PSNStores

Global PSN Store Update – Feb 21st 2012

Chris K — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:49:35 +0000

Here is your weekly look at what is out on the PlayStation Store. Listed below are the demos and games for this week. Full content can be found on the PlayStation Blogs (US, EU) or Regional PlayStation websites (JP, HK).

This post will get updated throughout the week. Here is a rough content release schedule:

: Tuesdays
: Wednesdays
: Mondays-Fridays
: Mondays-Fridays

Upcoming games can be seen here!

Demos

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Photokano (PSP)
SSX
UFC Undisputed 3

PS3 Games

Mafia II ($19.99)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II ($19.99)

PS2 Games

Full Spectrum Warrior Ten Hammers ($9.99)

PS1 Games

Action Bass (¥600)
Clock Tower 2 (¥600)
Harmful Park (¥600)
Rival Schools: United By Fate (¥600)

PSV Games

Army Corps Of Hell ($39.99) [625 MB]
Augmented Reality – Cliff Diving (Free) [400 MB]
Augmented Reality – Fireworks (Free) [273 MB]
Augmented Reality – Table Soccer (Free) [183 MB]
Ben 10 Galactic Racing ($29.99) [968 MB]
Dynasty Warriors Next ($34.99) [1.5 GB]
Hustle Kings ($9.99) [325 MB]
Plants Vs Zombies ($14.99) [74 MB]
Shinobido 2: Revenge Of Zen ($34.99) [1.1GB]
TALES FROM SPACE: MUTANT BLOBS ATTACK ($7.99) [127 MB]
Touch My Katamari ($24.99) [660 MB]

PSV Apps

Flickr (Free) [7 MB]
Live Tweet (Free) [4 MB]
Netflix (Free) [12 MB]

Minis

Hungry Giraffe – Minis ($3.49)
Touchdown Fever($2.99)

More Disgaea 3 Vita Screenshots – Showcasing new playable characters

Curtis H — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:56:07 +0000

We got a boatload of new Disgaea 3 Vita screenshots today. Below are ten shots from the game with most featuring some of the new playable characters that’ll be appearing this time around. You might notice some of the Disgaea 4 characters are in these shots as well. As a big fan of Fuka from Disgaea 4 this is great news.

Bang Bang Racing – Obstacles, Options and Multiplayer

Curtis H — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:27:40 +0000

The trailer above for Bang Bang Racing shows off the obstacles you’ll face on the road to victory, different camera options available in the game and a brief clip of some multiplayer racing.

If nothing else the music in that trailer has me pumped.

Wheels of Destruction – Scout Trailer

Curtis H — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0000

I know you’re all excited for some Wheels of Destruction so we’ve got this new trailer just for you. The appropriately named ‘Scout Trailer’ features the Scout car class. Of the five different classes in the game the Scout is the fastest and most likely to deliver devastating blows before you even know what hit you.

Review: Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Andrew — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:05:52 +0000

After three grand adventures on the PlayStation 3 Nathan Drake is making his portable debut with Uncharted: Golden Abyss on the PlayStation Vita. Set before the original Uncharted we see Drake once again adventuring through a jungle jumping, climbing, and shooting a few hundred people while cracking a joke here and there as he searches for treasures of lost civilizations and maybe keeping the world safe from evil doers along the way.

The first thing that really jumped out at me when I started the game up is how much it really does look like an Uncharted game that I could experience on the PS3 and although it might not be as grand as some of Drakes newer adventures the fact that it’s on a hand held that I can bring with me wherever I go is pretty impressive. The story is well written and the voice work and cut scenes are all up to the standard that the series is known for with a lot of witty banter between the characters.

As far as controls go Golden Abyss plays mostly the same as the PS3 games do and having a second analogue stick to control the camera and aiming works really well once you get used to their shorter length. The major difference is the added Vita feature specific controls using the touch screen and touch pad. Unfortunately a lot of these additions seem to be there just to show off what the Vita can do rather then for captivating game play. For instance while fighting an enemy hand to hand it doesn’t make any sense to have to slide my finger in a certain direction on the touch screen to perform counters and finishers when pressing a button would accomplish the job easier and less disruptively. Same goes for having to tap a virtual button to pick up treasures when the triangle button is sitting not far from it. One new control method that does work rather well though is using the rear touch pad while sniping and taking pictures by sliding your finger up and down the rear touch pad to zoom in and out. It would have been nice for all of the new control methods to be optional though to allow the player to play how they wanted to.

