Friday Freebie: Free iPhone games, Nintendo Channel gets a Lock's Quest demo...

With this week's collection of show stopping pocket gaming announcements such as Nokia's new touchscreen handset, the new DSi and word that a slew of new PSP games are set to be announced at TGS next week, you could be forgiven for thinking that pocket gaming is named as such due to the constant need to involve the contents of your pocket (as in cash, not spare buttons, strange coloured fluff and half-finished packets of chewing gum) in your habit.

But as ever, we've done our level best to lighten the load and so it seems have our readers this week. Forum saint HiddenAway has posted a very handy how to thread in the Freebies section of the forum, describing what you need to do to get access to the Japanese (or US for that matter) PSP Store. But why would you want to do such a thing? Two words: MGS and Resident Evil 2. Okay that was technically an acronym, two words and a number, but give us a break – being dramatic isn't our strong point.

Also, you'd need to pay for those two games (stay with us), but there are countless demos available on the Japanese and US versions of the PSP Store that you can't get on the European PSP store. All you need to do is a quick (and perfectly legal) switcheroo with your PSP Store account and all that glorious content can be yours.

DS owners can whoop for joy this week as the Nintendo Channel has been updated with a new demo for Lock's Quest (huzzah!). The game hasn't even been around long enough to undergo our professional scrutiny (although a review will follow very soon), so this is your chance to get a genuine advance impression of the full game. Just pay the Nintendo Channel a visit via a Wii with your DS in hand and hey presto.

Owners of Apple's flourishing gaming device, the iPhone/iPod touch, are also in luck this week, with all manner of excellent free apps making their debut on the App Store. Both Lightsaber Unleashed and Vegas Pool Sharks Lite should sate the appetite of those that yearn to wield meter long sticks of pwn. Yes, we just used the word pwn. This week, l33t is our thing.

And that dear friends is all you're getting for now. Don't forget to check out our Demos section and our Freebie Archive is also always worth a poke. Remember also to click 'Track It!' and we'll see you next week.