Rugby Challenge on Vita Dated

Tru Blu Entertainment have announced the release date for Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge on PlayStation Vita. Originally released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC last year, the game was generally well received, with a metacritic rating nearly 20 points higher than Rugby World Cup 2011, which also released in time for last year's Rugby World Cup.

Developed by Wellington-based studio Sidhe, the game will once again be sold as Wallabies Rugby Challenge within Australia and Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge in Europe and other territories. That includes New Zealand, where previous versions of the game were called All Blacks Rugby Challenge.

“We are excited to be able to bring the successful Rugby Challenge franchise to PlayStation Vita. It represents a quantum leap forward for hand-held gaming, delivering a console quality HD gaming experience in the palm of your hands,” said Tru Blu Managing Director, Sebastian Giompaolo. “We are especially looking forward to delivering a game into the hands of eager fans which utilises the touch screen capabilities of the world’s latest handheld system.”

Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge will be available in New Zealand on June 27th.

The features, from the press release:

• Multiple game modes including Single Match, Competition and Multi Year Career Modes as well as extensive Help and Tutorial Mode options for players new to the game
• 96 teams and 31 stadia, incorporating official team and competition licences for the All Blacks, the Qantas Wallabies, the USA Eagles, Bledisloe Cup, AU/NZ Super Rugby, Aviva Premiership Rugby, TOP 14 Orange, RaboDirect PRO12, ITM Cup, and Ranfurly Shield
• Utilisation of key PlayStation Vita capabilities including touch screen controls for gameplay (conversion kicks and lineouts), the rear touch panel for sprint and a full touch screen user interface
• Online multiplayer capabilities allowing gamers to compete in 1 vs 1 head to head play and leaderboard competitions
• Extensive customisation tools allowing users to shape the game to their own preferences by creating and customising new players, teams and competitions
• Real-time commentary from seasoned rugby commentators Grant Nisbett and former All Blacks’ halfback Justin Marshall

Today's announcement also included a number of new screenshots of the game, as seen on the Vita:

More images are available in the game's gallery.

Update: Tweaked the article to note the new name of the game in New Zealand.