New releases round-up - Real Racing 3, Alien vs Predator: Evolution, 1001 Attempts, and more

Well, we managed to run a video feature pilot without everyone laughing at our funny voices and dodgy video editing skills. So, let's try episode two, shall we?

As before, we're going to show off the week's most noteworthy new iOS releases in nifty video form. Moving pictures! Narration! All that fun stuff.

This time around, we'll be showing off games like freemium repair-'em-upReal Racing 3, bouncy retro romp 1001 Attempts, and intergalactic yawnfestAlien vs Predator: Evolution.

We still want feedback! More of this, less of that? Fire the voice-over guy? Give him a raise?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below and onYouTube.



Here are the App Store links for the games featured in the video round-up this week:

• 1001 Attempts (Universal, 69p)
• Real Racing 3 (Universal, Free) (Also on Android)
• Up in Flames (Universal, 69p)
• Gravity Duck (Universal, 69p)
• Killer Snake (Universal, Free)
• Alien vs Predator: Evolution (Universal, £2.99)
• Towelfight 2 (Universal, 69p) (Also on Android)
• Red Rusher (Universal, 69p)
• Penumbear (Universal, £1.49)

Whoops! Journey to Hell is not actually out until March 7th. Sorry.

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Anomaly 2 is a thing. A beautiful, beautiful thing...

11 bit studios has just answered the prayers of strategy enthusiasts the world over, by announcing the existence of Anomaly 2.

The indie studio took to Twitter to direct fans towards the Anomaly 2website, and the first trailer for the upcoming tower-offence game.

The trailer (below) shows that the Polish dev team hasn't been resting on its laurels since last years quasi-expansion pack Anomaly Korea.

Instead, they've cooked up some genuine innovation for Anomaly Warzone Earth's first proper sequel.



Firstly, Anomaly 2's tanks and troops will now be able to change Transformers-style into armoured mechs. This mighty-morphing twist will give players an extra layer of strategy to master.

Secondly (and most interestingly), Anomaly 2 will have a mutiplayer mode in which one player controls the advancing force, while the other assumes command of the defending towers. Which sounds awesome.

But...

Now for the qualifier: Anomaly 2 has not yet been confirmed for either iOS or Android platforms. As of yet, it has only been announced for those big computer things.

However, a spokesperson for 11 bit studios told that the team would "love to" bring the sequel to mobile.

We'd love that too, 11 bit studios. We really, really would.

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Review: 1001 Attempts

There are certain enemies and obstacles that are destined to be reviled forever - digital creatures and structures that become the bane of a player's existence to such an extent that whenever their names are mentioned a collective shudder runs down the spine of every gamer within earshot.

To that list you can now add the green floaty meteor thing from 1001 Attempts. This relentless hunter spells the end of many an attempt on the highscore table, either directly or indirectly, and more than earns its place in the hate files.

The reason the green meteor works so well is that it changes the rhythm of 1001 Attempts, introducing a new variable just when you're settling into a random but recognisable pattern. The green meteor is chaos. And chaos is evil.

Attempt 1

1001 Attempts is all about chasing down highscores, be it your own or somebody else's. You play as a cape-wearing little creature, and the aim of the game is snaffling as many gems as you can. These gems appear at random on the screen, and whenever you grab one another appears.

The control scheme is simple. 'Left' and 'right' arrows move you left and right, and a 'flip' button flips gravity, sending you from the top of the screen to the bottom. Touch any gems along the way and you get some points.

Unfortunately, while you're trying to nab more gems the game is throwing an increasingly tough arsenal of horrid obstacles at you, each of them telegraphed by a flashing warning sign. To begin with it's just spikes and spinning saws, before lasers and rockets are thrown into the mix too.

So you'll die. And the game will make a witty quip about it, often referencing some other game in the process. Then you'll tap 'start' and try again, because you know this time you're not going to make the silly mistake that led to your explosive demise.

Attempt 1000

What follows is a perfect exercise in balancing frustration and success. Each catastrophic failure pushes you on to try again, egged on by the simplistic nature of the game, and the fact that you know, deep down inside, that you can do better.

Play for more than a few minutes and you too will learn to hate the green meteor, but play for a bit longer and you never know - you might start to work your way up that leaderboard. Once you're thinking like that, there's no escape.

1001 Attempts is compulsive hardcore gaming at its finest - an intoxicating mix of arcade style and twitchy modern platforming condensed into minute-long bursts of frantic escapes and desperate reactions.

