The PlayStation community held yet another incredible preview event today, this time for upcoming handheld PlayStation Vita. The event had been arranged to reveal the launch titles that will become available with the European and American release of the console in February 2012 in addition to further mouthwatering information. The community were invited to go hands on with some of these titles at a location in London today and I was one of the lucky few who was invited to go along. 23 different games were playable which in itself was very impressive compared to the 6 odd games which were playable at the Eurogamer Expo in September. It would have been 24 but developers of newly announced title Unit 13 decided to retract the game from the floor which was a shame. Reviewing 23 games is going to be a long process so what I have decided to do is provide you with a few sentences on initial or secondary impressions of the games I played and suggest to you the style of play they offer and whether they will be in your interest to purchase.

One thing the marketing team at Sony are good at are hosting great events. The location was really classy and decorated with bright lights and ambient colours with a variety of furniture for you to lounge around on. The atmosphere was very relaxed and welcoming with staff allowing you to spend as long as you wanted playing games without constantly hounding you with how to play the game. One improvement I would recommend is for the Vita units to be set up in a more comfortable way. Being 6ft tall does not help you when you find yourself leaning over at every stand to play a game and leaving 9 hours later with a serious backache! This leads me into my first gallery of the venue.

The Hardware

The first thing that surprised me which happened last time as well, is the sheer lightness of the unit. It weighs next to nothing for what it is. I asked the staff again if the battery was inside and they said they presume so, because the unit remains on when the charge cable is removed. Every unit had a stand by function which meant you had to press the power button on the top of the unit before seeing a lock screen appear. The unlock screen featured the time and date. To unlock the screen you have to swipe your finger from the top right down to the bottom left. I personally noticed a common issue with all units, that was a second or two of lag from pressing the power button, to the lock screen appearing. The swipe to unlock did not always work first time but is generally more of a getting use to the gesture issue.

We also had the opportunity to fiddle around in the menus and system screens of the unit. I didn’t go into much detail but can mention a few things I noticed. The home screen contains bubbles to launch various items on the Vita. There are multiple home screens allowing you to have plenty of bubbles on screen. You are able to reposition them to your liking as well. The response is quick and navigation feels very natural. I went into the trophy menu, which can link to your PS3 profile and display your prized possessions in a similar way to the PS3. A welcome pack set of apps let you perform unique functions which allow you to get use to the new interface.

I also checked whether it was possible to go into the system menu whilst in-game. This function was available by pressing the PS button as you would on the PS3. I did observe a few differences. Firstly, upon pressing the PS button, the game you are currently playing shows a unique pause screen which gives you access to a few functions. You can also swipe horizontally to access and browse the home screen freely. I didn’t try to launch another app so I can’t tell you whether you would have to quit the game completely to access certain features like you do on the PS3.

The build quality of the unit is great and as you would expect from Sony. The front feels tougher than the rear although the plastic on the rear still feels tough enough to survive a few bumps and bruises if you really have butter fingers. The button feedback is one of the stand out features of the hardware with every press giving you noticeable feedback. Dual analogue sticks change the experience completely and they feel much better to use than the snub head circle on the PSP. A concern is that the heads of the sticks are coated in what feels like luxury rubber and may not survive the test of time due to the softness of them. The fact that they are not flat also raises the question of how much, wear on the sticks could affect the game play further down the line. Finally, I noticed that the speakers on the unit were not very loud even when turned up to max volume. I’m not quite sure whether the DJ had an effect or it was because some units were 4 months old but it is worth mentioning.

[Update: Had to remove the Home Screen photos by request of event hosts WeAreAmplify because the photographed home screen does not represent the final version]

Before I go any further let me link you to my previous Vita articles which may contain information that I do not repeat here.

Little Big Planet Hands On

Little Deviants Hands On

Uncharted Golden Abyss Hands On

Wipeout Hands On

Wipeout 2048

I was lucky enough to play Wipeout at the Eurogamer Expo leaving very convinced with the experience. That thought grew stronger today as Wipeout managed to convince me yet again why it is a must have PS Vita title. The colour palette used in the game, the sharpness of the textures, the length of the scenic draw distance and the smoothness of the fast paced game play all factor into why Wipeout is one of the best racing experiences available for the console. I played the same level which I believe was called Everest Climb and a few new tracks too. I didn’t find the newer tracks as adrenaline pumping to play as Everest Climb because it didn’t take me through steep climbs and all height levels of the city.

