Rather looking forward to #NintendoDirect tonight at 11pm UK time. New Wii U details? Yes please!

Let the games begin

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This time last year, PS Vita was known as NGP and everyone on the web was buzzing. Here we are on the verge of E3 2012, and Vita needs another big show to ignite its sales for the rest of the year.

We've already talked about what we expect from Sony at E3, and while PS3 will have some great games on display — everyone is excited about The Last of Us — it's Vita that will dominate headlines, good or bad.

Nobody with any sense would call Vita dead if it has an underwhelming E3, but if it can drum up the same levels of excitement as last year, it could be just the shot in the arm it needs.

Vita Statistics

Last year Sony wowed us with Vita's horsepower, and we'd be extremely surprised if the next wave of Vita games didn't look even better than its launch titles. But what Sony needs to reinforce is just what got us all excited about the machine in the first place: that glorious OLED multi-touch screen, the twin analogue sticks and everything from a camera to GPS. It's still a real powerhouse, packed with more technology than you can shake a Move controller at, and trumps practically everything on the market.

Nobody else has a handheld console on the way — Vita is the undisputed power king of this portable generation. Like PS3 before it, Vita is a hardware investment that will last, a machine built for a marathon, and what seems like a lot to pay now will prove its worth in years to come. Sony shouldn't shy from shouting about Vita's grunt even now we're all familiar with it.

Ready for Deployment

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Stacks of big franchises were announced for Vita last year — Call of Duty, BioShock, Killzone — but we've seen precious little of them since. Sure, they're all first-person shooters, but they're as different to each other as MotorStorm is to Gran Turismo. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 sure to dominate, perhaps now's the time for Activision to reveal the first details of its portable partner.

We all got giddy at the sight of those twin sticks, and now it's time to see them put to good use in some solid shooters, the sort PSP arguably never had. Unit 13 is a decent starting point, but there's better titles ahead to be sure — we just need to see them.

Keep Calm and Carry On

More than anything, though, Sony just needs to stand by Vita. Yes, the system's off to a shaky start, but Sony still believes in it and developers do too. A strong line-up of games, repeated emphasis on the console's strengths and a few big franchises should make sure Sony comes out of E3 2012 ready to sell millions of units of a reinvigorated Vita.

What do you make of Vita's chances this E3? How should Sony ensure it recaptures the headlines for the right reasons? Join the debate in the comments below.

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Seven months out

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, the much-anticipated collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, lands on PS3 in Europe on 25th January 2013.

The adventure contains English and Japanese voice overs as well as subtitles in French, Italian, German and Spanish, so most European players should be able to enjoy it.

Here's a trailer from April. January 2013 can't get here soon enough.

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The voice

LEGO Lord of the Rings on Wii and 3DS is happening this year, and Warner Bros. has released the first trailer of the blocky epic.

Like the earlier LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes trailer, the characters in LEGO LotR speak, with dialogue taken straight from the films. Make up your own minds about that one.

The game spans all three films and allows the usual local co-op on Wii, with handheld features yet to be fully announced. LEGO Lord of the Rings is coming to Wii, 3DS and DS this Fall.

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WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES AND THE LEGO GROUP REBUILD MIDDLE-EARTH BRICK BY BRICK WITH LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS™

Join the Fellowship and Experience the The Lord of the Rings Trilogy As Never Before in the Latest Family-Friendly LEGO® Videogame Adventure

Burbank, Calif. – June 1, 2012 – Explore Middle-earth in an epic and thrilling LEGO videogame adventure for the entire family! Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group today announced LEGO® The Lord of the Rings™, the latest addition to the wildly successful LEGO videogame series that brings to life the legendary fantasy saga by J.R.R. Tolkien. The game will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 system, the Wii™ system, the Nintendo DS™ hand-held system, the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, PlayStation®Vita system and PC in fall 2012.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings is based on The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy and follows the original storylines of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Now the entire family can team up in pairs as adorable LEGO The Lord the Rings minifigures to experience countless dangers, solve riddles and battle formidable foes on their journey to Mount Doom.

“We are huge aficionados of The Lord of the Rings franchise and are incredibly excited to put our special LEGO family-friendly touch on this classic fantasy adventure,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “We’ve taken what fans are familiar with and love about The Lord of the Rings films and combined it with the playful LEGO style, which makes the story and gameplay accessible to gamers of all ages.”

