Playstation Network Wrap-Up for February 25th, 2010

February 26, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

gow3 Playstation Network Wrap-Up for February 25th, 2010

Last week’s PSN update was dominated by one big name: Yakuza 3. The demo was good, though the fighting engine pissed me off some. Since then, there’s been a spot of bother about the game, with the word that Hostess Clubs, as well as a couple of other cultural items, were removed from the game. This upset a few people – I was mildly annoyed – but even that was mild compared to the controversy created by the other big-name release on the PSN.

This week, the only controversial bit seems to be what’s missing. For everyone else, we have two big-name demos – one for people who didn’t go to E3 and don’t have Qore, the other for people who didn’t buy the respective game already – as well as a couple of other demos, a couple of new releases, and FINALLY, a true PS one “Classic”.

We’ll start with the demos, and for anyone that wasn’t a Qore subscriber, the God of War 3 E3 Demo is available. Having played it finally, I think I can criticize the pacing of the… oh, what the hell am I talking about. It’s GOD OF FUCKING WAR. The demo provided exactly what I expected it to: a bunch of skeletons to beat up on, lots of blood, and some FUCK YEAH moments, all in what is supposed to be the first stage of the game. What’s more funny is that this past couple of months have seen a bunch of releases that ape the God of War gameplay so blatantly they might as well be paying royalties, so it’s nice to see the king come in and sweep the pretenders aside, pretenders such as Bayonetta, Dante’s Inferno and… HEY! Speaking of God of War ripoffs, the demo for Darkstalkers is out! They decided to grace us with the demo a whole month after the game was released, but that’s OK, we’ll take this opportunity to show how much better of a game God of War is anyway.

I would use this opportunity to talk about how God of War ripped off it’s gameplay from Rygar: The Legendary Adventure, but even though it’s 4AM EST I can half the staff trying to kill me telepathically. In fact, I think Aaron’s going to kill me for real. I think I’ll pass this time.

A third demo was released for a game called DiggerHD. This is an IBM compatible PC game from 1983 made by a Canadian developer named Rob Sleath, back when a lot of games were written by one person, and back when “IBM Compatible” meant something (back then, there were a lot of different types of home computer that all ran their own code, and emulators and virtual machines were decades from being realized, meaning that if you had an IBM, you had to buy IBM compatible software; same with Macintosh, or Commodore. It was worlds different from today, where Windows is really the only gaming option). Unfortunately for us in 2010, in 1983, it was exceptionally common, in the days before copyright law was seriously looked into to protect intellectual property, to have imitators of more common games floating around. In the case of Digger, I’m almost certain I’ve played it before in some other form… ah, yes, I have. I remember when this game was called Mr. Do!. It plays exactly the same – gather items to complete stages, drop big objects on your enemies, don’t get hit – as Mr. Do! did. Sadly, Mr. Do!, even in the 80s, was one of those games that got lots of playtime only by people that were trying to beat their top scores, and neither it nor Digger have aged well AT ALL. Download the demo and play a few stages, because that’s all you really need to play of the game, unless I’m missing about nine modes that aren’t in the demo.

Our last demo is for the PSP game Eye of Judgement Legends. I never played the PS3 version, and we sadly don’t have a review of it, but after taking it’s sweet time getting to an actual card battle, it showed itself to be a somewhat interesting trading card game (TCG). I’m not really into trading card games much – my first and last one was the Pokemon game for the Game Boy Colour – but anyone that is into TCGs probably owns the PS3 version of Eye of Judgement, and is counting the days to the release of the actual PSP game. I’m not entirely sure that this game is going to convert anyone – it’s got a bit of a learning curve – but anyone with the space on their UMD should check it out, as the demo saves gameplay for the regular game.

If anything, the only thing sticking out this week is the demo we didn’t get. MLB ‘10: The Show was supposed to have a demo released today, which didn’t show up. This means that the demo for the game is going to come out the same time as the PS3 demo for Major League Baseball 2K10: next Thursday, or two days after release. Normally, this is cause for scepticism, but the developers have let us know that the demo is in, it just hasn’t been put up by Sony. Why it hasn’t been put up is beyond me, and frankly, I don’t care: what better chance is there going to be to show everyone the new features that are in the game? It’s never excusable to release a demo of a game after release date, especially when your competitor released one on the 360. The fact that 2K10 improves on a lot of things from last year puts that much pressure on The Show, which to be fair, was my second choice for Sports Game of the Year. The fact that a lot of people noticed is also indicative that maybe Sony should take a little better care of their fans; they (and by “they”, I also mean “me”) obviously love the game, so don’t take them for granted.

We also have a few price updates, including a nice sale on a remade classic:

* Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Sale, One Week Only! (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
* Hero of Sparta PSP mini Permanent Price Drop (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
* Let’s Golf PSP mini Permanent Price Drop (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
* Warhawk Sale, Ends on 3/11 (now $14.99, original price $29.99)
* Warhawk Booster DLC Bundle, End on 3/11 (now $9.99, regular price $15.99)
* Warhawk Fallen Star, Broken Mirror, & Omega Dawn DLC Sale, Ends on 3/11 (now $4.99, original price $7.99)

SSFIITHDR is an absolute must-buy at that price. I’m not aware of the minis – I don’t play them, if I want cheap games I’ll get the same games on the iPhone for less money – but I’m also not aware of Warhawk, either. I’ve downloaded the demo and I’m going to try it, but half off is a nice price for any game, and reviews seem positive. I might actually pick that up if I like the demo enough.

A new game was released for the PS3 system: Greed Corp. is a tactical, turn-based strategy game for up to four players, that pits each player as a corporation that is bleeding the land of it’s natural resources, and trying to take over the whole territory before the land under them collapses. The whole premise of the game contains some pretty wry humour, and the game itself plays like any other hexagonal TBS. I’m still not sure entirely of how the rules work – I only played the demo on XBLA – but the game seems to have some deep ideas, and initial reviews are positive. At the very least, XBox users should check out the demo to see if this whets their appetite.

On the PSP, two games were released. I chronicled echoshift a couple of weeks ago, and said at the time that I thought the game was pretty good based off of the demo, but not worth more than $20. The good news is that echoshift is only being sold for $14.99. I REALLY like that price point! At just $15, there’s a lot of gameplay to be had in this game, and the prospect of future DLC gives the game even more replayability. I think I feel comfortable giving this one a recommendation for puzzle fans or people that liked Braid. Also available is GTI Club Supermini Festa!, via Konami. I have no clue, in all honesty, how this plays; I never played the arcade game, and not only have I not played even a demo for the PSP, when I was on the PSP network earlier, I didn’t even see this game up there. That might have been an oversight, but I had to do a double-take when I saw this on the update because I almost forgot it, that’s how much it slipped in.

I’ve saved the best for last: our one PS one game. They call them PS one Classics, though lately, there hasn’t been much classic about them; it’s either been ported over PC games such as Magic Carpet, or generic crap too numerous to mention. We finally have a game that is truly a classic: Grandia. I really won’t spend much time talking about this game, because Alex talked about it at length back in 2004 (scroll down to #20, or Ctrl-F for “Grandia”). My initial reaction was frustration that this is a $10 game; after all, Sony knows how to bleed it’s customers for every dollar they can for any game that people actually want to play. However, the game has been upwards of $40 on the third-hand market for years now, and that price isn’t coming down anytime soon. Considering that, I can give this game a full recommendation.

That’s all for this week. Grandia is a must-buy, SFII Turbo HD Remix is a must-buy for the next week, and the demos are great. In terms of updates, this was a very good one. Until next time, this is Christopher Bowen, and my Rygar reference has reminded me of the horrors that Tecmo has brought upon the name. I’m going to cry like a bitch now.

The full Playstation and Comic Store updates are below the cut.

Price Updates

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Sale, One Week Only! (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Hero of Sparta PSP mini Permanent Price Drop (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
Let’s Golf PSP mini Permanent Price Drop (now $4.99, original price $6.99)
Warhawk Sale, Ends on 3/11 (now $14.99, original price $29.99)
Warhawk Booster DLC Bundle, End on 3/11 (now $9.99, regular price $15.99)
Warhawk Fallen Star, Broken Mirror, & Omega Dawn DLC Sale, Ends on 3/11 (now $4.99, original price $7.99)

Downloadable Games

Greed Corp. ($9.99)
Why share when you can have it all? Greed Corp is an online multiplayer strategy game in which you battle for dominance over a world once rich in resources. In order to prevail, you must exhaust all remaining resources to build an army, and use the depleted collapsing terrain to your advantage. An extensive campaign mode and multiple unlockables prepare you to take the battle online.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 300 MB

The Tester

The Tester Episode 2 “Communication Breakdown” (free)

Legendary game designer David Jaffe joins the panel to evaluate the gamers in their first team challenge testing their ability to communicate (using human hamster balls, blindfolds, and a bullhorn).
File size: 302 MB (SD) 809 MB (HD)

PSone Classics

Grandia ($9.99)
Take the role of Justin, a young boy obsessed with becoming a great adventurer, who inherits a magic stone that leads him on an epic journey to uncover the mystery of a long lost civilization in this classic RPG. Meet an exciting cast of characters who join you along the way and unravel the mysteries of this ancient legend. Download this critically-acclaimed PS one RPG and experience the epic adventure today!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 851 MB

Game Demos (free)

God of War III Demo
God of War III finds Kratos raining carnage and destruction upon the Gods who have betrayed him and the entire Ancient Greek world. Armed with his deadly double-chained blades, Kratos will take on mythology’s darkest creatures while solving intricate puzzles on his merciless quest to destroy Olympus and the mighty Zeus himself.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 2.61 GB

Darksiders Demo
Battle through the complete first dungeon of Darksiders, with over 90 minutes of gameplay. Take on Hell’s demon hordes, explore the catacombs of the forsaken Twilight Cathedral, and face off against the hideous Bat Queen, Tiamat.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.35 GB

DiggerHD Demo
DiggerHD updates the 1980’s PC classic with a next-generation, 21st Century facelift while maintaining classic gameplay. Control the feisty little construction vehicle and burrow its way through the perils of an underground world. Players dig through the dirt to create paths, collect jewels and coins, avoid monsters and falling bags of gold in single and multiplayer modes. Try this free demo version now!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 49 MB

Add-on Game Content

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Drake’s Fortune MP Map Pack ($3.99)
Return to the locations that made UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune so great with The “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Map Pack” for UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves online multiplayer modes.

File size: 157 MB

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Drake’s Fortune MP Skin Pack ($2.99)
The “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Skin Pack” includes six classic character skins as they appeared in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune.
File size: 312 KB

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Drake’s Fortune MP Pack (bundle) ($5.99)
Grab the “The Flooded Ruins” and “The Facility” maps, as well as six classic character skins as they appeared in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune. Play as Drake, Elena, Eddie Raja, Atoq Navarro, Gabriel Roman, or mercenary grunt Javier.
File size: 157 MB

LittleBigPlanet White Knight Chronicles Costume Pack ($5.99)

The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this Costume Kit to add four White Knight Chronicles outfits to your collection: Leonard, the White Knight, the Black Knight and the Dragon Knight.
NOTE: to download this Costume Kit, you must already own LittleBigPlanet.
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet White Knight Chronicles Black Knight Costume ($1.99)
The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this additional costume to really stand out from the crowd!
NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet White Knight Chronicles Dragon Knight Costume ($1.99)

The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this additional costume to really stand out from the crowd!
NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet White Knight Chronicles Leonard Costume ($1.99)
The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this additional costume to really stand out from the crowd!
NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet White Knight Chronicles White Knight Costume ($1.99)
The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly how you want. Download this additional costume to really stand out from the crowd!

NOTE: to download this costume, you must already own LittleBigPlanet
File size: 1.04 MB

Borderlands Secret Armory ($9.99)
The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is an addon pack for Borderlands that adds new guns, new Class Mods, new vehicles, new missions, new enemy types, and increases the level cap to 61. In other words…best addon ever. Of all time. Forever. The End. ELEVEN!
File size: 1.65 GB

Dante’s Inferno Animated Film Dante Costume ($1.99)
Dress Dante as one of the heroes from Starz Media’s animated feature film based on EA’s Dante’s Inferno video game.
File size: 6.15 MB

FIFA 10 Ultimate Team (English, Spanish, French) ($4.99 each)
Build your own Ultimate Team with all your favorite football stars, choose to manage one or multiple squads & then compete in dynamically updated online tournaments.
File sizes: 670 MB – 676 MB

Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising Overwatch Pack ($4.99)
Download the ‘Overwatch’ DLC pack for Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, featuring two new game-changing multiplayer modes and Fire Team Engagements (FTEs) – Friendly Skies and Hostile Takeover.
File size: 6.77 MB

Valkyria Chronicles Challenge of the Edy ($4.99)
Experience an enthralling new chapter in the critically acclaimed tactical RPG, VALKYRIA CHRONICLES, with an exciting expansion pack! Join the members of the Edy Detachment as they venture through 6 new maps of unique skirmish battles, each designed to feature a different soldier class; the scout, lancer, sniper, engineer, shocktrooper and the tank.
File size: 84 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Can You Take Me” by Third Eye Blind ($1.99)
“Losing a Whole Year” by Third Eye Blind ($1.99)
“Never Let You Go” by Third Eye Blind ($1.99)
Third Eye Blind Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Can You Take Me”, “Losing A Whole Year”, and “Never Let You Go” by Third Eye Blind, Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 33 MB – 42 MB (singles), 108 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Distracted”— KSM ($1.99)
“Walking on the Moon”— The Police ($1.99)
“Heartkiller”— HIM ($1.99)
“Ode to Solitude”— HIM ($1.99)
“Wings of a Butterfly”— HIM ($1.99)
“Just For Tonight” – One Night Only ($1.99)
“The Dope Show” – Marilyn Manson ($1.99)
HIM Pack 1 ($5.49)- Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: HIM Pack 01. This pack includes “Heartkiller,” “Ode to Solitude,” and “Wings of a Butterfly” by HIM.

File sizes: 26 MB – 32 MB (singles), 89 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)

PlayStation 3 TV Commercial – “Grandma”
File size: 23 MB (HD) 37 MB (1080)

MLB 10: The Show Reveal Trailer
File sizes: 60 MB (HD) 100 MB (1080)

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 Launch Trailer
File size: 70 MB (HD) 118 MB (1080)

MAG “Dear PlayStation” Spot

File size: 22 MB (HD) 36 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Leadership Overview
File size: 70 MB (HD) 118 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – OIC
File size: 70 MB (HD) 118 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Platoon Leader

File size: 58 MB (HD) 97 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Squad Leader
File size: 57 MB (HD) 97 MB (1080)

Yakuza 3 Dev Diary 1
File size: 143 MB (HD)

Dragon Age: Origins Awakening Trailer
File size: 61 MB (HD)

War Machine Trailer

File size: 42 MB (HD)

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing All-Star Moves Trailer
File size: 43 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

MLB 10: The Show Themes (Diamondbacks, Orioles, Red Sox, Rockies, Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, Giants, Rays, and Blue Jays) (free)
File sizes: 2.56 MB – 2.61 MB

MAG SVER Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 6.25 MB

MAG Raven Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 2.55 MB

MAG Valor Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 5.42 MB

Abstracted Theme ($1.49)
File size: 8.48 MB

Irish Flags Theme ($1.99)

File size: 5.57 MB

Wallpaper (free)

Madden NFL 11 Contest Wallpapers (x3) (Drew Brees, Jared Allen and Reggie Wayne)
File sizes: 325 KB – 337 KB (SD) 1.70 MB – 1.81 MB (HD)

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 Storefront)

echoshift ($14.99)

echoshift redefines puzzle games with a new game play mechanic that challenges you to manipulate time and be in multiple places at once! Solve puzzles by layering your decisions to push switches, bridge gaps, and more. You’ll have to think quickly and use your past decisions in this artistically stylized world, available exclusively on the PSP system.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 148 MB

GTI Club Supermini Festa! ($29.99)
GTI Club Supermini Festa! shifts its way to download on the PSP and PSPgo systems! Staying true to the original racing frenzy of the award-winning arcade game, players will race through the cityscapes of France, the UK, Italy, USA and Japan. Tackle a wide variety of driving conditions in the ultimate race to the finish!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 188 MB

PSP minis (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Retro Cave Flyer ($4.99)
File size: 16 MB

The Terminator ($6.99)
File size: 11 MB

Age of Zombies ($4.99)
File size: 21 MB

PSP Game Demos (free)

The Eye of Judgment Legends Demo

File size: 397 MB

Add-On Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

BUZZ! Quiz World PSP Comedy Pack ($2.99)
From the world famous National Geographic archives comes the ultimate African wildlife quiz. This BUZZ! Quiz World PSP quiz pack features hundreds of new questions about African wildlife to play in any of your favorite BUZZ! Quiz World PSP game modes. Download this quiz pack today and turn your party into the ultimate trivia showdown. Challenge friends and family and “Show ‘em Your Trivia!”
File size: 68 MB

Metal Slug XX Leona Playable Character ($0.99)
Leona Heidern from THE KING OF FIGHTERS series joins Marco & Co. in battle! In terms of close quarters combat, Leona is the most talented of the seven characters. Not only is she a master of CQC, but she is also second to none in handling firearms.