The highlight was definitely cross platform play. A Vita was set up next to a PS3 with a wireless router in the middle. Cross play allows one PS3 unit to race along side 7 different PS Vita players all in the same race, lag free. Resident Wipeout girl Ami Nakajima was kind enough to wipe the floor with me as I raced her on the Vita while she played on the PS3. It was more convincing when a few of my friends played each other because one finished under a second slower than the other. You could look at both screens and confirm their real time positions were matching. There are a variety of control options and you can select whichever you prefer, including the new motion controls. Another cool secret Ami told us about was that using the rear touch pad on the menu will show you hidden tracks and events available to play in the game. These may be anything from races, time trials or combat challenges.

If you plan on purchasing the 3G version of the Vita, the box will contain a Vodafone sim card. You can choose any network provider although if you choose Vodafone, then you will receive a free copy of Wipeout 2048. Bargain!

Verdict: Competitive Arcade Racer, Requires concentration to play, Hardcore experience, Looks and plays beautifully, Great multiplayer features, Easy to play hard to master, Not for car racing fans, Very strong launch title

Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush comes under a new category which I would like to call a unique experience. These games try to innovate by creating something which has not been done before or utilise the Vita technology to integrate key game play elements. The game is best described as an enemy invasion on the NASA space station with you being an astronaut. In reality the concept is based around being able to manipulate gravity, similar to upcoming shooter Inversion. The art is very reminiscent of a cell shaded comic book and the game features a female lead. The objective is to float around a town and destroy enemies which may be located on the ground or hover in mid air. The player has the control of turning their gravity on and off. This allows for multiple combination attacks and switching from running up the side of a building one minute to jumping off and fly kicking an enemy in mid air the next.

There is some story linking the action although it didn’t seem to be very deep. The demo had you trying to locate a cat and a few seconds later you found yourself flying around taking out enemies. The camera generally works well and keeps up with your completely random and fully rotational navigation of the game world. Occasionally you find yourself having to relocate your character to find a better spot to attack an enemy because of objects in the way such as fences. You may accidentally launch a flying kick straight past a target and into a hard surface which takes a large amount of your health away. I later discovered that if your miss your target and are heading for a crash landing you are able to press a button to save yourself from the pain and stop your character where they are.

The demo concluded with a boss fight against a spinning octopus looking creature with your goal being to attack a glowing ball underneath it. The enemy stayed mainly near ground level which made attacking it very tedious with you bouncing around all heights of the environment. The location of the attack point could have been better and more noticeable. One of the staff said he didn’t notice he had to attack underneath the creature until about 5 minutes into the battle. All in all it was a very interesting game to play and one which should gain mostly positive reaction. The gravity element works reasonably well and creates a new style of game unlike any other currently out there.

Verdict: Gravitational Platformer, Requires concentration to play but may also be suitable for portable use, Borders on Hardcore experience but has relaxed game play, Unique experience

Sound Shapes

Out of all the games available to play this game absolutely stumped me in what you had to do. The image you see is the place I was stuck. You are this sticky ball which can jump around and attach itself to the environment. I started jumping on the flowers and they started flashing in a specific pattern. I thought I had to follow that pattern and trigger a beat. That was because each time you jump on to a new object it makes a different sound. After 5-10 minutes I had to ask the staff member what to do and he told me to roll over to the end of the screen.

The real object of the game is to traverse these environments which contain hazards whilst collecting these gold nuggets. Each screen acts as a new level and they are differentiated with variety in colour schemes, environments, hazards and objects. The first few levels offer multiple paths you can take to your destination whilst others later on offer you one path full of hazards. Other elements such as creatures work as enemies and tools to navigate the level. These include chicks in nests which when jumped on become platforms you can use for a few seconds. There was also a duck creature which when jumped on launches you into the air. The final creature I came across was a sheep with spikes on its sides which moved around left and right. You could jump on it and let it take you further towards your goal but if you jumped on its side, it would kill you. Whilst squashed the spikes disappeared allowing you to roll on to the side of the sheep to pick up extra nuggets for example. All these creatures offered a degree of variation and more options for level designers to keep the game interesting.