Other uses of the touch screen come into play though small mini games that show up throughout the game that have you doing such things as rubbing the touch screen to do charcoal rubbings, using the touch pad to rotate and inspect an item or using the touch screen to put back together pieces of a torn up map. While these aren’t necessarily bad, they do show up a bit too often.

As in past games Drake can pick up a few collectibles on his journey to the Golden Abyss and these are broken up into three categories; Treasures, Mysteries and Bounties. Treasures are the normal run of the mill items like statues and ornaments that Drake is used to finding on his adventures. Mysteries are items that expand the story and include such things as artifacts, pictures and charcoal rubbings. Bounties are sometimes dropped by enemies when they are defeated and can also be obtained from other players through Near. Each of these collectibles contains descriptions that really show how much detail has been included in the game. All together the game has a whopping 411 different items to collect (with 36 of them being exclusive to Near) to keep any treasure collector busy for a while.

One big disappointment for me though is the lack of extras. Past titles always had unlockable costumes, weapons and effects to make subsequent playthroughs a little more interesting along with behind the scenes features to look into the development process of the game. Since these have been staples of the series its kind of disappointing to see them not included in this title.

While the developers at Bend Studio may have made some questionable design choices, Uncharted: Golden Abyss looks, feels and plays (for the most part) like the series does on the PS3 but with the ability to take it with you on the go. With a good story, decent game play, lots of collectibles to find and trophies to obtain Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a game that is going to keep me busy for a while to come.

A copy of this game was purchased for review purposes. For more info on our review policy click here.

New Quantum Conundrum “Fluffy Dimension” Screens and Info

Curtis H — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:42:56 +0000

Other than the occasional screenshot we haven’t heard much from Quantum Conundrum since it was first revealed last fall. While today doesn’t bring much more information on the game it does seem like we’re not far off from seeing more of the game with GDC and PAX not far off. For now we have eight new screenshots and some new info on the Fluffy Dimension.

One of five dimensions you’ll be able to access using the Inter-Dimensional Shift Device, the Fluffy Dimension turns everything in the world fluffy, pink and plush. Suddenly you’ll be able to use the weightlessness of objects to your advantage to pick up heavy objects like metal safes and create ramps, hit switches or throw them into the air.

The final dimension is supposed to be revealed during GDC this year so we’ll be sure to have more information very soon.

Retro City Rampage Coming To PS3 And Vita

Ben Jones — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:45:48 +0000

I’m incredibly excited. Why is that, you ask? Well, because Retro City Rampage was announced today on the PlayStation Blog for both PS3 and Vita. Having previously been for Wiiware and XBLA, it seems the small crew at Vblank Entertainment has been incredibly busy in bringing the game to 3 more platforms, with Windows PC also part of today’s announcement. I’d likely do the game a massive disservice by attempting to describe it as anything more than a delightful parody of all things retro, but the trailer below is sure to do a better job than I ever could.

I think I lost count at the number of references I just saw. Retro City Rampage is due out in May, and I honestly cannot wait.

PSNStores Weekly Round-Up — Vitamania Is Running Wild

Chris K — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:51:05 +0000

The past few days have been great. I have been jamming to Lumines and playing the heck out of my Vita. With the system launching for all next week we will be blasting some reviews out shortly. Expect to see reviews for most of the Digital Only games up by week’s end. With that I need to start playing some Super Stardust Delta.

Global Store Update

Releases From 2/13 Thru 2/16

Reviews

PSN News

Vita News

PSP News

Minis News

Move News

Playing Dead Episode One: Intro To The Walking Dead Game

Curtis H — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:48:44 +0000

In the lead up to the first episode of their next game Telltale is putting together a 9 part video series all about The Walking Dead. In this initial episode we’re introduced to just what type of game The Walking Dead will be as well as it’s relation to the comics.

In addition to the episode we’ve also got three new screenshots of the game below.