File size: 1.1 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Episode 2
File size: 129 MB

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 Launch Trailer
File size: 11 MB

PlayStation 3 TV Commercial – “Grandma”
File Size: 3.29 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

MLB 10: The Show PSP Themes (Diamondbacks, Orioles, Red Sox,Rockies, Dodgers, Yankees,Padres, Giants, Rays, and Blue Jays) (free)
File sizes: 587 – 598 KB

Irish Shamrock Flag PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 427 KB

Irish Flags PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 408 KB

Comic Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1668 - $1.99
2000AD Prog 2010 Christmas Mega-Special - $6.99
Burke & Hare # 3 - $0.99
Donald Duck in: “Gone With The Wind” # 1 - $0.99
DoubleDuck # 3 - $1.99
Locke & Key: Head Games # 3 - $0.99
Magica De Spell and the Enchanted Party - $0.99
Scrooge McDuck and the Unpredictable Sniff-O-Meter - $0.99
Superduck # 7 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 1 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 2 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 3 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 4 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 5 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 6 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 7 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 8 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 9 - $1.99
The Avengers (1963) # 10 - $1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 107 - $1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 108 - $1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 109 - $1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 110 - $1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 111 - $1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 112 - $1.99
Transformers # 1 - $1.99
Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 13 - $1.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 5 - $0.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 6 - $0.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 17 - $1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 18 - $1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 19 - $1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 489 - $1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 490 - $1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 491 - $1.99
We Will Bury You # 1 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 44 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 45 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 46 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 47 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 48 - $1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 49 - $1.99
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Down The Pub # 13 - $0.99
X-Men (2004) # 193 - $1.99
X-Men (2004) # 194 - $1.99
X-Men (2004) # 195 - $1.99
X-Men (2004) # 196 - $1.99
X-Men (2004) # 197 - $1.99
X-Men (2004) # 198 - $1.99
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 1 - $1.99
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 2 - $1.99
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 3 - $1.99
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 4 - $1.99
X-Men: Phoenix Warsong (2006) # 5 - $1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Playstation Network Update for February 18th, 2010

February 19, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

I consider myself a professional. I feel that I can get past whatever comes to me, get past it, and get my job done properly.

The Winter Olympics are one of the few times when I decide to hell with professionalism. They have hockey on literally all day! I just watched Canada beat the Swiss in a shootout, during which time I was so transfixed that I couldn’t even use the bathroom, and I’m currently watching China vs. Russia. The WOMEN’S teams. In a meaningless game. Who cares? It’s international hockey!

Therefore, to steal a line from Bill Hicks, bear with me as I put on a fake smile and plow through this shit one more time.

The big release to come to the PS3 is in the form of a demo. Yakuza 3’s demo was released, and features a few playable fights, and a couple of minigames, with the promise – in the demo – of other things being available once the full version is bought. One Ramen store even claims it’s “too much flavour for the demo!”, which I thought was a cute little bit of salesmanship. The game looks interesting, though I have major issues with the fighting engine; it’s cheap, and hard to get any momentum going since you’re going to be fighting one on many most of the time. One fight I had against a bunch of suited gaijin involved me going to hit one guy, getting someone else, and someone coming in and absolutely destroying me with unblockable combos. This fight frustrated the hell out of me – I never did finish it because I was about to throw a $50 controller against the wall – and made things worse when the game asked me “would you like to temporarily change the difficulty to Easy?”, almost as if to mock me. No, Yakuza, I don’t want to go down in difficulty, and go fuck yourself. With that said, I’m still interested in the main game, and am even interested in the first two, which Matt Yeager loved. The other demo released was Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Demo. It’s as bad now as it was when I talked about it in last week’s XBox piece, and is so bad it doesn’t even get it’s own paragraph.

Also notable for Qore subscribers, or at least the ones that bought the last episode, is that in addition to the God of War 3 demo from last week, they also have the ability to download the PSP demo for Eye of Judgement LEGENDS.

There are also quite a few sales going on. The big name is similar to a sale on XBox Live last week: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is on sale for 50% off for a week, down to $8. This is actually a couple of dollars less expensive than Microsoft’s similar sale, though anyone that wants the game probably owns it at this point. If you don’t own the game and have even a passing interest in fighting games, pick it up, definitely. Topatoi also has a permanent price drop from $10 to $8, though it should be noted that’s probably for a reason: the game, according to most, isn’t very good.

Ubisoft is also having a sale until March 4th. The items on sale are are as follows:

* Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood – Old West Map Pack Sale (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
* Shaun White Snowboarding The Glamour Pack Sale (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
* Shaun White Snowboarding Target Limited Edition The Glamour Pack Sale (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
* Tom Clancy’s End War Faction Elite Pack Sale (now $1.99, original price $3.75)
* Brothers in Arms D-Day Sale (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
* Price of Persia Revelations Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) Sale (now $9.99, original price $19.99)

Frankly, this sale sucks. Most of the items on sale are DLC packs for other games, and of the two games on sale, one is passable (PoP Revelations) and one is awful (TMNT). The kids today call this “mondo lame”. I’m so up with the groovy jingo!

Debuting this week is the Playstation Network’s original show: The Tester. This is a reality show to see who gets the “ultimate” job: being a Playstation play tester. The episode is free, so at the very least, there’s no risk in downloading it unless future episodes come at a cost, though I think Penny Arcade got it right when talking about the “perfect” job.

There are three new PS one games on the service. Magic Carpet is the only one that’s going to raise eyebrows. It was originally released on the PC by Bullfrog, the same people who released Populous, the third version of which was released last weekend. This is another case where the PC version is the superior version, but it’s also another case where the PC version might not even be playable on modern operating systems. For $6, this is worth it for fans, or for someone who doesn’t mind something different, as I have a hard time containing this to one genre. Sorcerer’s Maze is Just Another Breakout Clone, though at least it’s cute. I don’t like how delayed the paddle feels, though; there’s a split second gap between when you push the button and when the paddle moves, which doesn’t feel right. Mass Destruction can best be described as Urban Strike with tanks and worse control.

Finally, on the PSP side of things, there are two games being released. The big name is obviously SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3. As you can see, the game’s already been reviewed, and I gave it a decent score. BUT… the latest news about the registration to play the game online costing $20 for used buyers has left a NASTY taste in my mouth. I’ll be addressing this in my Unbranding the Sheep column on Friday. Puzzle Chronicles was also released on the service for $30. Aaron Sirois reviewed the game earlier this month, and liked it, though he did call it a letdown of sorts.

That’s all for this week. We have some nice demos, a high-tier PSP release, and a show that Sony hopes will be the Tough Enough of videogames. Until next week, this is Christopher Bowen, who has now moved onto watching Canada vs. France in curling. Laugh at me all you want.

The full Playstation and Comic Store update are below, under the cut.

Price Updates

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Sale, One Week Only (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Topatoi Permanent Price Drop (now $7.99, original price $9.99)

Ubisoft Game Sale – Ends on 3/4:

Call of Juarez: Bound In Blood – Old West Map Pack Sale (now $5.99, original price $9.99)
Shaun White Snowboarding The Glamour Pack Sale (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Shaun White Snowboarding Target Limited Edition The Glamour Pack Sale (now $2.49, original price $4.99)
Tom Clancy’s End War Faction Elite Pack Sale (now $1.99, original price $3.75)
Brothers in Arms D-Day Sale (now $7.49, original price $14.99)
Price of Persia Revelations Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) Sale (now $9.99, original price $19.99)

The Tester

The Tester Season Premiere: Episode 1 “The Critical Eye” (free)

The chosen 11 gamers meet for the first time, confront their first challenge, and face the panel in the debut of PlayStation Network’s new original series. Download now and find out who goes home first.
File size: 347 MB (SD) 936 MB (HD)

Qore

All Qore subscribers and purchasers of February’s episode (#21) can now visit that episode’s Download Center to download The Eye of Judgment LEGENDS demo for the PSP/PSPgo.

PSone Classics

Magic Carpet (5.99)
Jump on your magic carpet and revisit this classic filled with mystery, spells, and monsters. Let the fantasy take you away!

ESRB Rated E
File size: 84 MB

Mass Destruction ($5.99)
Become a one-man army as you get behind the controls of one of three multi-armored battle tanks. Show no mercy as you utilize every weapon in your arsenal to bring about mass destruction against cruel, despotic regimes in over 20 missions across four types of terrain!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 87 MB

Sorcerer’s Maze ($5.99)
Travel through the Sorcerer’s Maze in this fantasy-filled puzzle game. Can you harness the powers of magic to defeat the monsters within?

ESRB Rated E
File size: 25 MB

Avatars

MAG SVER Badge Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 134 KB

MAG SVER Character Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 109 KB

MAG Raven Badge Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 100 KB

MAG Raven Character Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 106 KB

MAG Valor Badge Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 100 KB

MAG Valor Character Avatar ($0.49)
File size: 112 KB

Game Demos (free)

Yakuza 3 Network Demo
Introducing the next cinematic chapter in the prestigious Yakuza series renowned for its authentic, gritty and often violent look at modern Japan. Making its first appearance exclusively on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the rich story and vibrant world of Yakuza 3 lets players engage in intense brutal clashes within the streets of Okinawa, and the vibrant and often dangerous city of Tokyo where only the strongest will survive.

ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.20 GB

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Demo
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Playable Demo.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 827 MB

Add-on Game Content

BUZZ! National Geographic: Kids Quiz Pack ($7.99)
A new question pack for BUZZ!
File size: 60 MB

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Saiyan’s Pack (free)
The “Dragon Ball: Raging Blast” Character Pack #7 is now available! The seventh release is the “Saiyans Pack.” This pack contains very popular Saiyan fighters: Majin Vegeta, Trunks (Fighting Teen), Vegito, Bardock and Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta! The Saiyans of all Saiyans now enter the Raging Blast battles! Who will be the last fighter standing…?

File size: 116 KB

Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities ($4.99)
A must for Assassin’s fans, Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities continues to expand the award-winning AC2 universe. Take on a powerful adversary in twelve new memories. Work with Machiavelli to free the city of Florence from the grip of the mad monk Savonarola.
File size: 1.49 GB

Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations ($9.99)
Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities continues to expand the award-winning AC2 universe. Take on a powerful adversary in 12 new memories. Work with Machiavelli to free the city of Florence from the grip of the mad monk Savonarola. Three Templar secret locations from the AC2 Collector’s Edition are also included: Palazzo Medici, Santa Maria Dei Frari, and the Arsenal Shipyard.
File size: 1.49 GB

Dante’s Inferno Florentine Dante Costume ($1.99)
Dress Dante as the famous Italian poet of the Middle Ages, Dante Alighieri. Part one of his poem The Divine Comedy serves as the backdrop for EA’s action-adventure epic Dante’s Inferno.
File size: 5.34 MB

Resident Evil 5 Lost In Nightmares ($4.99)
This is the first installment of new content for Resident Evil 5. Find out what happened to Jill at Spencer’s estate, and play as Barry Burton and Excella Gionne in The Mercenaries Reunion.
File size: 413 MB

Resident Evil 5 Costume Pack 1 ($1.99)
This costume pack is compatible with the original game. Show off Chris’ muscled physique with his Warrior outfit, and add a bit of elfin fantasy to Sheva with Fairy Tale. These costumes can also be used in The Mercenaries Reunion in addition to the main story.

File size: 116 KB

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Hoth Mission Pack ($9.99)
Go beyond the evil ending of The Force Unleashed and take the Apprentice to Hoth to “recruit” an important ally.
File size: 888 MB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Let Forever Be”— The Chemical Brothers ($1.99)
“Weightless”— All Time Low ($1.99)
“Stray Cat Strut”— Brian Setzer ($1.99)
“Fascination”— Alphabeat ($1.99)
“I’ve Got Dreams to Remember”— Otis Redding ($1.99)
“(Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay (Take 2)”— Otis Redding ($1.99)
“Love Man”— Otis Redding ($1.99)
“Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)”— Otis Redding ($1.99)
“I’m Sick Y’all”— Otis Redding ($1.99) ($1.99)
Otis Redding Pack 1 ($8.49)- Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Otis Redding Pack 01. This album includes “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” “(Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay (Take 2),” “Love Man,” “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song),” and “I’m Sick Y’all” by Otis Redding.

File sizes: 15 MB – 28 MB (singles), 80 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)

Pulse 2/18 Edition
File size: 290 MB (HD) 466 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Career Overview
File size: 95 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Commando
File size: 57 MB (HD) 95 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Direct Action
File size: 52 MB (HD) 87 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Field Support
File size: 54 MB (HD) 88 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Rapid Assault
File size: 45 MB (HD) 72 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Sniper
File size: 41 MB (HD) 70 MB (1080)

ModNation Racers PSP Announcement Trailer
File size: 62 MB (HD)

Yakuza 3 Gameplay Trailer

File size: 104 MB (HD)

Assassin’s Creed II: Battle of Forli Trailer
File size: 69 MB (HD)

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 – Announcement Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Gameplay Trailer 1
File size: 39 MB (HD)

Fret Nice Trailer
File size: 29 MB (HD)

make.believe Award Winning Filmmaking
File size: 123 MB (1080)

make.believe Games Loved By Millions
File size: 86 MB (1080)

make.believe Racing on the G4 Circuit
File size: 137 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes

Resident Evil 5 Customizable Theme Pack ($1.99)
File size: 8.58 MB

Amazing Peaks Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.67 MB

Hemorrhage Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.27 MB

Wallpaper (free)

Fret Nice Wallpaper
File size: 229 KB (SD) 1.09 MB (HD)

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 Storefront)

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 ($39.99)
The best selling shooter on the PSP returns with an intense single player campaign, unprecedented 4 player co-op, and up to 16 player competitive multiplayer.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 1.04 GB

Puzzle Chronicles ($29.99)
Enter the dark and savage lands of the Ashurin Empire as you battle to avenge the atrocities the Empire brought upon your tribesmen. On your heroic quest to topple the Empire you will fìght fierce beasts and battle hardened warriors in this new Puzzle RPG hybrid game. Featuring an active puzzle combat mechanic, deep story, and robust character development Puzzle Chronicles will bring you into the next era of Puzzle RPGs.
ESRB Rated E10+

File size: 146 MB

Add-On Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

BUZZ! Quiz World PSP National Geographic Safari Pack ($3.99)
From the world famous National Geographic archives comes the ultimate African wildlife quiz. This BUZZ! Quiz World PSP quiz pack features hundreds of new questions about African wildlife to play in any of your favorite BUZZ! Quiz World PSP game modes. Download this quiz pack today and turn your party into the ultimate trivia showdown. Challenge friends and family and “Show ‘em Your Trivia!”
File size: 52 MB

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 Online Entitlement ($19.99)
The Online Entitlement is used to activate the online / infrastructure features of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3. For those purchasing the game second-hand, the entitlement will need to be purchased and entered into a PSN account prior to activating the infrastructure co-op and multiplayer features. The entitlement will be tied to purchasing PSN account and cannot be used by another account.
File size: N/A

LittleBigPlanet PSP Savannah Level Pack ($2.99)
Download a new set of goodies to create your own Savannah themed levels.
NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.63 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Savannah Costumes (free)
LittleBigPlanet’s critically acclaimed “PLAY, CREATE, SHARE” experience, makes its way to the PSP system with a completely new Sackboy adventure. Get a sneak peek of what’s in the Savannah Theme Pack with this free Lion costume!

Note: Manual update required
File size: 4.56 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Wedding Theme Pack ($2.99)
Download a new set of costumes and CREATE materials to create your own LittleBigWedding! Weddings Theme Pack includes two costumes, 14 materials, 15 stickers, one music kit and one background.
NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.64 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Wedding Costumes (free)
LittleBigPlanet’s critically acclaimed “PLAY, CREATE, SHARE” experience, makes its way to the PSP system with a completely new Sackboy adventure. Get two free costumes and get dressed up for the biggest wedding of the year!

NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.48 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Season Premiere: Episode 1 “The Critical Eye”
File size: 155 MB

Pulse 2/18 Edition
File size: 53 MB

ModNation Racers PSP Announcement Trailer

File size: 11 MB

DEAD OR ALIVE Paradise Trailer
File size: 11 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Army of Two PSP Theme (free)
File size: 561 KB

Hemorrhage PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 480 KB

Matterhorn PSP Theme ($1.49)

File size: 446 KB

Comics Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1667 - $ 1.99
Cages # 2 $ 0.99
Daredevil (1998) # 98 - $ 1.99
Daredevil (1998) # 99 - $ 1.99
Donald Duck and the Three Musketeers # 2 $ 1.99
Locke & Key: Head Games # 2 $ 0.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 5 - $ 1.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 6 - $ 1.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 7 - $ 1.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 8 - $ 1.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 9 - $ 1.99
Marvel Knights (2000) # 10 - $ 1.99
Scrooge McDuck and the Present from the Past - $ 0.99
Shaun the Sheep Comic # 3 - $ 0.99
Superduck and the treasure of Dolly Paprika # 7 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – The Gifting # 3 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – The Gifting # 4 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – Visions of Booga # 1 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – Visions of Booga # 2 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – Visions of Booga # 3 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl – Visions of Booga # 4 - $ 0.99

The Beagle Boys and the Untimely Holiday - $ 0.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 101 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 102 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 103 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 104 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 105 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 106 - $ 1.99
Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 12 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 3 - $ 0.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 4 - $ 0.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 14 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 15 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 16 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 486 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 487 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 488 - $ 1.99
Venom Vs. Carnage (2004) # 1 $ 1.99
Venom Vs. Carnage (2004) # 2 - $ 1.99
Venom Vs. Carnage (2004) # 3 - $ 1.99
Venom Vs. Carnage (2004) # 4 - $ 1.99
Wallace & Gromit Comic # 7 - $ 0.99
Wolverine (2003) # 38 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 39 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 40 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 41 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 42 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 43 - $ 1.99
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising # 12 - $ 0.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 1 - $ 1.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 2 - $ 1.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 3 - $ 1.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 4 - $ 1.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 5 - $ 1.99
X-23: Target X (2007) # 6 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 187 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 188 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 189 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 190 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 191 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 192 - $ 1.99
X-Mickey: Behind the Mask # 7 - $ 1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Playstation Network Wrap-Up for February 11th, 2010 (UPDATED)

February 13, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

I don’t really think I can lead this off with a “witty” lead-in this week. We all know what the big elephant in the room is. There’s no sense in beating around the bush: the Heavy Rain demo is the only PSN release this week that actually, truly matters. This is the first PSN update I’ve actually looked forward to, and some poking around the community of players who didn’t go through the hoops to get the earlier demo indicates I wasn’t the only one. However, a deeper look shows a couple of really good values elsewhere, including a couple of old PS one classics.

After installing the Heavy Rain demo, I was able to rip through both chapters. It’s definitely a David Cage game; fans will consider it artsy and applaud the direction that the game takes, whereas critics will bemoan the fact that it’s pretentious and has virtually no gameplay elements outside of quick time events. Lots of quick time events. LOADS of quick time events. Whether it’s holding buttons down, pressing them, mashing them, waggling the controller or what have you, the game is essentially one big QTE. There’s a fight scene in the first chapter, and my unofficial count was 26 different actions on my part. I get the sense that this is the evolutionary Dragon’s Lair, since all you have to do is do what the screen tells you to do. The second chapter at least had a bit more exploration, and showed off the game’s somewhat open-ended nature, but it’s still a matter of the screen telling you to do something and you doing it. One thing that I noticed right away was that the voice acting was atrocious. This can be somewhat forgiven by the fact that this is a French studio, but a game with this kind of budget should have brought in better actors. While playing, I literally thought to myself “can I shut off dubs”, until I reminded myself that I wasn’t watching an anime and that I was stuck with the English actors. I got the impression that David Cage wanted to make a movie, but was told that he had to make a game out of it, and finally gave up after four hours, angrily deciding that he would “compromise” his creation with a game of Simon Says. With that said, the story does have me intrigued, and I do want to pick it up still when it comes out on the 23rd. Overall, people familiar with Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy already know what they’re getting, but for anyone else, if you don’t mind sacrificing action for a good story, you’ll be very interested in this.

Heavy Rain was the only PS3 demo, but we had two more demos for the PSP. The first one is for a game called echoshift. The premise of this puzzle game is interesting: you go through as much of the stage as you can, until time “bounces” back, and you go through as the same time as your previous doppleganger, who moves at the same time you do. It always takes both copies to get through each stage, so you have to get the first part done so the second part can get through. If this sounds suspiciously similar to Braid, it plays like that, only without the platforming elements. This is paced more like a puzzle game, with many levels available with the game, and more coming later via DLC. Overall, it’s a cute puzzle game, but shouldn’t cost above $20 from what I’ve played. The second PSP demo is for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, which comes out next week. Instead of talking about that game at length here, I’ll instead direct everyone to check out my full review, which went up just a couple of hours ago.

After no PS one games last week, we saw three of them today, two of them a great tribute to a forgotten studio. Bullfrog Studios was a developer who was bought out and eventually merged into Electronic Arts. In their lifetime, they released a lot of great management and strategy games such as Populous, Syndicate, and Theme Park. Two of those releases see later sequels on the service in Populous: The Beginning and Sim Theme Park (AKA: Theme Park World). These are both outstanding games, and $6 for them seems like it’s stealing. However, it should be noted that neither of these games were built for Playstation controls, so controlling them could be an issue. Furthermore, Populous fans are aware of this, but Populous: The Beginning, while a good game, was a radical departure for the series, almost like someone walked into a production meeting halfway through development and yelled “Quick! We have to put elements from Warcraft in RIGHT NOW!”. Still, Lucard loved it, and Sim Theme Park is also a good game, so both are worthy purchases if the PC versions can’t be found or played (Populous: The Beginning was a Win98 game, and might not work on XP/Vista/7). Also released was Dirt Jockey: Heavy Equipment Operator, which was a generic pile of crap. The less said, the better.

Bargain hunters should be on the lookout for a few good sales and bundles. Burnout Paradise saw a couple of new bundles, one that takes the complete game and packages it for $30, and another that takes the DLC and puts it together for $20. Burnout Paradise was a good game, so any racing or driving fans looking for a bargain to tide them over until Gran Turismo 5 comes out should at least check it out. There are a couple of Valentine’s Day themed bundles for Sonic Unleashed and Valkyrie Chronicles, though I’m unsure of what they do quite yet. On the PSP, there’s a bundle including Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars and Full Auto 2: Battlelines for $20, but both games suck. Of potentially more interest is a bundle combining both Sonic Rivals games together for $30. Sonic fans could look into this, though I wouldn’t touch a Sonic product at this point with a ten foot pole. In terms of sales, Patapon 2 sees a permanent price drop from $20 to $15. Twenty dollars was a great price for such a great game, so $15 is definitely worth the purchase. Trine is on sale for one week for $10, down from $20; for that price, the game is worth it. Finally, the map bundle for Call of Duty: World at War is down from $25 to $20. This one makes a lot less sense to me; I don’t know how many maps are in this pack, but that seems like a stupefying price to spend on DLC for a mediocre shooting game that initially cost $60. I don’t understand how, as a consumer, I should be thankful for this, but I’m sure there’s something for everyone.

UPDATE: 2/13/10 @ 1841 EST – The game flOw is available until 12AM EST/9PM PST tonight, Saturday the 13th. Get this while you can! It’s not quite as good as Flower, but it’s still an interesting little game, especially for the price. The price, again, being free.

Until next week, this is Christopher Bowen, who is FINALLY going to bed at 3:40AM after writing three columns and a review in one day. Don’t let anyone tell you this business is easy, kids.

The full update for both the Playstation and Comic Store is under the cut.

Special Offers

Burnout Paradise Complete Edition Bundle ($29.99)
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 3.25 GB

Burnout Paradise Complete Downloadable Content Bundle ($19.99)
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 700 KB

Sonic Unleashed “Unleash Your Desire” Bundle ($11.99)

ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 3.38 GB

Valkyria Chronicles “Love Conquers All” Bundle ($9.99)
ESRB Rated T
File size: 429 MB

Price Updates

Patapon 2 Permanent Price Drop (now $14.99, original price $19.99)

Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack Bundle Temporary Sale (now $19.99, original price $24.99)

Trine Sale, One Week Only (now $9.99, original price $19.99)

PSone Classics

Dirt Jockey ($5.99)
Earn your license and get behind the wheel of your very own dump truck, bulldozer, wheel loader, or crane and see what it’s like to operate these massive machines.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 223 MB

Populous: The Beginning ($5.99)

Use your power and magic as a shaman to build armies, unleash awesome spells, and conquer all of the worlds in the solar system in this real-time strategy game sequel to the popular “god game” series. Download this PSone classic game today and conquer the solar system to become a god!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 250 MB

Sim Theme Park ($5.99)
Build and manage the theme park of your dreams! Take control of every aspect of managing your park, from the dimensions of the roller coasters to the prices of food and drinks, to keep the customers happy and your theme park thriving!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 283 MB

Game Demos (free)

Heavy Rain Demo
Get your hands on one of the most anticipated and talked about PlayStation 3 exclusives of 2010!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.35 GB

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Valentine’s Day Mini-Pack ($2.99)
Get these Valentine’s costumes and stickers to spread some love in LittleBigPlanet!

File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Chinese New Year Costume (free)
The best thing about Sackboy is that you can make him look and act exactly as you want. Download these additional costumes and really stand out from the crowd!
File size: 1.04 MB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Other Unlimited Characters Unlocked ($4.99)
Unlimited characters step in the ring to join the fight!
File size: 301 KB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Additional Character Colors (x6) ($1.99 each)
Additional color palettes based on European flag and more for Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Characters.

File sizes: 301 KB each

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger All Additional Colors 2 ($4.99)
Additional color palettes based on European flag colors for all 12 characters. (Packs A, B, and C combined.)
File size: 301 KB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger All Additional Colors 3 ($4.99)
This package includes 4 more colors for all 12 characters. (Packs A, B, and C combined.)
File size: 301 KB

Dante’s Inferno Free Soul Pack (free)

Contains 500 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Small Soul Pack ($0.99)
Contains 1500 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Medium Soul Pack ($1.99)
Contains 3000 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Large Soul Pack ($3.99)
Contains 5000 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities
File size: 100 KB

Dark Void Survivor Missions ($4.99)
Prepare for the fight of your life! In the Survivor Missions, relive key events from Dark Void as you battle waves of increasingly difficult enemy troops. Rack up massive points with score multipliers for headshots and hijacking enemy aircraft. Pick up time bonuses and fight back the alien armada! But never forget what matters most: Survival!
File size: 337 MB

Fairytale Fights Treasure Pack 1 (free)
Expand your Fairytale Fights experience with 3 new gruesome player vs player arenas and 4 brand new characters for even more bloodshed! Fairytale Fights delivers an unmatched fury of cartoon violence on your console. Download the latest pack for Fairytale Fights and grab a slice of the action!

File size: 61 MB

NBA Live 10 All-Star Weekend Pack (free)
Get up-to-date for NBA All-Star Weekend 2010 from Dallas, Texas with the official jerseys. This free update pack includes the official East and West All-Star game jerseys for All-Star 2010.
File size: 1.95 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Until The End” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
“Sooner or Later” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
“Give Me A Sign” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
Breaking Benjamin Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Sooner or Later”, “Until The End”, and “Give Me A Sign” by Breaking Benjamin. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 39 MB – 46 MB (singles), 128 MB (track pack)

Rock Band

Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Hangar 18″— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Take No Prisoners”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Five Magics”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Poison Was the Cure”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Lucretia”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Tornado of Souls”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Dawn Patrol”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Rust in Peace… Polaris”— Megadeth ($1.99)
Rust in Peace (Album)— Megadeth ($14.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Rust in Peace (Album). This album includes “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18,” “Take No Prisoners,” “Five Magics,” “Poison Was the Cure,” “Lucretia,” “Tornado of Souls,” “Dawn Patrol,” and “Rust in Peace… Polaris” by Megadeth.

File sizes: 12 MB – 52 MB (singles), 311 MB (album)

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Preview Episode
File size: 126 MB (SD) 356 MB (HD)

White Knight Chronicles IE Launch Trailer
File size: 62 MB (HD) 104 MB (1080)

Heavy Rain Gameplay Engine Trailer

File size: 75 MB (HD) 129 MB (1080)

After Burner Climax Announcement Network Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #1 Network Trailer
File size: 107 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #2 Network Trailer
File size: 97 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #3 Network Trailer
File size: 92 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #4 Network Trailer
File size: 94 MB (HD)

Just Cause 2: Grapple Documentary Video
File size: 146 MB (HD)

Army of Two: The 40th Day “World Tour”
File size: 45 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

Flower Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

File size: 3.41 MB

WipEout HD Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 4.36 MB

Trash Panic Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 8.35 MB

BioShock 2 Single-Player Theme (free)
File size: 6.16 MB

Army of Two: The 40th Day PS3 Theme (free)
File size: 2.52 MB

Dante’s Inferno Theme (free)
File size: 5.41 MB

Dita Von Teese Premium Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.69 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP

Special Offers (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Crazy Taxi & Full Auto 2 “Driving Me Crazy” Bundle ($19.99)

Includes Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars + Full Auto 2: Battlelines for PSP.
ESRB Rated E10
File size: 1.22 GB

Sonic Rivals “Set My Pulse Racing” Bundle ($29.99)
Includes Sonic Rivals 1 and 2 for PSP.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 653 MB

Game Demos (free) (also available from PS3 Storefront)

echoshift Demo
echoshift redefines puzzle games with an innovative game play mechanic that challenges you to manipulate time and be in multiple places at once! Plan ahead to solve puzzles by layering your actions on top of each other to push switches, bridge gaps, and much more. You’ll have to think quickly and use your past decisions in this artistically stylized world, available exclusively on the PSP system.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 144 MB

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 Demo
Playble demo for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 for the PSP contains level from campaign playable via single player or co-op (ad hoc) and multiplayer trailer (480p).
ESRB Rated T

File size: 234 MB

Add-On Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

LittleBigPlanet PSP Lurve Costume (free)
PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. LittleBigPlanet’s critically acclaimed “PLAY, CREATE, SHARE” experience, makes its way to the PSP system with a completely new Sackboy adventure. Get a free costume and show everyone you’re in “lurve”!

NOTE: Manual Update required – please reference the following instruction to manually download the latest update patch for LittleBigPlanet (PSP):

If accessing wirelessly:

Ensure an online connection
On the XMB, highlight the LBP game icon and open the menu by pressing (Triangle)
Highlight and select “Update” and continue with the on-screen instructions

If accessing thru the PlayStation Store (for the first time*):

Download the latest LBP PSP Update manually from the XMB – if downloaded through the PS3, install and transfer files to PSP
*To download future updates through the PlayStation Store, access the “Download List” and re-download the LBP PSP Update.

ESRB Rated E
File size: 824 KB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Lurve Theme Level Pack ($2.99)

PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. Download a new set of costumes and CREATE materials to create your levels of “lurve”.
NOTE: Manual Update required
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1.1 MB

PSP Minis

Spaceball: Revolution ($4.99)
File size: 18 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Preview Episode
File size: 60 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Gluttony
File size: 50 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Lust

File size: 47 MB

Valkryia Chronicles II Teaser Trailer
File size: 2.52 MB

Ultimate Board Game Collection Trailer
File size: 11 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Lindsay Kaye PSP Theme 1 ($1.49)
File size: 608 KB

Lindsay Kaye PSP Theme 2 ($1.49)

File size: 554 KB

Azmodeus Dark Angels PSP Theme 11 ($0.99)
File size: 538 KB

Azmodeus Dark Angels PSP Theme 12 ($0.99)
File size: 516 KB

Comic Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1666 - $ 1.99
Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth 2 $ 0.99
Daredevil (1998) # 96 - $ 1.99
Daredevil (1998) # 97 - $ 1.99
Donald Duck and the Three Musketeers 1 $ 1.99
Donald Duck Origami Maestro $ 0.99
*Groom Lake # 3 - $ 1.99
*Groom Lake # 4 - $ 1.99
Locke & Key: Head Games # 1 - $ 0.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 1 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 2 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 3 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 4 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 5 - $ 1.99
Scrooge McDuck and the Witchy Business # - $ 0.99
Tank Girl: The Gifting # 1 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl: The Gifting # 2 - $ 0.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 95 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 96 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 97 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 98 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 99 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 100 - $ 1.99
Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 11 - $ 1.99
Ultraheroes: Gathering # 1 - $ 0.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 483 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 484 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 485 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 32 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 33 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 34 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 35 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 36 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 37 - $ 1.99
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising # 11 - $ 0.99
X-Men (2004) # 181 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 182 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) 183 $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 184 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 185 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 186 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 1 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 2 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 3 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 4 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 5 - $ 1.99
X-Mickey: The Carousel # 6 - $ 1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Playstation Network Wrap-Up for February 11th, 2010

February 12, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

Until next week, this is Christopher Bowen, who is FINALLY going to bed at 3:40AM after writing three columns and a review in one day. Don’t let anyone tell you this business is easy, kids.

The full update for both the Playstation and Comic Store is under the cut.