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Review: Alien vs Predator: Evolution

Alongside little grey men with bulbous eyes and ET, there are few more iconic extra-terrestrials than those that inspired AVP: Evolution. These are creatures of nightmare, perfectly evolved to destroy anything squishy and human-shaped that gets in their way.

It's been a very long time since either species on show here, be it alien or predator, has had justice done to it in a video game. Unfortunately,AVP: Evolution does little to buck that trend, presenting two of the most fearsome killing machines in the universe as little more than muddled, half-blind saps.

Regressed

The gameplay alternates between an angry predator out for revenge and an angry alien, who is also out for revenge. Their paths to right the wrongs done to them are very similar - stumble around a grey and brown 3D environment mashing buttons and killing things.

There's very little to differentiate between the two creatures to begin with. Both have a simple two button fighting style, both can perform quick time event executions when a skull appears above an opponent's head, and both get in a lot of trouble if they ever wander into a corner.

That's because the game's camera is awful. You can move it yourself by swiping a finger across the screen, but often it'll just jump back to whatever silly position it thinks is right for you. When there are two robots trying to kill you, and all you can see is the inside of a wireframe predator model and a wall, you know you're in trouble.

You can only run on some walls when you're an alien, you don't have access to all of the predator's cool gadgets and cloaking devices to begin with. The game essentially hobbles you from the outset, and then keeps on bringing that hobbling mallet down.

At no point do you feel like the ultimate space-faring bad-ass. The aliens aren't lithe, coiled springs of inhuman movement and energy - they're plodding blokes in badly fitting suits who like biting the heads off scientists.

They're stuck in all of the walls

The game mainly takes place in a human-inhabited research base. You trudge through boring corridors, fighting knife-wielding androids and heavy weapon-toting marines, performing poorly animated executions to top up your health.

IAPs explained There are two currencies in the game: one for the alien called Xeno Points, and one for the predator called Honor Points. You use these to buy new skills and abilities. The game's pretty stingy with handing them out, though, though you are given the option to buy more to get the better skills more quickly. The cheapest pack gets you 12,000 of each type for £1.49, while the most expensive gets you 600,000 for £34.99. You still need to unlock items to purchase by playing, but splashing some cash will let you get them once they become available.

Sometimes you'll have to push a switch to activate an elevator or a door. Then more men will come and you'll have to hit them for a bit. After a while you'll level-up and be able to purchase new moves and equipment if you've got enough in-game cash. Which you probably won't have.

There are painful difficulty spikes here and there to make sure your frustration level keeps up with your boredom, and there are some underwhelming set-pieces involving facehuggers and drop ships.

Some nice and interesting ideas do occasionally creep into proceedings, but they're so mangled by the rubbish camera and monotonous pacing that they never get a chance to shine.

Devolved

There are also items and powers to unlock later in the game that add a little of the flavour of the films, but by then the damage has been done.

You'll be sick of the floppy, ineffectual controls, bored by the endless parade of identikit marines to kill, and fuming about the fact that there's rarely any actual alien versus predator action going on.

As a third-person brawler featuring unrecognisable characters, AVP: Evolution would be underwhelming. As a licensed product featuring two of the finest killers the human imagination has ever produced, it's insulting.

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True Axis builds a rad new skatepark for narley True Skate tricksters

Like playing a guitar and speaking fluent Japanese, riding a skateboard is one of those things that looks great to master... if only you could be bothered to put in the years of dedication required.

That's where simulation games likeTrue Skate come in, offering you the illusion of mastering a tricky pastime with relatively little of the required dedication.

We really liked True Axis's game when we reviewed it towards the end of 2012, and now we have the perfect excuse to return to its board-flicking ways.

In a totally rad fresh update to True Skate, its maker has added a whole new skatepark in which to perform your finger stunts. It's available through an in-app purchase for just 69p / 99c.

New paint job
With version 1.0.0.4 of True Skate installed on your blower, you'll be able to customise your skateboard deck art with your own images, too.

True Axis has also taken the opportunity to kill a few bugs in, and make a few tweaks to, its skateboard sim. To wit, blunt sides now work well on lips and ledges. Oh, and you can now have some effect on the direction of your skateboard while grinding.

Furthermore, if you find True Skate's HUD a little too obtrusive, you can now disable the text and fade the buttons out for a purer, less cluttered experience.

There are a bunch of other minor fixes and additions in this latest firmware update, but we think we've covered the main ones. Put simply: more skating, less irritation. Narley.

Do skaters still say 'narley'? Or is that surfers? Do surfers still say 'narley'? Help.

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Review: Gravity Duck

I think my opinion of Gravity Duck is roughly the same as my opinion of the little chip-tune ditty that plays in the background of Gravity Duck.

