of this, it’s the perfect length, meaning ten hours later and I’d seen and done mostly everything, leaving me completely satisfied.

Tags 3ds, image & form, review, SteamWorld, Steamworld Heist

Teslagrad

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date January 26, 2016

If you’re wondering why a Teslagrad review now, it’s semi-recently come to the PS Vita, so I’ve had the pleasure to take a look at it on the handheld. Having read reviews from when it had released on Wii U, I was quite looking forward to giving it a try, and in the main, am glad I did, with some minor reservations.

Tags Dishonored, Indie, Nikola Tesla, outland, Teslagrad, The King

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date January 25, 2016

I’m finding that an awful lot of my reviews start with an admission of ignorance, and this review’s no different. I’ve never played a Disgaea game before and had no idea what to expect. After doing a bit of Googling, it looked like I was about to get involved with something similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. Great news – I love Final Fantasy Tactics.

You know what else I love? Meaningful and well explained systems that compliment each other. Engaging stories that involve interesting characters. Varied and challenging gameplay that doesn’t turn into a total grind. It’s because of this that I found it really hard to enjoy Disgaea 5.

Tags Disgaea, Disgaea 5, Number Crunch, Overlords, Prinnies, ps4, review

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 24, 2015

BlazBlue is one of those fighting game series that I really admire, but have never been able to truly master. The last time I delved into the series was for review, in fact, back when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend launched alongside Vita. Though I declared it one of the finest fighting games ever made, due to its complexity I’ve still yet to hit the same rhythm that I’ve always found so natural with the likes of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and, after many attempts, Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

With their latest entry, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Extend, it seems that Arc Systems Works have taken great strides to ensure that this BlazBlue not only flows a lot more naturally, but is a lot more welcoming to all…

Tags Arakune, BlazBlue, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend, BlazBlue: Chronophantamsa Extend, Chrono Phantasma, Chronophantasma, Iron Tager, Noel, Ragna

Persona 4: Dancing All Night

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 27, 2015

With the existence of fighting game Persona 4: Arena, and last year’s 3DS excursion Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, it’s clear that Atlus love a good Persona 4 spin-off. Having reviewed both of those games and Persona 4: Golden, to be quite fair, so do I. That said, being neither a massive fan of rhythm or dancing games, I had written off any interest in Persona 4: Dancing All Night way ahead of its recent release.

Circumstances, however, meant that the responsibility of review would ultimately fall at my feet, and having now played it extensively, I’m so very glad it did. You see, it turns out that I hadn’t considered one very important factor about the prospect of a music game based on Persona 4: Persona 4’s soundtrack is fucking incredible, and makes the reality of Dancing All Night vastly more appealing than I had given credit for.

Tags Chie, Dancing, Dancing All Night, Kanji, Nanako, Noato, Persona, Persona 4, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, shadows, Teddie, Vita, Yosuke, Yu, Yukiko

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date October 29, 2015

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and its sequel, Goodbye Despair, were two of my favourite surprises last year. These ‘visual novels’ provided plots as fascinating as they were twisted, set in a world where classmates at an elite school are forced to murder each other at the behest of an evil plushie called Monokuma. After being delighted by brilliant characters, strong themes of despair and paranoia, and an eccentric story woven in masterfully with crime scene investigation and trial elements, I was pretty much down for whatever Spike Chunsoft’s next installment would bring.

Only, after the dialogue-heavy, point and click nature of the previous games, I wasn’t expecting that next installment, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, would be a spin-off action game with Resident Evil-style shooting mechanics. I also wasn’t expecting that it’d be uncharacteristically… well… a bit rubbish…

Tags Danganronpa, Goodbye Despair, Komaru, Monokuma, Murders, Toko, Trigger Happy Havoc

Rugby World Cup 2015

Post author By James Swinbanks
Post date September 21, 2015

When I think about it, sporting World Cups are pretty amazing things unto themselves. Millions of fans, usually from all corners of the globe, converging to the one place to celebrate the sport they adore and to watch the best players in the world battle it out on the field. The planning and dedication it takes from everyone involved in pulling these tournaments off is quite staggering, but it’s all done for the good of the game.

From the opening kick-off, it becomes flagrantly apparent that Rugby World Cup 2015 does not care for the ‘good of the game’. Not only is it poorly presented, with its bland menus and outdated looks, but it’s essentially a re-skinned version of the previously released Rugby 15. That, in itself, raises a whole bunch of issues in my book, but I won’t touch on them here. All you need to know is that Rugby World Cup 2015 is objectively, a bad game.

Tags 2015, rugby, Rugby Union, rugby world cup, Rugby World Cup 2015, Tries, try

Not a Hero

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date May 25, 2015

Devolver Digital has been championing the indie video game scene as an underdog publisher for many years, and has recently seen a huge success in the Hotline Miami franchise and Broforce, to name a couple. These games have a distinctive lo-fi aesthetic and unquenchable bloodlust. Not a Hero definitely fits under this category and it seems to be an area that has grown in the Steam marketplace, which leaves itself open to accusations of mimicry. The question is, does Not a Hero stand on its own legs as a distinctly ‘Devolver’ game which can bring its own to the table?

Tags broforce, bunnylord, devolver, hotline miami, not a hero, PC, PS Vita, ps4, Roll7

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date April 2, 2015

It’s fair to say that Resident Evil has had an image crisis over the last decade. Having been removed from its survival horror roots, Resident Evil games have gone from light-gun games, to online shooters, to all-out action games. All achieving varying degrees of success, these games have made it hard to say what a Resident Evil game is or what the series even stands for any more.

Then along came Revelations. Returning to traditional Resident Evil values of tight corridors, limited ammo and shambling creatures, the handheld title found a lot of love (though I wasn’t keen on the PS3 version). So that’s why we’re here with Resident Evil: Revelations 2. Does that mean we’re dealing with a game that has some real bite, or has the series finally lost all of its teeth?

Tags action, capcom, Horror, ps4, Resident Evil Revelations 2, review, Shooter, Survival Horror

OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood

Post author By James Sheppard
Post date March 5, 2015

Last year’s OlliOlli was a surprise hit. I’d all but given up on the skateboarding genre, but with superb mechanics and a deceptively simple design, it had me hooked. Yet as well-executed as it was functionally, in other areas it was a little rough. Not least of these were the visuals, featuring an awkwardly pixellated protagonist with crippled animations, set against hopelessly bland and generic levels.

After their initial trial run, however, Roll7 have returned to land a more ambitious attempt. OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood may not reinvent the wheel, or the board, but instead successfully iterates on its predecessor in almost every respect.

