I've got a soft-spot for puzzle-platformers, especially when they dare to bring new gameplay mechanics to the table. Ever since I first got a glimpse of indie developer Strange Loop Games' upcoming title called Vessel, I've been pretty excited by its Steampunk aesthetics. Underneath that excitement was a cautious optimism about how successful the developer would be in designing puzzles around the game's extremely-cool liquid-physics systems.

Vessel

This past week, I had a chance to spend some time with a PC demo build of Vessel, and played through the first of the games two acts, which are broken up into five chapters apiece. I was introduced to protagonist M. Arkwright, an inventor responsible for creating simple, liquid-based creatures called Fluros. These Fluros of varying types were made to help run the world's vast stretches of machinery. But at the start of the game, they've begun to misbehave. It becomes clear that it's up to the player to figure out what went wrong and get the Fluros in-line so that they do their jobs, as intended. Naturally, it's an undertaking much easier said than done.

The first act of the game serves as a tutorial. Arkwright is pretty good at running and jumping, and is also able to grab and interact with various switches and levers across the world. Water was introduced almost immediately, and as it happens, turned out to be one of the most fun implementations of liquid-physics I've ever seen in a game. It sloshes around the environment fairly realistically, pooling and separating, appropriately. Many of the game's early puzzles task the player with things like redirecting streams to trigger switches that will open doors, and it's a fun enough system that even some of the more basic puzzles are fun and rewarding to solve.

As with any puzzle game worth its salt, Vessel introduces new mechanics at a gradual pace, and then asks players to use the suite of accrued tools in more complex endeavors. Turbines can be filled with water (or presumably other liquids, later on), and then activated to create Fluros which will help the hero by doing things like pressing remote switches. Fluros will come in some other flavors, such as Fluros made of lava that create great clouds of steam when they came in contact with water. (They're also harmful to bump into, unlike their watery counterparts.)

Many more tools of the trade were also introduced. Not long into the demo, I was tasked with building a water-pack device for Arkwright, which allowed him to vacuum water into a tank on his back, or aim and fire it--useful for cooling down the molten lava I would soon encounter, or filling various reservoirs to complete puzzles. Arkwright also must solve an early puzzle that gives him the ability to deploy "water Fluro seeds," which are basically dehydrated versions of Fluros that don't require a turbine to produce. Just add water. These "seeds" have ancillary uses as well, as they have a magnetic affect on nearby water, allowing the player to redirect streams of liquid.

Vessel also has a Metroid-vania style level design, in that you'll encounter hub-like areas with branching pathways to different puzzles, meaning there's usually something else to focus on if you get stuck on a particular conundrum. This is a good thing, because some of the puzzles span the entirety of giant rooms with multiple moving parts. Often I would enter a new room and spend several minutes just trying to make sense of it--exactly the kind of experience I look for in good puzzle games. Descriptive journal entries appear to describe new mechanics or story as the game moves along, and though I breezed through the puzzles in the first act of the demo, the second act served up some real head-scratchers.

In short, I'm very much looking forward to the full version of Vessel. The liquid-physics-based puzzles are refreshing--sometimes exhibiting a delicious complexity--making it a game that fans of new puzzle types should really consider keeping an eye on.

Vessel is scheduled to hit Steam as a digital download on March 1 for $14.99. Releases on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network are also "coming soon."

It's only fitting that Grim Fandango takes place in the Land of the Dead, because in hindsight it represents something of a eulogy for the declining adventure genre. LucasArts' penultimate adventure game (its swansong was the anticlimactic Escape From Monkey Island) may well be its best. It helped cement director Tim Schafer as something of a superstar, prone to appear on late-night talk shows and host awards ceremonies despite Grim Fandango and his biggest games (Psychonauts, Brutal Legend) being commercial failures. Before we were all swayed by open worlds, 3D combat, and an influx of shooters, Grim Fandango proved that there's still some life left in those dusty bones.