It's a nice song. It's got a catchy little retro beat, with a drum roll undercurrent and a pleasant beep-boop chorus. But it never changes, it never stops, and it never leaves you.

The song plays in every level in the forest, where you must dodge patrolling caterpillars. Beep boop. It's the same song in the underground, where you're chased by bloodthirsty bats. Boop beep. And it's the same song in the mountains, where goats charge at you. Boop.

Fits the bill

Which is all very similar to the game itself. It's got a clever central idea - you're a duck who can flip gravity at will. Tap a button and you can jump from the ground to the ceiling and back again.

And if you fall into a swirling gravity well, you'll spin 90 degrees and land on the wall. Now, you'll use the other half of the D-pad, and the 'gravity flip' button bounces you between walls.

It's clever, and it's fun, and the sideways spin means it never feels like a straight rip-off of indie masterpiece VVVVVV.

Fowl play

But, like the background song, that same basic idea is trotted out over and over again, in more than 100 nearly identical levels.

Sure, you'll come across some enemies. You'll dodge swinging pendulums, laser beams, arrows, frogs, and spikes. And the game gradually gets harder - but not by much.

The whole thing feels safe, sedate, and monotonous. Sure, it's never going to take you to the tormented, infuriating, brain-bruising lows ofVVVVVV. But you'll never get the dizzying, orgasmic, air-punching highs, either.

Load of old waddle

It looks nice, at least. League of Evil duo WoblyWare and Ravenous Games have mastered that chunky pixel-art graphical style that's both handsome and functional. You can't fault the presentation.

But it's just not brave or bold enough to stand out from the pack.Gravity Duck is a perfectly playable little slice of gravity-flipping, platforming action, but there are plenty of those on the App Store already.

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Lili dev BitMonster swaps flower picking for .50 calibre guns in upcoming shooter

North Carolina-based BitMonster Games - the team of ex-Epic staffers behind App Store Best of 2012 star Lili- has posted a screenshot of its new (and decidedly less cuddly-looking than Lili) iOS game.

Judging by the image, which was posted on the company's Twitter account, we think BitMonster's new title is a shooter, possibly featuring zombies, definitely featuring large-calibre weaponry.

And going by the high-tech HUD in the pic, the elevated firing position, and the poor posture of the white targets, we reckon the game will involve either defending the city from an undead invasion with camera-mounted sentry guns, or firing off mighty cannons from inside a mech or power suit.

One thing's for sure, though: this screenshot's grim tone is a far cry from the bright and colourful world of BitMonster's aforementioned puzzle-adventure Lili.

Is this screenshot a sign that the ex-Epic boys are returning to their gory, Gears of War-style roots? You'll know more when we do.

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[Update] Sega confirms Sonic Dash game that was outed in LinkedIn job advert for Hardlight studio

Updated on February 28th, at 10:30: Sega has confirmed toKotaku that the game is indeed in development. In a statement, the publisher said:

"At this time, Sega is able to confirm that we are working on a new mobile game titledSonic Dash."

"We have not announced any specific details on the product but we will be releasing additional information on this exciting, new game in the near future."

Plus, our friends at Pocket Gamer France have found outthat the game is indeed an auto-runner, in the same vein as Rayman Jungle Run.

Original story follows...

---

Just four months after the release of Hardlight's maiden iOS game, Sonic Jump, it appears that iPhone- and iPad-wielding fans of Sonic The Hedgehog are going to be indulged once again.

Eagle-eyed members of The Sonic Stadium team spotted a reference to the as-yet-unannounced "Sonic Dash" in a number of job listings for Hardlight on social networking site LinkedIn.

The references to the mysterious Sonic Dash in all four of the job adverts, including this here one, have subsequently been removed. Presumably once Hardlight realised its mistake. And fired someone.

Sonic boom

In a November 2012 interview with UK toy trade magazine Toys 'n' Playthings, head of brand licensing (Europe) at Sega Sissel Henno confirmed that Sega "will have several new digital titles launching as well as a new boxed game" over the next year.

It looks likely, then, that Sonic Dash will be the first of this year's new batch of Sonic games for mobile. And with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed racing onto iOS in the not-too-distant future (hopefully!), it looks like 2013 is going to be a good year for Sonic supporters on iOS.

Although we only have a name to go on, by the way, we presume thatSonic Dash will be an endless-runner. After all, running is what the Blue Blur does best.