Beyond the initial trouble, the game was quite fun to play. It was intuitive and took practically no thinking to figure out your path to the finish line. The presentation is nice but there was a feature I was not impressed by. The fact that the game is called Sound Shapes doesn’t help the fact that the sound is one of the weakest parts of the game. It would make more sense for the game to be called Sticky Ball than Sound Shapes. Sure the objects do make small sounds and there is some progression of the beat as you proceed but it is nowhere near as effective or apparent like the game Rez for example. The game has the perfect opportunity for using sound to make gamers feel they have accomplished putting together a quality music beat by the end of the level but the element just isn’t implemented to that degree.

Verdict: Relaxed experience, Great for short burst game play and portable use, Casual experience, Nice presentation, Great game play elements keeping levels varied and interesting, poor sound implementation

Escape Plan

Escape Plan is one of the titles that has received plenty of attention in the media. Primarily because it is another very unique experience in many ways. Visually the game is black and white which is a very strange design choice especially because of the amazing display capabilities of the gorgeous OLED Vita screen. To overcome this the developers have utilised multiple shades of grey.

You take control of two characters who I presume are trying to escape a house of death traps. You could therefore classify the game as a puzzle platformer. The concept of the small character is that drinking fizzy drinks will give the player the capability to squeeze him and make him fart the gas out giving him a speed boost across a deadly trap. The larger character as seen above is a lot slower and even though I didn’t see it myself I believe his ability is to jump and squash.

A cool feature is that the character wears the number of times he has died on his chest. Yes I did die eleven times here because these electric plates pop up and kill you if you don’t walk over them as soon as you drop them down using the rear touch panel. The characters walk very slowly which is painful when you have to repeat sections because of dying. Just after these electric plates there was an enemy with a pea shooter that me and a few others could not figure out how to bypass. Unfortunately this lead us to “rage quit” the game.

The game requires plenty of experimentation and practically no help is provided on what you have to do. The game requires patience and I don’t know whether making it hard to play was a good decision. It restricts access to casual gamers when the style of game play is very casual. If you have the patience and enjoy being mind (insert word here) then it is a worthwhile purchase.

Verdict: Great for short burst game play and portable use, Casual experience, Unique presentation, Good use of Vita controls, Can be very frustrating to play

ModNation Racers: Road Trip

Another PS3 franchise makes the transition to the portable platform. ModNation has been seen as the closest game to Mario Kart you can buy for the PlayStation. It is very focused on the Play, Create, Share ideology that Little Big Planet introduced so well. Those pillars are still welcome and Road trip features track creation and kart customization just like its console brother.

It plays very similarly which is a good and bad thing. The AI still fly off the start line and quickly leave you for dust. Shortcuts can be used to gain ground during a race and the game feels very suited to a handheld device.

For a first party title the detail in the environment is very bland. Some buildings feature minor detail whilst others have none at all. The game doesn’t seem to utilise the full potential of the device in terms of presentation like Wipeout.

The game will appeal to two large groups which are the creative community and the casual gamer.

Verdict: Great for portable use, Casual experience, Plenty of value, Creative community focused, Over challenging AI, Mediocre presentation

Top Darts

Not much to say for this game. You can play a variety of different dart modes. The touch screen is used for aiming.

Verdict: Casual experience, If you really like darts buy it

FIFA 12

I am by no means a football fan and completely suck at football games but I was pleasantly surprised by FIFA 12 on the Vita. The OLED screen really helps bring across the great presentation of the game. Depth of field and shades of colour are noticeable and the game plays very well. There are a few frame rate issues whilst running although nothing serious. The flow of the match is good and inputs are immediate allowing you to maintain full control of your players. A cool addition for the Vita is the ability to aim your shots on goal using the rear touch screen.

As always, FIFA provides plenty of replay value and this may just be the sports game you will want to add to your Vita collection.

Verdict: Hardcore and casual experience, great presentation, great game play, Plenty of re playability, Nice use of Vita controls, Worth purchasing

Uncharted Golden Abyss

Without a doubt Uncharted Golden Abyss is the blockbuster hit Sony are hoping will sell units on release. Having gone hands on with the game at the Eurogamer Expo in September and leaving very excited, today there were two different levels on show, Chapter 4 and Chapter 10.