Special Offers

Burnout Paradise Complete Edition Bundle ($29.99)
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 3.25 GB

Burnout Paradise Complete Downloadable Content Bundle ($19.99)
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 700 KB

Sonic Unleashed “Unleash Your Desire” Bundle ($11.99)

ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 3.38 GB

Valkyria Chronicles “Love Conquers All” Bundle ($9.99)
ESRB Rated T
File size: 429 MB

Price Updates

Patapon 2 Permanent Price Drop (now $14.99, original price $19.99)

Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack Bundle Temporary Sale (now $19.99, original price $24.99)

Trine Sale, One Week Only (now $9.99, original price $19.99)

PSone Classics

Populous: The Beginning ($5.99)

Game Demos (free)

Heavy Rain Demo
Get your hands on one of the most anticipated and talked about PlayStation 3 exclusives of 2010!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.35 GB

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Valentine’s Day Mini-Pack ($2.99)
Get these Valentine’s costumes and stickers to spread some love in LittleBigPlanet!

File size: 1.04 MB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Other Unlimited Characters Unlocked ($4.99)
Unlimited characters step in the ring to join the fight!
File size: 301 KB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Additional Character Colors (x6) ($1.99 each)
Additional color palettes based on European flag and more for Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Characters.

File sizes: 301 KB each

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger All Additional Colors 2 ($4.99)
Additional color palettes based on European flag colors for all 12 characters. (Packs A, B, and C combined.)
File size: 301 KB

Blazblue: Calamity Trigger All Additional Colors 3 ($4.99)
This package includes 4 more colors for all 12 characters. (Packs A, B, and C combined.)
File size: 301 KB

Dante’s Inferno Free Soul Pack (free)

Contains 500 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Small Soul Pack ($0.99)
Contains 1500 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Medium Soul Pack ($1.99)
Contains 3000 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities.
File size: 100 KB

Dante’s Inferno Large Soul Pack ($3.99)
Contains 5000 souls. You can use souls to purchase and upgrade either Dante’s holy or unholy abilities
File size: 100 KB

File size: 61 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Until The End” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
“Sooner or Later” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
“Give Me A Sign” by Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
Breaking Benjamin Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Sooner or Later”, “Until The End”, and “Give Me A Sign” by Breaking Benjamin. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 39 MB – 46 MB (singles), 128 MB (track pack)

Rock Band

Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Hangar 18″— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Take No Prisoners”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Five Magics”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Poison Was the Cure”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Lucretia”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Tornado of Souls”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Dawn Patrol”— Megadeth ($1.99)
“Rust in Peace… Polaris”— Megadeth ($1.99)
Rust in Peace (Album)— Megadeth ($14.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Rust in Peace (Album). This album includes “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18,” “Take No Prisoners,” “Five Magics,” “Poison Was the Cure,” “Lucretia,” “Tornado of Souls,” “Dawn Patrol,” and “Rust in Peace… Polaris” by Megadeth.

File sizes: 12 MB – 52 MB (singles), 311 MB (album)

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Preview Episode
File size: 126 MB (SD) 356 MB (HD)

White Knight Chronicles IE Launch Trailer
File size: 62 MB (HD) 104 MB (1080)

Heavy Rain Gameplay Engine Trailer

File size: 75 MB (HD) 129 MB (1080)

After Burner Climax Announcement Network Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #1 Network Trailer
File size: 107 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #2 Network Trailer
File size: 97 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #3 Network Trailer
File size: 92 MB (HD)

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Hd Up Close #4 Network Trailer
File size: 94 MB (HD)

Just Cause 2: Grapple Documentary Video
File size: 146 MB (HD)

Army of Two: The 40th Day “World Tour”
File size: 45 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

Flower Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

File size: 3.41 MB

WipEout HD Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 4.36 MB

Trash Panic Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 8.35 MB

BioShock 2 Single-Player Theme (free)
File size: 6.16 MB

Army of Two: The 40th Day PS3 Theme (free)
File size: 2.52 MB

Dante’s Inferno Theme (free)
File size: 5.41 MB

Dita Von Teese Premium Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.69 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP

Special Offers (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Crazy Taxi & Full Auto 2 “Driving Me Crazy” Bundle ($19.99)

Includes Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars + Full Auto 2: Battlelines for PSP.
ESRB Rated E10
File size: 1.22 GB

Sonic Rivals “Set My Pulse Racing” Bundle ($29.99)
Includes Sonic Rivals 1 and 2 for PSP.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 653 MB

Game Demos (free) (also available from PS3 Storefront)

File size: 234 MB

Add-On Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

NOTE: Manual Update required – please reference the following instruction to manually download the latest update patch for LittleBigPlanet (PSP):

If accessing wirelessly:

Ensure an online connection
On the XMB, highlight the LBP game icon and open the menu by pressing (Triangle)
Highlight and select “Update” and continue with the on-screen instructions

If accessing thru the PlayStation Store (for the first time*):

Download the latest LBP PSP Update manually from the XMB – if downloaded through the PS3, install and transfer files to PSP
*To download future updates through the PlayStation Store, access the “Download List” and re-download the LBP PSP Update.

ESRB Rated E
File size: 824 KB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Lurve Theme Level Pack ($2.99)

PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. Download a new set of costumes and CREATE materials to create your levels of “lurve”.
NOTE: Manual Update required
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1.1 MB

PSP Minis

Spaceball: Revolution ($4.99)
File size: 18 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Preview Episode
File size: 60 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Gluttony
File size: 50 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Lust

File size: 47 MB

Valkryia Chronicles II Teaser Trailer
File size: 2.52 MB

Ultimate Board Game Collection Trailer
File size: 11 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Lindsay Kaye PSP Theme 1 ($1.49)
File size: 608 KB

Lindsay Kaye PSP Theme 2 ($1.49)

File size: 554 KB

Azmodeus Dark Angels PSP Theme 11 ($0.99)
File size: 538 KB

Azmodeus Dark Angels PSP Theme 12 ($0.99)
File size: 516 KB

Comic Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1666 - $ 1.99
Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth 2 $ 0.99
Daredevil (1998) # 96 - $ 1.99
Daredevil (1998) # 97 - $ 1.99
Donald Duck and the Three Musketeers 1 $ 1.99
Donald Duck Origami Maestro $ 0.99
*Groom Lake # 3 - $ 1.99
*Groom Lake # 4 - $ 1.99
Locke & Key: Head Games # 1 - $ 0.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 1 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 2 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 3 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 4 - $ 1.99
Marvel Zombies (2005) # 5 - $ 1.99
Scrooge McDuck and the Witchy Business # - $ 0.99
Tank Girl: The Gifting # 1 - $ 0.99
Tank Girl: The Gifting # 2 - $ 0.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 95 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 96 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 97 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 98 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 99 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 100 - $ 1.99
Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 11 - $ 1.99
Ultraheroes: Gathering # 1 - $ 0.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 483 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 484 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 485 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 32 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 33 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 34 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 35 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 36 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 37 - $ 1.99
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising # 11 - $ 0.99
X-Men (2004) # 181 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 182 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) 183 $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 184 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 185 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 186 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 1 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 2 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 3 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 4 - $ 1.99
X-Men: Colossus Bloodline (2005) # 5 - $ 1.99
X-Mickey: The Carousel # 6 - $ 1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Review: SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3

February 12, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
Developer: Slant Six Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Genre: Tactical Third Person Shooter
Release Date: 2/16/2010

Despite spending four years in the service, I really don’t know too much about the Navy SEALs. For one, I spent most of my time on an Aircraft Carrier, so there weren’t many Seals around. Secondly, when SEALs were around, we stayed the hell away from each other; they typically stuck to their clique. Whatever the reality of being a Navy SEAL is, I can at least assure people that it’s not what you see in movies or games, which are used more as recruitment tools than accurate portrayals of how the military works. I dislike the fact that videogames, especially games like America’s Army, are being used to recruit people to actually kill others, particularly because the perception of military life is always as different from the reality of it as it is in this idiotic Air Force Reserve ad they showed during halftime of the Super Bowl.

When taken purely for what they should be, however, military games are still fun. Afterall, who doesn’t like shooting terrorists/Communists/whoever it is we hate this week? It’s worked since the 80s, and what are most army games if not the evolution of Commando? You can have it include as much propaganda as you want, the name of the game is still the same: we’re good, they’re bad, they have to die. I also generally like less realism in my shooting games than a lot of people nowadays. Therefore, I’ve never really been high on the SOCOM series. Why fart around with such an emphasis on teamwork and stealth when I can get another game and just go blowing up things?

When I received the PSP version of Fireteam Bravo 3, I was intrigued, but cautious. I typically like my shooters of the mouse + keyboard variety, whereas the PSP doesn’t even allow for a double-stick shooting method. Would lock-on gameplay be sufficient? Can Fireteam Bravo 3 live up to the SOCOM name?

Story/Modes

The story for FTB3 involves the fictional country of Koratvia, a former member of the Soviet Union. Someone in the country is planning on using WMDs, and it’s a matter of national importence to send in four SEALs on a covert mission to gain information from a former KGB agent who knows what’s going on. Without giving too much away, the story has a similar narrative style to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 in both story execution and the way it involves the SEALs in question. This time around, the seal team is led by Wraith, who has appeared in previous games and teams up with Sandman, Raven and Toro, the last of whom is the standard FNG. The story has it’s moments, and has enough going to keep most people interested, but it isn’t as climatic or interesting as MW1’s story, nor is it as introspective or political as that of FTB2. In short, it’s a vehicle to get the action moving, which it does a good job of.

In terms of modes, the standard campaign is eight stages long, with each stage being anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes long. There’s also a custom mission single-player mode that lets you decide different parameters in the stage, from what the goal of the stage is to enemy density to what kind/how strong of an enemy you’re facing, or even if you want your AI SEAL partners or not. Depending on how high the difficulty is, you get a higher reward of Command Equity (CE) points, which can be used to buy weapons for the campaign, or on items to customize your multiplayer avatar.

Best of all, both the campaign and custom mission modes are available for multiplayer cooperative play as well, via both the Playstation Network and Ad-Hoc Wi-Fi mode. The game plays much differently when playing cooperatively with other people. In single player mode, you are the leader; what you say goes, and your team will follow suit. Online, everyone has to work in tandem, and though I ran into few problems, I was also playing against other journalists that got the game early; anyone randomly jumping into a match is probably going to end up dealing with at least one tosser who thinks “teamwork” is equivalent to, “X TO SHOOT! X TO SHOOT! YAY ME.” Still, being able to go through missions with a team is a great way to expand on SOCOM’s inate gameplay, especially when considering the fact that SOCOM has been based around team-based tactical gameplay since it’s inception.

There are also competitive modes, also over either Ad-Hoc or Wi-Fi. Competitive modes support up to sixteen players, for various modes ranging from standard deathmatch modes to positional holding stages. My personal favourite is Leader, where the goal is to keep one member of a team alive. This plays up SOCOM’s team-based focus, and forces everyone to work together well. Everything else is negligible, especially considering SOCOM’s gameplay, which I’ll go into in a bit.

Overall, the story for the campaign is workable, and the options for anyone with wireless internet capabilities are outstanding. Furthermore, the custom missions make up for the fact that the campaign is short. For a PSP game, this is a nice package.

Story/Modes Rating: Good

Graphics

The graphics in FTB3 are a mixed bag. On the one hand, player models look good, and the environments look nice for a PSP game. On the other hand, the amount of polygon clipping is immense. There are times when I’ve died where my character’s entire arm and part of his head have gone through the ground. Player animations are pretty good, and enemies die differently depending on how they’re shot, whether it’s a headshot, body shots or a stealth kill. One thing that annoys me isn’t so much with graphics as it is with physics. If your three AI buddies have spots under cover and you move into their spot, you’ll roll off of them, and they will magically switch places with you without moving a muscle. I thought that was a little weak.

The story is told via cutscenes, which are outstanding for a PSP game. No graphical clipping, and only a bit of jagged edge. What most impressed me is that the gun you and your team are using are seamlessly integrated into the cutscene with no issue (such as trying to hold a grip that doesn’t exist). This is most apparent if you’ve picked up a gun with a laser scope. If you’re the only one with a scope, this becomes more obvious.

Graphics Rating: Enjoyable

Sound

FTB3 makes all the noises you’d expect a war game to make: guns sound authentic, teammates communicate well, and the enemy even talk in what sounds to be pretty authentic Russian. One issue I have is that a lot of the same lines are repeated very often throughout the game. While this is understandable, hearing Toro go, “Tango Neutralized!” gets to be a bit much after awhile. One thing I like is that your mates change how they communicate based on their orders. If you’re ordered for stealth, they’ll make sure to speak lower until other orders are given, or until they start taking on fire. What bothers me about stealth sounds is that they not only still talk, but sound like they’re still talking over their radios. Stealth is supposed to me stealth. Speaking at all is against regulations (hand signals are supposed to be used, but on a PSP game, this is unrealistic to wish for), and speaking over an unsecure medium such as radio is flat-out wrong as those communications can be intercepted. In terms of how the guns sound, I don’t know *how* authentic the guns sound – I was a Machinist’s Mate, not a Gunner’s Mate – but each gun does have it’s own resonance. Considering how much effort went into the guns themselves, I would have to assume that they sound accurate as well.

Any music that’s played is standard operatic fare that is used for suspenseful purposes. Take the music played during tight sequences in the movie Pearl Harbor, and you have an idea of the music used in FTB3.

Sound Rating: Enjoyable

Control and Gameplay

One of my biggest concerns coming in was how action would work. As I’ve stated numerous times in the past, playing shooting games with a control pad makes me feel naked. I assumed coming in that not even having a right analogue stick would make things even worse. Thankfully, Sony’s control scheme makes sense, and makes the game work.

Aiming at a person is done with the R button. Accuracy is determined by the gun’s stats, distance, add-ons (like a suppressor that could cut a weapon’s effective range), how fast the enemy’s moving, how fast you’re moving, how long you’ve been locked on and had your aim steady… it sounds like a lot, but in execution, the game actually plays well. Nine times out of ten you’re going to be using an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, so it’s as easy as holding the R button to lock on, firing until the enemy dies, and pressing it again if any other enemies are nearby to repeat. For what it’s worth, the system works well. I’m a little disappointed that it takes a long time of keeping aim to ensure a headshot, but it actually adds a bit to the stealth aspect of the game, as it’s best to aim for headshots when you’re sneaking around with a suppressed pistol. The negative aspect of all of this is that shooting from the hip is useless. You have to be aiming at someone, or you’re not going to hit them. This is supposed to be mitigated somewhat by pressing up on the digital pad to zoom in, but that doesn’t help accuracy any more than locking on would, and the cons, becoming stationary, and having to have another button click to be able to move again, far outweigh any positives. There are two points where you’re going to have to zoom in to do someething right, and we’ll get to those in a bit.

One major issue I have is the use of cover. If you watch your AI partners, they lean around corners and use cover well, as if they were “snapping” to it, ala Gears of War. As Wraith, you can’t really do this. You can use the triangle button to stand, crouch or lie down prone, but even crouching down, you’re vulnerable if you have short cover like a jersey barrier. It’s reassuring that most enemies aren’t going to kill you unless they’re unloading a full clip into you at once, but the cover issue could have been fixed by implimenting something from GoW.

As noted, you have three AI partners with you, and they’re outstanding. They follow orders well, and can cover for you in a pinch. Anyone thinking of the AI partners in games like MW1 where your partners are more or less for window dressing will be pleasantly surprised here. If you need to go reload or recover life, you’ll often notice that your three partners have either taken care of the enemy or are in the process of it. They also get into position very well, meaning that in a firefight, you’re only responsible for part of the area instead of having to play the hero. Even further, even if one of them gets taken out, you or a teammate can revive them to half-life with a simple button press (though if you die, it’s game over). What’s best about this is that your teammates are very good at reviving downed teammates and covering for anyone that’s reviving. The team element of FTB3 is extremely well executed.

It’s a good thing teammate AI is so good, because the AI of the Russians isn’t nearly as good. Stealth aspects absolutely blinker them; I’ve made audible noise trying to sneak through grass or bushes, and they don’t notice. Furthermore, there are times when three of them will be looking the same way, I’ll take one out in open space, and no one even thinks to turn around. Wouldn’t you think stabbing someone would make a *slight* sound that would be noticed by trained guards that are supposed to be on patrol? As it is, even enemies in a firefight have problems noticing you sometimes. I’ve had instances where I’ve walked across an enemy’s field of vision while he’s fighting someone far away, walked right up to him, and just butt-ended him to death. This doesn’t improve much on higher difficulty settings, either; the only real differences between Lieutenant (default) and Admiral are that you die quicker, and aiming accurately takes longer. Some AI tweaks were in order.

Team commands are given by holding down the circle button. It’s important to note that you have to *hold* the circle button, otherwise you’re going to tell your team to move ahead of you. This has blown my cover on a few occasions. Once you get into team options, they’re plentiful, though the only ones you’re going to use a lot of the time are telling your team how to move (usually switching them to hold their position if you need to do some one-man wetwork) or telling them whether or not their weapons are hot (firing at will). As stated, your teammates follow their directions to the T, and once you learn how hard you have to press the button to get into that screen, you’re fine. My issue is that a lot of buttons have multiple uses, and they sometimes get crossed up. They packed a lot of gameplay into this game, but there just aren’t enough buttons to handle it.