The story of Manny Calavera - a grim reaper brilliantly reimagined as a travel agent - uncovering a web of corruption in the Land of the Dead is part Mexican folklore and part film noir. Given how well Grim Fandango blends the latter with a traditional adventure game template makes it a wonder why this hasn't been done more, since both genres are predicated on crafty problem-solving, deception and wry humour.

Recently we've had Phoenix Wright and L.A. Noire attempt to rectify this, but their protagonists were straight shooters, limiting their deductions to snooping around crime scenes and calling bluffs. Manny, however, frequently resorts to sabotage, blackmail, flirtation, manipulation and fraud to get what he wants. It's not that Manny's a bad guy - rather that he's a good guy in a bad world forced to stoop to everyone else's level to make any progress.

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I'm somewhat of a specialist when it comes to games starring the order Teuthida, an interest that began when IGN reviewed 'Hail to the Chimp' and claimed squids weren't animals (a line subsequently removed without notice). What can I say? You've got to feel sorry for them after that.

Our ink-loving chums are responsible for many fine games. Aside from scene-stealing cameos, there are brilliant shooters like Squid Yes, Not so Octopus (both SYNSOs can be had online, and are highly recommended), the awesome survival horror Night of the Cephalopods, and now it's time for some turn-based strategy with the defiantly plural Squids.

Squids' levels are top-down arenas filled with spiky obstacles, clamshells, fatal drops, anchors, currents and lots of giant enemy crabs. You'll have four squid most of the time, and during your turn twang them across the place like elastic bands. Each squid has a set amount of stamina per go (a full-on twanging uses roughly half of that), and you can of course control how far and fast they're going.

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Despite continuing rumours of a new iPhone with a four-inch screen, Apple has always insisted that 3.5 inches is the optimum size for a mobile display. We're sure that many thousands of hands fondled the very first iPhone prototypes before that magical figure was decided upon, but it's hard to disagree with this stance. Rivals such as Windows Phone and Android offer handsets with more imposing screens, yet it's the Apple standard which has arguably been adopted by the vast majority of mobile developers. For most, 3.5 inches just seems to work.

However, that hasn't stopped Samsung from rolling out what it believes is the device which can not only best the iPhone, but also bridge the yawning gap between mobile phone and tablet. The Galaxy Note boasts a gigantic 5.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, placing it firmly in the no man's land previously occupied by Dell's ill-fated Streak 5. Needless to say, Samsung is hoping that this effort will fare better, and is using the unsubtle sledge-hammer that is the 2012 half-time Super Bowl commercial slot to truly drive home the fact that the Note is the ultimate convergence device; it's a phone, it's a tablet, it's a gaming platform. Rather than being a niche product, Samsung is positioning the Galaxy Note as The Next Big Thing - only on this occasion, the term 'big' could be taken literally as well as figuratively.

You're unlikely to forget the moment the Galaxy Note drops out of its packaging - purely because it's sure to elicit a chuckle. For a phone, it's insanely massive, and when placed alongside the iPhone 4S or even the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (which, let's not forget, has a pretty formidable 4.65-inch display), it looks positively monstrous.

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Is Japan getting its groove back? Leaving Nintendo aside (or maybe not, even), the major houses of the great motor and innovator of the video games industry in the eighties and nineties have been in the doldrums. Sega, Capcom, Konami, Square, Namco: evocative names that have seen either dwindling fortunes, uncertain moves into Western co-development, or both.

Looking at 2012's slate, though - and at this week's new releases - there are reasons to be cheerful. I'm not about to predict a dramatic financial turnaround for any of these companies. But I do predict something that might matter more to us as game fans: they're going to start behaving like themselves again.

Plantinum's Vanquish and Bayonetta thrilled us so much because they had all the preposterous cool, flair and surreal finesse that we associate with the Japanese games industry in its pomp - but that have been hard to find in the watered-down or water-treading products of the last half-decade. But that sense of self is coming back.