Chapter 4 had been previously revealed and featured Drake having to climb around and escape a burning building which took all of 5 minutes.

Chapter 10 had you providing sniper fire for your companion as she made her way towards you. This was not the best level to demonstrate as the use of the sniper rifle on a handheld is tricky to master. I know the other guns are much easier to use from my previous hands on and put it down to a bad marketing decision. Once again the section ended after 5 minutes of game play.

I found this quite silly because two complete chapters were playable at the Expo and before you knew it you had finished the demo here. Not enough time was given to get a feel for all the new elements.

What experience can you expect from the Vita for such an epic cinematic game like Uncharted? Well, Drake is still a quirky and like able character although the absence of Sully, Elena and Chloe do give the game a very different feeling as those characters are companions you have come to love just as much as Drake in the console games. The use of Vita controls is brilliant and presentation is not compromised with set pieces still being all the rage even on the smaller screen.

My major concern lies in the length of the game. If each chapter lasts 10 minutes then the game is going to be very short. With Uncharted, I have come to expect a large storyline with twists and turns, plenty of variety and locations all increasing your anticipation to arrive at the final destination of your epic treasure hunt. Golden Abyss will struggle to give gamers that feeling if each chapter is just a short one or two task scene. Here is hoping that the experience length and story on the Vita is not compromised.

Verdict: Hardcore experience, great presentation, great game play, Nice use of Vita controls, The one game you will want to buy regardless of anything, Possibility of a weaker experience over it’s console counter parts

Reality Fighters

I had two separate experiences with this game and both instigated very different feelings. Reality Fighters is the Vita title that pushes the augmented reality gaming aspect of the device. It’s a fighting game which allows you to create incredibly ridiculous characters and fight it out in a real world location of your choice.

It uses a special QR code style symbol to position the characters in the real world and makes use of the rear camera to display the environment. You also have a choice of arenas which are photos of real world locations. They feature 360 degrees of space allowing you to follow the action around you. There is no edge to the arena which is quite surreal as you have to physically move your Vita around to maintain sight of your characters.

The fighting is just as ridiculous as the characters with over the top moves to use on your opponents. You can also place your face on your character. I didn’t find the fighting worked brilliantly. The moves looked average and as a fighting game was nowhere near as deep or fluid. Repetitive moves seemed common too.

Later on I tried the Ad Hoc mode with PS Access Community Manager MusterBuster which proved to be a more enjoyable experience. After a bit of fight talk and button bashing the matches seemed to be very tight due to chain combos. The first round he beat me by one hit and the second round I returned the same favour. During the third round towards the end of the fight he did something to trigger a super move which finished me off. The multiplayer experience was quite enjoyable as the ridiculousness of the game seemed to absorb the seriousness of a normal fighting game.

Some may see the game as a gimmick and as a solo experience it isn’t very convincing although in terms of a fun game to play with friends it is a lot of fun.

Verdict: Casual experience, Better for multiplayer use, Unique augmented reality feature

Super Stardust Delta

The much loved PSN arcade shooter makes a debut on the PS Vita. Once again the game looks great with the use of a vivid colour palette. Being an arcade shooter they may be concern of the frame rate being able to keep up with all the elements on screen. I can say that the Vita is a powerhouse and has no issues rendering all items on screen smoothly.

I really enjoyed this game because it is the perfect example of what a portable experience should be. It looks great and plays well in short burst sessions. It has the addiction factor and is playable to a very wide audience whether hardcore or casual.

Verdict: Hardcore & Casual experience, Great portable game, Brilliant presentation, Addictive game play, Plenty of value, Worth purchasing for everyone

Frobisher Says

One of the strangest experiences available was Frobisher Says. I believe this is an app which is included on the Vita out the box. It strangly reminded me of the game Bishi Bashi Special from the PS1.

The idea of the game is to give you 10 seconds to perform a random task. This task may be to do nothing or to scratch someone’s back using the rear touch pad. Noticeably the difference between Bishi Bashi Special and Frobisher Says is the use of all the Vita specific controls.

The game is a time passer but really nothing special. Young kids may gain some enjoyment from it.

