Coming off such a blockbuster March gaming line-up, it's a bit of a relief to have a quieter April, especially since I'm sure many of us are still working through the games we picked up last month.  With that said, April has its fair share of notable games, headlined by NetherRealms Studios' much-anticipated DC Universe fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us. 

We've also got the video game tie-in to the upcoming TV show Defiance (filmed in Toronto by the way), and the brand-new Star Trek video game for consoles (developed in London, ON).   April is also delivering Dead Island: Riptide, the sequel to 2011's surprise hit open world zombie survival game, and PlayStation Vita gets Soul Sacrifice, the new action role-playing game from acclaimed gamer producer Keiji Inafune (best known for co-designing Mega Man).

Let's take a look at the games!

Nintendo has unveiled their release schedule for early 2013, including firm dates for much anticipated games such as LEGO City Undercover, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.  Release windows were also given for many games first shown at last year's E3, including Game & Wario, The Wonderful 101, Pikmin 3, and Wii Fit U. 

Additionally, Nintendo has compiled a list of upcoming third-party game releases, which includes many games fans have been waiting for such as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Rayman Legends, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow -- Mirror of Fate.

The launch date schedule includes Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS.  Let's take a look at what to expect in early 2013!

Disney Interactive unveiled their brand new gaming initiative, Disney Infinity, at a major media event held in the renowned El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood yesterday.  With Infinity, Disney is taking characters from their most popular Disney and Pixar Animation Studios properties and bringing them together on one game platform. Disney Interactive is calling their new project "its most ambitious gaming initiative ever", and after watching the Infinity presentation, it was clear this ambition is shared by multiple groups within The Walt Disney Company.

The LEGO video game franchise never ceases to entertain me.  It’s one of the few game franchises that delivers consistent quality with every iteration, and while critics often cite the lack of innovation, all you have to do is go back to 2005’s LEGO Star Wars to see just how far this franchise has come.  Lord of the Rings is the latest movie license to get the LEGO treatment, bringing with it all the wit and charm that is synonymous with this franchise.  LEGO Lord of the Rings is the most daring LEGO adventure yet, delivering hours of action and excitement the whole family will enjoy.

Since the release of the Wii Mini, there's still plenty reason to check out this much-loved console.  It may not be the brand spankin' new Wii U, but it offers an entirely different experiece still worth exploring.  This week on my Kid-Friendly Game series I'll show you a mix of E-Rated and T-Rated games worth checking out! 

Last night the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards aired, showcasing the biggest and best games of the year across all gaming platforms. The runaway winner this year was The Walking Dead: The Game by Telltale Games, which won for Game of the Year, Best Adapted Video Game, and Best Downloadable Game.  Telltale Games had even more to celebrate with their game development studio winning the award for Studio of the Year.

[Update: Nintendo has stated that the Wii Mini is currently exclusive to Canada.  No other territories have been announced.  Further, gamers who register their Wii Mini at club.nintendo.com and complete a small survey will receive 100 Coins to their Club Nintendo account.]

Nintendo will release a brand new version of its flagship Wii console called "Wii Mini" on December 7th, for the low price of $99.99, the company has just announced.  The redesigned console will have a red casing with a textured black matte finish on top, and will come packaged with red Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controllers.

Hey, do you like music? Do you like having fun? If you’ve answered yes to these admittedly broad questions, you’ll probably have at some fun if you lose some inhibitions and spend some time partaking of a quick game of Just Dance 4. I never really played much of its predecessors, and admittedly am not the biggest fan of the genre but having spent some time with Just Dance 4 and some friends, I can definitely say I would do so again without hesitation.

When it comes to anniversary collections, I have some pretty high standards.  And for good reason, any publisher planning on releasing a bundle ought to make something extensive, elaborate and worthy of any devoted fan's time.  A keen attention to detail can be so affirming, there really is no better way of saying 'thank you' to the fans.  Luckily the Kirby 20th Anniversary Dream Collection on the Wii offers plenty of fan favourites while offering lots of additional features in the mix.  Whether you're an all-time Kirby fan or are looking for a gateway into the Kirby series, this collection is well worth your time.  

Its a great year to be a fan of soccer video games. This year looks like we’re getting one of the best annual crops ever with everyone stepping up their game (no pun intended) and giving us something dramatically better than before. One of the titles to keep an eye on this year is Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, also known as PES’13. Lately the FIFA series has been battling them for dominance, but this isn’t the highlander. There can be more than one. Often this sort of game franchise competition can muddy the waters, resulting in several games that seem more or less the same. Not this time. PES is distinct from FIFA in its particular brand of depth.

Duracell held a press conference in Toronto this past week to announce Duralock, a new power preservation technology which will keep properly stored batteries fresh for up to 10 years.  The announcement was part of a pre-centennial party to celebrate 90 years of providing portable power to consumers and industry.

To showcase just how widespread portable power has become in recent times, Duracell had on display a range of gadgets that consume battery power, starting from the year the company was founded, 1922, all the way up to present day.  Included in the mix were a number of my personal favourites, the classic portable gaming handhelds Nintendo Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, and Sega Game Gear.

This weekend I had the privilege of attending The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a complete four-movement concert event featuring music from the renowned video game franchise.  The concert tour made a stop Toronto, my hometown, as part of a North America tour which includes four Canadian dates. 

Fans may remember Nintendo announcing a worldwide Zelda symphony tour during the company's E3 2011 press conference, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for The Legend of Zelda franchise, which we've covered extensively here on the Tech Blog.

Madden NFL 13, which hit Future Shop stores nationwide two weeks ago, had a "historic" launch says developer Electronic Arts.  The perennial football franchise has long been a top seller for EA, going as far back as the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo era in the early 90's, and this year the trend continues with sales up 8 percent over last year.

The house that Madden built is once again unleashing their perennial football game, with this year's edition being the biggest and best in history.  Madden NFL 13 debuts the all-new Infinity Engine, a brand new game engine that delivers the richest graphics and most realistic physics ever seen in a Madden game.  That feature alone could be enough to market the game, but for Madden NFL 13, it's just the tip of the iceberg.  Let's take a look at what's new this year, shall we?

Nintendo's iconic pink puffball turns 20 years old this month, and with so many great games in the Kirby series, there are many ways to celebrate.  Perhaps the best way to celebrate this significant milestone will be coming next month when Nintendo releases Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition, a compilation package for Wii containing six classic Kirby games, a soundtrack CD, and a full-colour collectible book.