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Use the Force to defeat the Galactic Empire (and nab a high score) in Star Wars Pinball

Zen Studios has evaded the Death Star's defences, shaken off a band of TIE fighters, and fired its highly anticipated Star Wars-themed Zen Pinball update onto the App Store and Google Play.

This Force-infused update includes three completely new pinball tables, which you can download through in-app purchases for £1.49 / $1.99 a pop.

All three tables (Star Wars: Episode V, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, andBoba Fett) are themed after movies or characters from George Lucas's infamous faraway galaxy.



Each table features an iconic moment from the Star Wars saga, some gorgeous-looking 3D art, and "unique" gameplay.

So, we suggest you jump on the fastest 74-Z speeder bike you can find and grab Zen Pinball from the App Store [download] or Google Play [download] for free.

On Android, you can also grab Star Wars Pinball as a standalone app for £1.32 [buy]. Enjoy.

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Get on the iOS and Android grid for free now in Real Racing 3

Start your engines, folks: Real Racing 3is now available to download for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Though Firemonkeys's racer has beenavailable in beta form to Australian and New Zealand-based iOS gamers for the past two weeks, today we can ALL get behind the driving wheel of this new free-to-play racing sim.

Once you've downloaded Real Racing 3, you'll be able to step into the virtual cockpit of over 45 officially licensed cars and participate in over 900 international events.

The Real Racing 3 dev has also updated its track roster, meaning you can power your way around real-world courses like Silverstone and Laguna Seca.



The standout feature in Real Racing 3, though, is probably the Time Shifted Multiplayer (TSM) mode, which enables you to race against your friends' ghosts even when your buddies are offline.

It's Real Racing 3's free-to-play model, however - integrated into the series for the first time here - which has generated the most attention and controversy.

You can download Real Racing 3 for free on iOS [download] and Android [download] right now to find out what all the F2P fuss is about for yourself.

After doing so, feel free to let us know what YOU think about the way in which Firemonkeys and EA have integrated the freemium business model into their high-end racer.

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This week on the 3DS eShop: Splash or Crash, Coaster Creator 3D, and Pac-Man

There comes a point in every Nintendo 3DS' life that it thinks, "hey, you know what? I'd love to download a brand new eShop game today."

Of course, the 3DS itself can't make decisions like this. Don't be silly! It's just a bunch of nuts and bolts thrown together!

But you can help it achieve its goal. You are "the one", the force for good, the everlasting light in the handheld's quest for downloadiness.

And with that out of the way, we're off.

European eShop releases



Splash or Crash is all about dropping a stone down a well, and seeing if you can get it to the bottom and into the water without getting caught on anything along the way.

It looks pretty fast and furious, and may well be worth a gander. The price tags is a mere £2.69, or you could wait for our review. Up to you really.

And what about some classic video gaming this week, with Pac-Man on the Virtual Console? It's the original wakka wakka cherry-eating, ghost-dodging arcade game, and it costs £4.49.

Yes, £4.49. You read that right. Definitely too much for something we've all played a million times before.

US eShop releases



The North American eShop has some interesting additions this week, so listen up, y'all. First off is Coaster Creator 3D which, as you'd expect, is a game about making roller coasters.

You draw on the screen to draw the coaster, then watch the riders scream. Let's hope it's better than the wretched RollerCoaster Tycoon 3DS. The price is $9.99.

Mahjong Mysteries - Ancient Athena is a mahjong game. Let's not beat around the bush here - if you don't like mahjong, don't bother. $4.99 if you're into it.

Given Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate a try yet? Well, there's now a demo available in case you want to have a gander for free.

Oh, and there's a sale on. You can now grab Fractured Soul for $7.99, which isn't a bad price at all for a pretty good game.

Finally, the glorious Fire Emblem Awakening has some free DLC for you to grab - but you'd better jump on it quick. The Champions of Yore 1 map is only available for free until March 6th.

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Rumour: Square Enix starting up Vita version of Final Fantasy XI?

Something's afoot with Square Enix's venerable MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, and it may finally be making the jump to Sony's latest handheld.

The idea of Final Fantasy XI on the Vita is an old one. Months before the Japanese release of the Vita, the game's (then) lead Hiromichi Tanakamentioned that FFXI could eventually find a home on the handheld - but nothing ever materialized.

Recently, however, a cryptic image and tweet appeared on Final Fantasy XI's official Japanese Twitter account which Kotaku translated as "The heck is this... Is something starting up...?!"

While the picture below hardly gives us a lot to go on, it may indicate that development on the Vita version of Final Fantays XI is underway.



It's unlikely that the tweet in question refers to Final Fantasy XI's upcoming expansion Seekers of Adoulin, as the two zones in the above image have long been present in the decade-old MMORPG.