Verdict: Casual experience, Portable, Uses unique Vita controls, Fun for very young children, Not worth a purchase if game will go to retail

Resistance Burning Skies

The Resistance franchise has always had a special place in my gaming library as Resistance Fall Of Man was the first game I purchased for my PS3. As a result I was thoroughly impressed with the Vita version, Burning Skies.

Dual analogue sticks have made a tremendous impact in bringing the true shooter experience to the Vita. I found playing the game even easier than Uncharted Golden Abyss. The camera and controls handle brilliantly well with the team going all out to squeeze as much into the game as possible.

The touch screen is used to throw grenades which replace the secondary trigger actions on the PS3 and are fine to use. The level I played was the one shown of earlier in the year which features multiple large scale rooms and multiple on screen enemies. The view from the rooftop is reasonable but could contain more depth.

A cover system makes it possible to protect yourself from incoming fire although the enemies will still charge at you occasionally. The guns feel powerful and have the option of upgrading when you reach certain checkpoints in the game in turn making them more powerful against the Chimera.

Variety remains as you encounter a range of enemies from the standard Chimera to the small and speedy scorpions and large bosses. The demo ended as a boss broke through the wall into a warehouse. Visually the game looks good for the amount of content within an environment. The texture of the boss provided variety with a slimy skin tone.

Unlike Uncharted the game also feels like it will bring a fully fledged experience to the handheld over a cut down version. I have high hopes for this game being very good although critics have always been quick to label the Resistance games as generic and therefore I fear that sales will not reflect the stunning quality of this game.

Verdict: Hardcore experience, great presentation, great game play, Nice use of Vita controls, A game you should really buy, Brilliantly migrates the first person shooter experience to a handheld device

Marvel Vs Capcom 3

The fighting community are eager to have a game to play on their new shiny handheld. Capcom have delivered Marvel Vs Capcom 3 for the Vita in a very respectable fashion. This game will sell by the bucket load over in Japan due to its reputation. When you play the game it is very clear how much effort has been put into the Vita version. The colour palette is one of the best of all the games out there with vibrant colours resonating really well on the OLED screen. Motion is fast and fluid with special attacks and combos being retained for the portable version and no lag present.

The roster is huge allowing you to choose from an estimated 30 fighters spanning both teams along with a variety of game play modes to keep the action fresh. I enjoyed MVC3 a lot more than Reality Fighters because the fighting was finely tuned to perfection, the moves looked better and the game played faster. If you are to purchase a fighting game, this should be in your collection.

Verdict: Hardcore & Casual experience, Great portable game, The fighter of choice, Brilliant presentation, Addictive gameplay, Plenty of value, Worth purchasing for everyone

Michael Jackson The Experience

The king of pop makes an appearance on the Vita and brings his back catalogue of hits with him. This is the game you don’t think you will enjoy until you play it. It is basically a rhythm game with touch screen controls over the use of standard face buttons. When I started the game i had no idea what the symbols on screen meant and almost gave up on the game. After a bit of searching I located the tutorial and learnt how to play the game. The tutorial showcases about 10 different moves of which a few are the same but use two fingers over one. Once I got the hang of it I jumped into Billie Jean.

The way Michael is presented is quite elegant. He looks and moves just like he did at that era in time and is interesting to watch on screen. The locations are pulled from his music videos and there are nice CGI cut scenes which break up the action to tell the story of the video.

Occasionally you will trigger a freestyle section where you can make up your own combos but also have the ability to trigger a special combo sequence which plays out like a dance combo from that music video.

It really is the Michael Jackson experience that draws you in over the game play. The actions themselves could do with more variety and get more buttons involved but they stick with the touch screen throughout. Michael’s catchy music and true to life recreations of his videos give you a nice feeling while playing.

Verdict: Casual experience, Portable, Primary rhythm game available, Nice presentation, Lack of depth in game play, Fun novelty game

Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz

Again another game which needs no introduction. Bright colours help visualise the vivid world of Super Monkey Ball. The Vita adds new control methods. Fun and simple game for all ages.

Verdict: Casual experience, Portable, Nice presentation, Lack of depth in game play, Fun novelty game, Not worth a purchase over alternative options

Rayman Origins Vita

Rayman Origins was recently released for consoles although seemed to be overshadowed by major releases in the same period. I can’t compare the two versions as I haven’t played the console one but I can say that on the Vita, Origins plays like an old school platformer. The art style is very calm and detailed creating a very retro feel. Many layers make up the background scenery which moves at different speeds for the classic scrolling background effect. Animations of Rayman are also very reminiscent of older games and actions he can perform such as hanging from vines.