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It's hard to think of a name that divides opinion quite like Jeff Minter's. To some, his creations are beautifully blended homages, crafted by the loving hands of an old master. To others, they're the emperor's new fixation with retro for the sake of it. From either stance, the other side is considered wrong to an apocalyptic degree, and yet perhaps, like many of Minter's games, the answer lies more within a mixture.

Caverns of Minos is Llamasoft's fifth entry in its Minotaur Project, conceived to highlight the simple pleasures of retro gaming while removing all the irritations of the day - unstable sprites, stuttering hardware and the like. This particular release is a tribute to Caverns of Mars from the Atari 8-bit era.

The idea is that players descend into the depths of a cavern to gather a series of items ranging from a pair of pants to biscuits. Once they're reclaimed, the journey is reversed and these items have to be delivered to - what else - a sort of inter-dimensional sheep that hovers at the top of the screen.

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Renowned for their intricate detail and heavy effects work, the SoulCalibur and Tekken games are a remarkable example of just how much processing and rendering Namco is able to cram into the tiny window afforded by a solid 60 frames-per-second update. While it's fair to say that the core gameplay in both of these franchises never really changes substantially, the engine powering it definitely does: from a visual perspective, SoulCalibur 4 and Tekken 6 have each evolved in their own way with each new iteration, and it's clear that this new game sees yet another visual leap.

But can the Project Soul development team bring the same level of visual accomplishment to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the SoulCalibur 5? In Namco's previous fighting games, there's always been a sense that the developers have been testing the graphical capabilities of both consoles, always handing in very close games overall, but often including some intriguing - and often bizarre - differences in the visual feature-set of each version.

It feels as though things have moved on this time around, however. As you'll see from the video below, and the SoulCalibur 5 720p comparison gallery, this game really is gorgeous - and it's equally impressive on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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We all know the clones. And often, we welcome them. After all, you can't play Blizzard's World of Warcraft on a phone, so Gameloft's Order and Chaos seems like it fills a hole and doesn't hurt anyone. Cloning isn't new, either. From Pong, probably the most copied game on the planet and allegedly a copy itself, to Breakout, success has always bred various degrees of imitation.

Cloning is a history full of strands - character mascots, the fascinating story of Tetris and the ranks of imitators birthed by any popular title. But over the last year, clones have multiplied to what feels like saturation point. They're bigger business than ever before - a business that, in some ways, is a guarantee of profit.

At the moment everything is focused on Zynga, an enormous company built in large part through copying popular games, and last week Nimblebit, developers of Apple's 2011 Game of the Year Tiny Tower, released this image. It spoke a thousand words, though it can be whittled down to two: "thieving bastards." Zynga tried to acquire Nimblebit first and, after being rebuffed, simply hunkered down and copied Tiny Tower instead - producing the remarkably familiar Dream Heights.

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Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features a developer diary for SSX detailing online features, and an Xbox 360 developer diary for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. We also have a US Open trailer for Grand Slam Tennis 2, and new screenshots for DC Universe Online and Star Trek Online on their respective game pages.

SSX

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

We also have a US Open trailer for Grand Slam Tennis 2, and new screenshots for DC Universe Online and Star Trek Online on their respective game pages.

Bluehole Studio's upcoming action-based MMO TERA is gearing up for its May 1 launch, and publisher En Masse Entertainment has revealed that those who pre-order the game will be granted access to its closed-beta testing period and "Head Start" early-access program. Details about the bonus items included in the game's "Collector's" and "Limited Collector's" editions were also shared.

Tera

The Collector's Edition of TERA--which will be available in both digital and physical flavors and retail for $59.99--will come with pre-order goodies, including "the Regal Frostlion Mount for in-game mounted travel, and two equippable items: the level 15 Velik's Bloodstone Necklace and the level 40 Shakan's Bloodstone Necklace."

There will also be a Limited Edition Collector's Edition (retail box only) for $79.99, which will also include "collectable items such as a Letter of Marque, a canvas world map, a field guide, a Valkyon Federation-issued compass, and a game soundtrack."