I’m almost required to talk about the fact that you can arm gun turrets in this game, but unless you’re playing multiplayer, there’s no reason to even bother; by the time you can reach a turret, any tangoes in the area are gone. Furthermore, controlling them is annoying, and runs into the same problem as firing from the hip does. In short, they’re worthless from a player’s perspective.

Playing online is fine, but it does cut the gameplay in half, as any pretentions to stealth go out the window. Playing against human players who actually know what to look for turns every fight into a battle for finding cover and blowing everyone away. Stealth doesn’t come into the equation. It’s like playing Team Fortress 2 as a spy against a team with six pyros who are doing nothing but spy checking. You’re not going to get anywhere, so just change classes/roles.

Overall, the gameplay from FTB3 feels dated, but it works well. Controls take a little getting used to, but once you’ve got the basic functions of aiming, firing and strafing down, you’re set. The pros outweigh the cons.

Control and Gameplay Ratings: Above Average

Replayability

The custom missions add a layer of replayability to the game due to the fact that there are now a nearly uncountable number of ways to play the game, in addition to the online options. However, the fact that there are only nine environments in the game to play on hurts things.

With that said, I still look to play the game even after I’ve beaten it on every level. I still call up custom missions, still look to earn CE points, and when the game is released next week, I’ll be looking for other people to play against as my schedule dictates. In short, despite the fact that I’ve done everything I can until the general public gets the game, I still want to pick the game up and play it.

It’s up to the player as to whether or not the custom options and CE incentives override the lack of maps. For me, they do.

Replayability Rating: Good

Balance

The difficulty curve for FTB3 at all difficulty levels is solid. The game is fairly easy in the beginning when you’re only fighting a few enemies at a time, but gets much harder later on as you’re fighting against large swarms of enemies, and even against an armored vehicle and a helicopter. The balance of enemies is nice, as they get stronger as you get further into Koratvia. It’s the fights with the APC and helicopter that are problematic.

The issues with these fights is that you have to use an RPG-7 to take them out. This means you have to find the gun, switch it out with your primary gun, arm it, hope you or someone else don’t get blown away first, come out from behind cover, and shoot. Shooting is made infinitely harder because this is about the only gun in the game that does not lock on, so you have to zoom in, aim, fire, pray you hit, zoom out, either reload or get more ammo, and repeat. While doing this, you’re naked, with no cover, and probably with a teammate that badly needs a medic. They’re the most frustrating fights in the game, even moreso than the end-boss that can blow your team to shit with one well-placed shot.

I talk about them in Balance because they make the difficulty curve spike significantly. These parts, and a few choke points in later stages when you hit gun turrets and pillboxes with no way to get around them. You have to run behind cover, hope you or someone else don’t get blown away, and hope you can hit a far away shot on a hidden opponent. If these spikes could have been smoothed out, we’d be looking at a higher rating in this part.

Balance Rating: Decent

Originality

There’s not much original here. Just about everything in FTB3 has been done by other games in some form. SOCOM is one of the innovators of the team-based tactical shooter, but other games are more to move things forward now.

With that said, FTB3 is less about innovation in this round than it is about execution, the latter of which it does extremely well. Considering how poorly Tactical Strike did both commercially and critically, they made the right choice to focus on executing what they needed to do to make a good game instead of trying to push a half-baked envelope.

Originality Rating: Poor

Addictiveness

FTB3 isn’t the type of game that sucks you in for hours at a time. Unless you’re playing online, the gameplay sessions are one or two missions at a time, tops. The gameplay within those two missions is good, but after a couple of missions of running around, playing stealth, shooting people and fulfilling whatever my mission was, I found I was ready to move onto something else.

Addictiveness Rating: Mediocre

Appeal Factor

SOCOM has been a big name since the first PS2 game in the series, but few things have happened since then to take off the sheen of the name. Most notably, other shooters caught up tactically. Call them wannabes if you want, but the things SOCOM innovated – tactical action, a reliance on proper teamwork, and the use of headsets in console gaming – are all being done by other franchises now. In short, SOCOM is no longer a AAA title, especially after a couple of missteps.

However, even if it’s not top-tier, it’s still a notable name. Furthermore, the market for anyone looking for a good action/shooting game on the PSP is very limited, because what’s around is either not very good, or Metal Gear Solid. Sony is treating this like it’s a big release, and for PSP gamers, it is.

Appeal Factor Rating: Good

Miscellaneous

FTB3 does a lot of things right. It provides a fairly good story, good action that doesn’t trip over itself, some excellent online options, and a desire to keep playing the game even after it’s finished. I really like what Sony’s done here, especially as their first step into this franchise on the PS3 was online-only, which leaves a lot to be desired for anyone that likes playing single-player.

Sony hasn’t exactly been batting 1.000 with their big PSP releases lately (Hello, Gran Turismo), but I’m pleased with FTB3. They took a limited system and made a game that shouldn’t work well in 2010 work.

Miscellaneous Rating: Good

The Scores
Story/Modes: Good
Graphics: Enjoyable
Sound: Enjoyable
Control and Gameplay: Above Average
Replayability: Good
Balance: Decent
Originality: Poor
Addictiveness: Mediocre
Appeal Factor: Good
Miscellaneous: Good
FINAL SCORE: ABOVE AVERAGE GAME

Short Attention Span Summary
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 is a good tactical shooting game for a system that shouldn’t be able to put out a good game in that genre. The gameplay is solid, the story is good, and even after beating the game, gamers are going to get a lot out of their purchase.

It’s not a system seller, but FTB3 is a good game for a system desperate for good action games.
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Tags: Archive, Reviews, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sony PSP, Top Story

Playstation Network Wrap-Up for February 4th, 2010

February 5, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

The past few weeks have been weak for the Playstation Store. For two straight weeks, we had weak updates with little content. Then last week, we had an update with a lot of content, most of which sucked (on that note, expect my Hustle Kings review sometime next week!). This week brings us a bunch of demos, including a couple of high-profile ones, some interesting sales, a new Qore episode, and a new game.

The new game being released is a Tecmo release called Fret Nice. In this, the player takes on the role of a member of a highly popular rock band, who is trying to save the world from… I, uh, guess they can be called bad guys from the Heavy Metal Kingdom (as shown in the introductory video). So it’s a case of Heavy Metal coming to take over modern, progressive rock, or something along those lines? Well shit, if that’s the case, I’m on the side of the bad guys. Either way, Fret Nice is a platformer that can be played with either a guitar controller or the wireless Dualshock pad; as I don’t own a guitar, I used the latter. In practise, the game is Patapon meets Simon Says; depending on what kind of enemy you’re facing, you strum based on the symbol you see (with the R1 or L1 button), with bonus points being given for either getting a “head shot” (there’s a line from your guitar to the enemy; if it hits their head, congrats, you got a head shot) or a “Riff Combo” (hit them while in the air). With my limited gameplay experience, I think I can judge this game an attempt to shoehorn music elements into a control scheme that doesn’t need them. The idea is interesting, but I can tell this game isn’t designed to use a controller, so therefore, it felt awkward to play. I don’t know if this is worth $15, but gamers with Rock Band or Guitar Hero might want to check out the demo. (UPDATE: It appears this used to be a freeware game awhile ago. That makes the $15 price tag seem a little harder to swallow)

There have also been a few price drops. Half Minute Hero has received a permanent price drop, down to $20 from $30. The game is definitely worth it; I had some issues with the game, but the game is much easier to swallow at that price. There’s also a temporary sale on Madden NFL Arcade, though at any price, the game is even less interesting than NHL Arcade, which itself wasn’t worth $10. The big sale, however, is a week-long sale on D3’s PSP titles. The titles in question are as follows:

Ben 10: Protector of Earth Temporary Sale (now $12.99, original price $14.99)
Cube Temporary Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Dead Head Fred Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient Temporary Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
WTF: Work Time Fun Temporary Sale (now $7.99, original price $9.99)

D3 has developed a reputation for releasing quirky, interesting titles at low prices; at the very least, I would recommend checking out PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient and Dead Head Fred, the latter which is an absolute steal at $10. WTF: Work Time Fun might be a good deal for fans of WarioWare games. There’s also Puzzle Quest, but I’d be surprised if anyone doesn’t own that at this point.

In terms of demos, there’s a lot to be had. In addition to the demo for Fret Nice, there’s a multiplayer demo available for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. I played around with this one for about an hour, and though I despise playing shooting games without a mouse and keyboard, I have to admit that so far, this game looks GOOD. There are different teams based on whether or not you’re on the assault, engineering or medic side, and a nice variance of weapons from what I’ve seen so far. Everything is mission based, and though I didn’t have a weapon that could aim for shit until I got a sniper rifle, I had a load of fun. As long as EA holds to their “No SecuROM” pledge, I’ll be looking for this one on PC once it releases.

There’s also a demo for Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. I haven’t been able to try this yet, but when I reviewed the PSP version, I stated that it was a game that was mostly limited by the PSP’s natural limitations. A release on the PS3 and 360 addresses those issues, and although this game will be all but useless for any 360 owners that don’t have Live Gold, I expect this to be a good game if they fix the balance issues that killed the PSP version. At the very least, good on Tecmo Koei for giving this a shot on a system that can handle it.

There’s also yet another demo for a months-old game, this time in the form of Tank Battles. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because the game was released before as Battle Tanks. What the hell is with Sony and renaming games on a whim? This is like calling a liberal “progressive”; you can change the name all you want, but it doesn’t change anything in the end. In the end, Tank Battles, or whatever the hell it’s going to be called by the time I post this, can basically be summed up as a competitive, multiplayer version of Tank Battalion with a dose of Warlords thrown in. I won’t bother reviewing the basics – there are months-old reviews up elsewhere for that – but I had fun with the five minute demo I played. I’d like to see that price come down a couple more dollars (it’s $7), but as it stands, it’s not as bad as Metacritic makes it out to be, at least after five minutes.

Finally, there’s Alien vs. Predator, another demo released this week. I haven’t had the chance to play this due to time constraints – it’s almost 2AM, and I have to be dressed in my best clothes and on the road to western Massachusetts in six hours – but Jim Sterling of Destructoid likes it so far. Considering the fact that Jim hates almost everything, this is notable.

Two PSP games saw release for download this week. The first one is After Burner: Black Falcon, an outstanding reboot of the After Burner franchise. The game will run $16, which sounds nice until you realize that Gamestop has an actual, physical copy for $3 less, available online at that. The second one is Armored Core: Silent Line, a port of a seven year old PS2 title that got lukewarm reviews. Mecha fans should check it out, though at $15, the PSP version is $10 more than you would find the PS2 version for at Gamestop, so consider that if you still have a PS2 or backwards compatibility.

Last but not least, Sony has decided to grace our presence with a new Qore episode. In this latest episode, they are giving us a look into Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (apparently, a view we can’t get from the demo they also released), a preview of Yakuza 3 (which will at least make Matt Yeager happy), shots from Resonance of Fate, and – best of all – a look at the top ten trends for 2010 by Playstation: The Official Magazine. Well, drench me with a rainbow ejaculation! I always wanted to pay for the privilege of having Sony’s paid shills tell me what they want me to look out for in 2010! Seriously, I know I was a little rough on it last month, but this is crap. What justifies people subscribing to this show? I swear, Sony just continually takes people for a ride with this. Why, anyone who bought a subscription is–

We know you’ve been anxiously waiting to get your hands on God of War III, and fortunately the wait is almost over. To reward our loyal fan base, the God of War III E3 demo is now available for all current Qore subscribers. You’ll find it listed in this episode’s download center.

– a GOD DAMNED GENIUS.

Until next time, this is Christopher Bowen, who can assure you that crow tastes like shit.

The full update for both the Playstation and Comic Store is under the cut.

Price Updates

Half-Minute Hero Permanent Price Drop (now $19.99, original price $29.99)
Madden NFL Arcade Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)

D3 PSP Game Sale:

Ben 10: Protector of Earth Temporary Sale (now $12.99, original price $14.99)
Cube Temporary Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
Dead Head Fred Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient Temporary Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)
PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords Temporary Sale (now $9.99, original price $14.99)
WTF: Work Time Fun Temporary Sale (now $7.99, original price $9.99)

Qore

Qore Annual Subscription – February 2010 ($24.99)
Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network is a high-definition monthly interactive video production covering the world of PlayStation. Qore provides its audience with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to upcoming titles from both the SCE Worldwide Studios and third-party developers across the globe.
File size: 1.44 GB

Qore Episode 21 February 2010 ($2.99)
Episode 21 of Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network infiltrates the Japanese underworld of Yakuza 3, returns to the battlefield of Bad Company 2, becomes mesmerized by Resonance of Fate and previews PTOM’s 10 picks for 2010.
File sizes: 1.44 GB

Downloadable Games

Fret Nice ($14.99)
Fret Nice is a 2D platformer that’ll rock your world. Control your character through funky-fresh stages to explore hidden areas, collect items, and clash note-for-note with outrageous, heavy metal bosses! Rock out by blasting enemies with riff combos and creating your own sounds with each “strum” of a chord! Every play through offers a ever changing sonic adventure!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 194 MB

Game Demos (free)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Demo
Welcome to the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer demo! Experience all-out online warfare in the Port Valdez map. Demo ends February 25th, 2010
ESRB Rated M

File size: 997 MB

Aliens vs. Predator Demo
Three breeds of warrior. Three brutal campaigns. One relentless battleground. Welcome to Aliens vs. Predator, a stunningly-detailed FPS that blends the action and intensity of one of the most popular movie franchises of all time. Whether you stalk your prey as a Predator, evolve into the perfect killing machine as an Alien, or use superior firepower as a Colonial Marine, one thing is certain. This will be a battle for the ages.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.25 GB

Fret Nice Demo
Control your character through the funky-fresh first tutorial stage that introduces you to the rockin’ world of Fret Nice. Use your guitar controller to navigate through this unique 2D platformer.
ESRB Rated E

File size: 194 MB

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Demo
Back with a vengeance and for the first time going online with four-player Tactical Action combat. In single-player mode, choose and command up to three AI-controlled officers to fight by your side, or team-up with friends online to infiltrate heavily-armed enemy strongholds, clash with thousand-man armies, or to slay dragons and other massive beasts.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 952 MB

Tank Battles Demo
Take control of your WW2 tank and challenge friends and online opponents in crazy, over-the-top tank battles! Enjoy classic run-and-gun gameplay in over 50 levels of bullet bouncing action. Adapt your strategy to each location as you collect power-ups while dodging enemy fire.
ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 103 MB

Add-on Game Content

White Knight Chronicles International Edition Makeover Ticket ($4.99)
This ticket allows you to change your White Knight Chronicles character appearance via the [Re-Customize Avatar] option in the game without having to start over.
- You can access this feature from any town’s Logic Stone.
- You must save after changing your appearance, or the changes will be lost.
File size: N/A

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Revived Warriors Pack (free)
“Dragon Ball: Raging Blast” Character Pack #6 is now available! The sixth release is the “Revived Warriors Pack!” This pack contains Majin Buu, Kid Buu, Broly, Super Gogeta and Super Saiyan 3 Broly! The warriors among all warriors are now resurrected as downloadable characters! Make your own Dragon Ball battle history by fully controlling these fierce fighters!

File size: 116 KB

MX vs ATV Reflex Track Pack 2 DLC ($4.99)
Fast Action calls for Fast Reaction. Continue to test your reflexes with three all new tracks; two Freestyles taking place in an abandoned factory in the heartland and a new inner city Supercross. Additionally some of the latest No Fear gear is included.
File size: 502 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Kings And Queens” by 30 Seconds to Mars ($1.99)
“From Yesterday” by 30 Seconds to Mars ($1.99)
“Attack” by 30 Seconds to Mars ($1.99)
30 Seconds to Mars Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Attack”, “From Yesterday”, and “Kings and Queens” by 30 Seconds to Mars. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 35 MB – 55 MB (singles), 129 MB (track pack)

Rock Band

Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”— Kenny Chesney ($1.99)
“On the Road Again”— Willie Nelson ($1.99)
“Swing”— Trace Adkins ($1.99)
“Me and My Gang”— Rascal Flatts ($1.99)
“Suds in the Bucket”— Sara Evans ($1.99)
“Gone”— Montgomery Gentry ($1.99)
Gone Country Track Pack 3 ($9.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Going Country Pack 03. This pack includes: “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” by Kenny Chesney, “Swing” by Trace Adkins, “Me and My Gang” by Rascal Flatts, “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson, “Suds in the Bucket” by Sara Evans, and “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry.