Next week they’ll be talking to Gary Whitta, you may know him as the screenwriter from The Book of Eli, who recently revealed that he’ll be writing one of the episodes from the upcoming game.

Not-Review: Mutant Blobs Attack!

Chris K — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:33:47 +0000

Eric and I have been huge fans of Mutant Blobs Attack! since we saw it at PAX last summer. Due to the fact that it is a Vita launch title, we have been covering the game quite a bit. You may have even noticed the fancy site skin that we are using and that both Eric and I are actually in the game. Because of this I would feel really shady if we had an official review here on the site. But that doesn’t stop me from writing up my impressions of the game.

Here is the short version. If you have a Vita there is no reason what-so-ever that you should not drop the $8 and pick up Mutant Blobs Attack! Now if you want to stick around and not just start playing now… here is the long version.

First a small refresher on what this game actually is. You take one part Katamari and another part platformer. Put it in a food processor and add some coding magic. Mutant Blobs Attack! is all about getting bigger and solving some tricky platforming puzzles. You take your mutant blob through almost 30 different stages trying to get through each stage as fast as possible while still collecting as much stuff as you can absorb into the little guy.

You might think that this sounds familiar. Well if you played Tales From Space: About A Blob last year on your PS3, Mutant Blobs Attack is the semi-sequel to it. While you won’t be playing the friendly green and orange blobs this time around, you will be in control of the mean and green mutant blob who is sporting some purple spikes. Our review of About A Blob was rather glowing, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have its own share of problems. You had to hold down a button to absorb items, you were constantly holding the run button, you couldn’t use the D-Pad… I could go on. Mutant Blobs Attack fixes every last one of those issues.

Now you will automatically pick up items. Making it even easier for you to grow your blob. The mutant blob is also faster than the old blobs, so there is no need for a run button. The game also supports D-Pad input, so you can feel like you are playing your favorite old-school platformer all over again. A side note here, but the Vita D-Pad is one of the best pads I have used in a long time. Unlike the split pad on the Dual Shock, the Vita’s pad is all one piece. It feels great on your thumb and offers a very responsive feel when doing the platforming sections.

The game also takes use of the Vita’s fancy components. Obviously because you are mutant you can fly around certain sections like you have a jet pack. To boost you can use the back-touch sensor on the Vita. This works great as you finger won’t be blocking the great looking visuals on the screen. But if you aren’t feeling it, the game also has the shoulder buttons doing the same functionality. The screens of the game don’t really do the game justice as the 2D art really pops with the Vita’s screen. I am sure every game site out there has been raving on about the screen, but it is all true. The game just looks fantastic on it.

There are sections where you will have to manipulate objects on screen using front touch. These all have a green orb on them, so they aren’t hard to miss. It all works as you think it would and these parts really add something to the game. Additionally there are the Tilt-A-Blob sections. Consider these as little side-missions where you are using the gyros to guide the blob either around a level or through a maze. Have you ever played one of those labyrinth puzzles? Some of them are just like that. The visuals for each of these levels are different as well. At one point you are playing in a Game Boy like world, it is a trip.

Another thing that I really like in Mutant Blobs Attack is the constant growing size of your blob. It seemed that in About A Blob at the start of almost every stage you would be a small tiny thing and have to grow. Now with Mutant Blobs Attack you will rarely start a level smaller than you were in the level before. This really adds to the momentum of playing through stages. You get that feeling of wanting to continue, just to see what you will be absorbing next. One thing I do miss is that there really aren’t any “boss” fights. You will have to take out a tank or two but they really aren’t a challenge. The game is rather easy, if you can master the platforming. There are no lives, so you can die as much as you want — this will affect your level score though. You can probably crank through all the levels in a few hours. With no multiplayer, the replayability will have to come from leaderboard chasing and trophy hunting. You better believe that there will be some epic battles going on between PSNStores staff on that leaderboard. It will be PAX Prime all over again.

I found the game to be hilarious at times. All of its humor comes through the level artwork, as there is no real dialogue. Throughout each of the stages there are just random puns everywhere to be seen. I think I saw EB PP Games in one level and almost lost it. Brad and Curtis would be proud.