As mentioned, pre-ordering folks will also get access to TERA's closed-beta period, which takes place during various intervals from February through April. Additionally, those who pre-order will also get early-launch access the weekend before the official release, via a "Head Start" program. The schedule is as follows:

• Closed Beta Test 1: February 10 â€" 12

• Closed Beta Test 2: February 24 â€" 26

• Closed Beta Test 3: March 9 â€" 11

• Closed Beta Test 4: March 23 â€" 25

• Closed Beta Test 5: April 6 â€" 8

• Open Beta Test: April 19 â€" 22

• Head Start: April 28 â€" May 1

The Open Beta Test noted above will be open to the general public.

If you're interested in pre-ordering TERA, you can do so from the official En Masse Entertainment website.

Nintendo 3DS owners get free wi-fi access at more than 29,000 "Nintendo Zone" locations. While you'll probably want to spend your time playing games online, Nintendo Zone will be enhanced with a number of new features.

Starting next week, Nintendo Zone will offer much more content for 3DS owners to take advantage of. For example, there will be a dedicated Pokemon section that will feature full-length episodes of the Pokemon TV series. That should go perfectly with the smoothie you're drinking from McDonald's or Starbucks--both "Nintendo Zone" partners.

In addition to video content, the Nintendo Zone will offer playable demos of "select Nintendo 3DS video games," trivia games, and coupons that can be used at another Nintendo Zone partner, Best Buy. For example, if you go to Best Buy this weekend, you can get 50% off select 3DS games.

"Nintendo 3DS is our most connected system ever, and Nintendo Zone offers a wealth of exclusive content to users who take their systems with them when they are away from home."

To find a Nintendo Zone hotspot, visit Nintendo's website. To access the Nintendo Zone, just bring your 3DS system. An icon to access the service should automatically appear on your system.

Trials Evolution quietly slipped into 2012 late last year. Lead designer Antti Ilvessuo finally announced details about the game's launch. "Spring is almost here, and so is Trials Evolution!”

The developer promised "a more specific release date" will be provided once the game enters certification. Until then, we can get our first look at the game in motion.

The trailer shows off a few of the new game modes, along with plenty of over-the-top stunts that no sane person would take on in real life. Check it out below.

The Skyrim Creation Kit was due back in January... but that obviously didn't happen. So when is it due? "The Creation Kit is on track for release on Tuesday," Bethesda's Pete Hines tweeted. And even more tantalizingly, he teased: "We also have a special surprise with it."

"It's horse armour isn't it?" said one fan.

"Official nude patch?" another asked.

"Infos on the first DLC?!" Well, that sounds plausible. It's been about three months since Skyrim's release, and some may be getting humgry for more. "We don't know what we're going to make yet, but we'd like them to be closer to an expansion pack feel," Todd Howard said last year.

Atlus announced that its A Game of Thrones RPG based on the popular book and HBO TV series will release May 15 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It's being developed by Cyanide Studio, which also developed A Game of Thrones: Genesis.

To accompany the release news, a new story trailer highlights the town of Riverspring, and the contentious leadership issues that came up after the death of Lord Sarwyck. Alester Sarwyck, one of the game's two main characters, returns to Riverspring as the town is mourning his father, and he's forced to consider claiming rule over the town. You can see more detail, along with a look at the game in action, in the trailer below.

The game's release puts it about a month after season two of the HBO show begins airing, which we can't imagine was an accident. Let's hear it for synergy, everyone.

The PC Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim arrives on Steam next Tuesday, developer Bethesda has announced.

A Tweet from marketing man Pete Hines earlier today read:

"For our Skyrim PC fans, the Creation Kit is on track for release on Tuesday. And, we also have a special surprise with it. #whatcoulditbe!?"

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What is Chaos Code? It's a little-known fighting game Sega introduced in Japan last year. Developed by FK Digital, the 2D sprite-based game is all about being able to produce "flashy attacks" with a simple four button control scheme. Customization is also key to Chaos Code. Players can select skills and dash moves before each battle, so fights between identical characters can still be different.

