Review - Patapon 2

Patapon wow’d me when it dropped for the PSP in early 2008. The rhythm-meets-strategy game was a blast to play and a steal for $20. Sony capitalized on the game’s critical success by dropping a sequel, this time only as a downloadable title. While the game doesn’t break new ground, it tweaks the gameplay just enough to make it a winner… again.

The gameplay is almost identical to the original Patapon, as you assume the role of the Patapon deity and bang out drum beats to tell your little minions to move, attack, defend, or perform some special JuJu. The drum beats are simple, but the action and cool beats will keep things fresh throughout the game. Patapon 2 introduces three difficulty settings to ease the bar of entry for newcomers, while turning things up a notch on the Hard mode for those who want to stress themselves out with perfect timing on button presses.

While many aspects were simplified, especially in the new Evolution Tree for creating more powerful Patapons, things do get a bit complex deciding when to level up or when to morph your Patapon creatures into a different sub-class (those that are resistant to fire or ice are two examples of early choices). For seasoned gamers, this isn’t a huge deal, but for the more casual player, it may be a bit intimidating. Also, the level grinding makes a return, which disappointed me. You’ll have to replay certain levels a few times (with slightly different objectives or more powerful enemies) to gather more loot or unlock new features. It’s less of a pain than previous games, but it can get ever so slightly tedious.

The flaws in this game are very minor, not enough to even remotely detract you from picking up Patapon 2. One recommendation I’ll make is to play with headphones, making it a lot easier to hear the beats and stay in Frenzy mode. Patapon 2 is a must buy for every PSP owner, especially at it’s great price point.

Source: loot-ninja

Sony Expected To Unveil New PSP In June

The handheld console likely will be called the PSP Go! and will be available with either 8 GB or 16 GB of flash memory.

Sony is planning to introduce the next iteration of its PlayStation Portable handheld game console in June, according to published reports.

The expected major revamp of PSP will be unveiled at the Entertainment Software Association's E3 conference in Los Angeles, game fan site 1UP.com reported, quoting sources directly involved with the new system.

The sites goes on to say that the new PSP likely will be called the PSP Go! and will be available with either 8 GB or 16 GB of flash memory. It's expected to be released in Japan in September and will debut in the United States in either late October or early November.

If the report is accurate, then Sony will be releasing the redesigned PSP in the United States more than six months after Nintendo released the DSi, the latest iteration of the company market-leading DS portable gaming devices. The DSi has been available in Japan since last fall. The devices sells for about $170 in the United States.

Nintendo's DS line of handhelds has seen sales of more than 100 million units since its release in 2004. Sony has shipped only 50 million PSPs since releasing the device in the same year.

As of Dec. 31, global shipments of 83 Nintendo DS games have topped 1 million copies, according to Nintendo. Seven of those titles topped 10 million.

In March, Nintendo's Wii video-game console and the DS portables led the industry in terms of unit sales, respectively, followed by the No. 3 Xbox 360, according to the NPD Group. Sony's PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Source: informationweek

Tekken 6 PSP Announced

It’s the year of the Iron Fist as NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced plans to deliver the perfect fighting trifecta with the addition of TEKKEN 6 for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Already a highly anticipated title for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the PSP system version will be the quintessential companion for players who want to hone their fighting skills on-the-go. Unbridled vengeance will be served worldwide this Fall when each version of the game delivers pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat action with bone-jarring punches and gut-wrenching grapples.

Spanning over a 14 year legacy, Tekken is among the most popular and well-known gaming brands in the world with the entire franchise selling more than 33 million units to date. A new King of the Iron Fist Tournament is about to begin, complete with intense gameplay modes as well as new features and environments.

A must-have for Tekken aficionados, TEKKEN 6 sees the return of many familiar faces as well as new characters to create the largest line-up the series has ever seen. With a growing roster of fighters, each equipped with their own deadly techniques, martial art moves, and attack combinations, TEKKEN 6 will be the best “King of Iron Fist Tournament” yet. Adding to the already rich gaming experience, a deeper character customization feature will only enhance the incredible fighting intensity as players go mano-y-mano.