Brave new worlds

Despite its age, Final Fantasy XI still supports a passionate community of current and former players - so a port to a new console, like the Vita, isn't entirely out of the question.

Only Square Enix knows what the tweet means for the future of Final Fantasy XI, and it's not being generous with the details.

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Review: Radiant Flux

A minute into Radiant Flux and the first thing that you wonder is how a game from 1985 can have possibly remained unpublished for so long?

The second thing is probably going to be something so unsavoury we can't publish it here, thanks largely to the game's unforgiving difficulty level.

Of course, Radiant Flux isn't really from 1985 - it just thinks it is. The deliberately humble visuals are a throwback to the days when the ZX Spectrum and C64 were the tools of choice for any serious gamer, and this title does an excellent job of imitating the best shooters of that era - in a purely visual sense, at least.

Back to the future
Sadly, the stern difficulty level isn't a figment of your imagination. Nor are the slightly clunky controls, which are based entirely around the D-pad and face buttons - despite the fact that the game's 360-degree movement would have been perfectly suited to a twin-stick analogue control method.

Radiant Flux is unusual in that the playing area scrolls from right to left, with enemies attacking from all directions. Your ship can move in eight directions but it can only fire up, down, left, and right - a restriction that leads to many annoying deaths.

Thankfully, you can also lay mines and launch smart bombs, allowing you to extract yourself from several sticky situations.

Trigger happy
Ultimately, though, Radiant Flux becomes so incredibly taxing that it's almost certain to dishearten anyone who doesn't consider themselves to be a seasoned shooter pro.

The difficulty becomes almost sadistic on later levels, where you're not only having to avoid the unwanted attentions of your enemies but also to pilot your fragile ship around environmental hazards.

Radiant Flux's 8-bit graphics - complete with a cool hazing effect when you take damage - are unquestionably its biggest highlight. The single piece of music - which loops constantly - is also infectious and catchy, but the presentation isn't enough to atone for the game's other shortcomings.

Retro shooter addicts will appreciate the homage, but for everyone else there are better things on PlayStation Mobile to spend your pennies on.

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[Update] Wires crossed, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment not playable on Vita or PSP yet

North American fans of Atlus's Shin Megami Tensei: Persona line of JRPGs no doubt looked at our This week on the PS Vita story with a bit of confusion.

One title expected in the US, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, didn't receive a PSP or Vita release like it was supposed to. PlayStation 3 users could download and play the game as a PSone Classic, but mobile gamers were out of luck.

Joystiq reports that this was an oversight, and that the game was intended to be compatible with both the Vita and PSP. Sony is already at work delivering a fix to ensure thatEternal Punishment is playable on its handhelds, but there's no projected date for when the fix will be implemented.

Eternally grateful

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is a continuation of Persona 2: Innocent Sin's storyline and features plot elements seen through the eyes of a new character.

As a PSone classic, the PSN version will be all but identical to the game as it appeared in its original North American release.

There's still no word yet on when, or if, Eternal Punishment will come to Europe but we will keep you updated if that should change.

If you'd like an idea of what to expect from the PSP release of Eternal Punishment, the Japanese release trailer is included below.

Update: An earlier version of this article confused the PSP release ofEternal Punishment with the enhanced PSP version released in Japan in May 2012. We have since learned that "unusual circumstances" prevented this version from being ported to the PSN, and that the version available in North America will not feature the new options or remixed soundtrack.

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This week on the PS Vita Store: Ninja Gaiden Plus bundle, Super Brain Eat 3, and not a lot else

I'm not going to lie to you: this week is pretty awful as far as new downloadable PS Vita games are concerned.

Is it even worth booting the PSN Store up on your handheld? Probably not, to be honest.

But that's not going to stop me from telling you what you can expect to find on Sony's digital store. Nope, it's not. Honestly.

Let's not delay this any longer, then. Onwards...

Full-price releases



There are zero new games for the PS Vita in the European store this week. None at all.

I mean, there is a demo for Knytt Underground, but you really should have grabbed that for free on PS Plus already.

There's also some DLC for Ragnarok Odyssey, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and Zen Pinball 2, but none of it looks particularly enthralling.

American Vita owners can download MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship this week for $29.99, mind. It's not very good, as our reviewer suggests, so tread carefully.

There's also a new Ninja Gaiden bundle available, which contains Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus. $59.99 to you, me, and her.

PlayStation Plus games and offers



Can PS Plus content save the week? No, not on your nelly.