While the game may not be well known, Sega has revealed a PS3 version of the game.

Siliconera reports the console version of the game was shown off in Taiwan, so a US release isn't necessarily guaranteed. However, given the recent resurgence of the fighting game genre, it's likely Sega will consider localization.

Here's a video of the arcade game in action:

As with all multiplayer features on Xbox 360, the Mass Effect 3 demo will require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to access the new "Galaxy at War" co-op mode.

Because both previous games were single-player affairs, some Mass Effect players may never have subscribed to Gold. If you want to try ME3 and don't have Gold, don't worry. Microsoft is granting temporary Gold access when you download the demo, so you second-class Free members will still get to try it out.

BioWare's Chris Priestly announced the news on the company forums. He calls it "limited time Gold access," but doesn't specify exactly how long it will last.

So when can you play the multiplayer demo? First access is roped off to Battlefield 3 players. BioWare promised other methods to get in early, probably referring to yesterday's announcement of Facebook missions. The multiplayer portion of the demo will become widely available on February 17.

It's a generous move from Microsoft; but of course, it probably helped that the series is multiplatform now. PlayStation 3 and PC players will be able to access the multiplayer portion for free, so this helps Microsoft offer parity for a demo in a series that was once Xbox 360-exclusive.

Mass Effect 3 is coming to PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on March 6.

THQ has revealed how it plans to offload the 1.4 million unsold uDraw units responsible for dragging down it latest quarterly financial report.

A spokesperson for the publisher told Kotaku that, to the best of their knowledge, the leftover stock is not being dumped.

Instead THQ hopes too offload the devices at a greatly reduced price tag, "perhaps at non-traditional game retailers and discount stores."

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The upcoming PS Vita version of Mortal Kombat will be the most complete version of the game yet, with all the DLC included and additional exclusive content being thrown in for good measure. For example, the Vita version includes 15 additional costumes, including "MK3-styled garb for the ninjas." There's also a brand new Challenge Tower II, which adds 150 new challenges to the game.

This sounds good and dandy, but some of the touch-screen features seem entirely tacked-on.

The new Challenge Tower was developed to take advantage of Vita's unique features. For example, some of the challenges will feature characters later added as DLC. Other challenges will take advantage of the system's touch screen and motion sensor. The PlayStation.Blog details a few of these:

Raiden’s head inflated every time my opponent landed a blow. To win the match, I had to conquer my attacker while deflating Raiden’s head via the touchscreen. If Raiden’s head grew too big, or I tapped it too much, it popped. Fail!

In Bloody Mess (pictured above), I had to frantically wipe blood off the screen to avoid being blinded... not easy when you’re fending off the blade-slinging mutant Baraka.

In another challenge, I had to detonate lethal homing missiles using the touchscreen while dueling the cybernetic assassin Sektor.

If you're a fan of awkward multitasking, it sounds like these touch-screen additions will be just up your alley. Unfortunately, many others will likely opt for button-only gameplay. This gameplay video showcases how silly some of the touch screen games can be:

Mortal Kombat will be available on PS Vita this Spring.

Alan Wake is heading to PC starting on February 16, Remedy Entertainment has announced. The game will hit Steam first on February 16, and then come to other channels (like Origin) soon afterward. Boxed retail versions will be coming soon as well.

The price on Steam (and presumably other digital retailers) will be $29.99 for the game and its associated downloadable content, and $34.99 for the Limited Collector's Edition. The PC version promises support higher resolutions and a variety of aspect ratios, a multithreaded engine, field of adjustment view, a "hide HUD" option, stereoscopic 3D, and multiscreen support.

"We've done our best to do justice to the PC version and do things the way they should be done for PC," said Remedy CTO Markus Maki in the announcement. "The PC version looks absolutely beautiful. We're bringing the game to life in a whole new way. We're very proud of what we’ve done so far with Wake - but for gamers who've always wanted the 'every setting maxed out' experience, the modern PC hardware takes Alan Wake to new heights."

See more PC screenshots of Alan Wake