If you update your game on your device you’ll get Valentine’s Day-themed area where you’ll be encouraged to make items of affection rather than giant zombie turtles. This, of course, is on top of all the iOS exclusive levels that are already available with this version. Hopefully this will encourage more people to pick up the game and jump into this puzzler which can capture you with the beautiful cartoon artwork and keep you coming back with it’s genuinely challenging levels.

You can pick up the game on the App Store for the bargain price of just £0.69/€0.79, compatible on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Time to jump in and learn why more than a million people are already enjoying the game!

The new system will hit the streets for $169.99 and will include all the features of all other 3DS consoles, including glasses-free 3D, AR cards and free downloadable apps like Netflix and the extremely popular Swapnote.

I really have to ask if there was a clamoring for a pink colored 3DS, but maybe I am just the oddball instead of the norm. One thing is for certain – it looks better than the blue version.

Valve, the minds behind Steam, have allowed access to the Beta program of the application, which is available on the relevant marketplaces as we speak. The app allows users to browse the comprehensive store, view screenshots from other users and interact with friends via instant messaging. Gone are the days when being away from home for a day meant missing out on one of the well-known lightning sales – you can purchase games straight from your mobile device, ready to download when you return.

Gabe Newell, Valve’s co-founder and managing director, commented on the forthcoming app; “The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers. Mobile is changing way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone.”

To sign up for the beta, head on over to the app’s official site, download and log in. Simple.

To kick off the new patch, RAGE HD is adding two new episodes for download, each costing $0.99. The two new mission packs are titled Aqueduct and Kraken. If interested in either, you can check out some of the screens from the two new packs below.

RAGE HD is available on the iPhone/iPad devices for $1.99 from Bethesda and id Software.

This year, Microsoft has lined up five new titles, that spotlight the technology of the Windows Phone 7, as well as the game features that can be found on that device, like leaderboards and of course, the integration of Xbox Live. We now have a confirmed list of the titles that will be in the 2012 Must Have Games event and it is a pretty good list, leveraging between existing brands and new IPs as well.

Here are the titles that will be coming to Must Have Games starting February 1st, 2012:

• Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, February 1st, Electronic Arts
• BulletAsylum, February 8th, Microsoft Studios
• Chickens Can’t Fly, February 15th, Microsoft Studios
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction, February 22nd, Gameloft
• Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp, February 29th, Microsoft Studios

Each of these titles will have all the compliments of their XBLA compatriots, including leaderboards, achievements and more. Check out screens for each title below.

The controls are interesting, and make use of all the options built into the 3DS, but I have to question the idea of including shouting for weightlifting. I don’t want to be the guy that looks like a psychopath on the train when I start screaming at this little screen sitting in front of me. But beyond that, the controls look kind of cool, and could make this a must have title for the 3DS. Who am I kidding – the last Mario and Sonic Olypmics title sold gangbusters on both the Wii and the DS, so I assume this will do the same.

Check the new trailer below. Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games comes in February 2012 from Sega for 3DS.

Zumba Fitness 2 climbed its way up from the #21 spot to #10, and Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy made a surprise resurgence, moving from #34 all the way up to #16.

Brackets denote the previous week’s position.

1. (1) Kinect Adventures! (X360)
2. (2) Just Dance 3 (Wii)
3. (3) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360)
4. (6) Zumba Fitness (Wii)
5. (4) Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
6. (5) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
7. (9) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (X360)
8. (8) NBA 2K12 (X360)
9. (7) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3)
10. (21) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii)
11. (16) UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System (X360)
12. (19) Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 (X360)
13. (11) NBA 2K12 (PS3)
14. (10) Kinect Sports: Season Two (X360)
15. (20) Just Dance 3 (X360)
16. (34) Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy (Wii)
17. (17) Dance Central 2 (X360)
18. (22) Just Dance (Wii)
19. (12) Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
20. (27) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3)

Charts are provided by VG Chartz.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, iOS developer Gameloft is having a $0.99 / £0.69 sale on some of their biggest titles, including Splinter Cell Conviction and Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard.

