There's a steady flow of games making their way to retail as 2012 kicks its gaming year off proper, and today it gets kicked up a notch with what is being haled as the best entry in the UFC series: UFC Undisputed 3.

Developed by wrestling game gurus, Yuke's, UFC Undisputed 3 packs more than a polished punch after the series' last effort, which many feel lacked the sort of depth and variety we apparently have in glistening spades here. Dave "ko-zee-ii" Kozicki continues his review marathon here on AusGamers, with a full run-down on how this entry fits in the MMA videogaming world.

Click here for his full review.

A playable demo for THQ's UFC Undisputed 3 -- the latest addition to their flagship mixed martial arts licensed franchise -- can now be found on Xbox Live for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3. Here's the brief:

Consumers will explore a fantasy UFC matchup between current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. In addition, they will relive a classic PRIDE® Mode bout between renowned UFC fighters and former champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva. The playable demo will also offer mirror matches, enabling consumers to play against friends or opponent AI as the same fighter, in the ultimate test of skill.

Undisputed 3 breaks from the usual sports game annual development cycle, with the intent of offering a bigger leap in features from the previous game so, so this demo is a good chance to see for yourself whether that move has paid off.

UFC Undisputed is due on February 16th 2012 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Watch the trailer below for a preview of the demo contents and for some more details on the game, check out Steve's most recent interview with THQ Producer Nevin Dravinski.

Not too long ago we were invited out to Las Vegas to check out, of all things, UFC Undisputed 3 from THQ and Yukes (we also had a chance to actually see UFC 137, which was a good counterpoint to seeing the game).

While I'll profess to not initially being a big fan of the sport (I prefer boxing, or the theatrical WWE), playing the game and seeing the real thing actually gave me a greater appreciation of both the concept of MMA, and just how well developed the UFC games are.

While at the event I spoke with the game's producer, Nevin Dravinski, about what's new and the pains they go through for authenticity.

Click here for the full video interview and transcript.