File sizes: 17 MB – 37 MB (singles), 171 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)

Pulse 2/4 Edition
File size: 294 MB (HD) 474 MB (1080)

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Vehicles & Tracks Network Trailer
File size: 53 MB (HD)

FIFA Soccer 10: Ultimate Team Trailer
File size: 69 MB (HD)

FIFA Soccer 10: UT New User Trailer
File size: 101 MB (HD)

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 Multiplayer Trailer
File size: 48 MB (HD) 79 MB (1080)

Army of Two: TFD Co-op Office Sniper Trailer
File size: 24 MB (HD)

Army of Two: The 40th Day Launch Trailer
File size: 95 MB (HD)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Single Player Trailer

File size: 60 MB (HD)

Dark Void HD Trailer
File size: 49 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

White Knight Chronicles International Edition Dynamic Theme 1 ($2.99)
File size: 6.52 MB

Star Trek Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
File size: 4.70 MB

Bad Business Theme 2 ($1.99)

File size: 7.02 MB

Azmodeus Dark Angels Premium Theme 3 ($1.99)
File size: 7.79 MB

A Sexy Valentine Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.69 MB

Infected Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.15 MB

Wallpaper (free)

NBA UNRIVALED Wallpaper

File size: 61 KB (SD), 265 KB (1080)

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 storefront)

After Burner: Black Falcon ($15.99)
Strap on your jumpsuit and get ready for some high-speed, highly-addictive, explosive aerial arcade action with After Burner Black Falcon. Thirteen prototype jets have been stolen from a top secret military research facility in Nevada by a terrorist cell known as the Black Falcon. As a member of the highly classified Joint Task Force Scramble Team it’s up to you to stop the terrorists and recover the prototype jets before they cramp your style.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 278 MB

Armored Core: Silent Line ($14.99)
In Armored Core Silent Line Portable, the players can build their own mechas with over 450 mecha parts to choose from and try to complete various missions.

New features such as the Ad-hoc function enhance your gaming experience. The game save from Armored Core 3 Portable can be carried over to this game.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 331 MB

Game Videos (free)

Pulse 2/4 Edition
File size: 52 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Star Trek PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 584 KB

A Sexy Valentine PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 337 KB

Infected PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 409 KB

Comic Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1665 - $ 1.99
Astonishing X-Men (1995) 1 $ 1.99
Astonishing X-Men (1995) # 2 - $ 1.99
Astonishing X-Men (1995) # 3 - $ 1.99
Astonishing X-Men (1995) 4 $ 1.99
Burke & Hare 2 $ 0.99
Daredevil (1998) # 94 - $ 1.99
Daredevil (1998) # 95 - $ 1.99
Donald Duck and the Decisive Penalty # 0 - $ 0.99
Donald Duck in: “Gulliver Duck’s Travels” # 2 - $ 1.99
Groom Lake # 1 - $ 1.99
Groom Lake # 2 - $ 1.99
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft # 6 - $ 0.99
Scrooge McDuck and the New Old High Fever # 0 - $ 0.99
Star Trek: New Frontier # 1 - $ 1.99
Star Trek: New Frontier # 2 - $ 1.99
Star Trek: New Frontier # 3 - $ 1.99
Star Trek: New Frontier # 4 - $ 1.99
Star Trek: New Frontier # 5 - $ 1.99
Superduck: In a Galaxy Far Away # 6 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 89 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 90 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 91 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 92 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 93 - $ 1.99
The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 94 - $ 1.99
Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 10 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 1 - $ 0.99
Transformers: Animated – The Arrival # 2 - $ 0.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 11 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 12 - $ 1.99
Transformers: Spotlight # 13 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 480 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 481 - $ 1.99
Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 482 - $ 1.99
Wizards of Mickey: The Secret of the Great Crown # 3 - $ 0.99
Wolverine (2003) # 20 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) 21 $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 22 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 23 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 24 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 25 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 26 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 27 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 28 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 29 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 30 - $ 1.99
Wolverine (2003) # 31 - $ 1.99
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising # 10 - $ 0.99
X-Men (2004) # 175 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 176 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 177 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 178 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 179 - $ 1.99
X-Men (2004) # 180 - $ 1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Review: Puzzle Chronicles (PSP)

February 5, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

Puzzle Chronicles
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Genre: Puzzle RPG
Release Date: 01/28/2010

It’s kind of funny really. The genre “puzzle RPG” was created by Infinite Interactive back when they released Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. However, they seem to be the only developers working on this kind of game. They made Galactrix, Puzzle Kingdoms, and now this game. Plus, they’ve also got Puzzle Quest 2 in the works. You’d think that with all of the publishers out there trying to earn a buck stealing other peoples work (i.e. EA Sports MMA), that SOMEONE else would make a puzzle RPG at some point.

Still, you can’t complain that Infinite is bleeding the concept dry by releasing roughly the same game with a few cosmetic upgrades. Galactrix was completely different from the first PQ and Puzzle Kingdoms took the concept in an entirely new direction.

This time, the Bejeweled style gameplay has been excised for a more real time combat scheme more akin to Puzzle Fighter than anything else.

Does the Puzzle RPG formula still work without the gem swapping action?

Story/Modes

As the game starts out, you are a member of a warrior tribe. In fact, the game’s tutorial is meant to be your day to officially become a warrior. Soon after, however, your tribe is attacked in the night by a group of slavers lead by a horned daemon. Your entire tribe is sold into slavery including you. As luck would have it, however, the mysterious sorceress Morgana decides to buy your freedom in exchange for a favor later on down the road. She serves as your guide as you attempt to free your tribe mates and take your revenge on the horned daemon.

The setup is a bit basic, but the story as a whole has a rather nice flow to it. It almost feels like something that would have been a great TV show in the vein of Hercules: The Legendary Adventures. Unfortunately, the plot isn’t as good as it could be due to a number of reasons.

For one, your character isn’t likable in any sense of the word. He is a barbarian through and through. Kill first and ask questions later. You do several dastardly things that no self respecting hero character would be caught dead doing. Worse off, there isn’t even a good reason for your character’s actions, so he doesn’t even make a good anti-hero. There are even several moments where the writers seemed to realize this and tried to correct it. For instance, at one point in the game your character decides the best way to raise an army is to steal a boat and become a pirate for a while. This requires him to murder all of the guards at the harbor, as well as slaughter the entire crew of the ship. To try and compensate for this, you find out that the ship you’ve captured is a slave ship and that you’ll be freeing a bunch of people. The problem is that your character didn’t know about this before all of the slaughter began. Basically, he’s an ass!

Overall, however, the plot is at least mildly entertaining. There were some moments, like the approach of a giant, that was done rather well. The comic book inspired cut scenes were also interesting choices. As far as stories in a puzzle RPG go, this is better than anything else Infinite has done. Granted, that isn’t saying much.

Beyond the story, you have a few other options at your disposal. You can free battle any opponent you’ve already defeated, manage your inventory, and play any of the minigames you’ve unlocked. There’s also a multiplayer mode that allows you to battle against a friend via an Ad-Hoc connection.

It’s a typical setup, but one that works.

Graphics

There are three different things to talk about in the graphics section.

First off is the overworld. It kind of reminded me of the old “find the object” books they had in the library when I was a kid. The towns and locales are full of little details such as buildings, pits, caves, etc. However, the style is kind of cartoonish in a way. It certainly doesn’t go for the realistic look in any way.

The cut scenes I mentioned before are very similar. These scenes are where the character designs are fully realized. Body parts are accentuated, costumes are outlandish, and it’s all done in a comic book panel style that will definitely be hit or miss with players. There were a few moments where it was hard to tell what was going on, but the style worked. Fully animated scenes would have been preferable, but I’m not about to fault the game for not doing something that so few games these days do. It is certainly better than the simple static portraits in the developer’s previous games.

Finally, there’s the battles themselves. The greater part of the screen is for the puzzle combat, while there is a good bit reserved on top of the screen for the characters to actually do battle. As you build up rage in the puzzle, you’ll deal damage. All of the attacks are played out by the models, and effects such as poison or fear are represented with glowing icons over the fighters. Seeing your barbarian charge in with a multiple hit combo after you’ve just cleaned house in the puzzle section is far more satisfying than merely watching an HP meter drain.

Overall, the graphics for this game are certainly not going to impress those who are used to games like Resistance Retribution or Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, but they are far superior than has been seen for other Puzzle RPGs. It could go a bit further, but I was satisfied.

Audio

One huge change you’ll notice right away is that the game is chock full of voice acting. Every cut scene is fully voiced and the voices are surprisingly adequate. Compared to the horrific narrator from CotW, this is a blessing. It also helps breathe life into otherwise dull characters. The only reason I didn’t outright hate the main character was because his voice was so fitting for his character.

You’ve also got a fully orchestrated soundtrack that does a pretty decent job of heightening the action on screen. Most importantly, the tunes never become grating. Perhaps this is because your attention is completely focused on the real time puzzle action below, but it is yet another improvement over past games in the genre. I even found myself humming the victory tune every time I won.

The effects are still a bit disappointing. The tinny explosions of gems being destroyed are usually followed up by stereotypical attack sounds that do get a bit old after a while. Still, that big combo is a bit more satisfying when your character yells as he plunges his blade right into the enemy’s heart.

Like the graphics, the audio is simply better than other games in its genre, though it doesn’t hold up as well to other games on the platform.

Gameplay

First off, I’ll reiterate that this is not your typical gem swapping affair.

The playing field has been flipped on its side so that pieces fall from left to right rather than top to bottom. You’re given a group of three gems at a time that can be rotated and placed on the field. There are several types of gems that have a variety of uses. Rage gems take the shape of colored skulls that build up your rage meter when they are destroyed. Wildcard gems can be used for any color they’re adjacent to. Multiplier gems double the power you gain from a destroyed colored gem. Battle gems are what actually destroy gems on the field. If they touch a gem of the same color, all connecting gems of that color will be destroyed. There are also blank gems that merely serve as one of the four colors. The final gem type is the power gem. These don’t fall, but rather must be created on the field by creating 2X2 blocks of the same color. The creation of this gem grants you the benefit of any of the gems used to create it. For instance, if you used a rage gem, you’ll gain the equivalent rage in your meter. More importantly, the power gems represent special pieces of your equipment. Red power gems represent your weapons, green represents your shield etc. If you destroy a power gem, you’ll gain the ability of the item it represents. For instance, the great sword power gem would grant you bonus rage, and the great shield power gem would make you invulnerable to damage for a short while.

The point of battle is to build up your rage meter so that you deal damage to your opponent. However, neither of you has HP that must be depleted. Instead, there is a line that divides your side and your opponent’s side of the field. As you deal damage, this line moves in the direction of your opponent’s side, causing your playing field to become bigger and your opponent’s field to become smaller. The goal is to push this line so that your opponent tops out, giving you the win. Of course, they’re dropping gems on their side of the field trying to do the same thing. It ends up being a kind of tug of war mechanic. When the bar moves towards your opponent, any gems it passes are added to your side and you can gain their effect once they are destroyed. The same holds true for your opponent, so you have to be careful about how you set up combos. Rage is generated by destroying rage gems and using special abilities. You have around eight or so equipment slots you can fill to boost different aspects of battle. For instance, I used a belt that increased my red power as well as blue whenever I destroyed blue gems. There are also various status effects like poison and fear can affect either player. Poison slowly causes the white bar to creep forward, stun makes it so you can’t rotate gems for a while, and other abilities have other such adverse effects.

You also have a warbeast that can learn various abilities through training. By destroying gems, you build up the power for these abilities. For example, if you teach the warbeast an red ability, you need to destroy red gems to power it up. When it’s charged, you can unleash the beast so to speak to grant that ability’s effect. The skill tree for this isn’t all that deep, but you can mix and match them as you see fit. Basically, if it weren’t for these powers, the blank gems wouldn’t be all that useful. That tug of war mechanic can make battles tense and exciting, especially playing against another person.

The only real problem I have is that the combat doesn’t go at a fast enough pace for a gem dropping mechanic. There’s a slight delay in nearly every action you take, which can really effect you if your field gets too small. When you’re used to games like Tetris, Lumines, and Columns, the delay is really annoying. Still, the differing strategies, chances for combos, and thrill of shooting that white bar forward several spots at once makes the combat quite enjoyable. If not for the slower than average pace, it would be simply awesome.

The setup for the game is pretty much similar to any puzzle RPG you’ve played. You move around the map examining points of interest to gain quests, fight battles, etc. You can visit shops to buy new items, unlock dungeons to fight endless waves of enemies, craft new items, train your skills, train your warbeast, and even search for treasure. There are a couple of sidequests in each location that you can either perform as you go or save for later. Generally, however, you can pretty much stick to battling and moving the story forward. New locations are unlocked as you progress the story and places where there are quests available are highlighted on the map. It’s nothing all that special, but it works.

Put simply, the setup is like any other game in the genre, but the real time gem dropping combat is such a refreshing change of pace that it manages to make the game feel brand new. With a few tweaks, it could have been simply awesome. As it is, it is a very enjoyable experience.

Replayability

Because of the nature of the gameplay (i.e. not being turn based) battles tend to be shorter. Thus, the game doesn’t last nearly as long as other puzzle RPGs. Still, expect the basic run through of the story to last somewhere around fifteen hours or so. If you chose to to go about collecting all of the items or work on maxing your stats, you can add several hours onto the total. The game does have a awards system in place to keep track of your accomplishments. These don’t really add anything, but completionists will get something out of it.

Beyond that initial first run through however, there isn’t really a reason to play the game again. There are no character classes to chose from nor even branching storylines. Everyone who plays the game is going to get the same experience. Your character will always be that Conan wannabe with the gruff voice.

Thankfully, that first playthrough is more than likely going to get you your monies worth and the option to play at four difficulty levels should mean the chance to play it again on a harder difficulty.

Balance

Speaking of difficulty levels, I can’t help but mention how easy this game can wind up being. I started off on normal difficulty and switched over to hard about halfway through because I was getting bored. As it turned out, the items I’d equipped and my strategy for using them was so useful, I only lost twice throughout the entire story. One of those times was really early on before I had a full complement of equipment. The second time was the first time I came into contact with the poison status effect. For that first time, I had no answer to it, but afterwards it was no problem. Point in case, I defeated the final boss in about thirty seconds without him so much as landing a hit on me.

I did go back and try the game on “deathbringer” mode from the get go. This was nearly impossible. The way it works is that the rage bar starts off halfway closer to your side. In addition, the enemies deal damage far more often. I couldn’t even beat the first battle because all I had was a sword and not even a warbeast yet. The best bet for someone who wants a real challenge is to start the game on hard and then move up to “deathbringer” after they’ve had a chance to level up a bit. Then the game should prove quite challenging.

Basically, the game can become a bit easy once you have enough equipment. If you up the difficulty before you get too far in, the balance is just perfect. Still, any game where you need to manage the balance like this doesn’t deserve the same score as a game with a proper curve.

Originality

At first glance, the puzzle combat might seem completely original, but there’s actually some precedent for it. Puzzle games have long had versus modes where you attack your opponent by making chains that drop junk on them, forcing them to top out. Also, the versus mode in Lumines involved moving a dividing line around to give yourself a larger field of play. The groundwork was there. All Infinite needed to do was add in some RPG elements and they had a unique battle system. Again, it isn’t wholly original, but you can’t play anything quite like it.

The rest of the game is stripped straight from CotW. The customization options, the overworld, and even the various mini games are straight in line with the genre’s roots. Even the story feels like your typical action movie plot. I might has well have been playing The Scorpion King.

Addictiveness

I had a surprisingly hard time putting this game down. While playing, I told myself that I could stop anytime I wanted to; that the only reason I was continuing was because I wanted to finish the game quickly. However, the fact that I was playing for two or three hours at a time speaks volumes about how hooked I actually was. What can I say? Puzzle games are almost universally addicting because they are simple to pick up yet offer enough depth to keep you satisfied. Throw in a battle mechanic that works, and it is almost like crack.

There are a few elements that keep it from being as addicting as it could be, however. There are rather lengthy load times for any time you want to open your inventory and even longer load times before battles. At one point, the battle took less time to finish that it took for the game to load the battle and load back to the map when I’d won. It got really annoying.

Also, the main character is just so unlikable, you’ll find yourself not wanting to press onwards simply because you won’t feel he deserves his revenge. That might sound a bit out there, but it is simply true.

So while there was so much this game did in terms of presentation and combat that was above the norm for puzzle RPGs, the addictiveness just isn’t as high as those other games.

Appeal Factor

On one hand, I can easily say that this game can pretty much be enjoyed by anyone. On the other hand, it doesn’t appeal to nearly as wide a base as it could have. This is mostly due to the fact that you are shoehorned into using the main character and there are no classes to chose from. It still boggles me that developers haven’t realized that creating your own character is what a good RPG is all about. It’s why games like Diablo are so huge. True, you can customize your equipment, but it isn’t on the same level at all.

This game is also probably going to have a harder time on the market than you’d think. Most people don’t realize that all of these games are made by the same people, and I’ve seen a good number of them think that this game was an attempt by Konami to cash in on Puzzle Quest’s success. There isn’t even the little tag that Puzzle Kingdoms had to remind players of who made the game. That could definitely hurt the game’s chances of selling to the average consumer.