Here’s a full list of the titles on sale and their respective platforms:

iPhone
- Silent Ops
- BackStab
- Fast Five the Movie: Official Game
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard
- N.O.V.A. 2 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
- Spider-Man: Total Mayhem
- Splinter Cell Conviction
- James Cameron’s Avatar
- Assassin’s Creed – Altair’s Chronicles

iPad
- Silent Ops
- BackStab
- Fast Five the Movie: Official Game
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard
- N.O.V.A. 2 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
- Spider-Man: Total Mayhem
- Splinter Cell Conviction
- James Cameron’s Avatar
- Assassin’s Creed – Altair’s Chronicles

For those of you not familiar, nominated in the ‘Most Addictive Game’ category at the fourth annual “Best App Ever Award” which were created to celebrate the best mobile apps and games available and recognises users favourite apps, not just the best selling ones, Hard Lines is hard to put down. Described by many as a hybrid twist between the historic mobile phone game Snake and the visuals of Tron, it gnaws on the core weakness of every mobile gamer by making it all about high scores. The aim is simple, keep Lionel, a wise-cracking, golden yellow line alive for as long as possible whilst collecting glowy things and bumping off rival lines.

Packed with character too, whilst the hero Lionel swiftly chomps on glowy things, racking up millions of points, there are bursts of dialogue from all the lines, commenting on key moments in the game. When Lionel dies (“Ow, that hurt”), when he cuts up and destroys another line (“I’ll be back!”) or when he collects glowy things or restart a level (“You again?”), the little quips pop up and add a touch of humour whilst breaking up the simple yet stylish playing screen. It also tests levels of skill, quick reflexes and focus as often I find my eyes reading the quotes and not concentrating on gobbling glowy things.

With a variety of playing styles and 6 game modes including Piñata mode where you bash other lines to collect their dropped glowy bits or Dead Line where you have to score big within three minutes, all accompanied by a electronic, rhythmic soundtrack, there is plenty of replayability, making it ideal for slotting into your daily routine.

Of course, following over 250,000 downloads, fans are eagerly awaiting the next big thing from Spilt Milk Studios. Happily, they have just announced that the very early build of their brand new game is being sent out to a select few of their Elite Beta Agents for the first round of testing – hurrah!
Earlier today on their blog, the tall, dark, handsome MD of Spilt Milk Studios Andrew John Smith commented; “The plan is to get our Elite Beta Agents to play it as much they find themselves wanting to, we’ll get crash reports and usage stats back, and it’ll help us make a better game.”

Interestingly, the studio aims to keep updating the Beta almost as often as they update their own internal builds, so anyone on the Beta team will get a real, honest and totally open insight into the development of the game. As always they are also actively encouraging people to send in their thoughts, opinions and summaries that will be collated into a big, collaborative developer diary. It’s an exciting idea and one that is hugely important to the working practice of the studios.

With two new iOS games (the ‘New Game’ and the ‘OTHER New Game’), a PC game and a graphic novel all in the pipeline, it’s surprising that Andrew has any time to tweet but as with his approach to his milky Elite Beta Agents, his willingness to not only listen to constructive criticism and feedback from his followers but to include them in the development process and the impact this has on the work is most definitely part of his success. So what can future audiences look forward to? One of the new games will be a classic little puzzler twist featuring blocks with attitude and personality. The second features a large blue monster that eats a lot and in typical Spilt Milk style, the studio is asking Twitter to name the character. Help them out and you’ll get mentioned in the credits.

Followers of @spiltmilkstudio can also enjoy Insights into Andrew’s working space (AKA his dad’s shed), the contents of his fridge, what he’s currently playing on his ‘List of Shame’ (“anything that I’ve not played that I should have since the SNES” admits Andrew) as well as funny banter.

Hard Lines is available on iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android devices.

The game also now supports AirPlay, which allows players with Apple TV to play the game on their big screen. The highly rated app introduces a more natural way of playing rhythm games and allows players to experience environments based on Michael Jackson’s iconic short films in their own hands. Developed specifically for Multi-Touch, users draw a series of shapes with their fingers according to the beat and choreography of the Michael Jackson avatar.

Each additional track is priced at £1.49.

The Michael Jackson The Experience HD App is available for £2.99 from the App Store on iPad or at http://itunes.apple.com/app/michael-jackson-the-experience/id468677703?mt=8