The level I played was in the Jungle but there were three others available to try out. The level was quite small and as I progressed to the end there was a barrier blocking my progression. I went back to see what I required to progress but couldnt find anything specific. I killed all the enemies thinking that would help but it didn’t. Random flies would appear from platforms you bounced on and enemies you killed which lead me to the conclusion that I needed a specific amount of flys to unlock the door. I collected 19 and died then gave up. Death comes by the way of the large gaps underneath spanning platforms in addition to enemy attacks.

I’m glad that developers have brought back classic game elements in a new form. It feels good to play and can see it being popular for young kids but also equally challenging for adults. Another solid platformer available for purchase that could be improved with better instructions of what you have to do.

Verdict: Casual experience, Solid platformer, Fun for all ages, Challenging, Poor instructions (There may be a tutorial I didn’t see?), Really nice art style, Retro gamers will enjoy

Virtua Tennis 4 Vita

You can play a variety of different tennis modes. Motion is good and flow of the game is fast. The courts look great on the Vita screen as do the short animated clips of player reactions.

Verdict: Casual experience, If you really like Tennis buy it

Formula 1 Vita

Formula 1 is the only sport I follow and Codemasters seem to have really thrown this out the door a bit early. The visual quality of the game is no where near some of the other launch titles. You can see the from the screenshot above that the front of the cars look blocky and the tracks have plenty of anti aliasing issues. It would be better if they skipped this title and spent some TLC on the game, bringing out a more polished version later next year. The game play is ok but it lacks substance.

Verdict: Casual experience, Better race titles to drop your cash on

Hustle Kings Vita

 

Hustle Kings is a popular pool game on the PSN. The Vita version allows you to take your experience on the go with you. This game is better suited to the portable platform over home consoles. Very relaxing to play and after you figure out that you have to do three different things to take a shot it’s quite straight forward to play.

A new feature is the cross play integration allowing a Vita owner to go head to head with a PS3 player. It’s a nice idea but if you wanted to play a game of pool with someone I’m sure most people would head down to Rileys or their local pool hall.

Verdict: Casual experience, Great for portable gaming, Relaxing game, Cross Play features, If you really like Pool buy it

Everybody’s Golf Vita

Popular arcade style golf game. Provides a cartoon experience over a more serious game such as Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Plenty of customization options and hours of game play. Could be popular for young children.

Verdict: Casual experience, Great for portable gaming, Relaxing game, Customization Options, Re playability, Not a realistic experience like Tiger Woods, If you really like golf buy it

Touch My Katamari

A weird and wacky game that has always gone down well with the public casual audience. The aim of the game is to roll around an environment and make yourself bigger and bigger into a huge ball of junk. Addictive and simple game play. Works well on the portable platform.

Verdict: Casual experience, Great for portable gaming, Relaxing game, Suitable for all ages

Ridge Racer Vita

This Ridge Racer pretends it didn’t notice the Burnout-esque game play present in Ridge Racer Unbounded and sticks to its roots like the previous Ridge Racer on PSP. What you are left with is a classic Ridge Racer experience where braking results in driving on ice effects. It’s about taking multiple corners while having your car at 90 degrees and avoiding a crash which you feel would have happened if you ever tried anything of the sort in a real car! It’s the level of unreal-ism in drifting that separates Ridge Racer from other racers and let me tell you it is still an adrenaline pumping experience.

The not so good elements are the racing landscape doesn’t feature much detail and has bland buildings with simple textures. Also I found myself leading the race on the first lap and my nearest competitor was half a lap behind me. I stopped and took the above photo, carried on playing and the AI had yet to catch up with me. My point is that the AI are far to easy and the game becomes boring when you have no competitors to fight against. The Ridge Racer franchise has always produced a solid game but they struggle to strive beyond solid and create something spectacular. Nevertheless I am still keeping a close eye on Unbounded to see if it injects the nitrous back into the franchise.