Tags action, Downloadable, Indie, OlliOlli, Platformer, PS3, ps4, PSN, Roll7, skateboard, Skateboarding, Tony Hawks, Vita

Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 19, 2015

It can be a surprisingly refreshing thing to not have to save the whole world from a major catastrophe. Unlike most RPGs, Atelier Ayesha Plus requires you only save one person – just one – and not from some planet destroying monster or calamity, but from an existence outside reality.

This is the setup for The Alchemist of Dusk, but unfortunately the actual game fails to live up to its refreshingly sedate premise. A few questionable design decisions render the entire adventure moot and, if you’re anything like me, will leave you feeling like you just wasted several hours of your life.

Tags Alchemist of Dusk, Atelier Ayesha, Gust, J-RPG, Koei Tecmo, playstation vita, Vita

Pix the Cat

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date February 18, 2015

There are certain aspects of a game that developers have to nail. Of course, what that aspect is depends on the type of game they are creating, but each has certain things that must be done well for it to work. In the case of fast-paced puzzle games, it’s the controls that must be nailed for it to be truly effective.

Pix the Cat is such a fast-paced puzzle game, but unfortunately the controls let it down. Having played it across PC and PS4 with two different controllers and a keyboard, it is a fundamental problem, seeing what could have been great remain merely okay.

Tags Pastagames, PC, pc gaming, Pix, Pix the Cat, Playstaton 4, ps4

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd

Post author By Jade Sayers
Post date February 11, 2015

Hatsune Miku is the Japanese pop idol who is blurring the boundaries of fiction. Created using singing synthesizer software Vocaloid, Miku is a saccharine Japanese idol with her own empire; her songs have been remixed by the likes of Pharrell Williams and she’s even appeared on prime time US TV on Late Show with David Letterman. After sampling Project DIVA F 2nd, I can finally see the appeal.

Tags dance, Hatsune Miku, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f 2nd, Rhythm Games

Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date January 3, 2015

I like Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops, not because it is a particularly good game, but because it fills a desperate need in the industry; one which seems to have gone by the wayside in the last few years.

It is definitely not a game that you will be talking about later down the line, but it’s fun while it lasts and provides some nice, simple gaming away from the distraction of AAA games and the more high-profile indie games released over the year.

Tags Kukouri Mobile Entertainment, playstation 4, PSN, Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops, twin stick, Wired Productions

PlayStation TV

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 10, 2014

When first announced, I thought the PlayStation TV to be a curious direction for Sony. The Vita, despite being one of my favourite consoles in recent years, has obviously not sold as well as they’d hoped, so stripping away its most interesting hardware features and turning it into a microconsole left many wondering just who this reformed device was actually aimed at.

Still, with Remote Play allowing you to enjoy next-gen games on any TV in the house without having to move your PS4, not to mention plenty of excellent games available for it, if you’re already invested in PlayStation, then you might find it worth a look.

Tags Borderlands 2, Final Fantasy X HD, hotline miami, Lone Survivor, Luftrausers, Persona 4 Golden, PlayStation TV, PS Vita, Retro City Rampage, Silent Hill, Tearaway, The Walking Dead, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Valkyria Chronicles, Vita

Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!!

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 3, 2014

I’m going to be completely honest: I didn’t even know that the Arcana Heart series was a thing that existed until the press release for its third iteration – Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! – landed in my inbox last week. Being the site’s resident fighting game fanatic, I was baffled as to why I wasn’t aware of it prior, but a quick trip to Google showed a colourful, one-on-one anime fighter with an energetic all-girl cast.

What I found upon closer expectation, however, was a commendable fighter in the BlazBlue mould, but one that ultimately won’t keep me away from the likes of Ultra Street Fighter IV for any real length of time.

Boy, do I hate those exclamation marks…

Tags Arcana Hearts, Arcana Hearts 3, BlazBlue, Fighting games, Street Fighter

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment

Post author By Jade Sayers
Post date November 20, 2014

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a JRPG based on the Sword Art light novels and anime, and is a follow up to Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment. Originally released in Japan in April, the game has been subtitled and given minor updates before release in the west.

Being subtitled rather than dubbed, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment puts your concentration levels on high whilst playing. The plot is so complex and often convoluted, that if you miss any dialogue, you will struggle to catch up. The subtitles are poor, and the translation into English is rife with grammatical and spelling errors. This cheapens the overall feeling.

Tags JRPG, Sword Art, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, Vita

Samurai Warriors 4

Post author By Dan Moore
Post date November 11, 2014

It’s not often one series pretty much corners the market, so much so that the game becomes the genre it created. The Warriors games did this many years ago and, due to various spin offs, if you want to play a game in this genre, it comes from the developer Omega Force.

The latest of these spin off games is Samurai Warriors 4, and represents the genre’s first real leap to the next-gen systems. Unfortunately, that leap doesn’t extend to improved gameplay, graphical prowess or storytelling, and leaves it showing only a small spark of promise that is instantly snuffed once you realise how repetitive it all is.

Tags game review, Omega Force, playstation 4, review, Samurai Warriors, Samurai Warriors 4, Tecmo Koei

Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed

Post author By Jasper Pickering
Post date October 27, 2014

I run through the streets of Akihabara with my fighting partner in tow, looking for an Otaku who sent me a mission request via my smartphone. He wants a cosplay costume from a highly prolific designer who’s gone off the radar. It’s only a side mission, but the payout is pretty good and it means I can purchase a large rolled-up poster I had my eye on to use as a weapon. After running circles around the city talking to various NPCs, I locate the designer, currently being harassed by a group of young misfits with similar interests in mind. After fighting off the mob, the designer agrees to make a cosplay to deliver back to the Otaku, and I can then purchase my poster.

It’s not long after that I sell the poster after finding an electric guitar with a higher attack rating that one of the many grunts dropped, disregarding the twenty minutes of mindless leg-work I just put myself through.

This sums up my time with Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed.

Tags acquire, akibas trip, akihabara, Beat em up, Japan, JRPG, NIS America

SteamWorld Dig (Wii U)

Post author By Neil Hickton
Post date October 13, 2014

I’m sure it will be of no surprise that SteamWorld Dig’s gameplay is based on digging. So within minutes of loading the game up, your avatar can be seen returning to a prospecting village, asking about the whereabouts of his father, finding him (spoiler alert) dead and taking up his fabled rusty and frankly knackered pickaxe. There’s very little time spent with your dead Dad, because in all honesty it is seemingly not in SteamWorld Dig‘s interest to.

