In the world called Aterra where the Star God is worshipped, monsters have begun to spawn from the mysterious labyrinth. However, the Star God has imbued certain young adults--Disciples--with the power to fight monsters, as well as create Star Children to aid in the battle. Only Disciples and Star Children can defeat the monsters, and you, as God's Gift, have an additional weighty task: to bond with seven other Disciples and bear many Star Children to help your world survive! Click to expand...

2014 is about a week away. Holy shit! With everyone's attention focused on the shiny new boxes under their TVs right now though, portables aren't getting much attention. So, I slapped together a list of some of the more interesting games that are only on portables in 2014. Note that this list is far from comprehensive, and that it doesn't include the myriad indie games that are on every single system ever (sorry, Vita.)*List is in order of US release date: Yumi's Odd Odyssey: Agatsuma Entertainment: Platformer: 3DS: January 2014Chances are that you haven't heard of this one. Yumi's Odd Odyssey is the US, eShop-only release of Sayonara, Umihara Kawase. Still not ringing a bell? Okay, well this is the sequel to a series of cult-classic platformers from the mid-'90s that has some of the most satisfying grappling hook mechanics of any game out there. And it's really goddamn difficult. It'll put hair on your chest! It's definitely one to look out for next year.: Bravely Default: Square-Enix: RPG: 3DS: February 7, 2014This is the big one in Q1. Bravely Default has been lauded as a return to form for Square-Enix. The US release is based on the "For the Sequel" re-release in Japan, which makes a series of minor tweaks to the game. It also incorporates microtransactions, but despite best efforts, Square-Enix was unable to fuck the game up with them.: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc: Spike Chunsoft: Adventure/Visual Novel: Vita, PSP (Japan-only): February 11, 2014Those who played the Japanese release have been pretty enthusiastic about this one. It's commonly described as "Phoenix Wright meets 999." Tough to argue with that.: Toukiden: Omega Force: 3rd Person Action/MonHun clone: Vita: February 11, 2014It's a monster hunting game, and the music is fucking: Ragnarock Odyssey ACE: GameArts: RPG: Vita: February 18, 2014This is an expanded version of the original RO, which was a monster hunting RPG that came out in 2012. People weren't super-jazzed about the original Ragnarok Odyssey, so there's not much reason to be terribly optimistic here. Still, it's something... kinda... sorta... :-/Title: Final Fantasy X/X-2 HDDeveloper: Square-EnixGenre: RPGPlatform: VitaRelease: March 18, 2014Description:The long-awaited re-release of Final Fantasy X and X-2 is finally coming out. The games feature redone visuals, including higher resolution textures. Square also took the liberty of redoing the character models (generally poorly) and remixing the music (with varying success.) Will it actually be an improvement when all is said and done? Shit, I dunno. Square will be releasing both games as a package, however, only Final Fantasy X gets a physical copy. FFX-2 is included as a download code, which makes all the sense in the fucking world. The package is also available on the PS3, where both games will be included on the disc.: Shantae and the Pirate's Curse: Wayforward, IntiCreates: Platformer: 3DS: Q1 2014The sequel to Shantae: Risky's Revenge.. This is a really great series of platformers from some really capable developers. The game is planned to have a more Metroid-style map system this time around, but given how well WayForward handled that in their Aliens game, they'll probably have little problem pulling it off here. If you're into platformers, there's pretty much no chance this will disappoint (but no guarantees.): Treasurenauts: Renegade Kid: 2D Action/Adventure: 3DS: Q1 2014The new game from the developers of Mutant Mudds, Treasurenauts is another 2D actioner where you plunder a bunch of random locales for treasure. And there's equipment and retro-styled graphics. Original! Ordinarily, I wouldn't give much of a shit about it, but Mutant Mudds was a well-made game, so I'm willing to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. It's probably great.: Metrico: Digital