The 10 best new 3DS and Vita games from Tokyo Game Show 2011

As usual, the autumn gaming season kicked off with a sneak peek at Japan's upcoming fleet of games at its annual Tokyo Game Show.

Thanks to the week-long explosion of gaming news, company keynotes, and helpful booth babes, we got to feast our eyes on endless games from top developers in Japan, including Nintendo, Capcom, Konami, and Square Enix.

And, for once, our little corner of the games industry was in full force. The Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita were the undisputed stars of the show with fresh news and - best of all - brand-new games.

We've picked out the ten best 3DS and Vita games that were revealed for the first time at TGS - mostly, so we'll know exactly what to look forward to in 2012.

Monster Hunter 4
3DS - Capcom

It's true what they say about games getting sequels earlier than ever these days. Mere minutes after Capcom promised a 3DS port of Wii beast wrangler Monster Hunter Tri G, the company let loose that Monster Hunter 4 would see a release on the handheld, too.

The upcoming game looks to feature better platforming mechanics to make your monster-hunting hero more agile in the air. This will come in handy when you're literally clambering up large beasts - Shadow of the Colossus-style - to take them down.

Monster Hunter might not be the most popular game in the west, but the multiplayer RPG has a cult-like following of millions in Japan. Taking on the next major game in the series will definitely give Nintendo's fledgling console a much-needed boost after its lacklustre launch.

Slide Pad
3DS - Nintendo

We admit it, the Slide Pad isn't technically a game. But this bulky bolt-on sidecar for the 3DS was inarguably the biggest TGS news story around until the Vita's 16-second battery life was revealed.

As the rumours suggested, this monstrosity locks onto your 3DS to give handheld gamers a second stick to play with. It will be handy in upcoming adventures like Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D - very much a good thing considering controls were our biggest bugbear with this stealthy remake.

Sadly, the hopeful speculation that the Slide Pad would boost the 3DS's pitiful battery life was unfounded. In fact, you'll need another battery (a single AAA cell) to power the thing. Expect it this winter for about £15.

Mario Tennis 3D
3DS - Nintendo

In Nintendo's eternal mission to bolt a third dimension onto each and every franchise, our favourite Mario-themed sport - Tennis - is next up for the transfusion.

Details on the 2012 release were scarce, with the ballsy new sport sim bundled in with the plumber's Paper and Kart outings in a short Mario-themed round-up. Those present at the keynote report that the game will get a gyroscope control mode, though.

This isn't the first Mario Tennis to go 3D. All unfortunate new owners of the ill-fated Virtual Boy got Mario's Tennis bundled in for free, as well as a headache and a slight case of nausea. Here's hoping Mario's next rally is nicer on the stomach.

Final Fantasy X
Vita - Square Enix

Until Square Enix gets off its butt, stops setting iOS games at outrageous prices, and finally announces that HD remake of Final Fantasy VII that everyone has been calling for, maybe this is the next best thing.

At the Sony TGS press briefing, a Square Enix spokesman announced that Final Fantasy X - the one that follows androgynous blond-haired Tidus on his quest to rid the world of big nasty pants Sin - will be getting a 10th Anniversary HD edition on PS3 and Vita.

It might have had a largely incomprehensible storyline, some cringe-inducing voice acting, and a raft of unlikeable prats as protagonists, but this PS2 adventure still has oodles of fans and widespread critical acclaim. There will be plenty of people thrilled to see it remade in portable form.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Vita - Capcom

This all-star brawler lets you pit scrappy street fighters like Ryu against comic book superheroes like Ghost Rider and Spider-Man. It might not sound fair, going glove to spider-infected super glove, but Capcom's team always puts up a good fight.

At TGS, we found out that Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will launch alongside the Vita when the hardware debuts in December in Japan.

Capcom promises that the entire upcoming console game, from Phoenix Wright's legal takedowns to online multiplayer, will be squeezed down and left intact for Vita gamers.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D
3DS - Square Enix

In the height of '90s Pokemania, everyone wanted a slice of that sweet monster-collecting pie. It was no surprise, then, to see a raft of Pokemon rip-offs appear on handhelds - including Square Enix's much-loved classic Dragon Quest Monsters.

This cutesy RPG, which has Terry and Milly from Dragon Quest VI teaming up to recruit monsters, breed them to make super beasts, and take on legions of bad guys, will be remade for the 3DS as Terry's Wonderland.

Square Enix will include all the critters from the DS's Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional, alongside a few all-new monsters and new stories. Catch it in 2012. Get it? Catch it! Gotta catch 'em all! You got it.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Vita - Konami

Solid Snake's best outings will get high-def remakes on PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year. We found that out, and suitably squealed like little girls at a Justin Bieber concert, at E3 this summer. But to sweeten the deal, Konami will also bring the treasure chest to Vita.

The three-game deal features bonkers Raiden mission Metal Gear Solid 2, '60s Cold War jungle-sneaking in MGS 3 and the dodgy two-men-in-a-box antics of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. They'll all be beautified for Vita's humongous screen.

If you're rich and stupid enough to buy the collection on Vita and PlayStation 3, you can use Hideo Kojima's oddly-named "transfarring" system to zip your save file between consoles and keep playing the same save game, whether you're on your HDTV or on a bus in Croydon.

Army Corps of Hell
Vita - Square Enix

Perhaps the best way to describe Army Corps of Hell, a new IP from Square Enix that's exclusive to Vita, is to say it's the unholy hybridisation of Pikmin and Patapon, all set in the fiery depths of hell.

You'll play as a skeletal overlord who doesn't want to get his bones dusty. Instead, he unleashes specialist demon minions to do his bidding.

These little scuttling critters will help fend off enemies while rhythmic mini-games - where you play the Vita's rear touch panel like a drum - let you cast spells.

Fire Emblem 3DS
3DS - Nintendo

Like Mario Tennis 3D, information about this three- dimensional outing for Nintendo's swords and sorcery RTS was rather thin on the ground. We know it exists, we know it's in 3D, and we know it'll have two-player co-op: that's about it.

A short Japanese trailer from Nintendo's TGS keynote shows that the game will retain the series's grid-like battlefields for making your moves, while fights appear as pop-up 3D tussles.

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
3DS - Square Enix

There are three things to know about Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. One: it's an RPG about a pixie queen with gigantic thighs. Two: it's absolutely gorgeous, with an awe-inspiring hand-drawn art style. And three: it's got a really silly name.

It'll also have some augmented reality features, and if you're reading this from Japan (konnichiwa!), you can grab a free AR app from the eShop now to test out Bravely Default: Flying Fairy's camera-based fun.