SteamWorld Dig, simply put, is an explorative digging puzzle platformer, and it does it really well. It’s easy to pick up and play with its simple and familiar control scheme, and rewarding thanks to loads of upgrades and equipment, plus sneaky (but not mean) puzzles to solve…

Tags Digging, Indie, platforming, SteamWorld Dig

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date September 30, 2014

Earlier this year, the delightfully evil charm of Spike Chunsoft’s popular murder mystery, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, took me by utter surprise. Full of brilliant, colourful characters, the cheeky writing contrasted wonderfully against morose themes of murder, betrayal and distrust. The resulting experience still ranks amongst my top-five games this year so far.

Just six months later, the sequel, Goodbye Despair, carries on right where its predecessor left off, and while it very much follows the same patterns of what came before, it provides another irresistible adventure.

Tags Danganronpa, Hope's Peak Academy, Monokuma, murder, Murder mystery, Usami

Velocity 2X

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date September 10, 2014

Only last week I talked about whether PS Plus was still good value and mentioned that Velocity 2X looked set to maintain, if not improve, on the quality of Velocity Ultra. Well, not to blow my own trumpet as it were, but on this occasion I may even have failed to do it justice. What a game…

Tags Futurlab, ps4, Shooter, Velocity 2X, Vita

The Swapper

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date September 1, 2014

The Swapper isn’t a new game. Released on PC about a year ago, it was received with near universal praise. A shame, then, that so few people actually played it. Fortunately, with a bit of help from the masters of Vita conversions, Curve Studios, The Swapper has a new home on all Sony platforms.

Like any good puzzle game, The Swapper makes you wonder why its mechanics and ideas weren’t already present in some other game. Gameplay aside, it also helps that it has luscious visuals, an interesting story to tell and clever puzzle designs.

Yup, The Swapper and consoles – the Vita especially – make a great partnership.

Tags Alien, Clones, Puzzles, space, swapper gun, The Swapper

Child of Light

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date July 17, 2014

Ubisoft hasn’t ever really been known for a prolific role-playing output, but after sampling Child of Light, it makes me wonder why the hell not. Using the always impressive Ubiart engine, Ubi Montreal has turned in a terrific RPG with a style and verve that suggests they’ve been churning them out for years.

Notably, of course, Child of Light is undeniably a visually striking game, but strong mechanics definitely lie behind its charismatic exterior.

Continue reading “Child of Light”

Tags Aurora, Child of Light, Ghibli, JRPG, Lumeria, Moon, RPG, Stars, Sun

God of War Collection (Vita)

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date June 17, 2014

God of War is one of the best action adventure series to have graced any platform over the past few generations, with its mix of kinetic action, mythology murdering, eyebrow-raising lady shmoozing, and puzzles that seem to get bigger and better with each release. Of course it all started late in the life of the PS2, but now following the release of the God of War Collection on PS3, it’s arrived on PS Vita as well.

Is this remake heavenly though, or should it burn in the fires of Hades?

Tags God of War, God of War Collection Vita, Sony Santa Monica

Demon Gaze

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date June 4, 2014

One of my very early gaming highlights was a Dungeons & Dragons PC game called Eye of The Beholder. Probably released before many of you were even born (way back in 1991), this was a classic, first person RPG, set in a 3D dungeon where the world played out in a grid that only allowed movement from one square to another. Why am I mentioning a 23 year old game in a review for Vita JRPG Demon Gaze? Because surprisingly, all these years later, I loaded up Demon Gaze for the first time and was instantly whisked back to that amazing experience all those years ago…

Tags Dark Souls, Demon Gaze, Demon Souls, Eye of the Beholder, Kadokawa Games, NIS America

Football Manager Classic 2014

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date May 13, 2014

A good few years ago I set myself two rules where gaming was concerned. The second was to avoid MMORPGs, but the first and foremost was no more football management sims. The reasoning was the same, a fatal inability to stop playing, I’m a massive sucker for just one more match, one more mission and these days being married, I didn’t really think it would be a good plan to go there again. So, here I am, having got a copy of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and more importantly where this review is concerned, Football Manager Classic 2014… Oh dear lord…

Tags FMC2014, football manager, Football Manager 2014, Football Manager Classic 2014, Sega, sports interactive

Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date May 3, 2014

Final Fantasy is one of those franchises that manages to divide its own fan base with every new release. As popular as series poster child VII is, for example, there are many people (crazy, in my opinion) that actually see it as a weak point and hold other iterations, both older and newer, in higher regard. Final Fantasy X is one of those many proclaim to be the very best Square Enix has ever produced, yet much like in the scenario above I personally was never much fond of it.

Being curious as a series fan, however, and with Square Enix deciding to dust off the adventures of Tidus and chums – plus the less popular direct sequel – for a HD re-release, I was more than happy to revisit Spira. In this instance, I found Final Fantasy X in particular to be a classy, character-driven adventure that was far more worthwhile than I originally gave it credit for, while its hyperactive follow-up entertained despite being… well… bat-shit crazy.

Tags Auron, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Laughing, Levelling, Paine, Rikku, Sin, Spira, Tidus, wakka

Luftrausers

Post author By Emily King
Post date March 26, 2014

I’m not sure when I was drafted.

At the start everything seemed so simple, there was the sub and my plane – I was a trainee. No expectations. Then I was charged with going up. Up. Up all the way. I hadn’t a clue as to how to handle the craft I’d been bunged inside, its tiny shell appearing incapable of saving me from the pilots who were suddenly hurtling my way, guns ablaze. I fired. I survived. I was informed by a gentleman – who looked suspiciously like he’d happily stuff a rocket up a hippopotamus’ backside if there was a slim chance that it would give a man an edge in a dogfight – that I was a full fledged member of the crew. A Rauser.

I was sent out again. I found out how to work the rudders to effectively loop around my pursuers, avoiding their fire. I squeezed the trigger and fired upon the dogs that wouldn’t leave me alone. Dipping and diving through the sky, bouncing and skimming over the water until I found myself rammed into the stern of a supply ship. Clever, Rauser. Clever. What fresh new hell was this?

Tags bullet hell, Devolver Digital, Dogfights, Luftrausers, Planes, Vita, Vlambeer

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 5, 2014

‘If you loved Persona 4 Golden, then you need to check out Danganronpa.’

I got told this a few times leading up to the Vita release of Spike Chunsoft’s latest visual novel and, although it’s in a completely different genre, I could see why. Colourful anime characters, a high school setting, the premise of a murder mystery with a crazy-looking bear at the centre of it – it did admittedly look to be familiar ground. Yet while the insanely popular Atlus JRPG won my affections with themes of trust and friendship and by being utterly charming, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc focuses on the more morose subjects of paranoia, distrust and despair.