European PS Plus subscribers can take advantage of absolutely nothing this week for their PS Vita, while Americans get Plants vs Zombies for free.

Oh, American PS Plus subscribers can also take advantage of a nice number of PS Vita discounts, including money off titles like Escape Plan,Everybody's Golf, and Hustle Kings.

So, if you're a PS Plus subscriber in the US, you may well want to see if there's anything you've missed in that there promotion.

PlayStation Mobile releases



What is there to stick in your PSM hole this week, eh?

Well, there's Super Brain Eat 3 for 40p. This appears to be some sort of dungeon-crawler about eating brains. Doesn't look too shabby, especially for the asking price.

Unfortunately, that's your lot for this week. Cheers, Mr PlayStation Mobile.

PSP and PSone Classics



Sorry to sound like a broken record, but there's nothing new in this section, either.

Saying that, there are some interesting offers: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is down to $19.99, and Unchained Blades has been reduced to $14.69. But, errm, that's it.

Back again next week, soldiers.

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Help strangers reach exit portals in critically acclaimed puzzle-platformer Thomas Was Alone for Vita

Bossa Studios's Mike Bithell has announced that critically acclaimed indie puzzle-platformer Thomas Was Alone is heading to the PS Vita.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this Mac and PC title, it involves you completing a single goal, which is to safely guide a variety of characters to a number of exit portals.

Naturally, this becomes increasingly more difficult as you progress through the game and meet new figures that all have unique abilities.

You'll have to learn how to use all of these abilities (which include flotation, anti-gravity capabilities, and more) at once to overcome all of the puzzles that are thrown at you.



The PS Vita edition of Thomas Was Alone will be optimised for Sony's handheld hardware.

To wit, you'll be able to select characters and pan the game's camera around using the Vita's front-facing touchscreen and rear-facing touchpad, respectively, for example.

Furthermore, Bithell's indie adventure will support Sony's Cross-Buy initiative. This means that you can pay for it once and play it on both your PS3 and PS Vita.

Thomas Was Alone (which is narrated by British comedian Danny Wallace, by the way) will be out in the spring.

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Issac Clarke and Zeus joining the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale party on March 19th

A new DLC pack featuring Dead Space's Issac Clarke, Zeus from the God of Warfranchise, and a brand-new stage will be made available for Smash Bros-style brawlerPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale next month.

According to IGN's Colin Moriarty, who's been hands-on with both characters, Issac and Zeus are two very different fighters.

Issac is very similar to the likes of Nathan Drake, for example, and - while more than capable at close range - relies on his substantial arsenal of weaponry and projectile attacks.

Zeus, on the other hand, is a powerhouse that can destroy opponents through aggressive physical attacks.



This forthcoming DLC pack will also contain an all-new stage based on elements of PSone classic MediEvil and the more recently released The Unfinished Swan.

You'll be able to grab Issac Clarke and Zeus in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on March 19th.

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Recruit event-exclusive Pokémon Meloetta at participating GameStop stores next week

Pokemon trainers will soon have a chance to capture an elusive legendary Pokemon - and they won't even have to waste a Poké Ball to capture it.

Starting in March, participating GameStop, GAME, and EB Games locations will begin distribution of Meloetta: a rare Normal- and Psychic-type Pokemon.

In order to add Meloetta to your roster, you'll need to visit a participating store with your DS or 3DS and a copy ofPokemon Black/White or Pokemon Black/White 2.

Once there, load up your game and select "Mystery Gift". So long as you don't have more than 11 Wonder Cards in your possession, you'll receive a level 50 Meloetta.

Gotta catch 'em all

Meloetta is quite the attractive Pokemon to have in your roster.

In addition to having access to both Normal and Pyschic attacks like Teeter Dance and Psychic, Meloetta can transform into a Pirouette Forme which turns it into the only hybrid Normal- and Fighting-type Pokemon in the game.

We already knew that Meloetta would be available in the United States between March 4 to March 24 at participating GameStop locations and - after some sleuthing - we've learned that Meloetta will be available at participating GAME stores in the UK between March 22 and April 19.

Canadian Pokemon trainers eager to meet Meloetta, will need to visit participating EB Games stores between March 9 and April 19.

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Listen to Simon's side of the story in new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Simon says...

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This week on the 3DS eShop: NightSky, Etrian Odyssey IV, and the Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate demo

Ignore the fact that a new next-gen console was revealed this week. We've got Nintendo 3DS games to talk about.

Okay, so there isn't much going this week, to be honest. But what is there is rather decent. You should go take a look. Seriously. So now.

