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Incoming! The most exciting 3DS and PS Vita games for June 2014

Bang Shishigami! Doggie adventures! Ploughing men! More!

Incoming! The most exciting 3DS and PS Vita games for June 2014
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If there's a theme to this month's Vita and 3DS release schedule, it's 'slim pickings'.

You see, while the handheld software in the pipeline does look like it could be high-quality fare, there just isn't, well, a lot of it IN the pipeline.

In fairness, things often do go a bit quiet on the 3DS and Vita fronts each year just before E3. Developers and publishers don't want their games to get buried under the the avalanche of gaming news emanating from the Los Angeles show.

That being said, there should be something for most tastes in June's haul of Vita and 3DS games. Some brawlers, racers, and even a simulator (or two) should be surfacing on Nintendo's and Sony's portable platforms over the next few weeks.

Have a look at the line-up below, then, and let us know in the comments section what you'll be picking up.


PlayStation Vita

1001 Spikes
By Nicalis - out on June 3rd in Europe and in the US

The month's indie gem is 1001 Spikes, a brutally difficult, 8-bit-inspired hardcore platformer with 100+ stages and co-op multiplayer.

You traverse trap-laden locations here with up to three other players, trying not to get killed by flamethrowers, bottomless pits, and, of course, spikes.

Think Spelunky, think Super Meat Boy, think again if you're not up to a significant challenge.

This one's heading to 3DS at some point, too, if you don't happen to own a Vita.

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma
By Aksys Games - out on June 24th in the US

Given I'm a fighting game fan, this is the one about which I'm most hyped for June. BlazBlue games are beautifully drawn, very smooth in motion, and super-fast.

This games picks up from where BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend left off. So, yes, you can expect more characters; more moves; more stages; more complexity; and more completely loopy storylines involving characters called Ragna the Bloodedge and Bang Shishigami.

MotoGP 14
By Pqube - out on June 27th in Europe

I was a fan of last year's MotoGP 13. And MotoGP 14 looks set to be your typical sequel: more of the same... with a fresh lick of paint.

If you've yet to get behind the handlebars of this particular adrenaline-fuelled series, MotoGP 14 is a full-on and extremely authentic motorbike racing simulator that sports the MotoGP licence.

That means accurate liveries on the bikes and riders, plus the full MotoGP season to race through in an extensive career mode.

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection
By NIS America - out on June 6th in the US

If you've ever wondered who would win in a fight between sexy anime female representations of an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii, then you're a bit weird.

However, Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection probably has you covered.

Though you might be intrigued, a few words of warning: its "quirkyness" is definitely very divisive. Oh, and this is a pop idol sim; not the JRPG you might be expecting.

One for the otakus among us, I reckon.

PlayStation Vita Pets
By Sony Computer Europe - out on 4th June in Europe

PlayStation Vita Pets is June's wild card. It's been in the works for some time, but we've not heard loads about it.

From what we've seen of it, you'll be looking after a variety of dogs, ensuring they're fed, bathed, and otherwise kept occupied.

But you can also seemingly take them on adventures (complete with treasures to find). And instead of barking at you, they talk in American English.

Weird, but potentially quite cool. We'll find out soon enough.


Nintendo 3DS

Tomodachi Life
By Nintendo - out on June 6th in Europe and in the US

Some of the design choices in Tomodachi Life have been seriously questioned... and for very good reason.

If we put those issues to one side for a moment, though, we find that Tomodachi Life is an otherwise-very pleasant life sim in which you watch your Miis live out their lives on a pretty little island.

I'm playing this for review at the moment. And while it's not the biggest revelation to hit the 3DS, I'm definitely enjoying it so far. Look out for the full review of this one on the site shortly.

Farming Simulator 2014
By Koch Media - out on June 6th in Europe

If the daily commute is too much for you, why not choose the idyllic lifestyle of a farmer in the middle of the countryside, working the land for a living. A wholesome lifestyle filled with...

... actually, that all sounds pretty boring.

But if the thought of jumping into a tractor and gathering up the harvest gets you all giddy, this one might be for you. It's on Vita, too, if you don't have a 3DS.

One Piece Unlimited World Red
By Bandai Namco - out on June 27th in Europe

It's a licensed game!

It's based on an anime!

The previous one was a bit pap!

You already know if you're interested!

It's also on Vita!

Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.