Rather than hanging out and enjoying the company of my virtual school friends as I did in P4G, in Danganronpa I instead spent my time second-guessing them, suspecting them, and using my detective skills to expose them.

Tags Danganronpa, murder, Murder mystery, Trial, Truth bullets, Visual Novel

OlliOlli

Post author By Neil Hickton
Post date January 25, 2014

Skateboarding. One pastime my parents wanted me to avoid and for a time, they won. I secretly purchased a skateboard, read about famous skateboarders in magazines and listened to heavy metal and grunge. Oh yeah, I was a really wild child, not. Only thing was I didn’t ever really manage to get past the initial phase of skateboarding, the staying on.

Lucky for me, computer games were there to help give me the edge I needed for boasting to my friends. I could talk with experience about spins, nose grabs and Double Pop-shovit Late Kickflips. The new vocabulary began to build from playing California Games on the Mega Drive at a friend’s house, the half-pipe, what a game. Then with the dawn of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater bringing such a level of realism that I thought I should try skateboarding again for real. I think it was lucky that I didn’t follow through with it, though the pull to skateboard in some fashion or other has always been a strong one to me.

A new contender for the best skateboarder game ever enters the half-pipe and it’s called OlliOlli. Introducing it to your Vita is a very pleasant experience indeed. Full of its fair share of tricks, grinds and, most importantly, challenge. There’s a degree of frustration involved, but it’s fun and not annoying, generally speaking. So how does it rank among the big boys?

Tags California Games, Joe Danger, MegaDrive, OlliOlli, PS Vita, Skate, Skateboarding, Tony Hawk, Trials HD

Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 11, 2013

Injustice: Gods Among Us may not have enamoured us with its silly name earlier this year, but it certainly managed to win our hearts with a captivating blend of tight fighting mechanics and the best story that developer NetherRealm Studios has ever produced.

As is customary with fighters, the ‘Ultimate’ re-release – featuring all DLC and some balance tweaks – obviously wouldn’t be far behind. Significantly, though, the superhero brawler makes its debut on two new formats. Now available on PS4 and PS Vita, Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition impresses heartily in its transition to both next-gen and the smaller screen.

Tags batman, Bruce Wayne, Clark, DLC, Fighting games, Injustice, Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, Kingdom Come, Lobo, scorpion, Super Heroes, Superman, Ultimate, Wonder Woman

Tearaway

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date December 7, 2013

It’s sometimes easy to forget during the launch window of a new console generation that there are other platforms out there. Yet in spite of that, the chances are that the best games to come out this Christmas will be on these established platforms, not on your shiny new PS4 or Xbox One. This is a fact looking increasingly likely as we’re once again faced with some rushed launch games that haven’t fully lived up to the hype.

Of course, given that this is a review of Tearaway for the PS Vita, I’m here to tell you why one of the best games you can get this Christmas season is on the PlayStation you perhaps weren’t expecting.

Tags Adventure, Little Big Planet, Little Big Planet 2, media molecule, PS Vita, Tearaway

A-Men 2

Post author By Andy Buick
Post date November 20, 2013

I like to think I’m reasonably good at gaming, and am always up for a challenge. So having recently completed Hotline Miami, I was game for another toughie. Time for me to take on A-Men 2 then…

Tags A-Men 2, hotline miami, Humans, Lemmings

Killzone: Mercenary

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date September 25, 2013

As a site, we’ve discussed the misfortune of the first-person shooter on the Vita a couple of times before. After Nihilistic’s prior, piss-poor efforts with Resistance: Burning Skies and Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, I think that it was inevitable that we would fear the worst for Sony’s flagship shooter franchise when it eventually arrived on handheld, in spite of promising previews and a solid public Beta release.

Well, Killzone: Mercenary is finally here, and you needn’t have worried. It’s every bit the handheld shooter you’ve been craving.

Tags Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, first person shooter, Killzone, killzone 3, Resistance: Burning Skies, Vita

Rayman Legends

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date September 18, 2013

I’ll happily go on record to say that 2011’s Rayman Origins is one of the best platformers I’ve ever played. As a fantastic re-imagining of a dormant series, the game played a large part in reigniting my love for an entire genre; a love that had been dwindling since my youth.

Following something of a strange development cycle, where the game was a Wii U exclusive and then suddenly wasn’t a Wii U exclusive, and then was delayed until September for no reason despite being finished, the follow up, Rayman Legends, is finally in our hands on all platforms.

Is it another hit for Michael Ancel and the Ubisoft Montpellier team?

Tags 360, Ancel, Barbera, Globox, Gorgeous, Platformer, PS3, Rayman, rayman origins, The Magician, ubisoft montpellier, Vita, Wii U

Divekick

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date August 27, 2013

Fighting games have come a long way since I first discovered my love for Street Fighter II back in the 90s. From having just three or four special attacks per character back then, the genre is now bloated in comparison with lethal finishers, EX and Super Moves, complicated balance systems, umpteen hit-combos, stage-interactions and tag mechanics; it can be a daunting ask for genre newcomers to get to grips with it all. Divekick, however, is a game that rejects all those advancements and strips the fighting game experience down to two or three specific elements.

While Divekick actually started life as an inside joke from the competitive scene’s commentary that the diving kick (where a character can jump and then sharply descend with downward kick) is a cheap, overused tactic, it’s impossible to deny the lessons that this literal two-button fighter can teach players both old and new.

Tags Divekick, Fighter, Fighting Game Community, Fighting games, Inside Jokes, Iron Galaxy

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date August 3, 2013

Warren Spector and Junction Point Studios’ Epic Mickey was a bit of a flawed gem for the Wii. Offering a spectacularly unique take on Disney’s mascot, it was ultimately laden with control and camera issues. Its sequel, The Power of Two hit all major platforms earlier this year and although great efforts were made to fix most of the problems from the first game, the development team had managed to create a whole load more in the process.

Epic Mickey 2 now hits the Vita at a bargain price. Do Mickey and the gang fare any better on Sony’s handheld?

Tags Epic Mickey, Epic Mickey 2, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Junction Point, Oswald, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Paint, Platformer, platforming, The Power of Two, Thinner, Warren Spector

The Jak and Daxter Collection

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date July 18, 2013

I’ve loved the work of Naughty Dog ever since Crash Bandicoot first charmed his way onto my Playstation back in 1996, and since then I’ve loved most of their work, including this gen’s Uncharted trilogy and the seminal The Last of Us. Somehow, however, I managed to miss out on an entire golden age of PS2 platformers in-between, which obviously included the Dogs’ own insanely popular Jak and Daxter series.

