20 of Vita's best

Thanks to an almost weekly stream of downloadable gems and several 60+ hour epics, I have a bit of trouble keeping up with everything there is to play on Vita. For a system that’s meant to be dying of software drought, I feel oddly spoilt for choice when I flick through the PS Store for something new to play.

What I have here, then, is the 20 of my favourite games that the platform has bestowed upon me in its year and a half lifespan. There’s no Persona (!), no Hotline Miami (!!) and no, not even any Spy Hunter (!!!) because I simply haven’t gotten to those titles yet (I won’t actually be playing that last one). Let’s take a look:

ZombiU stumbles upon greatness

The biggest irony about ZombiU is that it’s a terrible launch game. Its bold mix on Souls-inspired ideas make for one of the better zombie games of the current generation but an absolute mess of an introduction to the Wii U gamepad. The pressure of permadeath hangs in the air during every desperate struggle, which is the last thing you need while you’re struggling to (literally) get to grips with this huge lump of plastic. The haze of panic that engulfs you as you slam your thumb into the screen, mindlessly squabbling to get some space between you and the undead makes for something of a headache at first. But, hey, isn’t that what it’s all about?

Unearthed: The Trail of Ibn Battuta is special

I’m not entirely sure which of the first 30 seconds of Unearthed: The Trail of Ibn Battuta was the exact one that I realised I was in for something special. Perhaps it was after I witnessed its wooden-faced, questionably-trousered protagonist take down an enemy with what can only be described as a series of sharp kicks to the groin, or after landing my first headshot with my hand stuck through a wall. Actually, no, I’ve got it – it was when I threw a grenade down a hallway, watched it drop stone dead after scraping a wall, and then kill me as it blew up behind several layers of cover. Honestly, I meant special when I said it, just not the type you were thinking of.

The rights and wrongs with the Muse of today

Yesterday I saw a little-known English band by the name of Muse for the third time in as many years. It was a good show, filled with bold, fuzzy solos, stunning set production and vocals so high-pitched that the windows of the Emirates Stadium nearly shattered. In some respects, it was the best performance I’ve seen them put on in my admittedly short-lived fandom, but in the places that really matter, the stuff that makes for a memorable evening, it was lagging behind.

Why these game of the year candidates are not my candidates for game of the year but some are still good while like one is pretty terrible.

So 2012 has been a bit of a ho-hum year in the gaming realm. Somewhere in the deepest, darkest corners of my mind I’ve begun to possessedly mould and carve my top 10 games list into the vile, insane creature it was born to be, celebrating all the games that actually did something worthwhile this year, but there’ll be a few key experiences missing from said list. Time to get off my chest just which unfortunate beasts these are and why they failed to tame thumbs.

Review - Taken 2

On a professional scale, I know I wouldn’t make a very good film critic. Not because I lack the knowledge of the Kermodes or the know-how of Tarantinos, but because I almost always find some way to appreciate a movie. All it really takes is for some semblance of the will to please its audience and I can come away from most flicks pleased as punch. This year alone I’d have raved about Battleship’s hilarious self-aware humour amidst a dull blockbuster, or Lockout’s almost-parody of Bruce Willis films in a fantastically crap, straight-to-DVD-worthy flick. I’d have given Safe House fairly decent marks for the appearance of Ryan Reynolds alone.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale - Let's get obscure

At 20 characters strong it looks like the roster for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is rounding up, with a list that features third party favourites, Sony icons, and the weird cat thing. With each passing day it looks less and less likely that Crash Bandicoot will be joining the ranks of Raiden and Ratchet. We can only hope that there are still some surprises in store between now and the games November launch.

So here’s my picks of five obscure characters and five stages that SuperBot could really surprise me with. I don’t expect any of them to make it in there, though maybe one or two could replace Evil Cole in the sequel.