But what to grab? Well, listen up, and follow our in-the-known advice, and maybe you'll come out of the other end a better man/woman.

Onwards! To Mordor... sorry. The 3DS eShop.

European eShop releases



There's only one new title this week for European gamers, but it's a belter.

NightSky is all about rolling a ball around a series of puzzles. It's absolutely gorgeous, and the puzzles are excellent too.

I've played the PC version, and endorse it wholeheartedly. But if you need a full review, you can catch my review of the 3DS version early next week.

If you can't wait, you can pay the £8.99 asking price for it right now.

Other than that, we've got demos galore. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate has got a demo that I'm downloading as we speak. Looks great, and hopefully will play great too.

And the long-awaited Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is nearly here too. You can grab a demo from the eShop.

US eShop releases



Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is out in the US this week, carrying on the Japanese RPG saga. I can't honestly pass opinion on it right now, but there's a demo you can grab and check out, so go make up your own mind.

Viking Invasion 2 - Tower Defense is a sort of tame-looking tower defense game, that will set you back $7.99 if you're interested.

And Picdun 2: Witch's Curse is a dungeon-crawling RPG, with a $4.99 price tag. The original was excellent, so this may well be worth gunning for too.

The classic Yoshi is now available for the Virtual Console for $4.99. It's all about dropping enemies down for Mario to catch, and Yoshi will eat them if they're stuffed in an egg. It's sort of neat, but nothing amazing.

As for demos, you've got Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed andMonster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Fun times.

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The Japanese eShop will get Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

Nintendo has announced that Japanese gamers will be able to buy re-releases of Game Boy Colour titlesThe Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasonsand Oracle of Ages on the 3DS Virtual Console.

They'll hit Japan sometime next week. There is no confirmation of a worldwide release as yet. But, hey. That won't stop us keeping our fingers crossed.

Separately, the games will cost 600 yen (around £4) each, but buyers who want to snap both of these games up straight away will benefit from an introductory offer of 1000 yen (£7) for the two.

First released in 2001, and developed by Capcom subsidiary Flagship,Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were a huge hit with critics and fans.

This wasn't some Pokemon Red and Blue type scam: you actually got two completely different adventures - one based on the four seasons, and the other based on two historial epochs.

But if you bought both and used the password system to jump between the two games, you'd unlock secrets and get to see the duo's true ending. It was awesome.

Only time will tell if the much-loved titles will reach our shores. Unless you have your own oracle you can consult, of course.

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First-person dungeon crawler Picdun 2 receives PEGI 12 rating, coming to Europe

3DS owners who fancy Japanese first-person dungeon crawlers will not be hurting for games to play this year.

Siliconera reports that the eShop roleplaying game Dungeon RPG Picdun 2 will come to Europe as Picdun 2: Witch's Curse.

Released in August 2012 for the Japanese eShop, Picdun 2 puts you in control of a magical girl, a fetishistic whip wielder, and an archer who likes to shoot people in their hearts (so they'll fall in love).

It's dangerous to go alone

While the trio of girls in Picdun 2 will face enemies every bit as moe (cute) as they are, the game is very much a standard dungeon crawling affair.

There are 60 auto-mapping floors for players explore, and every fifth floor offers an elevator that can transport your party back to the dungeon's entrance.

We don't know when to expect Picdun 2 on the eShop yet - nor do we know how much it will cost. The Japanese version was released for 500 yen, which would work out to about £3.50.

There is no word on a North American release at present, and a search of the ESRB website yielded no entries for the game.

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Best Buy President's Day sale drops price on Kid Icarus: Uprising, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and more

Big box retailer Best Buy is honouring President's Day with a good old-fashioned sale, and there are deep discounts to be had on some choice DS and 3DS games.

Spread out amongst the titles on sale this weekend are two Pocket Gamer Gold Award-winners along with a silver and bronze winner as well.

This sale is valid from Friday, February 15 until Monday, February 18 and is a great opportunity to flesh out your 3DS and DS libraries with some excellent titles.

The 3DS/DS games on sale are:

• Kid Icarus: Uprising ($14.99 from $39.99)
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask ($14.99 from $39.99)
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star ($19.99 from $39.99)
• Style Savvy: Trendsetters ($19.99 from $39.99)
• Crosswords Plus ($14.99 from $29.99)
• Pokemon Black and White Version 2 ($14.99 from $34.99)

Full details of the sale are available here for those interested in ordering. Unfortunately for our UK readers, this sale is a US-only affair.

You need a president to celebrate President's Day, after all.

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This week on the 3DS eShop: Shifting World, Mahjong 3D, and Castlevania

Friends, Romans (?), Nintendians: lend me your ears.