With the recent re-release on Vita, I was eager to see what the fuss was about…

Tags Daxter, GTA, Jak, Jak & Daxter, Jak 3, Jak and Daxter, Jak II, Platformer, Precursor, Precursor Legacy, Renegade, The Last Frontier

Hotline Miami

Post author By Matt Parker
Post date July 4, 2013

Sick of hearing about Animal Crossing? I know I am. Mostly because of jealousy (I don’t own a 3DS) but also because it’s not a real game, is it? There’s no ending. There’s no high-scores. There’s no ‘getting good’ at it, is there?

Well, here’s the realist of real games for you. Today’s review is all about Hotline Miami, on its new home, the Playstation Vita. Does last year’s indie hit make a smooth transition to the Sony handheld, or is it as much fun as a crowbar to the face?

Tags Dennaton Games, Devolver Digital, hotline miami, Vita

Soul Sacrifice

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 6, 2013

Due to the relentless, factually incorrect claim that the Vita “has no games” (when in reality it has many and most have been releases of the highest quality), there has been some unnecessary pressure placed on Keiji Inafune’s Soul Sacrifice to deliver as the system’s ‘killer app’.

Is it the game that the naysayers have been waiting for, or is playing it a sacrifice in itself?

Tags action rpg, Black Rites, Keiji Inafune, Magusar, Offerings, RPG, Save or Sacrifice, Soul Sacrifice

Thomas Was Alone

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date May 16, 2013

If you took to heart the superfluous ramblings of Quantic Dream’s David Cage, then you’d be led to believe that creating an emotional connection with a player is only about graphics. The argument makes sense; with beefier graphical power comes a more realistic character model, and with it a wider range of relatable facial expressions.

Even so, the number of polygons you’re able to shove into a virtual elderly-man’s doughy-eyed face is not proportionate to the amount of emotion the player will feel.

We know that it’s not true. Many animated, visually simplistic movies are just as emotionally affecting as any live-action romp; the first ten minutes of Pixar’s Up was as gut-wrenching as anything I’ve ever seen in cinema and stands as a prime example.

Likewise in games, Telltale’s The Walking Dead, and even Journey, without a single line of dialogue, were both better written and provided me with infinitely more emotional payout and attachment than either of Cage’s grittier efforts. I held back the tears as the former ended, and felt unbridled joy come the end of the latter. With his games I had enjoyment but ultimately felt nothing following it.

His argument can be put to the test once more thanks to Thomas Was Alone, a simplistic puzzle-platformer where the characters, each made up of a single polygon, will absolutely capture your heart.

Tags Bossa Studios, Chris, Claire, Danny wallace, Indie, James, John, Laura, Mike Bithell, Steam, Thomas, Thomas Was Alone, Vita

Dead or Alive 5+

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date May 13, 2013

Despite being a dab-hand at Tekken back in the PSOne era, I’ve traditionally always much preferred the 2D fighter to the 3D. I have dabbled here and there over the years, of course, and I distinctly remember having much fun with Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive 4 back in 2006.

The series, famous for its over-sexualised vixens, made its comeback with its fifth iteration last year on home consoles, but with the Vita proving such a good home for the genre thus far, a handheld port was probably inevitable.

Thankfully, for fans, not much has been lost in transition.

Tags Dead or Alive, DOA, DOATEC, Fighting games, Helena, Kasumi, Rig, Ryu, Tina, Virtua Fighter

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date April 15, 2013

I think I’m right in saying that Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper series was one of the PS2’s most popular games. I say ‘think’, because I never got around to playing them myself, yet I’ve been told many times and at great length about their apparent quality. It’ll have been a long time coming for fans, then, but seven years later, Sly finally returns under new developer Sanzaru Games.

Sadly, though, there are times in this business where you’ll come into the latest entry of a beloved series and fail to see what everyone else does. You know as soon as you start writing the review that you’re likely going to upset people, and unfortunately, this is one of those times…

Tags Adventure, bentley, Classic, cross-play, murray, Platformer, platforming, PS3, sly cooper, Stealth, thieves in time, Vita

Persona 4 Golden

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date April 8, 2013

While I’ve enjoyed a number of JRPGs over the years, I’ve been one of the genre’s staunchest critics. I mean, as much as I’ve appreciated games like Lost Odyssey, Eternal Sonata, and yes, even both entries numbered XIII in the recently maligned Final Fantasy series, I just wish more developers would stop playing it so… safe.

As a result, I’ve become a little detached from the genre, and only occasionally does a game like the exceptional Ni No Kuni come along and make me question my own ignorance. Well, more fool me. It turns out that the different, brave and ambitious JRPG I always wanted has actually existed since 2008, and it’s called Persona 4.

With the re-release of Persona 4: Golden on Vita, I’m very pleased to say that I’ve seen the error in being so instantly dismissive. I missed a wonderful game five years ago, one that’s now possibly my favourite RPG ever…

Tags Chie, JRPG, Persona, Persona 4, Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Yosuke, Yukiko

Knytt Underground

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 26, 2013

I’ll be honest: I’d never heard of Nifflas’ Games’ Knytt series before, so when approaching Knytt Underground on Vita, I did so completely oblivious to what was ahead. All I could fathom was that it was a platformer focused on exploration.

What I discovered was a compelling oddity, and frankly, one of the most relaxing games I played last year…

Tags Knytt, Knytt Stories, Knytt Underground, Medtroidvania, PS Vita, Vita

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 25, 2013

I think that everyone coming into Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for the first time will cynically expect the same thing; a painfully cheap and undercooked Mario Kart clone. I mean, that’s what I was expecting, certainly, and it was the exact reason I’ve kept well away from Sonic-themed racers right up until this point.

Only… I had it wrong. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is actually brilliant, and in many ways surpasses its own inspiration.

Tags Afterburner, Alex Kidd, Golden Axe, jet set radio, Mario Kart, racing, Shinobi, Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, Sonic & All-Stars Racing, Sonic the Hedgehog

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date January 8, 2013

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is one of those games that everyone tells you that you just have to experience, but you never seem to find the time. I thought I’d get my chance when Just Add Water’s HD remake hit the PS3 in 2011, but being in the middle of a migration to Australia and my PS3 spending most of the last year travelling to more countries than I’ll ever visit (along with the rest of my belongings), I had to sit tight and wait for the Vita version.

That Vita port was released just before Xmas; was it the present I’d been hoping for?

Tags HD Remake, Mudos, Oddworld, oddworld inhabitants, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Sekto, Stranger, Stranger's Wrath, The Stranger

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date December 24, 2012

Smash Bros. Smash Bros. Smash Bros. That’s the last you’ll hear of that franchise for the rest of the review. Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale’s inspiration is clear, and I have to say that I’ve been suspicious of it as a concept since its announcement. It felt like nothing more than a cynical cash grab, Sony saying ‘us too!’ and failing to see exactly what made all these respective franchises so great in the first place. I didn’t think it could work with a roster this diverse.

