A new console is coming our way and its name is Vita. Despite a lukewarm reception in Japan, Sony’s new handheld has managed to pique the interests of the average Western gamers and lead to sporadic clamouring in both Europe and America. Here at Thunderbolt towers we remain a bastion of cool stoicism, tipping our sunglasses in admiration as opposed to slobbering down our dungarees in lustful desire. Here then is a choice selection of Vita games we are looking forward to playing if the opportunity grasps us and the situation demands it.

Little Deviants

For those of you unfamiliar with the new tricks Sony has hidden up the Vita’s sleeve then perhaps Little Deviants might be just the game you’re looking for. In a similar way that Wii Sports introduced us to the ignoble act of flapping our arms in front of a television in a manner that no way resembled playing tennis; Little Deviants gently introduces us to the rear touch plate with a series of mini games. Whilst this may not be sitting at the top of many gamers Vita wish list sometimes a series of well constructed and addictive micro games can be just what you need if time is tight. Little Deviants will do well if it manages to entertain on a similar level to Wario Ware, but will never make as big of an impact as WipeOut 2048 or Golden Abyss.

MotorStorm RC

The news that the next MotorStorm game was going to be played out in radio controlled cars left me feeling… tepid, to say the least. The MotorStorm franchise has always been about more and the most recent iteration, Apocalypse, marked a peak in cinematic racing. The Vita was touted as a portable console that could rival home gaming, why then have Evolution Studios scaled back the entire operation and created a fairly basic looking Micro Machines clone. Conceptually the game does not stand out; however, knowing the heritage that MotorStorm RC has behind it is encouraging indeed. Tight controls and fierce competition has always been a staple of the franchise, but will it be enough here to warrant a purchase when there are much flashier games on the market?

Touch My Katamari

Do you like rolling things? I do, and because of this I will be purchasing Touch My Katamari. The Katamari franchise is not about developing an idea or building upon previously set foundations. It does not have a long running and episodic narrative. Katamari is not about evolution, it is about revolution. Touch My Katamari will be just like the previous games (with added pinching and scrolling) and almost identical to the games that will come after it. There will be a King and a Queen and there will most definitely be a Prince. At some point in Touch My Katamari you will roll up a selection of household objects and foodstuffs only available in Japan. There will be cousins… lots of cousins. If the Katamari bug has not caught you yet, I doubt it ever will. If you’ve never played a Katamari game then you should, just for a little bit. You may be charmed, you may be horrified. I was charmed… apparently.

So there you have it. If you’re looking forward to a different Vita title why don’t you tell us about it in the comment box below. We’re off to warm up our thumbs in anticipation of a whole Summer playing videogames waiting at a bus stop or sitting in a dentist’s reception room. Shiny.

This article was first published on Thursday 16th February 2011 on Thunderbolt.com as part of a group feature on the PlayStation Vita