Sega/Zoë ModeRelease Date: January 13th Nintendo's handheld consoles have always been a great breeding ground for inventive puzzle titles - from the Gameboy's Tetris to recent 3DS eShop oddity PullBlox. Whether or not Sega's Crush 3D can join the roster of classic titles remains to be seen when it's released later this January. A remake of the original cult PSP title released in 2007, Crush 3D has players taking control of Danny - a teenager who travels into the cryptic world of his very own mind, to seek out the cause of his insomnia. Scaling the intricate worlds of Crush 3D involves regularly shifting or crushing the perspective of the game from 3D to 2D, dramatically altering the levels and revealing hidden routes to solve puzzles. While the shifting from 3D to 2D is a clever in-game mechanic which doesn't require the 3D slider turned on, you can expect the 3D of the 3DS to help gauge depth and solve the worlds with more ease. Imagine a mix of Paper Mario, Portal and Nightmare On Elm Street and you might get a hint of the intricate gameplay of Crush 3D, and why it could quickly become one of 2012's most addictive puzzle titles on the 3DS Why We're Excited: There's nothing like a good handheld puzzler, and Crush 3D joins an already solid line up on the 3DS.
Resident Evil: Revelations
CapcomRelease Date: January 27th If headache inducing puzzles aren't quite your cup of tea, January also brings terrifying survival horror to the 3DS with Resident Evil: Revelations. Set between Resident Evil 4 and 5, Revelations sees series icons Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield battling a fiendish enemy known as the Ooze. As well as warding off these hideous new creatures, players will need to keep their wits about them to traverse the decks of an eerie cruise ship named Queen Zenobia. Touted by its creators as a blend of the scares and tricky puzzles of the early games with the action packed excitement of more recent entries, Revelations is definitely one of 2012's must have titles for the 3DS and its release is a mere few weeks away. Why We're Excited: It looks like a triumphant return to survival horror for Resident Evil, and you'll only be able to play it on Nintendo's 3DS.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Sega/NintendoRelease Date: February 10th With every Olympic Games comes the obligatory video game tie-in, but the 2008 Beijing Olympics was greeted with something a little different on Nintendo's Wii. Bringing together Mario and Sonic for the first time, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games ended a bitter long running rivalry between the two icons - making the partnership the videogame equivalent of Nick Clegg and David Cameron. Having two of gaming's most prominent characters in their own game for the first time meant that it was hard not to feel a little disappointed that the potential was squandered with a multiplayer button basher. However, it was also a huge commercial success, making a sequel for the 2012 London Olympics somewhat inevitable. Details are sparse for the upcoming 3DS version, but Sega have teased a more single player orientated title over it's Wii counterpart, with the usual events such as Hurdles, Swimming and Rowing, as well as some more intricate events such as Balance Beam and Judo. Early footage has also indicated an emphasis on the unique features of the 3DS, such as events which make use of tilt controls, and others requiring precise stylus control. Why We're Excited: It's Mario and Sonic faffing about in sporting escapades, set to the backdrop of obligatory appearances of the London Eye and Big Ben.
Tekken 3D: Prime Edition
NamcoRelease Date: February 17th With Street Fighter, Dead or Alive and now Tekken, the 3DS has gained a reputation for hosting enjoyable 3D remakes of some of gaming's best fighting franchises. It might seem odd, seeing as fighting games have always benefited from taunting your mates around a TV set, but the 3DS' lack of a second analogue stick barely affects the gameplay, making the genre work well on the handheld. Tekken 3D is also only the second Tekken game to be released on a Nintendo console, following Tekken Advance, way back in 2001. Tekken 3D: Prime Edition is also stuffed with content, including over 40 characters and stages, and over 700 collectable Tekken cards which can be traded and swapped using Streetpass and Spotpass integration. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of Tekken 3D is that it comes complete with an entire 3D movie. Available by itself on Blu-ray and DVD, Tekken: Blood Vengeance is a feature length computer animated film which takes place between Tekken 5 and Tekken 6. Is it any good ? We've not got a clue.......But it's certainly not a bad free gift by any means. Why We're Excited: The 3DS has proved itself to be adapt at decent fighting games, and Tekken 3D could be the very best yet.
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
Konami/Kojima ProductionsRelease Date: TBC (Early 2012) After numerous delays, Metal Gear Solid finally comes to the 3DS in the early half of 2012, with a revamped 3D edition of 2004's superb Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. One of the best entries of the series, Snake Eater sees the iconic Snake sent into the murky wilderness of a Soviet jungle, on a mission to sabotage the creation of a top secret destructive super-weapon. Even if you've found yourself unable to keep up with Metal Gear Solid's incredibly barmy and convoluted storyline over the years, there's still plenty to enjoy for fans of stealth gaming. There's a palatable feeling of tension and suspense that runs throughout the game, with the jungle setting and its patrolling guards needing to be maneuvered with the usual stealth that the series is known for. The 3DS version is also confirmed to include some brand new editions which are exclusive to the console, including touch screen integration and using the camera to create new camouflage out of real world objects. It's also another title which makes ample use of the upcoming Circle Pad Pro peripheral, with many early previews favoring its use over the awkward default control scheme. Why We're Excited: Snake Eater is one of the best entries in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, and we'll soon have all the tense action and floating exclamation marks in our pockets. ___________ Click here for our Preview of Resident Evil: Revelations.