Incoming! The most exciting 3DS and PS Vita games for June

It's almost June. In some countries, that signifies the start of summer. Not so much in the UK, however, where we stay in a constant state of miserable weather.

But is it looking as miserable on the Nintendo 3DS eShop and PS Vita store? No siree: things are definitely looking up for handheld gamers.

The 3DS has a couple of rather large games due in June, while the Vita has a handful of notable games ready for consumption, too.

We've got a tactical RPG, a 3D platformer, a Vita remake, a puzzle game, a life-affirming experience... essentially, there's something for everyone.

Let's crack on then, shall we?

Animal Crossing: New Leaf
By Nintendo - coming to 3DS on June 9th in the US, June 14th in Europe

This is the big one that pretty much every Nintendo 3DS owner has been waiting for - the next in the Animal Crossing series.

This is a series all about exploring a quant town, and living a life of luxury among a neighbourhood of animal personalities. In this 3DS edition, you become the mayor and get to make the big decisions.

If you want a taster of what you can expect from the game, make sure you check out Peter's New Leaf Diaries.

Project X Zone
By Banpresto and Monolith Soft - coming to 3DS on June 25th in the US, July 5th in the UK

This one is definitely worth watching out for. Project X Zone is a crossover tactical RPG, featuring characters from Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega games.

It's got characters from Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Tekken, Space Channel 5, Darkstalkers... and the list goes on.

Early reviews out of Japan are positive, so expect great things from the impending Western release.

Quell Memento
By Fallen Tree Games - coming to Vita on May 29th in UK, June 4th in US

This one just jumped into the May release schedule for the UK, but we didn't feature it in last month's round-up, so here's a good excuse to talk about it.

Quell Memento is that age-old puzzle game about sliding blocks around a tiled board to satisfy a core goal. But it's so much more than that, thanks to a huge amount of variety to the formula.

Just read our review of the iPhone version, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Jak and Daxter Collection
By Naughty Dog and Mass Media Inc. - out for Vita on June 11 in the US, June 19 in the UK

This collection brings together high-def ports of the original PlayStation 2 trilogy.

These ports include overhauled screen resolutions; smoother animations and frame rates; and trophy support.

Of course, the original platforming releases were pretty wonderful, so if you missed them the first time around, you're going to want to pick these up.

Lego Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey
By TT Games - out for Vita on June 18 in the US, June 21 in the UK

Not sure what to make of this one. It's a sandbox action-adventure game that will no doubt play out in the same format as pretty much every other recent Lego game.

You play a warrior called Laval who is on a mission of justice. It all sounds pretty vague and kiddy, and perhaps not all that much fun.

But then again, it's from the same team that did Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins, so maybe it'll be a nice surprise.

Muramasa Rebirth
By Aksys Games - out on Vita on June 25 in the US

Muramasa: The Demon Blade was originally released for the Nintendo Wii back in 2009 to great reviews, so to hear this RPG is coming to PS Vita next month is music to our ears.

Unfortunately it's US only for now, with no European release currently announced. Boo!

But if you're one of our American readers, you can look forward to a gorgeous Metroidvania adventure, featuring a story of a fugitive who has lost his memory of a crime that he committed. This Vita port has brand-new content, too.