We have another week of 3DS eShop goodies to offer you, and there may, just may, be something worth picking up among them.

Hopefully, you'll find something that catches your eye in the following few paragraphs. If not, sue me. Actually, don't. It hurts.

Right, let's crack on, shall we...

European eShop releases



Shifting World is a platform-puzzler all about flipping worlds. I'm not swearing. It's about flipping worlds. Gah, stop it.

Anyway, it's a neat idea, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Still, it's £17.99 if you're interested.

Mahjong 3D - Warriors of the Emperor is the classic tile-based game on your Nintendo 3DS screen. Groovy, yeah. From what I've heard, it's not too shabby, so perhaps that £17.99 price tag might tempt you.

And how about the classic Castlevania for Virtual Console? This is the first-ever title in the sprawling platform-adventure series. The NES version, that is, in case you were wondering. £4.49 for this piece of history.

US eShop releases



Well, aren't you Americans lucky. This week, you get the chance to pick up a download version of Rabbids Travel in Time 3D.

Well, actually, no. You aren't lucky at all. It's not very good, you see. As I noted in my review. So, errm, don't bother.

PETZ Fantasy 3D is also now available as a digital download. And it's... interesting. You look after colourful pets, and, well, let's be honest: it's probably not your sort of thing.

This week is nearly saved by the release of classic Dig Dug for the NES. It costs $3.99 if you're up for it.

And on that bombshell, see you again next week. Take care, soldier.

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Review: Wreck-it Ralph

Given that Wreck-it Ralph is a Disney property, you probably assumed it's aimed at kids. Well, you're wrong. The cameos in the video game-themed movie are straight out of the '80s and '90s.

Does the average 14-year-old know who Q*bert is? Not likely.

Wreck-it Ralph is an animated trip down memory lane, with enough wholesome fun and silly humour to keep the kids busy while the adults get on with the business of wallowing in nostalgia.

Unfortunately, the 3DS game of the movie seems not to have read the brief.

Kidulthood
Make no mistake - this is a wasted opportunity at almost every turn.

If you enjoyed seeing Zangief or Sonic in the movie, then get ready to be disappointed by the lack of any cameos throughout the three lifeless and generic worlds on offer. There's not so much as a sniff of good old-fashioned nostalgia to be found here, aside from one nod to Metroid.

The controls are fine, in that you can jump and move accurately enough for what you need to accomplish on a 2D plane. The sticking point is the nature of what you need to accomplish.

There's just too little substance. A child's platformer doesn't need to be taxing, but like any other game for any other age range it does need to command your attention.

Wreck-'t Ralph simply doesn't, thanks to seen-it-all-before hop, skip, and jump tasks. You leap from one platform to the next, watch out for the falling blocks above you, flick this switch, open this door, and - if you're lucky - manage to avoid falling asleep.

Combat is the main offender. Each insectoid enemy is easy to defeat on its own, but they can chip away at your health if there are enough of them, since the only move at your disposal is a front-facing attack, the animation for which takes too long to finish.

If a developer can't make an innovative title, it can at least make it tough. You'll breeze through this game in about an hour and a half. After you've defeated the bosses - most of which just require you to run up to them and punch them repeatedly - you unlock a mode that gives enemies more health. I doubt you'll bother with it.

Wreck

The final area you need to reach to clear each stage is never signposted well, but it's not an issue thanks to mostly linear level design. Even areas in which you need to create a route out of a room are basic: switches to open specific doors are usually within metres of one another.

It's disappointing that the one interesting gameplay idea in the mix - that you can swap between Felix and Ralph at will, is squandered too. Felix is used to repair broken objects, but these boil down to little more than door switches in disguise, and unless it's absolutely necessary you'll spend most of the time as Ralph, as he can deal out the punishment to baddies more readily.

The pastel visuals capture the general look of the film, but there's none of the vibrancy you might expect from a top-tier franchise-based release. Audio samples loop incessantly, and if I ever have to hear the eponymous man in red shout "I'M GONNA WRECK IT!" again I'm liable to wreck something myself.

At the close of the game Ralph states that, "our real job is making you gamers happy, one quarter at a time". While that might be a noble cause, Wreck-it Ralph on 3DS isn't up to the task.

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Video: Check out the Star Wars Pinball Boba Fett trailer

Game name: Star Wars Pinball | Video type: Embedded | Publisher: Zen Studios| Format: PS Vita | Genre: Arcade, Film/ TV tie- in, Pub Sports

'I deliver once I've caught my prey.'

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