Still, the game is accessible and fun enough that anyone can get some enjoyment out of it. Also, this is only the second puzzle RPG to make it to the PSP as well as the first in nearly three years. That alone should help ramp up the interest.

Miscellaneous

I mentioned the annoyingly long load times earlier. What bugs me is that this could have been solved by a simple option to install the game on your PSP. We’ve seen this work wonders for games like Dissidia and Soul Calibur, so why not do it here as well? It just seems lazy not to have it.

There’s nothing really in the way of specials. I can’t really think of any suggestions right now as to what they could have put in, but nonetheless the lack of any sort of bonus is a bit disheartening.

Worst of all, the game’s plot leaves the game open for a sequel. That’s not so bad you say? It does this at the expense of a major plot line not being properly resolved. It can almost take the sense of accomplishment out of beating the final boss.

Overall though, the game leaves positive vibes. It just didn’t reach its potential is all.

The Scores
Story/Modes: Decent
Graphics: Above Average
Audio: Enjoyable
Gameplay: Enjoyable
Replayability: Mediocre
Balance: Above Average
Originality: Decent
Addictiveness: Good
Appeal Factor: Decent
Miscellaneous: Mediocre
Final Score: Above Average Game!

Short Attention Span Summary
Puzzle Chronicles on the PSP is a bit of letdown in terms of what the game could have been. The main character isn’t likable, the gem dropping isn’t fast enough, and the load times can be killer. Still, the puzzle combat is fun, the journey is lengthy enough, and the game will definitely hold your attention from start to finish. For PSP owners looking for a fun puzzle RPG, this game will fit the bill, even if it doesn’t hook you quite as well as Puzzle Quest did. I’m hopeful for an eventual sequel, because with a few tweaks, this could be something truly special.
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Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP)

January 31, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

dracula-undead-psp-artwork Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Developer: Moregames Entertainment/Abstraction Games
Genre: Run n’ Gun Shooter
Release Date: 01/28/2010

I haven’t been to impressed with Sony’s would be recommitment to the PSP. Purchasers of the PSPGo have been screwed overly a lack of content for it and a lot of the DLC only content that has come out since October has been underwhelming at best. This especially true for the PSP Minis. Games like Hero of Sparta and Vempire looked like they might be pretty good, but turned out to suck big time.

So of course, you’re probably wondering why I decided to pick up the latest PSP mini, Dracula – Undead Awakening. Part of it was because I’m a whore for traditional shooters, and this game’s screenshots resembled Ikari Warriors so I decided to give it a try. Plus, it’s a Dracula/vampire game and I’m a sucker for those, name jokes aside.

So is Dracula – Undead Awakening the first good PSP Minis experience I’ve had, or is this another stake in the coffin for the PSP revamp?

Let’s Review

1. Modes

There’s no real plot to speak of here. You’re a vampire hunter and you’re attacking a literally unlimited horde of the undead until you finally die. There is no winning in this game; it’s just seeing how long you can hold out.

DUA1 Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) There are four modes of play. The first is Survival, which is the standard mode. Here, you have constant enemies coming at you. It starts off slow and with only a few enemies at a time but eventually you get a constant stream of monsters in every direction. Every so often you’ll earn a power up and enemies sometimes drop weapons.

Rush has you start off picking one of three weapons. Unlike Survival, your weapon here as unlimited ammo and you can’t get any new ones. You are then attacking by a barrage of never ending enemies.

Wave Attack is probably the least cruel of the three. Here’ll you have a never ending set of rounds, but a limited number of enemies per round. Instead of dropping items and ammo, enemies will instead drop money. At the end of each round you can spend the money on ammo, health potions and new weapons.

Super Survival is basically the same as Survival, but there are exclusive power-ups like Time Stop or Haste. Vampires also seem unkillable as well.

You are also given a choice of three different stages to play in: Frozen Earth, Grave Park, and Castle Hall. Each stage has a different layout and different monsters to face off against.

For five bucks, I was actually impressed with the amount of modes, variety of monsters and the sheer number of power-ups and perks you could earn. My favourite mode was Survival, although I really enjoyed Wave Attack too. I was surprised how many hours I actually sunk into this and it’s actually a pretty good deal for its price tag.

Modes Rating: Good

2. Graphics

DUA2 Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) I was pretty impressed with the visuals here. The game runs at 60 frames per second and the animation is quite fluid. Monster look very nice for what they are, and especially so for a Minis game. You’ll encounter severed hands, ghosts, skeletons, weird floppy winged lizard hopping things, a Bela Lugosi inspired Dracula and more. The only weird thing is that the would-be werewolves actually look like the Hyenas from The Lion King. Everything looks nice and the backgrounds are quite large and detailed. In the Frozen Earth, there was an iced over lake and I thought for sure it was going to crack under my feet. Very nice.

One of the other things that is pretty impressive is that such a little game can handle so many independently moving and acting creatures at once without the slightest hint of slowdown. At one point I had over fifty monsters swarming at me and I could easy maneuver around and fire off machine gun bullets without the slightest pause. I’m actually really impressed at how smoothly this game comes off. There are some full budget PSP titles that could learn a few lessons from this game.

You’ll find Dracula: Undead Awakening visually appealing for what it is, especially for the price.

Graphics Rating: Enjoyable

3. Sound

Although there are only two tracks in the entire game, both are extremely catchy. They’re fast paced, hip and the frantic energy of the tracks fit the game nicely. They’re not tracks that will get caught in your head, but you may find yourself shooting to the beat or humming along while playing. The only downside is that the tracks are so limited, but at least what’s here is very nicely done.

Sound effects are equally impressive. Every weapon from the pistol to the BFG (Nice Doom homage) have their own sound along with their own rate of fire. Monsters too have their own noises, be it shrieks, or lightning bolts. Again, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. The musical tracks may be very limited, but at least there is a lot of diversity to the sound effects.

Sound Rating: Enjoyable

4. Control/Gameplay

Controls are simple. You use the D-Pad or analog stick to move, the shoulder pads to switch weapons and the shape buttons to fire. Each button fires in the direction that corresponds to the button. For example, Triangle is up, X is down and so on. This of course means you can only fire at 90 degree angles, which is a change from the eight way aiming that can be found in the iPhone version of the game. This is a bit disappointing and it would make the game a bit easier to play. Now, there is a way to get 360 degree aim and that’s to choose to swap the shooting controls to the analog stick and thus movement will be controlled by the shape buttons. It’s pretty awkward to do it this way though, so stick with the default controls.

DUA3 Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) Now that you know the controls, the rest of the game is easy. Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot and eventually die. Depending on the mode monsters may drop gold, ammo, weapons, or special items. This is completely random and what they drop can either really help or hinder your progress. At certain score intervals, you’ll gain perks. Perks too are random in regards to what you’ll get, but at least you’ll receive a list of four and then choose one of them. Perks can include faster reload, a full health recharge, higher score modifiers, regeneration and more. There are also weird perks like Invulnerability which makes you impervious for thirty seconds but then you die or armour which makes you take less damage but you move a lot slower. It’s just a matter of seeing how long you can survive. For me it’s usually eight minutes, but my longest game has been twenty-one.

I wish the controls would have been as fluid as they are on the iPhone (Even though I haven’t played that version), but what’s here works quite well and I had a lot of fun with it. I loved all the different weapons and knowing that this was a bit of a Kobiyashi Maru made me far more accepting of the 90 degree angle aiming only issue. The gameplay is so fast and frantic and the controls are so simple that you’ll no doubt, like me, find Dracula –Undead Awakening a lot of fun to play.

Control and Gameplay Rating: Enjoyable

5. Replayability

With four different modes and no true way to win, I actually found myself playing this game a lot in order to try and beat my previous high score in each mode. Younger or more casual gamers might find this a bit odd, but this was a fairly common thi9ngs for games in the 70’s and 80’s. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the old Activision title River Raid. I used to play that game on my Atari 2600 all the time with my only motivation being to beat my old score and/or to see how much farther I could get before dying. The same principle applies here.

Basically think of this game as a very gory Tertris or Bejeweled and you’ll have the right idea. You’ll find yourself returning to all four modes in hopes of collecting Nodes (which are dropped on the rare occasions you kill a vampire) and beating your scores. If this doesn’t sound like enough of an impetus for you, it probably means you won’t play this game very often. Otherwise, it’s a great game to play for ten minutes while waiting for something else, like a cake to bake or laundry to finish drying.

Replayability Rating: Above Average

6. Balance

DUA4 Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) Now I’ve described the game as a no-win scenario where you know you’re going to die – it’s just a matter of when and where. Some people might think that means the game is balls to the walls hard. In fact, Dracula – Undead Awakening is actually nicely balanced save for the Rush mode which is purposely designed to be merciless. With Wave Attack and both Survival modes, enemies start off slow and there are only a few at a time. The better you do and the longer you last, the more will come at you. Eventually, new types of monsters will be added to the mix and then faster or more powerful versions of the older monsters with a pallet swap. At some point a vampire will come at you. Again, this all keeps going on until you die. The goal seems to be to survive long enough to encounter a vampire and kill it. Then you pick up the node. After ten nodes you “rank up,” which is just a pat on the back.

Everything is pretty balanced and you’ll find the game getting noticeably harder as you progress. It’s just a matter of when the sheer numbers overwhelm you. Dracula – Undead Awakening is just the game you’re looking for if you’ve been in search of a real challenge.

Balance Rating: Good

7. Originality

Dracula – Undead Awakening harkens back to a time where games didn’t have a set ending or a last level. It’s very much an homage to the Atari 2600, Collecovision and Odyssey age of gaming. There are so many games like this that I played as a little boy. River Raid, Barnstorming, H.E.R.O. are just a few. Yes D-UA is a throwback to the early 80’s in terms of style and gameplay, but it’s also a perfect example of why so many of these games were highly addictive and fun. It’s nice to see this gameplay aspect revived and it’s even more entertaining to do it with a “hordes of the undead” motif.

Older gamers will find D-UA reminiscent of pre 8-bit era games while newer games will find it pretty outside the box compared to what they normally play. It’s not a highly original game, but it is one that decides to revive nigh-extinct gameplay elements instead of being a carbon copy what’s already been done to death, and I appreciate that.

Originality Rating: Decent

8. Addictiveness

I found it extremely hard to put this gain down. I loved trying out the different weapons, testing out the various modes and/or power-ups and seeing how long I could last. It was always an awesome moment to take out a vampire and snatch up their node, and each play through felt completely different from the last.

In only a few days I racked up well over a dozen hours with this game. I was ecstatic the one time I finally pushed past the twenty minute mark in Survival and although I haven’t done it since, I know I’m going to keep trying.

D-UA has actually been the best Downloadable-only title I’ve picked up from the PSP Store and it’s definitely a game I’ll continue to play for a long time. It’s short, simple and hard to resist.

Addictiveness Rating: Great

9. Appeal Factor

DUA5 Review: Dracula – Undead Awakening (PSP) Some gamers may be put off by the idea of a game you can’t “beat” or that never ends, but this was fairly common twenty years ago, and it’s something we still see today with “endless” puzzle games. The game is only as long as you are skilled and the fast, frantic and intense game speed might be too much for some gamers. I personally loved this title. It was a mix of bullet hell shoot ‘em ups, River Raid’s “How long before you die?” aspect and Ikari Warriors. I was hooked after my first play of Survival and this little five dollar game is seeing more playtime than a lot of the thirty or forty dollar PSP games I own.

With four different modes and a constant challenge guaranteed to improve your hand-to-eye coordination, Dracula – Undead Awakening is a game most gamers will get their money’s worth out of and then some. It’s definitely worth the download.

Appeal Factor Rating: Above Average

10. Miscellaneous

Dracula – Undead Awakening is not only proof than a simple game can be fun, but that there’s still hope for the whole PSP Minis concept. Many PSP Mini games are badly ported iPhone or cell phone games that cost far more than the original superior version. Not so with D-UA. This is quality game through and through and I’m still shocked at how low the sticker price is with this. Four modes, three level designs and a ton of monsters and customization gives you a game you may not be able to beat, but it certainly is one you can have a lot of fun with. About the only thing I could ask for is a two player co-op mode. Supposedly this is also coming to WiiWare and DSiware, so Nintendo fans will get a chance to experience it as well!

Miscellaneous Rating: Good

The Scores
Modes: Good
Graphics: Enjoyable
Sound: Enjoyable
Control and Gameplay: Enjoyable
Replayability: Above Average
Balance: Good
Originality: Decent
Addictiveness: Great
Appeal Factor: Above Average
Miscellaneous: Good
FINAL SCORE: ENJOYABLE GAME!

Short Attention Span Summary
At only $4.99, Dracula –Undead Awakening is a no-brainer. The frantic no-win scenario gameplay is extremely addictive and a lot of fun. The graphics and sound are limited in comparison to a full budget PSP release, but what’s here is done exceptionally well. This is easily the best PSP Minis release to date and it’s so well done, you’ll feel like you ripped poor Chillingno off. If you’ve got the five bucks to spare, download this from the PSP store as you’ll definitely get your money’s worth and then some.

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Tags: Archive, Reviews, Sony PSP, Top Story

Playstation Download Wrap-Up for January 28, 2010

January 29, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

I think after the past couple weeks, I got a little lazy. I got kinda used to not having to worry about writing a whole lot, because the last couple updates have been absolutely pants. As a writer on a tight deadline that also deals with Sony’s awful update schedule (which can basically be summed up as “whenever they feel like it”, and can more accurately be described as “anytime between 6PM and 8PM EST, PS: fuck your deadlines”), the last couple updates have been sweet. For those of you unaware, whenever these updates come out, I usually take the time to download any demos there are to download, try them out, give my impressions of the demo itself, and give a try to any of the PS one games that are out as well. Even something I can’t/don’t play (like the minis), I at least research. Needless to say even the last couple updates were a pain in the ass, but it’s worth it as I try to give our readers more than just the cut-and-pasted summary from the Playstation Blog that most other sites give out.

A day like today, where we find out that three full PS3 games, two PS one games, four minis and a couple other demos to look into, make me seriously question my dedication, not to mention my sanity.

The biggest release that Sony dedicated an entire blog post to is Hustle Kings, a $10 game that proclaims itself as the most realistic pool simulation of all time, with standard games like 8-ball and 9-ball in addition to more obscure forms of billiards, as well as all the trick shots you could sake a cute at. I’m not sure off-hand if it’s as realistic as they say it is, but I’ll know for sure soon, and so will you; we’ll have a full review of Hustle Kings sometime within the next seven to ten days, done by no less an authority than Diehard GameFAN’s sports/billiards expert: myself.

Another game being released – this one with a demo as well – is Thexder Neo, the Square-Enix shooting game in the Thexder lineage. The player spends time alternating between a plane and a mech, shooting enemies down in both forms. Having played the demo, I now understand why Alex hated it so much: it’s impossible to control due to the fact that the plane is constantly moving (which requires multiple pass-overs to kill anything), and the mech usually just stands there and tries to take out enemies with its peashooter while it gets attacked like a piece of meat in a dog cage. Just from ten minutes of playtime – eight of which was spent helplessly watching my mech/plane get torn apart – I can definitively say that this is not an enjoyable shooter for any classification of fans. Thexder Neo is not hard, it’s cheap and clumsy. Stay away at any price.

Also for release for the PS3 is Assault Heroes for $10, another in a long line of “too little, too late” PSN games that have been out on XBox Live for a couple of years. For those that haven’t played it, Assault Heroes is a top-down shooter that has a somewhat slow pace to it and a small variety of weapons. The XBLA version is down to $5, which is a pretty good price for the game. I don’t think there’s enough replay value here for $10, especially considering the fact that this is a three year old game, so I would recommend that anyone looking at buying this that doesn’t have a 360 see if there’s a deal first.

As far as PS one classics, Sony’s given us two of the least inspired selections of all time. The first is Extreme Pinball, a first-generation pinball title from Electronic Arts. The game comes with the standard four tables, each having it’s own theme, though they’re all set up essentially the same way. The physics in this game felt light; they’re not proper physics, the ball feels too jumpy (like I’m playing Crue Ball again), and everything seems to go a little too fast when compared with real pinball. The music’s groovy, but when your ball physics aren’t as good as the pinball that comes with early copies of Windows, you’re not worth $6. Also for $6 is Hi-Octane:The Track Fights Back. The only space I’m going to waste on this garbage is that it’s a Wipeout clone with horrible controls. Save your money.