LEGO The Lord of the Rings takes players along on the adventures of Frodo Baggins and his unlikely fellowship as they set out on a perilous journey to destroy The One Ring and save Middle-earth. Kids, tweens, teens and parents can traverse the Misty Mountains, explore the Mines of Moria, knock on the Black Gate of Mordor, and partake in epic battles with Orcs, Uruk-hai, the Balrog and other fearsome foes while harnessing the humor and imagination of LEGO gameplay to solve puzzles and explore Middle-earth. Players will take on the form of their favorite members of the fellowship – Frodo the Hobbit, Aragorn the Ranger, Gandalf the Wizard, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Boromir a Man of Gondor, and Frodo’s Hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin – as they relive the most momentous events from the films.

Developed by TT Games, the LEGO The Lord of the Rings further expands on the partnership between LEGO and Warner Brothers, who recently launched the brand new LEGO® The Lord of the Rings toy collection. The line includes seven construction sets, such as The Battle of Helms Deep!

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New tracks too

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed for 3DS — and, in all likelihood, Wii U — isn't just about boats, cars and planes. It's about ninjas and air pirates and axe-wielding dwarves, too.

SEGA's just confirmed that Shinobi legend Joe Musashi will be a playable character, following-up his appearance as a bonus character in last year's 3DS exclusive Shinobi. He joins SEGA legends Vyse from Skies of Arcadia Legends, Gilius Thunderhead from Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio's Beat and more.

SEGA and Sumo Digital also revealed two new tracks: Adder's Lair pulls the gruesome skeleton from Golden Axe's character select screen into a race track, while a level based on Jet Set Radio's Tokyo-to promises sunsets and near-misses with oncoming trains. These two join levels based on Panzer Dragoon, Sonic the Hedgehog and more.

It's sure to form a big part of SEGA's E3 offering so we're hoping for more screens, reveals and that all-important Wii U confirmation next week.

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Get thee to Sheffield

It's not often games events venture north of Watford, so it's very good news that the Nintendo Unleashed tour is joining Sheffield event Games Britannia.

Nintendo UK will be bringing recent and upcoming releases to Sheffield's Magna Science Adventure Centre on 7th and 8th July. The Big N joins other industry forces like Namco Bandai and Sumo Digital at the event, with Sunday 8th July hosting a special live session from GoldenEye 007 producer Martin Hollis and his Bond successor, Eurocom's Tony Wills.

Tickets are on sale now with 50p from each sale going to the charity SpecialEffect.

Games Britannia announces REPLAYED Expo

Tickets for the Games Britannia: REPLAYED expo go on sale this week, with 50p out of every ticket sale going to SpecialEffect, a charity which is dedicated to helping young people with disabilities.

Games Britannia: REPLAYED, held at MAGNA Science Adventure Centre, will open its doors to the public on 7 and 8 July for a weekend of gaming events and activities to celebrate 40 years of the British videogame industry.

As well as the best in gaming, the weekend will include keynote speeches and workshops from some of the British industry's key players, plus help on breaking into the videogames industry with careers advice from Sheffield Hallam University games development academics and industry experts Blitz Academy.

In the 50th Anniversary year of Dr No, Martin Hollis, producer of the legendary Nintendo 64 game Goldeneye, will share the stage with the man who helped to reload the James Bond game for the 21st century, Eurocom’s Tony Wills.

And marking 30 years of the Football Manager franchise, original creator Kevin Toms and current custodian of the series Miles Jacobson OBE of Sports Interactive will talk about the game and management genre’s lasting appeal.

Mark Hardisty, Games Britannia founder said: “GamesBritannia :Replayed is a little piece of E3 coming to Rotherham and Sheffield. We’ve a fantastic heritage in innovative and cutting-edge game development in Britain, Replayed is about celebrating those games by looking at the past, present and bright future of the gaming industry on these shores.”

From 3D Monster Maze to Batman: Arkham City, Games Britannia: REPLAYED will feature some of the biggest British games, giving people the chance to celebrate games that will provide a legacy for future generations.

The ReplayAges section will showcase the best of British, American and Japanese hardware, along with examining some of the rarer and stranger devices that have appeared on the market over the last 40 years, in the Console Obscura section.

There will be a series of gaming tournaments throughout the weekend, arcade cabinets, a multiplayer lounge and a showcase of some of the best independently produced games of recent years, including UK exclusive first-plays of Majestic-12, Gunpoint Game, Redshirt and Girls Love Robots.

There will even be a board games micro-festival, with a selection of quirky and stimulating board games to try out over the weekend.

To find out more about Games Britannia, and to buy tickets to Games Britannia: REPLAYED, visit www.gamesbritannia.com/replayed

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Become the Hiro

Square Enix has just announced Mini Ninjas Adventures, a Kinect exclusive for North America and Europe on 29th June.

