HANDHELD – 3DS / VITA

This is quietly becoming a new golden age for handheld devices. The Nintendo 3DS (and now the 2DS) and the Playstation Vita are both powerful gaming devices with increasingly vast libraries of great games. Now would be a really good time to pick up one or both of these systems.

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure
3DS
Released: September 24, 2013

Way back in 2009, prior to the release of the original Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS, I remember being intrigued by the concept of a game that you could literally type in any common noun and have it pop up on your screen as a playable element. It sounded like a pipe dream that surely wouldn’t work as advertised. But I was dead wrong. The original Scribblenauts delivered what it promised and then some. It ended up being one of my favourite releases of the year. Since 2009, the Scribblenauts series has had three games to fine tune their system and have added proper nouns, modifying adjectives, and the ability to attach objects together (a “bike with large wings” for example). That brings us to the latest Scribblenauts game, Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, a combination of the robust Scribblenaut creation engine with the familiar heroes of the DC universe. The DC license adds a new element to the series and allows you to flex your creative muscles even further. If you’ve never played a scribblenauts game you will be amazed at the possibilities the creation engine allows.

Highlights:
- Around 2000 characters make up the most extensive inclusion of DC characters in a video game
- Locations include the Batcave, Metropolis, the Fortress of Solitude and more

Tearaway
PS Vita
Released: November 22, 2013

Why you need it:

One of the best PS Vita releases to date, Tearaway is a 3D platformer that feels completely unique. From Media Molecule, developers of the LittleBigPlanet series, Tearway puts a vibrant paper world into your hands. You take control of Iota, a messenger who is trying desperately to deliver a message to YOU. The game uses all elements of the Vita including the rear touchpad, touchscreen, accelerometer and even the camera. It is a treat for the senses. The art direction brings the paper world to life and the story is simple yet still powerfully engaging. Tearaway is a fresh new game that features all the timeless charm of the LittleBigPlanet series.

Highlights:
- Cut and paste customization allows you to put your own artistic stamp on in-game elements
- Gorgeous Visuals

 
Happy Holidays and happy gaming!

Marshall Jeske