Dreams: Puzzle Platformer: Vita: Q1/Q2 2014The developers said not to call this a puzzle platformer, instead opting to refer to it as an "action puzzler," but they're not about to pull the wool over my fucking eyes. Anyway, the game is composed of infographics (meaning stuff that looks like Powerpoint presentations and Excel graphs) that you puzzle platform your way through. The game is said to use all of the Vita's various hardware functionality, and even though it looks pretentious as all get out, it's generated some pretty positive buzz.: OlliOlli: Roll7: Sports... kinda? It's 2D Tony Hawk: Vita: Early 2014Basically Super Meat Boy meets Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, OlliOlli is a really promising Vita exclusive. The game clearly caters to fans of super high-skill 2D platformers, so hopefully the game will control as gracefully as its inspirations.: Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars: Spike Chunsoft: RPG: 3DS, Vita: April 8, 2014Yeah, this isgame. You bang tsundere onesamas, collect the resulting kids, and make them fight in dungeons. It's been compared to Persona, and it's Spike Chunsoft, so it's probably not, but man... this is pushing it.: Demon Gaze: Kadokawa Games: RPG: Vita: April 22, 2014This is a dungeon crawler. Boy is it ever! It's also the game with that notorious panty-sniffing picture that I'm not going to post in here, because we're too goddamn classy for that horse shit.: Yoshi's New Island: Nintendo: Platformer: 3DS: Q2 2014We still don't know too terribly much about this 3DS iteration of the Yoshi's Island series, but visually, it ain't there yet. The visuals smack of Yoshi's Story more than anything, but the dough-y art style isn't exactly hip in 2013. Still, the game hasn't been seen in quite a while, so it's possible they've spruced it up a bit. What little gameplay footage is out there reveals a game that looks to play exactly how you'd expect a Yoshi's Island game to play. The only new feature we've seen is Yoshi's ability to snarf up big enemies to create giant, terrain-destroying eggs. Hopefully, this one will turn out.: Persona 4: Dancing All Night: Atlus: Rhythm: Vita: Fall 2014 (Japan)A completely unexpected spin-off of Persona 4, Dancing All Night is a rhythm game set during the events of Persona 4. That actually almost makes sense for this series.: Deception IV: Blood Ties: Tecmo: Murder Simulator: Vita: 2014The newest entry in the long-running Deception series, Deception IV looks to offer more of the same strategic gameplay. The series has you playing as some random babe, setting traps for enemies, and then watching them die in horrible ways. And it's. The game is also planned for a Playstation 3 release.: Freedom Wars: SCE Japan: 3rd Person Action: Vita: 2014Freedom Wars is set 10,000 years in the future, where humans live underground in an overpopulated society. Criminals are forced to fight monsters.. Game actually looks pretty rad, from what little we've seen of it. No US date has been announced yet, but it seems like a likely 2014 release.: Gravity Rush 2: SCE Japan: Action/Adventure: Vita: TBAGravity Rush was rad. What do we know about the sequel? Like, nothing. But the high-flying antics are sure to return, and Raven is still a total babe.: Kirby Triple Deluxe: HAL Laboratory: Platformer: 3DS: 2014 (January 11, 2014 in Japan)This is (based on Wikipedia) the thirteenth platformer in the Kirby series. This installment lets you jump between the foreground and background, a la the Virtual Boy Wario game. You also have 4 new powers. It looks significantly more interesting than the last few Kirby games, too, so please look forward to it.Title: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Second ChapterDeveloper: FalcomGenre: RPGPlatform: PSPRelease: 2014Description:A couple years after releasing the first TitS in the US, in all of its cliffhanger-y glory, XSEED finally announced that they'd be bringing the massive second chapter of the story to the US in 2014. The game will be released digitally for the PSP (ie: playable on Vita) and on the PC. It's worth noting, though, that the game will look significantly better on PC.: Mario Golf: World Tour: Camelot: Sports: 3DS: 2014It's Mario Golf. You play golf. Camelot always does a good job with these games, so it's pretty much guaranteed