That said, I never claimed it couldn’t be a good game in spite of my apprehension. The time has come. Has it managed to sway my mind?

Tags All-Stars, Battle Royale, Big Daddy, Fighting games, Kratos, Nathan Drake, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, PS Vita, PS3, Sackboy, Vita

Virtue’s Last Reward

Post author By Diogo Miguel
Post date November 29, 2012

The Nintendo 3DS has now been out for over a year, yet it lacks the same number of unique titles that came out on the Nintendo DS in the same period of time. Not that it’s necessarily bad to have a catalogue of well-known franchises. It’s just that it feels like some of the unique capabilities (such as the touch screen) are not being used to their full potential.

Fortunately, Rising Star Games must have thought the same when it decided to publish Virtue’s Last Reward. This brave attempt from Chunsoft is certainly unique, but is it enough to captivate 3DS owners?

Tags Ambidex Game, Rising Star Games, Sigma, Virtue's Last Reward

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 21, 2012

I haven’t bought or played a Call of Duty game in four years now. It’s not a matter of disliking the series or its mechanics per say, although I have come to loathe Activision’s annual release cycle. I freely recognise that I’d find an excellent shooter if I were to take the plunge or had to review; however, I’m just bored of what it has to offer for the moment.

I was, however, very interested, even a little excited about the series’ debut on Vita. While yes, the console has seen one or two ‘will this do?!’ efforts from developers on the basis that it’s a handheld system, the drip-feed of quality titles on the whole has been pretty good for a console in its launch year.

Then I discovered that Nihilistic, the team behind May’s Resistance: Burning Skies were at the development helm, and all my enthusiasm for a portable Call of Duty drained from me instantly. Burning Skies only managed to prove one thing in its ugly, bumbling and undercooked way: FPS games can work on Vita, but we should be expecting a damn-sight more from the genre on the console in the future.

Coming up to Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified’s launch, there were still questions ebbing away at me. Surely Nihilistic have learnt their lesson? It couldn’t be as bland and mediocre as Burning Skies could it?! These questions were enough to see me purchase the game on day one. Call it a morbid curiosity, but even with the ominous lack of reviews, I just had to see how it turned out.

Unfortunately, Nihilistic have only repeated their mistakes…

Tags Black Ops, Black Ops II, Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, COD, Declassified

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 13, 2012

Although I’ve always enjoyed what I’ve played of the Assassin’s Creed series (especially Brotherhood), I probably wouldn’t call myself a huge fan. My interest has certainly waned in recent years following Revelations and, until recently, I had little-to-zero interest in Assassin’s Creed III.

Still, the idea of Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation on Vita has really fascinated me since it was announced earlier this year. Could it really nail almost everything the series does well on Vita?

Tags Agato, Altair, assassin, Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Aveline, Aveline de Grandpre, Brotherhood, Conner, Ezio, Liberation, New Orleans

Smart As…

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 6, 2012

Even now that the Vita is slowly getting there thanks to a recent glut of releases, some would successfully argue that it’s still missing the broad appeal of the Nintendo DS. For Nintendo, Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training was the starting point of appealing to other demographics (Helen Mirren, for example), using the DS for learning and education purposes, instead of just core games.

Well, Sony has produced its own brain trainer in the form of the new budget title “Smart As…” courtesy of XDev.

Tags arithmetic, Brain Medicine, Brain Training, brainteasers, Get Smart, John Cleese, language, logic, memory, Puzzles

Silent Hill: Book of Memories

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date November 5, 2012

Book of Memories just hasn’t had the best start in life. Unfairly derided by Silent Hill fans (who in most cases hadn’t even played the game) for daring to be a spin-off in another genre, WayForward’s Dungeon Crawler has got a lot to do to win over its nay-saying critics.

Regardless, I was one of those more intrigued by the concept than turned off by it. I enjoy Silent Hill games (though I’m not a rabid fan), and I’ve recently found a new interest in Dungeon Crawlers, thus I was completely open-minded about letting it win me over.

That said, when I gave our Demo Impressions a few weeks back, I was left with a few concerns. Would it change the formula enough to remain interesting? Would it offer the right incentives of powers and abilities to keep gamers hooked?

Unfortunately, most of my concerns were realised; it doesn’t quite do enough, yet its issues don’t derail it completely…

Tags Diablo, dungeon, Dungeon Crawler, Konami, loot, Nurses, Pyramid Head, Silent Hill, Silent Hill: Book of Memories, The Butcher

Street Fighter X Tekken (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date October 31, 2012

Say what you like about the PS Vita, but it’s been a fantastic console for fighting game fans. BlazBlue, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Mortal Kombat have been excellent additions to the system’s library, and hell, even Reality Fighters wasn’t completely awful when taken for what it was.

Now it’s Street Fighter X Tekken’s turn to bolster the Vita’s software library, and it doesn’t disappoint, not one bit…

Tags Akuma, Bison, Fighters, Fighting games, Kazuya, Ogre, pandora, Paul, Ryu, Street Fighter, Tekken, Tekken Tag Tournament, Vita

FIFA 13 (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date October 16, 2012

With FIFA Football on Vita earlier this year, EA managed to buck their trend of horrendous console launch ports. They provided a portable footballing experience that, although a few modes short, felt complete and played every bit as good as the home console version. I was expecting great things from the next instalment.

Unfortunately, FIFA 13’s Vita outing feels a bit phoned-in…

Tags EA, EA Sports, Fifa, FIFA 13, FIFA Football, Vita

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date October 2, 2012

Ah LittleBigPlanet, I love this series. Overflowing with charm, fun platforming, and more significantly, the ability to fully create and share content; it was actually the first game that made me consider buying a PS3. I had to wait a little while before I got the chance to sink my teeth in of course, but it was more than worth the delay.

Being a PSP owner, I naturally followed the series over to the handheld, and despite lacking the processing juice of the PS3 original and the huge increase of scope that came with its 2011 sequel, I have to say that for me, LBP felt a better fit portably.

So that, coupled with the fact that the Vita’s software cupboard has been painfully bare these last few months (barring the excellent Sound Shapes), I’ve been eagerly awaiting LittleBigPlanet’s newest outing.

It’s finally here, and fans should not find themselves disappointed.