Verdict: Casual Experience, Portable, Adrenaline pumping drifting action, Not challenging, Will satisfy your arcade racer needs probably until a NFS game next Winter

Little Deviants

Little Deviants is a combination of 10 different mini games. I have covered a few of them already from the Eurogamer Expo and will only discuss the new mini games I played here.

The first new game I played took place in a boxing ring. You as a player had to pinch the front and rear touch screens and release to launch your character into enemies which spawned in the ring. It gets harder with kamikaze enemies running towards you to take out your health.

The second new game I tried was a parachute jump game. You used the accelerometer to tilt the Vita so your character would pass through hoops on the way down to the ground.

The final game was actually a big surprise. It was the only game I had played which used the Vita as a vertical device. It involved using the accelerometer to bounce your character across platforms.

My secondary impressions of this game are that there is definitely a good variety of mini games available to play. There may only be ten mini games but each one has multiple levels and challenges for you to complete. The presentation is adult and child friendly and the games really do a great job in utilising all of the Vita control methods.

Verdict: Hardcore & Casual experience, Great portable game, Brilliant presentation, Addictive game play, Great use of Vita controls, Mini game novelty may wear off quickly

The Conclusion

Sony have taken a massive risk in even thinking about releasing a single function gaming device especially as more people tend to see smart phones as the only device they need for everything. I have to admit that they have done a great job with the line up. There is plenty on offer for all audiences and having them all available on release day is even better news. I am particularly impressed with the fact that they have proven you can still enjoy a strong hardcore game experience on a portable device. The first party studio games seemed to really stand out in one way or another and the effort the developers have put into these games is crystal clear, not just visually but also with the extra functionality implemented such as cross play. In terms of hardware the device feels extremely light and comfortable to hold for long periods but the screen is the real highlight of the device. A few studios have realised that the OLED screen is a point to exploit and you can see games like Wipeout and Marvel VS Capcom have utilised a vivid colour palette to complement it.

There must be something wrong? Give me an excuse not to buy it? Well with everything the biggest blow to Sony is going to be deja vu, the price. For £250 somebody can purchase a PS3 home console. Sure there is a great line up but the mindset of the public for portable experiences has really gone in the wrong direction for companies. The public expect to pay maybe 70p – £1 for a portable game. Knowing Sony, these games will retail for £30-£40 which will kill them. £20 is a more reasonably price point but even then many will still see it to be very high.

The launch line up will suffer as well. There are plenty of games to choose from and even though you may want multiple titles, you simply won’t be able to afford them. A perfect example has been the sales of games this month during the peak period of November. There were so many great titles released it just wasn’t possible for consumers to purchase them all. No surprises when the figures were revealed and impacted bottom line profits and reflected mediocre sales figures for games predicted to do better.

Another important point to consider is that Sony will be charging you £4-£7 per game that you already own, to make it backwards compatible and available to play on the Vita. Furthermore the history of the PSP doesn’t help one bit. With the frequent redesign’s customers will be reluctant to drop £250 on Vita Version 1 when 6 months later they may see Vita Version 2 for £200 with extra functionality that they can’t use.

My prediction is that there are a few titles that will sway hardcore gamers to purchase the console on or near launch. The WiFi model may shift more units purely because it is a cheaper option and doesn’t require monthly data plan subscription beyond the price tag. There will be a large part of the hardcore crowd that will be reluctant to purchase immediately and will watch to see how Sony and the market react but more importantly the developers. Big publishers retracted support for the 3DS because it had such a terrible launch. This group of people will also look out for second generation versions. The casual gamer market will not buy this console. The price point and price point of games is way too high for them to justify the cost. We are in financial crisis and people need food and even toilet roll more than a Vita. What you will see is a surge in sales probably during a Christmas promotion Sony will do by bringing the price down to £120-160 in what I assume will be Christmas 2012 or 2013 depending on initial reactions. That is when casual gamers will adopt the unit and the prices of games will have dropped by then making the offer more appealing.

This has been my longest and most detailed post ever on the website. I have been receiving an increasing amount of support and visits to my website daily. I’m thankful for all your positive feedback and hope you have been enjoying my articles. If you enjoy my articles then please do share them and spread the word. I love gaming, I love playing games, writing about them and developing them. Gaming to me is what Football means to others.

This video of the event was provided by Jason Dewey writer for website PS3Attitude