Description:

We all knew it was coming. Ever since SEGA realised that it was on to a good thing with the triple threat that is Mario, Sonic and the Olympic Games, it was inevitable that we’d see a new party game every five minutes, well, every two years... but it feels like five minutes.

So what’s new in the London 2012 edition for the 3DS, then? Well, the setting for starters - most of the Olympic venues that are dotted around London (including, naturally, the huge stadium currently being constructed in Stratford) have been re-interpreted with a trademark Nintendo-esque art style.

London 2012 will be the first time players will get to enjoy cartoon Olympics on Nintendo’s 3D handheld. It’s taking a somewhat different tack from the console version - instead of particularly long mini-games, the 3DS version gives you bite-sized micro-games and blasts them at you in what SEGA calls a ‘medley.’

Judo, for example, simply asks you to press a combination of the right buttons at the right time. 1000m Kayak Singles focuses on the Circle Pad, requiring you to rotate it as fast as possible to clear the five-second course. The gyro sensor is used for the Balance Beam, with the 3DS having to be tilted around shapes and find the centre of gravity; and the 100m breaststroke is played by blowing into the microphone in a rhythm. A favourite has to be the 20km Race Walk though - using the stylus to swipe to and fro on the touch screen to the timing of the music.

That's just a small taste of what's on offer. The video games Olympics, after all, is about embracing all aspects of sport - especially the kinds that can be done from the comfort of your sofa!

Information:

• Number of players: 1-4
• Development Company: SEGA
• Software House: SEGA
• Video Dimensions: 3D
• Publisher: SEGA
• Point Of View: Combination