UK Release Round-up: Handheld's Half Hour

via ign

There's a bumper batch of handheld releases hitting the shelves today so if you prefer your gaming to be presented in 1080p high definition ,on a screen the size of a shed with 5.1 surround sound booming so loud it could deafen babies, you're likely to be disappointed. But if you like to curl up on the sofa to secretly play your favourite handheld as your other half tries to force you to watch Neighbours then you're in luck.

First up is island adventure Lost in Blue 2 on DS, a game in which you and a female companion try to survive on a desert island with only coconut milk to quench your thirst. Unfortunately the sequel does little to tackle the frustrations of the original, leaving us to score it 5.5 and say: "Lost in Blue 2 does do some things new, but it's just not enough. Its enhancements over its predecessor are walled off, barriered behind the roadblock of frustration in the hours of investment it takes to even get to them."

For those who fancy something with more action there's Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters on PSP. It scored an impressive 9.0 and our US colleagues couldn't withhold their unbridled excitement for this enjoyable action game. "It has everything a triple-A PSP game should have," they enthused. "It's packed with fantastic single-player content, has a strong multiplayer element, boasts a great visual and thematic presentation and excels with razor-sharp gameplay mechanics."

Elsewhere in handheld land, action-puzzler Exit 2 on PSP scored a 'good' 7.5, DS poker simulation World Championship Poker Deluxe Series raised its stakes and got a 7.0 and Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon was blessed with a passable 6.9.

Meanwhile, in the world of home consoles, 505 Games is showing the Wii some love with two new titles. The first, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, is a Wii version of the popular DS title, although some of its ingredients obviously turned mouldy during translation and it only mustered up a 5.8. Bust-a-Move Bash! faired no better, getting a kick in the nuts with a 5.3.

All is not lost though, home console owners! Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars on Xbox 360 was awarded a healthy 8.2 and our US brothers concluded, "The fast paced nature of the game can make things a little bit frustrating in the story mode, especially when you can't quickly reload a mission once things go sour. Even so, the presentation and good mission design work with the decent controls to make for an enjoyable game."

That's it for this week. Be sure to tune in next week when we'll see if handhelds will continue to rule the shop shelves.