Optimized for the PSP system, TEKKEN 6 will not only contain all the explosive action of its home console brethren but also feature additional stages, content, items, and an ad-hoc multiplayer mode. Fighting amongst friends is encouraged as players can battle wirelessly against each other using original or fan favorite characters. Rounding out its list of impressive features is the return of the “Ghost” Infrastructure mode, which allows players to upload their “ghost” character data and download others’ from the Internet onto their PSP system. When players have reached the height of their TEKKEN fighting skills, they will be able to see how they stack up against others through the game’s network support.

Source: ign

Need for Speed Underground Rivals: Thrilling Race Action on the PSP

The Rivals is an exciting game for fans of Need for Speed. This game comes with an interesting and effective blur-and-shake camera effect. Controls work well with all modes and there is a superb sense of speed.

One of the good racing games from Electronic Arts, Need for Speed Underground Rivals captures the illegal races in the street making it thrilling. This exciting game on PSP plays well.

There are numerous types of races on offer. The flagship race of the game is the multi-lap circuit race. Other races include the knock out race where the driver who comes last is eliminated each time and the last one leftover is the winner. You change cars along the way in the rally relay race mode. The Nitrous run requires you to cross gates as you make your way along the track. Your technical abilities are tested indoors in the street cross races. You whip for points around poles even as you go around the special drift zones by losing traction in the Drift Attack.

Drag racing, a popular race from the previous versions is also included in the game. Winning races upgrades your points. You also unlock various accessories and add-ons for various cars. Upgrades are quite simple. You choose particular upgrades for a category which improves your meter and you strive to reach as close to 100% as possible.

Players are offered a variety of cars to choose from like the Mazda RX-8, Pontiac GTO, Toyota Celica GT-S, Dodge Neon, etc. Winning events provides you with the possibility to unlock a car. Cars are quite simple looking but are compensated with fantastic environments. Effective soundtrack enhances the enjoyment of racing experience.

Controls are good as you steer around with the help of the D pad. Detailed buildings add to the fun. The racing game Need for Speed: Underground Rivals PSP features the wireless multiplayer mode with which you can have hours of fun on your favourite PSP with your friends online. This game is ideal for those who enjoy racing games Need for Speed Underground Rivals is packed with features that make a decent game.

Source: psp-downloads

"Inside Source" Confirms PS3 And PSP Price Cut In "Early June"

We're all hoping for big news at E3 - as we always do - and while we continue to focus on potential software announcements, the biggest unveiling may have to do with a long-awaited PlayStation 3 price cut.

According to a supposed internal source snagged by French website PS3Gen.fr, this "proven" source has unofficially confirmed that both the PS3 and PSP will receive price drops in "early June." Obviously, this would correspond with E3, which is scheduled to run between June 2 and June 4. Although the source didn't reveal the new price for the PS3, it did provide the new price point for the handheld: 169 Euros, down from 189. Of course, even if accurate, this information may only apply to the European/PAL regions, but we find it hard to believe that Sony wouldn't have this pair of price cuts spread worldwide. Additionally, the mystery source confirmed the existence of the much-rumored PSP 2, which should be available for the end of the year. We've already received many pieces of evidence for a new PSP model; either the PSP-4000 or a PSP 2, and that includes the theory that it will be designed to compete with the iPhone. It sounds plausible, but with nothing concrete to solidify the claims, we still can't call it anything but "rumor and speculation." And if you don't already know, Sony's business policy has always been the same: they simply don't comment on rumor and speculation.

We have no idea if these price drops will happen, but we'd like to think they'd be the biggest news of E3. The PS3 really needs that cut and everyone has been clamoring for it to happen; might Sony finally clear the last major hurdle in early June...?

Source: psxextreme