Gamescom '11: PlayStation Vita vs Nintendo 3DS - who won?

It's been just over a week since the Pocket Gamer team got back from Gamescom 2011, the biggest video games expo Europe has ever seen.

I was in charge of checking out the handheld parts of the show floors - we're talking the Nintendo 3DS and the upcoming PlayStation Vita - and I've now had enough time to mull over how the future of both consoles is looking.

After E3 a couple of months ago, Pocket Gamer came to the conclusion that the PS Vita has a slight edge over the 3DS. However, we were basing that more on the hardware than the games.

Now that plenty more Vita games were revealed and playable at Gamescom, we have a much better idea of whether or not the upcoming Sony handheld will knock the socks of the 3DS, or if the 3DS will re-enact the original DS vs PSP battle.

Here are the points we believe you should be considering when it comes to handheld gaming's future.

While existing franchises are incredibly important in reeling the punters in, new titles are also essential - but also incredibly risky, as there's a chance they'll prove to be hopeless flops.

Nintendo is definitely staying cautious, with the majority of its big titles focused on existing titles, with sequels and spinoffs aplenty.

In fact, over at the Nintendo stands we didn't see a single new IP, with the likes of Mario Kart and Tetris splashed all over.

Even at other stands, such as Sega, were were treated to Sonic this and Sonic that. It would appear no-one is willing to throw a new spanner into the works just yet.

Over at the Sony stands, it was very much the same story, with the likes of Resistance, LittleBigPlanet, and Super Stardust taking the front seats.

Fortunately, Sony was also showing off a good few brand new titles too. Smart As may well prove to be the Vita's equivalent to Brain Training, while Sound Shapes is looking to take the music game to new levels.

Of course, there was also the recently revealed Escape Plan - a puzzle title filled with intrigue and hilarious consequences.

This may not be a barrage of new IP for us to rifle through, but Vita definitely has the edge on the 3DS when it comes to exciting new content.

Winner: Vita (1 - 0)

PS Vita may have destroyed the 3DS when it comes to the new, but the 3DS is fighting fit in terms of the old.

This Christmas is going to be a rollercoaster ride for 3DS owners, with the likes of Super Mario 3D, Mario Kart 7, and Star Fox 64 3D already exciting the pants off us.

There are also plenty of third-party titles coming with familiar faces. Sonic Generations may well revitalise the blue hedgehog, while Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is going to be, well, interesting to say the least.

We've also got the Bit.Trip Saga to look forward to, along with Need for Speed: The Run and a new Harvest Moon. Oh, and another Tetris.

In comparison, the PS Vita definitely has plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss will no doubt be an absolute stonker, while the newly unveiled Resistance: Burning Skies is one we have our sights firmly fixed on.

Throw in the likes of LittleBigPlanet Vita, Super Stardust Delta, and Virtua Tennis, and the lineup is looking incredibly strong.

But even with all these titles, we still find ourselves more excited about Nintendo's line-up. Nathan Drake may be our office pin-up, but give us Mario, Star Fox, and Sonic any day.

Winner: 3DS (1 - 1)

This is where things get really interesting.

Both consoles claim to be pushing the envelope, throwing all sorts of clever and exciting new concepts at us. The problem is, it's no good to just talk about these features - they actually need to be used.

Take the 3DS, for example. It has stereoscopic 3D visuals, a gyroscope, dual screens (one of which is a touchscreen), two cameras, and yet it really doesn't feel like much of that has been used all that well to date.

But what of the future? Well, of the titles we saw at Gamescom, it seems there may be progress afoot, but still nothing incredible.

Strangely, it wasn't Nintendo that was trying to break out with the goods, but rather Sega who was showing the most flair. Sonic Generations features some nice sections during which both the background and foreground are used in conjunction - a feature we've been screaming for since the console's release.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics also uses all of the console's functionality, with mini-games revolving around the microphone, the gyroscope, and more. Very reassuring stuff for the future of the 3DS.

But in terms of innovation, the 3DS can't hold a candle to the PS Vita.

Take, for example, our playthrough of LittleBigPlanet Vita, during which we were taken aback at just how clever the ideas on show were, with the Vita's various touch capabilities implemented with serious conviction.

Or how about the pinching mechanic in Escape Plan? Or the great feel of the FPS controls in Resistance? And then there's the variety in Smart As... overall, Vita blows 3DS out of the water where innovation is concerned.

Winner: Vita (2 - 1)

Here's the kicker - the Nintendo 3DS may not be as capable as the Vita, but the recent price drop now means that many people will be willing to overlook that.

You can now find the 3DS for just £125 in certain places. That compares to the whopping £230 for the wi-fi version of Vita, and £280 for the 3G version. Indeed, you could potentially get two 3DS consoles for the price of one Vita.

That's a huge difference, and while it's entirely justified in terms of hardware and power you really need to look at it from the average consumer's point of view.

Most shoppers, be they parents, teenagers, or even just your regular gamers, are going to compare those prices, no matter how much more powerful the Vita is - and they're going to spot the difference.

Sony has said that it refuses to reduce the price of the Vita in light of the 3DS price drop. It's impossible to know as of yet whether this will be a mistake or not, but one thing is certain: the Nintendo 3DS price drop will lead to a huge number of people, both young and old, finding a Nintendo handheld under the tree this Christmas.

And the more people who own a 3DS, the less likely those people are to then fork out for a PS Vita too.

We reckon the 3DS price drop is going to affect sales of the Vita far more than Sony believes.

Prove us wrong, Sony.

Winner: 3DS (2 - 2)

With a tie on our hands, it's all up to this last section - which console has the best online features?

Online gaming, social networking, online connectivity, and digital distribution is in right now, and both consoles need to show that they can hang with the home consoles and desktop gaming.

Nintendo has, let's be honest, not exactly gotten with the program. The eShop has been a disaster, with barely any releases, and the majority of those available a bit pap.

Nintendo Video is awful, StreetPassing is interesting enough but underused, and there aren't exactly a multitude of updates.And we know of nothing on the horizon for the console in terms of online supplements.

The Vita, on the other hand, is a bit of a beast. We were able to play around with the Near, LiveArea, and Party features at Gamescom, and came away rather excited.

During a game of Smart As, for example, once we were given our brain score we could then zoom out to see the brain scores of people directly around us.

Then we could zoom out of the map a bit more and see people all over the city. Then a bit more to see the country. Then - yes, you've guessed it - zoom out to compare ourselves to the rest of the world. That, in itself, in pretty incredible stuff.

Nintendo - you need a serious rethink if you've going to match this quality.

Winner: Vita (3 - 2)

So there we have it - the PS Vita has it by a whisker, with its brilliant online capabilities and its innovative features.

However, there's still a huge chance that the 3DS could run away with it thanks to the recent price drop. Only time will tell on that one.