On the Download: January 22-28

While there has not been many of new console game releases this month, there has been plenty of downloadable games for gamers to enjoy.  For those looking forward to all the big releases coming out in the next few months, there are plenty of demos on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network to keep you satisfied until they launch.  Talking about demos, considering that Nintendo seems to be releasing a new 3DS demo, there will be another quick impressions followed by two previews of new downloadable games for you to pick up this week.  So let us get rolling.

Last week saw the first demo come to the Nintendo eShop in Resident Evil: Revelations.  This week up on the eShop is a new demo for all 3DS owners to download.  This demo is for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, which is set to release on the 14th of next month.  The Mario & Sonic demo allows players to try five events (basically mini-games) from the final game.  The events offered in this demo are Pistol Firing, Football (soccer for all us North Americans), Trampoline, Swimming and Bike Race.  These events are more or less hit or miss in both controls and fun factor.  One event, you will be loving the game, the next you will be cursing the difficult controls and play methods.  The Bike Race event even makes you keep the 3DS flat thus forcing you into a rather uncomfortable position.  At the core, Mario & Sonic is a mini-game collection in the truest sense of the word as the demo lasted all of eight minutes.  That will make for great portable play for those interested, but there will have to be a whole lot more events to keep some people playing for than a couple hours at best.  For young children or people who enjoyed the other Mario & Sonic games for the DS and Wii, give this demo a try and see if you want to pick up the first 3DS entry in this series.  For everybody else, this eight minute demo is more than enough time with this mini-game collection.

From the minds behind DS survival-horror games Dementium and Moon, Renegade Kid comes the Mutant Mudds.  Mutant Mudds is a platformer, where you play as an average kid tasked with the supernatural task of thwarting the plans of the Mutant Mudd army.  With your trusty water cannon and water-powered jet pack, you jump between the foreground and background, collect water sprites in order to power your water-based tools and destroy the Mutant Mudd forces that stand in your way.  With 40 levels over 5 worlds, Mutant Mudds is jam-packed with content.  For 9 dollars, Mutant Mudds should be another great download for the 3DS and the fledgling Nintendo eShop.

Earlier this week, I saw a trailer for one Jazz: Trump's Journey for iOS devices and it caught me by surprise.  It looked like one unique mix of side-scrolling platform game with a rhythm game.  In actuality, Jazz: Trump's Journey follows Trump in his journey to become a jazz musician and win the heart of the lovely Lady Poppy.  Like Mario, you traverse through levels by jumping from platform to platform and avoiding enemies and obstacles to get to your goal.  Unlike Mario, Trump has a trick up his sleeve and that trick is his trusty trumpet, which you can use to stop time.  With stunningly charming graphics, wonderful jazz music and what looks to be solid gameplay, Jazz: Trump's Journey could be another great and inexpensive game (costs only 3 dollars) for your iDevice.