Tags Community, create, Creation, Double Eleven, Hallows, media molecule, platforming, play, PS Vita, Puppeteer, Sackboy, Share, Stickers, Tarsier Studios, Vita

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 27, 2012

Earlier this year, Konami released the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on PS3 and Xbox 360 to great reception. As a remastered gathering of MGS2, MGS3, and a port of the previously PSP-only Peace Walker, it not only represented great value for fans, adding Achievements and Trophies into the mix, but it was also the perfect chance for newcomers to get in on the fun.

At that time, however, I personally had zero interest in this package. You see, I’ve always had a hate/hate relationship with Metal Gear Solid, despite having played all the games (although MGS3 & 4 only part way through, as it was all I could bear). The thought of delving back into Kojima’s wonkily written but complex world of espionage made me feel a bit queasy.

There was, however, a huge turning point for me recently, when I was the only person available to review Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater for 3DS. Thankfully, I’m pretty open-minded and went in prepared to give it every opportunity to sway my opinion. Low and behold, this time something clicked. I finally got it. It turns out that given a chance, this game I’d previously called ‘an abortion’… was actually rather good.

I still took issue with some of the game’s Kojima-isms (incessant babbling and gameplay disrupting cut-scenes), but still, the review process had almost been something of a profound personal journey. I was proud that I was willing to test the weight of my own opinion and because of that, I came away with a different, more positive perspective.

As I hinted at the end of that review, it also meant I might just have the inclination to give that Metal Gear Solid HD Collection a chance after all, just to see if I couldn’t be swayed any further. With the collection coming to Vita this very week, sans Peace Walker (already available on PSN, however), I knew I’d never have a better chance to continue this crazy experiment.

We’ve covered both the home console versions of the HD Collection and MGS3D: Snake Eater in great detail in previous reviews, so make sure you check those out too for more detailed and varied opinion.

Tags Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, Naked Snake, Solid Snake

Gravity Rush

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 25, 2012

In the week leading up to the Vita’s release, I was absolutely dismayed to find out that the most original and interesting looking title of the touted launch line-up, Gravity Rush, wouldn’t make it to Western or Australian shores with the arrival of the console. The game looked pretty awesome too, with a cool anime vibe and an interesting use of gravity manipulation; it was the game I had been most looking forward to spending some time with. The need for localisation ruined all that, and it meant I’d have to wait until recently to get my hands on SCE’s clever looking open-world game.

Was it worth the wait?

Tags Alias, Gade, Gravity Daze, Gravity Rush, Gravity Shifter, Hekseville, Kat, Raven, Syd, Vita

Resistance: Burning Skies

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date June 5, 2012

Resistance. This is a franchise for which the ongoing plaudits continue to baffle and bemuse me. When I finally laid down the cash on my PS3, all the existing owners I knew were telling me that Insomniac’s Resistance: Fall of Man and its then-only sequel were games that I absolutely must play. Existing media reviews told me the same, with words like ‘outstanding!’ and ‘exceptional!’ freely thrown around, while one even went as far as to compare it to Goldeneye 64. I was expecting big things, but after playing both games, instead of love or hate, I was left with the worst kind of feeling about them: no feeling at all.

Don’t get me wrong, neither game was inherently broken and there were some really neat ideas when it came to the arsenal; however, the action was dreary, and in both games I found myself just going through the motions, hoping the end would come sooner rather than later. Despite it being a horrible feeling when you can’t see the merits of something that many, many people enjoy, I had zero interest in revisiting the series when the third game rolled around.

However, in lieu of any new games arriving in this early portion of the Vita’s lifecycle and not being a fan of Unit 13’s repetition, I have found myself keeping one eye on the release of Resistance: Burning Skies by Nihilistic Software.

So, what we can expect now that an FPS is on a handheld that finally sports that second analogue stick?

Tags Chimera, first person shooter, FPS, Nathan Hale, PS Vita, Resistance, Resistance 2, Resistance 3, Resistance: Fall of Man, Vita

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date April 18, 2012

I’ve started with a similar line a lot in recent reviews, but to carry on the trend I can safely say that I’ve never had much experience with the BlazBlue series before. Well, other than picking it up and looking at it, tempted to buy, before feeling intimidated at the thought of stepping outside my Street Fighter comfort zone and running away like a frightened child.

Still, I believed I’d try it someday, and when the chance came up to review it on Vita, I knew I’d never have a better opportunity. Funnily enough, this is the third and final fighting game from the Vita’s launch that I’ve had to review; but for me, I’ve definitely saved the best for last.

Tags Alucard, Arc System Works, Ars Magus, BlazBlue, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Fighting games, Ragna, Tager

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 26, 2012

One of the wonderful things about Vita is the support it offers independent developers. While you’re likely to see old favourites continue to pop up, such as Uncharted, Wipeout and Motorstorm, the Vita store gives gamers the chance to experience new titles like Escape Plan, A-Men and a little wonder called Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack.

Yeah, you’ve probably not heard much about this mouthful. The Vita launch line-up was pretty busy with AAA launches, and this one sadly got lost in the shuffle.

Now that the dust has settled, however, I’m telling you to absol-blobbing-well-lutely give this one a chance, and here’s why…

Tags Army Barracks, Badlands, Blob, drinkbox studios, Mutant Blobs Attack, Playstation, Sony, space, Tales from Space, Vita

Reality Fighters

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 20, 2012

I’ve said it a couple of times this past few weeks, but I love me some fighting games. Good thing that the Vita has served well in that respect so far, with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 hitting as a launch title and Street Fighter X Tekken (squeeee!) not far off a port, either.

However, Capcom aren’t the only ones striving to bring the genre to the system, and no, I’m not talking about Arc System Works’ Blazblue.

Step forward Reality Fighters, the new fighter from Novarama and Sony; where you not only put yourself in the middle of the action, but also put the action in the middle of wherever you want, thanks to its clever use of Augmented Reality.

Should you be giving it a look, though?

Tags Augmented Reality, fighting, Fighting games, Living Room, PS Vita, Reality Fighters, Scrapping, Sony, Street Fighter, Vita

Rayman Origins (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 16, 2012

I’ve never really played any of the Rayman games before, except for retroactively in research for this review. I don’t know why, but for some reason it just never appeared on my radar. That was until I first saw footage of last year’s Rayman Origins; a classic, 2D platformer which moved and flowed in a way the genre just hasn’t before. It was revered by the gaming press.

Still, despite being the darling of the critics, Ubisoft’s actions would have you believe that they wanted it to sell badly. For some baffling reason they chose to launch it in November, the same calendar month for all blockbuster titles, and were expecting this charming little platformer to complete against the likes of Call of Duty, and even their own Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Utter madness.

Even so, this is a game that deserved attention. Thankfully, Ubisoft have given Rayman another chance to get the limelight as a Playstation Vita launch title.

