Hamburg - The Playstation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS have been on the market for over three years now, but the wave of new titles is not slowing down at all.

While perhaps this applies more to the DS than the PSP, there's plenty of new games to go around as stores gear up in November for the Christmas season. This month's titles include murder and manslaughter, crazy rabbits, sing-crazy wobbly creatures and even tips on how to cook.

One DS title that was a hit at the trade fairs is now finally coming to stores: Unsolved Crimes, set in 1970s New York, a vibrant backdrop for exciting mobster hunts. And that's exactly what the player has to do, stepping into the role of a freshly commissioned member of the homicide department.

Even so, no gunplay or car chases are needed to solve the game's eight cases. Players must instead show some skill with the touch pen, examining the crime scene for clues. What exactly do those specks of blood mean? And why are there glass shards scattered everywhere, not just around the body? Unsolved Crimes is published by Eidos and will cost around 40 dollars.

Unruly figures also play a role in another new DS title from Ubisoft. In this case they're not gangsters, though. They're rabbits. Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party involves disorderly rabbits gaining control over almost all TV broadcasters around the world. That means you end up with hares sitting in a studio reminiscent of David Letterman's or spinning music videos.

The gamer must conquer some 40 mini-games to prevent the long-eared culprits from gaining total control of television. The protagonist Rayman is forced to run races against them - or dance in video clips. The Wii version allows for some levels to be completed using the Wii Fit balance board accessory; DS users have to settle for more traditional methods. Either way, Rayman Raving Rabbids successfully transfers a healthy portion of the series' irrepressible fun to the mini-consoles. The game is available for roughly 40 dollars.

It has been two years since the last appearance of a special group of PSP heroes: the LocoRoco. The colourful little singing balls won lots of fans during their first excursion. Sony Computer Entertainment now hopes to build on that success in LocoRoco 2.

Players must guide the bouncing, rolling and perpetually singing band through a variety of environments - including underwater - in the fight against the evil Moya. The latter are also constant singers - but in this case, their singing is so awful, it causes the LocoRoco world to fall apart. The wobbly little creatures have no choice but to make their way through 25 levels of notes and instruments, gathering strength to make their own songs louder and better. The game is perfect for kids, but hardly childish. The game will be available in stores in late November for roughly 42 dollars.

Electronic Arts (EA) is also bringing some new mobile console titles into the mix. Apart from PSP and DS versions of the newest entry in the Need for Speed line, dubbed Undercover, it is also releasing the DS title Skate It. The touch pen is used to create a variety of daring jumps using the "flickit" control system. Whether gamers find it novel as well will be seen when the game is released in late November at a price of almost 40 dollars.

Nintendo's popular Cooking Guide has now spawned a successor. Entitled, What's Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, it has 100 original recipes from the star English chef, adapted for even beginners. The program also helps deal with the leftovers: you tell the computer what you've got in your fridge, it suggests ideas for what you can make from it. This title will also cost around 40 dollars. (dpa)