Picking up after Mini Ninjas, the Xbox Live Arcade title will cost 800 Microsoft Points and let you kick and punch your way to rescue other ninja from the evil Samurai Warlord.

We liked the original so let's hope this continues the cutesy but entertaining Mini Ninjas name.

SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES MINI NINJAS ADVENTURES

A full body Ninja experience coming exclusively to XBLA Kinect June 29th 2012

London (1st, June 2012) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announced Mini Ninjas™ Adventures, a brand new title will be available exclusively in North American and Europe for Kinect for Xbox 360 from the 29th June 2012.

Developed specifically for Kinect, Mini Ninjas Adventures lets you become the ninja! Get ready to swipe, kick and battle your way through intense ninja action as you help Hiro rescue his master and fellow ninjas from the clutches of the evil Samurai Warlord.

”We’re excited to be bringing Mini Ninjas Adventures to Kinect for the first time,” said Sarah Hoeksma, VP Brand, Square Enix Europe. “We’ve created a completely new Xbox Live Arcade game, using the extremely charming Mini Ninjas brand, which we feel delivers fun family gaming to the living room.”

Developed by Side-kick Ltd, Mini Ninjas Adventures will be coming exclusively to Xbox Live Arcade priced at 800 points. Future ninjas can look forward to taking on 21 different levels and a range of boss battles armed with physical and magical attacks that will have the evil samurai running in fear, all supported by the incredibly responsive game engine.

"We are thrilled to be working with Square Enix and IO Interactive. Bringing Hiro to life using Kinect gave us an excellent opportunity to use our passion for motion games to create a deep arcade title that is fun for all" said Asaf Sela, founder and creative director of Side-kick.

So pack your ninja stars, sword and more and get ready for adventure...a Mini Ninjas Adventure!

Mini Ninjas Adventures will be available in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Features

· 21 Different Levels - All packed with multiple different enemies, and environments

· Mini Games – Put your Ninja skills to the test across a range of mini games

· Boss Battles – Take on the ultimate Ninja challenge with fiendish boss battles

· Gesture Driven Combat – Put your body through the full Ninja workout, controlling multiple weapons with movement and voice-activated attacks

· Physical and magic attacks – Easy to learn, tricky to master

· Character upgrade system – Customise your character to suit your Ninja style

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Going places

A PS Mini triumphing over PS3 and Vita games to take the coveted Game of the Month award? You can believe your eyes: Velocity is a little cracker.

An ingenious blend of shooter and puzzle means you're always planning your next teleport instead of just blasting everything that moves. A fast trigger-finger will help you, but it won't save you: smart tactics and a cool head will see you win out.

It seems complex at first, but meticulous design guides you through the learning phase until you're ready to face whatever FuturLab has to throw at you.

Velocity's $4.99/£3.99 and plays on PSP, PS3 and PS Vita, so there's really no excuse not to pick it up. Read our Velocity review and don't forget to check out our exclusive Velocity wallpapers too.

Honorary mentions go to PS3 action adventure Dragon's Dogma and Vita's best fighter yet, Mortal Kombat.

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Full details inside

The number of Club Nintendo Coins you'll get for registering certain games will change on 1st July.

For some games, the number will decrease; for some, it'll increase. If you want to see whether you should register those games now or wait until 1st July, check out our handy charts, straight from Club Nintendo.

Page 1: 3DS software.
Page 2: Wii software.
Page 3: DS software.

3DS Software

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The number of Club Nintendo Coins you'll get for registering certain games will change on 1st July.

For some games, the number will decrease; for some, it'll increase. If you want to see whether you should register those games now or wait until 1st July, check out our handy charts, straight from Club Nintendo.

Page 1: 3DS software.
Page 2: Wii software.
Page 3: DS software.

Wii Software

[break]

The number of Club Nintendo Coins you'll get for registering certain games will change on 1st July.

For some games, the number will decrease; for some, it'll increase. If you want to see whether you should register those games now or wait until 1st July, check out our handy charts, straight from Club Nintendo.

Page 1: 3DS software.
Page 2: Wii software.
Page 3: DS software.

DS and DSi Software

So there you have it.

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Buy your soul

Keiji Inafune's pretty awesome-looking Soul Sacrifice will reach the West, Sony's announced.

No word on when the game will reach Vitas outside Japan but we're guessing it won't be for a good five or six months yet. Until then, just enjoy watching this video from Keiji Inafune and talk about it all in the comments below.

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