Should you give it a second look?

Tags Darktoons, Electoons, Glade of Dreams, Globox, Lums, Rayman, rayman origins, Snoring Tree

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Vita)

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 12, 2012

I consider myself to be a pretty big fan of fighting games. It’s not just the purist thrill of two combatants duking it out that gets me either, nor is it simply nostalgia, but it’s in the infinite strategies. While in that regard I prefer tighter, technical fighters in the Street Fighter mold, I do get on with most in the genre. Except for one. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has been one of those that, despite my best efforts, I just haven’t been able to master.

It’s not for the want of trying either; I’ve had two attempts on 360 at getting my head around its explosive and extravagant nature, and I failed both times at becoming even remotely competent with it. Every time I thought I had it nailed, the game would spit in my face, kick me to the ground and send me back crying to where I felt safe; Street Fighter.

Street Fighter will always be my domain, and while I will never come remotely close to being at Evo level (never in a million years), even in defeat I can always see where I went wrong, what I could have done better. For whatever reason, that ability has been sorely missing with both Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

I’m not ashamed to say that it eats away at me, especially being a fan of both companies involved. I wanted so desperately to be good at this game.

Well, Capcom have given me another chance, as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom makes it to the Vita as a launch title.

Did I overcome my demons? Am I now a UMvC3 champion thanks to re-releases and perseverance?

More importantly, is it any good?

Unit 13

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 6, 2012

It’s pretty safe to say there are operative forces in this world that act out in secret. If there’s one thing a wealth of TV series, films and books have taught us, it’s that. What those forces do seems to vary depending on who you speak to. The point is, they get the job done, and they try to do it making as little noise as possible.

Unit 13 is just such a task force. Sure, they don’t have Ross Kemp flashing his would-be-SAS badges around or Chuck Norris round-house kicking everything that breathes, but they’ve got an uncanny will to survive, and a serious wealth of firepower.

Great credentials for sure, but is theirs a secret a worth keeping?

Tags Chuck Norris, Gears Of War, NATO, playstation vita, PS3, Ross Kemp, SAS, SEN, Sony, Terrorism, Unit 13, Vita, Zipper Interactive

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 5, 2012

Uncharted was initially a strange beast for me. I was intrigued by early footage, showing off Tomb Raider-style exploration and climbing crossed with Gears of War-style gunplay. As much as I wanted to play it, I couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t be half as good as it looked. I was wrong. It was better.

Not only did it successfully meld exploration and climbing with intense, involving gunplay in a way that Tomb Raider never quite managed, it also had an engrossing storyline that was solidly directed and oozing at the seams with great production value. They took believable personalities and put them in extraordinary situations; characters who started unlikeable but grew in warmth and heart as the game went on. It was an easy game to fall in love with.

Since then, the series has seen two highly successful follow-ups that have dwarfed the original in scope. It’s a Playstation mainstay and a huge franchise for Sony. It’s hard to imagine a Sony console without it.

That’s why the announcement of Uncharted: Golden Abyss as a Vita launch title was a surprise to no one, but it was slightly worrying that Naughty Dog would not be handling development, instead passing the torch to Sony’s Bend Studio.

Bend at least come with decent handheld pedigree, having made a new home for the Syphon Filter series on PSP and handled another big Sony franchise with Resistance: Retribution in 2009.

Have they treated Nathan Drake with the same level of respect in this Vita prequel?

Tags Bend, chase, Dante, Elena Fisher, Golden Abyss, Nathan Drake, Naughty Dog, Sony, Sully, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Vita

FIFA Football

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date March 5, 2012

EA have something of a nasty habit. Whenever a new console launches, they tend to push out a rushed, half-baked port of FIFA. These ports are usually lacking anything in the way of decent features, solely to make a quick buck on the excitement of new hardware, while having the sheer gall to charge us full price for the privilege.

Somehow, when the 3DS hit shelves last year, they waited and produced what I declared as ‘probably’ my favourite handheld version of EA’s flagship sports title, even without an online mode. This statement is no longer true.

Much to my surprise, FIFA Football, the obligatory launch port of FIFA for Playstation Vita, is very nearly everything the home console versions have been for the last three years.

Tags EA, EA Sports, fifa 12, FIFA Football, Football, Pes, Vita

Army Corps of Hell

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 2, 2012

After losing a battle to the Gods, The Lord of Hell has risen once more, and man, is he pissed. He’s been stripped of his flesh, has a stinking headache, and an insatiable bloodlust that needs to be quenched. Minions by his side once more, he intends to take back all he has lost… and find some ibuprofen along the way.

Arguably, Square Enix have produced the most unique, unusual Vita launch-title of the lot, in terms of gameplay and style.

In a launch line-up full of strong competition, does it even remotely stand out?

Tags Army Corps of Hell, Brutal Legend, Death Metal, Goblins, Heavy Metal, Hell, Playstation, PS Vita, Spearmen, Vita, Warriors

Little Deviants

Post author By Ray Willmott
Post date March 2, 2012

It seems we’ve got the look of our spacefolk pegged. Pointy antennas, laser guns, dinky little purple space suits, long, rectangular black eyes. We’ve even built little tin-foil hats in preparation for any of those jedi-mind-tricks we reckon they’ll have.

We’ve totally got them figured out. Well, I thought we did until I played Little Deviants. Now I’m not so sure. Bringing its own vault of crazy to Sony’s newest handheld device, Little Deviants intends to show us how to play Vita the right way, minus the little green men.

At least, so it thinks….

Tags BigBig, Botz, Bronze, Dead'Uns, gold, Little Deviants, PSVita, Silver, Sony

PS Vita

Post author By Andy Corrigan
Post date February 28, 2012

As a standalone device, the PSP sold relatively well; however, it’s hard to deny that it never really lived up to its early promise. For every truly great game, for every Crisis Core, Grand Theft Auto, or LittleBigPlanet, there were ten crap games not far behind them. It also failed to provide the true home console experience touted, hindered by only having one analogue stick, leaving many core games feeling gimped with less than ideal workarounds. It was a nice piece of kit for its time, true; but the public have been ready for a successor for a number of years, and none of the revisions were enough to satiate users.

Step forward PS Vita. It’s finally here, not only rectifying most of the PSP’s design failures and adding a ton of new features, but also boasting a raw power that’s unprecedented in the handheld arena.

Sony have clearly aimed high; have they delivered?

Tags escape plan, FIFA Football, Nathan Drake, Playstation, Playstation Portable, PS Vita, PSP, rayman origins, Sony, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, UMvC3, Uncharted, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Vita