Finally, in terms of notable content, two demos (other than Thexder Neo) dropped, which make me question their timing. Sony decided that six Playstation 3 owners haven’t bought Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, so they’ve put out a single-player demo for our perusal. Forgive me if I think this is a bit odious, but demos are supposed to be specifically catered to people thinking about the game that have to be convinced, right? Let me ask this: who the hell hasn’t bought Uncharted 2 that has any intention of it? I don’t understand what the latest fuss is with releasing demos after a game’s release. If these companies are smart, they’ll do what Sony is doing for Heavy Rain: release the demo EARLY to build up suspense and get people excited for the game. What benefit comes from releasing this demo now? The only thing I can think is that SCEA pulled a Kane & Lynch on us: they weren’t sure of the quality of the game and didn’t want anyone with a preorder to get a refund. This is extremely disingenuous, and only serves to jade me even more to bigger-budget sequels. It’s not like the game isn’t popular – hell, most of the complaints we had about our end-of-year awards is that most people felt the game was under-represented – so why bother with a demo now? Who are you still selling it to? I can assure you, Sony: not only have I not bought the game, I don’t really intend to. If I did, I would have bought it by now. Another demo is for Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic Games, which is similar in one way to Uncharted 2 in that the game is already out, only they’re releasing the freaking demo now. There is a difference between Vancouver ‘10 and Uncharted 2, though: Vancouver ‘10 sucks. Even with the demo, there’s no reason to buy that game when many superior versions of Track & Field already exist.

Overall, there’s a lot of content this week, but a lot of it is either needless or not very good. The only download that might be worth something is Hustle Kings, and we’ll find out for sure on that one once I give it the full once-over. Until next week, this is Christopher Bowen, who’s going to download the demo for Heavenly Sword to help me definitively make a decision I already made three years ago.

Full games + comics update below:

Updates

Bloons minis Permanent Price Drop (now $2.99, original price $3.99)

Brain Pipe minis Permanent Price Drop (now $2.99, original price $4.99)

Downloadable Games

Hustle Kings ($9.99)

Rack ‘em up and hustle your way to the top of the leaderboards with Hustle Kings, the newest and first-ever billiards simulator made exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Set in contemporary and stylish pool bars, Hustle Kings allows players of every skill level to immerse themselves in one of the most realistic billiards experiences ever realized through true to life physics and stunning, photo-realistic lighting and graphics.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 316 MB

THEXDER NEO ($9.99)
Originally released on the PC in 1985, THEXDER is a side-scrolling shooter featuring sleek animation, strategic transforming-mech gameplay, and brilliant homing lasers. Now the excitement of the original returns with revamped graphics, a novice mode, 6-player online races, and all-new features in THEXDER NEO.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 269 MB

Assault Heroes ($9.99)
As the only surviving members of an elite Special Forces Unit, it is up to you to uncover a classified weapons program hidden deep within a secret underground lab. Go the mission alone or fight side-by-side with your fellow comrade to tackle relentless enemy attacks. Use your stealth military training, weapons handling and quick mobility in this do or die mission. Reveal the truth to become the ultimate Assault Hero!

ESRB Rated T
File size: 58 MB

PS one Classics

Extreme Pinball ($5.99)
Take your pinball to the extreme! Rack up the high scores as you play through four exciting tables.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 24 MB

Hi-Octane:The Track Fights Back ($5.99)
Blow the competition away in this high-speed racing game! Collect weapons and power-ups in a full-on battle towards the finish line.

ESRB Rated E
File size: 35 MB

Game Demos (free)

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Single Player Demo
Download the free single player demo for the “GAME OF THE YEAR” award winner, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves today!
ESRB Rated T
File size: 1.83 GB

THEXDER NEO Demo
Originally released on the PC in 1985, THEXDER is a side-scrolling shooter featuring sleek animation, strategic transforming-mech gameplay, and brilliant homing lasers. Now the excitement of the original returns with revamped graphics, a novice mode, 6-player online races, and all-new features in THEXDER NEO.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 94 MB

Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Demo
The world’s best athletes are back to defy the odds with heart-stopping feats of athletic greatness in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Take to the slopes in the men’s super-G or risk everything in the Landing Zone challenge.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 675 MB

Add-on Game Content

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves PlayStation Heroes Pack ($4.99)
Storm through UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves online multiplayer modes as characters from your favorite PlayStation franchises! This pack contains seven character skins from inFAMOUS, Killzone 2, and the Resistance franchise.
File size: 141 KB

LittleBigPlanet GroundHog Day Costume (free)
A seasonal exclusive costume for SackBoy! Available for a limited time.
File size: 1.04 MB

Assassin’s Creed II Sequence 12: Battle of Forli ($3.99)

Battle of Forli expands the Assassin’s Creed II experience by delivering a missing piece of the storyline. Uncover new depths to the historical conspiracy by gaining access to six challenging new memories. Join Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza to defend Forli from the Orsi Brothers and pilot Leonardo’s flying machine across Romagna.
File size: 702 MB

PAIN Hilde Günnagröpe Character ($0.99)
Don’t be fooled by Hilde’s siren song – the littlest valkyrie packs a wallop. Launch her onto unsuspecting targets that don’t realize just because Hilde may be a bit on the short side, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to lay the hammer down! It takes some serious muscles to be able to wield a hammer as big as your own self, and this viking has got plenty leftover to dish out the PAIN. Download Hilde today!
File size: 100 KB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
“Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival ($1.99)
Creedence Clearwater Revival Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Bad Moon Rising”, “Travelin’ Band”, and “Proud Mary” by CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival). Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 23 MB – 32 MB (singles), 78 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Bulls on Parade”— Rage Against the Machine ($1.99)
“Hair of the Dog”— Nazareth ($1.99)
“Killed by Death ‘08″— Motörhead ($1.99)
“Levitate”— I Mother Earth ($1.99)
“Master of the Universe”— Hawkwind ($1.99)
“Transmaniacon MC”— Blue Öyster Cult ($1.99)
“Godzilla”— Blue Öyster Cult ($1.99)

File sizes: 18 MB – 40 MB (singles)

Game Videos (free)

White Knight Chronicles IE Character Customization Video
File size: 78 MB (HD) 133 MB (1080)

White Knight Chronicles IE The Online Experience
File size: 163 MB (HD) 256 MB (1080)

MAG: How To – Acquisition Mode
File size: 75 MB (HD)

MAG: How To – Domination Mode

File size: 71 MB (HD)

MAG: How To – Sabotage Mode
File size: 63 MB (HD)

MAG: How To – Suppression Mode
File size: 53 MB (HD)

Hustle Kings Launch Trailer
File size: 45 MB (HD) 76 MB (1080)

Smash Cars Trailer 2
File size: 20 MB (SD) 54 MB (HD)

Madden NFL Arcade Accolades Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

Madden NFL Arcade Launch Trailer
File size: 39 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

Devil Girl Hook-Ups Theme ($1.99)
File size: 4.47 MB

Nurse Girl Mika Hook-Ups Theme ($1.99)
File size: 4.36 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP

PSP minis (also playable on PS3 system)

Dracula – Undead Awakening ($4.99)
ESRB Rated T
File size: 13 MB

Pinball Dreams ($6.99)

ESRB Rated E
File size: 4.45 MB

Route 66 ($3.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 41 MB

Deflector ($3.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 5.66 MB

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet PSP Gardens Theme Level Pack ($2.99)
PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. Take a trip to the Gardens with new stickers and objects from the Gardens Level Pack!
NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.62 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Gardens Costumes (free)
PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. LittleBigPlanet’s critically acclaimed “PLAY, CREATE, SHARE” experience, makes its way to the PSP system with a completely new Sackboy adventure. Get two free costumes from the Gardens!

NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 4.5 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP The Sack That Time Forgot Level Pack ($2.99)
PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. Take a trip to the stone age with 4 costumes and 12 stickers in The Sack That Time Forgot Level Pack!
NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.59 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Content Update v2.02 (free)
File size: 5.08 MB

Game Videos (free)

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Anger
File size: 51 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Fraud
File size: 49 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Greed

File size: 51 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Heresy
File size: 44 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Limbo
File size: 46 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Violence

File size: 37 MB

Kurulin Fusion Trailer
File size: 15 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Devil Girl Hook-Ups PSP Theme ($1.99)
File size: 379 KB

Nurse Girl Mika Hook-Ups PSP Theme ($1.99)
File size: 364 KB

Comic Store Update

2000AD Prog # 1664 - $ 1.99

Arizona Goof and the Idol of the Chicken-Hearts $ 0.99

Daredevil (1998) # 92 - $ 1.99

Daredevil (1998) # 93 - $ 1.99

Donald Duck, Ludwig Von Drake and the Winning Strategy $ 0.99

Donald Duck in: “Gulliver Duck’s Travels” $ 0.99

DoubleDuck # 2 - $ 1.99

G.I. Joe: Cobra # 5 - $ 1.99

G.I. Joe Origins # 6 - $ 1.99

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft # 5 - $ 0.99

Nanovor: Game Day # 4 - $ 0.99

Origin (2001) # 1 - $ 1.99

Origin (2001) # 2 - $ 1.99

Origin (2001) # 3 - $ 1.99

Origin (2001) # 4 - $ 1.99

Origin (2001) # 5 - $ 1.99

Origin (2001) # 6 - $ 1.99

Superduck: Robophobia # 5 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 83 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 84 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 500 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 501 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 502 - $ 1.99

The Avengers (1998) # 503 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 77 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 78 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 79 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 80 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 81 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 82 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 83 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 84 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 85 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 86 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 87 - $ 1.99

The Incredible Hulk (1999) # 88 - $ 1.99

Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 9 - $ 1.99

Ultraheroes: Prologue $ N/A

Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 477 - $ 1.99

Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 478 - $ 1.99

Uncanny X-Men (2003) # 479 - $ 1.99

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising # 9 - $ 0.99

X-Men (2004) # 169 - $ 1.99

X-Men (2004) # 170 - $ 1.99

X-Men (2004) # 171 - $ 1.99

X-Men (2004) # 172 - $ 1.99

X-Men (2004) # 173 - $ 1.99

X-Men (2004) # 174 - $ 1.99

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Tags: Archive, Columns, PSN-update, Sony PS3, Sony PSP, Top Story

Review: Creature Defense (PSP)

January 13, 2010 by admin · Comment
Filed under: PSP News

Creature Defense
Genre: Tower Defense
Developer: Hudson Entertainment
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Release Date: 11/04/2009

I enjoy a nice tower defense game every once in a while, but with access to the Internet, at the same time, it’s kind of spoiled me in regard to the genre. When you jump on the Internet, you can find a massive number of free tower defense games just waiting for someone to give them a tender click of the mouse. So whenever a tower defense game would land on a console or handheld, a price of $20 or more would usually equate to sticker shock. Fortunately, Hudson Entertainment looked to do something a little different with the genre by mixing the tower defense genre with a card management scheme and for the first time, I paid attention to a handheld tower defense game. By tossing in a fantasy element akin to what people might see in Magic: The Gathering, Creature Defense creates a unique identity for itself, but fans of tower defense games will be pleased to know the title didn’t mess around with what makes the genre fun.

As far as I could tell, there is no official story for Creature Defense, which given the rich fantasy tone of the title is a slight disappointment, but, then again, I could easily rattle off a good handful of great tower defense games that also have no rhyme or reason. Regardless, it is always kind of nice to know why waves of baddies are attacking your tower (which, conveniently in most these titles you never even get to see) and why the player can summon defense creatures – it isn’t necessary, but it certainly would have enriched the experience. As such, most of this review’s attention will be placed on the title’s modes of play and variety.

There are no real discernible game modes, per say, instead, the title features a single mode that thrusts players onto an overhead parchment map that features all available environments as well as the game’s shop. Each environment obviously places players into new territories and how the enemies attempt to storm your tower, however, each environment also comes packed with multiple phases (differing the order and frequency of the monster types that spawn in each wave) and an eventual time attack mode. Players do also have access to deck editors, help menus and more, but as a whole, there is only one game mode in the entire game, which, if you’re picking up a tower defense game, though, you’re probably expecting nothing more than the straight-forward strategy provided in Creature Defense. Even though there is a lack of variety, the title does provide a lot of scope in its offerings and tower defense and card management fans will find it hard to be disappointed in Creature Defense’s offerings.

While the mechanics are sound in the title, Creature Defense’s presentation isn’t necessarily strong. None of it will make the title less fun and addictive, however, it is entirely noticeable if you are paying attention to everything involved. The visuals get high marks outside of the gameplay as the menus are all very clean and well-organized and by accessing a creature’s stats, players are shown large hand-drawn fantasy artwork that will no doubt please anyone into that style. During gameplay, however, players won’t be treated to heavy details in the visuals, with muddy, pre-rendered environments, low animation and somewhat fuzzy visuals. Nothing is so bad that players won’t be able to tell what is going on and, thankfully, the monster paths are displayed very clearly, but everything else is as average as can be. The graphics do have their highlights, though, which is more than what I can say about the generic audio. While nothing is painfully bad to the ears, the game’s quiet music is easily lost in the action and Creature Defense is full of generic magic sound effects that the player will hear over and over. If there were a few more various sound effects and some more urgency to the music, everything would come across a lot better for the audio.

While a mouse is easily the most intuitive means of controlling a tower defense game, there are thankfully no real issues in navigating the terrain and placing your creatures in Creature Defense. The square button handles the zooming of the playfield, the X button allows players to place a creature and confirm selections and the triangle button toggles active creatures in order to level them up or sell them back for mana, while the shoulder buttons cycles through options to slow down or speed up the gameplay. That is simply all there is to controlling the game and the simplicity makes the format work on the handheld scene and anyone that has touched a tower defense game should feel right at home with Creature Defense.

However, there are a few mechanics that shake things up and insert even more strategy into the genre as opposed to a standard tower defense game. These obviously come in the form of the roughly 50 cards players can collect to cast creatures out into the playfield. However, the catch is players can only bring five of these creatures into each phase. When you consider that each creature has an elemental infinity and each one of these has a weakness, you’ll start to see where the strategy comes in to play. Flying enemies that can only be destroyed by items suitable to attack in the air also make their way into the title, but it goes further than this when you have to prepare fire element creatures that do heavy damage to the forest element. While players start off with a meager span of cards, by slaying a suitable number of baddies, that enemy is added to the card shop for the players to shuffle in stronger and varying creatures into their decks.

What this will mean for most players is eventually during a phase, a poor choice of cards can really haunt players as each phase consists of 50 waves and once the player settles on a deck, they have to use it for the duration of the phase. Players may get well into a phase to find out they are not prepared to battle a flying water element monster, causing them to rethink their strategy. Strategy is the key in Creature Defense because even though you might place in a creature more suitable for fighting off the flying water elements, you may end up replacing a card that is necessary for another wave in the game. As such, the title is equal parts strategy and management, and each lends itself to the game incredibly well. Dedicated players will become quickly addicted to the title and given the title’s challenging nature, the payoff is extremely rewarding for players that can tackle some of the game’s stages.

Even though players can dive through the handful of environments relatively quickly, there is a lot to go back and accomplish. Players can revisit levels after picking up stronger creatures to improve their scores or to more effectively battle powerful enemies to add them to their card store. Eventually, players will also unlock new phases with different sets of waves to challenge players and completists will want to own every single card in the game. Tower defense players looking for a more challenging outlet might be able to find it in Creature Defense as the game doesn’t really hold players’ hands at all, starting out moderately tough and amping up the difficulty from there. While this might intimidate beginner players and scratches the balance down just a little bit, the progression is easily suitable from that point, injecting branching paths and more difficult environments, monsters and waves as players move on. Again, if you’re interested in this title, though, you’re probably somewhat accustomed to the genre and a lot of it should be second nature.

CDScreen1 Review: Creature Defense (PSP)

With the combination of genres, Creature Defense opens up its appeal even more as it is definite sell to tower defense fans and a great suggestion to management buffs that like to tinker with customizable decks. The title is also positioned at a comfortable price of $8 on the Playstation Network that is easily worth the price of admission and will give players on the go hours of entertainment. It’s hard to put down once you get sucked in and there are a lot of extra goods to be seen, including a fan service nod to Sony’s Eye of Judgment series as the game contains three creature cards pulled from the PS3 series.

The Scores
Story/Modes: GOOD
Graphics: GOOD
Sound: DECENT
Control/Gameplay: CLASSIC
Replayability: INCREDIBLE
Balance: GOOD
Originality: ABOVE AVERAGE
Addictiveness: GREAT
Appeal Factor: GREAT
Miscellaneous: VERY GOOD
Final Rating: VERY GOOD GAME

Short Attention Span Summary

While the mixture of genres found in Creature Defense might not revolutionize tower defense games, it actually comes pretty close, and it becomes hard to put the game down once you get into it. Due to the nature affinities each creature has and the limitation of only being allowed five creatures at a time really piles on the strategy and challenge more than one might initially think. Creature Defense drops the ball on its presentation a little and the challenge and balance might not be too welcoming for those new to the genre, but the title doesn’t fail to provide hours of fun and it will do everything that matters to tower defense fans. The title is an easy recommendation for tower defense fans and the appeal should carry over to those that like to micromanage and when it comes to the PSP, Creature Defense is a great solution for those looking for this style of game on the Sony handheld.
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Tags: Archive, Reviews, Sony PSP, Top Story

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