So if you are in the market for a great little game to play on your new piece of Sony hardware, look no further than Mutant Blobs Attack! The game is just what you want with a launch title: it makes good use of the new hardware features, it looks great, it is a blast to play, and most importantly it is light on your wallet.

Velocity Gameplay Trailer Lives Up To Its Name

Chris K — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:23:51 +0000

Velocity, a new Minis title coming out in a few weeks, has a new gameplay trailer. This time it is showing off some high level gameplay. It looks pretty intense and I for one can’t wait to try it out.

Check out our interview with the development team to learn a little more about Velocity.

Sneak Peek: February 21st PSN Releases

Chris K — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:34:25 +0000

Note all content is subject to change. Be sure to check out our Upcoming Games list for all the latest release dates on PSN content.

Beta

Starhawk

Demos

Fifa (Vita)
Hustle Kings (Vita)
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Shank 2
SSX
Unit 13 (Vita)

PS3 Games

Mafia 2 ($19.99)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 ($19.99)

PS2 Games

Full Spectrum Warrior 10 Hammers

PSV Games

Ben 10 Galactic Racing
Hustle Kings ($9.99)
Plants vs Zombies ($14.99)
Mutant Blobs Attack ($7.99)

PSV Apps

Facebook
Flickr
Livetweet
Netflix

[Source: Official PlayStation Blogcast]

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus Coming To PSN

Chris K — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:33:50 +0000

Fighting game players will have more options it seems as Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus has been announced for PSN. Details are sparse at the moment, but it does seem that Network play will be included.

There is no word on whether this will be released outside of Japan or not, but we will keep you updated either way.

[Source: IPLAYWINNER via Arc System Works]

Vita Titles Slide On The Famitsu PS Store Best 10

Chris K — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:07:44 +0000

Famitsu Presents: PS Store Game Best 10 has been released on PSN. Here are the Top 10 titles from January 12th 2012 – January 25th 2012

Titles which are in bold have gone up in the ranking. Red indicates a drop and normal text means the title’s place is unchanged.

01. [PSP] Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Masou Kishin II – Revelation of Evil God
02. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
03. [PSP] Heroes Fantasia
04. [PSV] Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
05. [PSV] WipEout 2048
06. [PSP] Fate/Extra PSP the Best
07. [PSP] Final Fantasy Type-0
08. [PSV] Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
09. [PSP] Frontier Gate
10. [PSV] Lord of Apocalypse

[PSP] = 6
[PSV] = 4
[PS3] = 0

PlayStation Vita titles seem to be cooling off a bit on the Japanese PlayStation Store. To be fair though the only new Vita releases during this period were Super Stardust Delta and WipEout 2048, which did make the rankings. Next update should be fun as Tales of Innocence R will have come out and probably will take the number one spot.

Floating Cloud God Saves The Pilgrims Trailer Is Here

Chris K — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:36:18 +0000

We have seen some screens of Floating Cloud God Saves The Pilgrims, but now we finally have a trailer.

As you can see by “saving the pilgrims” you are actually being a bad ass and shooting all sorts of enemies. The game features some catchy Japanese tunes and artwork. Sadly we don’t have a date yet, but it should be rather soon I would assume.

Update: Confirmed: Journey To Release On March 13th In The US!

Curtis H — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:09:56 +0000

Update:

Just a few hours after we posted the rumor it became official, Journey will release on March 13th in the US ($14.99), March 14th in the EU (£9.99/€12.99) and March 15th in Japan (¥1,200)!

Original Post:

Earlier this week we got word that the latest game from thatgamecompany, Journey, would be hitting Japan PSN on March 15th. Regarding the release date for other regions we have a forum post on thatgamecompany’s official message boards from the game’s Community Manager. (Pictured below.)

According to his post it looks like there were plans to include Journey as part of the PS+ promotion on March 6th with the game officially releasing to everyone on March 13th. Though it seems that the PS+ promotion might not still happen. If the following is true this means we’ll see Journey releasing in the US on March 13th, March 14th in the EU and of course the 15th in Japan.

As usual please note that this is just a rumor. We’ll likely get official word from Sony of Journey’s release date in other regions very soon.