to be fun. Online golf tournaments are confirmed.: Monster Hunter 4: Capcom: Monster Hunter: 3DS: 2014I'm actually not sure if it's been officially announced for the US yet, but we know this one is coming. In either case, this is Monster Hunter. It's bigger, badder, and has more visually arresting aesthetics. Series fans will inevitably drool with sadistic glee, while MonHun neophytes will doubtlessly be crushed by the hours of learning ahead of them. A portion of your proceeds (100%) will be donated to Capcom's mobile gaming division. Is that the same as funding terrorism? You decide!: Murasaki Baby: Ovosonico: Puzzle Platformer: Vita: 2014Brought to you by Massimo Guarini, who previously worked on games like Killer7 and No More Heroes, Murasaki Baby is a puzzle platformer that takes advantage of the Vita's functionality. The artstyle is fairly unique... though that main character isunappealing. Whatever. The game is probably pretty good. Look for it on PSN.: Over My Dead Body 2 (Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke 2): Alfa System: RPG: Vita: TBA (Q3 2014 in Japan)The sequel to a Japan-only PS1 game from 1999, Over My Dead Body 2 has one of the most appealing art styles of any game slated for 2014. Just look at the thing! Nothing's been said about a US release yet, though there have been some positive rumblings coming from Yoshida's corner, and Tom from XSEED is probably chomping at the bit to get this one localized, so chances of it coming out in the States are probably decent.: Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth: Atlus: RPG: 3DS: TBAPersona Q is a dungeon crawler spin-off featuring chibi versions of the Persona 3 and 4 casts. The game is takes the gameplay elements of the Etrian Odyssey series, and infuse them with Persona's personality. Sounds like a win-win.: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Level-5, Capcom: Adventure/Puzzle: 3DS: 2014The Layton and Phoenix Wright mashup is finally coming stateside in 2014. Layton does the investigating, Phoenix Wright does the lawyering.. Impressions of the game were somewhat mixed upon the Japanese release, with some players digging the mashup of gameplay styles, and others lamenting the absence of fan favorite characters from both series.Title: Puyo Puyo TetrisDeveloper: SegaGenre: PuzzlePlatform: Vita, PS3, WiiURelease: 2014 (Japan only)Description:There are literally (and I mean literally, not figuratively) a trillion Puyo Puyo games out there. This is the first one to try something cool in decades. One dude plays Puyo Puyo while the other plays Tetris, but only one dude can win. Will it be you?! No, it will be me. The game is currently only scheduled for a Japanese release, but since the Vita is region free, importing isn't a problem. And, being a puzzle game, the language barrier is nonexistent. Note that the game is also coming to the PS3 and WiiU.: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Break Record: Atlus: Strategy RPG: 3DS: 2014Just as the first Devil Survivor got an updated 3DS port a couple years back, the second installment will be getting its current gen due in 2014. The game hasn't been officially announced for a US release yet, but given that everything SMT comes stateside these days and that the Japanese version is out at the beginning of the year, this is a safe bet for 2014. The bulk of the updates to this version will come in the form of an expanded storyline and new characters.: Soul Sacrifice Delta: Comcept: Action RPG: Vita: TBA (March, 2014 in Japan)Soul Sacrifice Delta is a follow-up to the original that adds in a new faction, several new monsters, and a greater emphasis on cooperative gameplay. The game draws inspiration from Grimm's fairy tales this time around, which seems like perfect fodder for the grotesque enemy designs the series is known for. The first game was solid, so this one's a safe bet for Vita owners.: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Working title, obvi): Nintendo, Namco: Fighting: 3DS: TBAIt's Smash! On your 3DS! We don't know much about the game yet, but Nintendo has confirmed that it will be a different game than the WiiU title getting released, and that as a result of the differing content, there will not be cross-platform play. Bummer. Still... it's Smash! On your 3DS! And there's Mega Man.