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Fat Princess returns in match-three spinoff for mobile, Vita
The Fat Princess series has been overloading on real-time strategy-flavored sweets since its 2009 debut on the PlayStation Network, but Fat Princess: Piece of Cake adds a layer of match-three puzzler frosting to the metaphorical gameplay cake. IGN reports that Piece of Cake will be served on the Vita this fall, but a free, micro transaction-sprinkled mobile version is currently available on the Canadian App Store and Google Play. Conquering one of Piece of Cake's 55+ stages requires making intelligent matches on its match-three game board, which guides the actions of your party's Warrior, Ranger, Worker and Priest. Pieces are attributed to different skills: matching three hearts will have the Priest use healing magic, for example. All puzzle-based progress is translated into an above battle against the blue army in a scene that's reminiscent of the series' established gameplay. In a game featuring extensive portions, Piece of Cake's bonus feels fitting: the App Store and Google Play descriptions notes that after clearing level 15, players with a linked Facebook account will "earn access to a download of Fat Princess for your PS3 system at no additional cost." Assuming that amount of progress is feasible without purchasing power-ups or character upgrades, that's a pretty sweet deal. [Image: SCEA]
Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1 coming to retail next month
A boxed retail collection of PlayStation Network titles will hit store shelves on June 25, bringing four games and a $40 price tag with it. Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1, the first in a series of "Best of" releases according to the announcement, includes When Vikings Attack, Sound Shapes, Tokyo Jungle and Fat Princess. No word on when Vol. 2 will follow or what games will be included with it, but for the time being this seems like a pretty legit way to save "nearly $15." Folks interested in internetless PlayStation Networking might also want to check out Journey's Collector's Edition, which is also a collection of acclaimed PSN games on physical caveman media for cavemen.
ESRB rates 'Best of PSN' collection, with Sound Shapes, Tokyo Jungle, Fat Princess
A new ESRB rating suggests that Sony's going to bottle some of its PSN magic for sale on retail shelves. The rating is for " Best of Playstation®Network Vol. 1," which compiles action strategy game Fat Princess, Tokyo Jungle, Sound Shapes, and When Vikings Attack."Sony has yet to officially announce the collection. We've asked SCEA for more details on this intriguingly diverse, seemingly appropriately titled collection.
Rumor: Sony working on a Smash Bros-esque fighter featuring Sony all-stars
The hat of "Sony Mascot" has been worn by many, many different critters and folk since the days of Crash Bandicoot and, uh, Croc. In fact, Sony's stable of lovable household names is so fully stocked that they've decided to pit their creations against one another to determine who lives and who dies. Okay so, that last part might be a little hyperbolic, but the rumor mill is operating at full capacity over Title Fight, a Super Smash Bros.-ish cross-franchise brawler reportedly in development at SuperBot Entertainment, according to The Paul Gale Network. If rumors are to be believed, the game will feature a cast of Sony-console specific characters like Nathan Drake, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, that guy from Killzone and Fat Princess. Fights will take place in various Sony related locations such as Sandover Village or a golf course from Hot Shots Golf. The gallery of images below, which shows Sweet Tooth, a blank female form that may or may not be Heavenly Sword's Nariko and a debug screen that mentions Kratos, were tweeted (and subsequently deleted) by SuperBot Entertainment's senior level designer Chris Molina. Apparently, this hullabaloo is also what that franchise-rich teaser trailer from September was all about, which would also indicate the inclusion of Parappa the Rapper, as well as a representative from FOXHOUND. If all this pans out, Title Fight will be the latest in a long, proud history of SCEA-published fighting games like Battle Arena Toshinden and Cardinal Syn. We'll keep our ear to the ground for more as this story develops.%Gallery-140432%
European PSN releases for August 3
Today's update to the European PlayStation Store seems to be stuck in the past. There's a Fat Princess DLC bundle, the digital releases of Modnation Racers and Dragon Age: Origins, and the fifth installment of the Back to the Future adventure game series. We haven't played it yet, but based on the history of the franchise, there's probably a pretty good chance of getting literally stuck in the past. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Carbon Games formed by Fat Princess devs
Carbon Games is the new Seattle-based, independent development house built by members of Titan Studios, creators of Fat Princess. Titan Studios, which was a subsidiary of Epic Games China, was "gracefully" shuttered a month ago. "Everyone that is starting Carbon is from Titan, but it's only about half of what was left. We are just bringing over the core people at this time. We had some QA, which were really great people, but we can't add people just yet," Carbon Games founder James Green told Joystiq. "We had actually been winding down Titan gracefully for a while. The longterm plan has always been for Epic Games China to exist on their own. We were just in a support/advisory role, which is why we never followed up Fat Princess with anything." Green tells Joystiq that Carbon is in a position where they are self-funded and can experiment. The focus is on smaller, accessible core titles. The initial games will be on PC so the Carbon team can "iterate and get player feedback faster and actually control the patching process." Their first project will not be another Fat Princess -- Green does say they'd like to return to that style in time, but the scope of such a title is bigger than what Carbon is currently working on. The studio plans to begin publicly testing its first project later this year. Folks interested in helping with the process should keep an eye on the company's website.
PSN Summer Sale: get PixelJunk Shooter, GTA Chinatown Wars, and more cheap
If you've been hesitating to pull the trigger on any PSN purchases, that hesitation is now paying off. Sony just announced temporary discounts on a bunch of downloadable PSN games and Minis. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for $15, anyone? How about PixelJunk Shooter for $5?
Fat Princess in-game tips teasing Zombie DLC
Titan Studios didn't wait too long after the launch of its multiplayer PSN title, Fat Princess, before it started teasing new archetypes which would appear in the game's first major DLC release. Now that said content has finally launched, it seems Atomic Operations is wasting no time in teasing the next expansion for the game: One which might just involve waves of shambling undead. The game's catalog of in-game tips recently had a message added which reads, "I think Zombies are coming soon, run!" Helpful advice, indeed. A few fans also noticed that the debut trailer for the recently launched Fat Roles DLC features pumpkins in lieu of cakes in a few clips. We could be in for a whole slew of Halloween-flavored Fat Princess classes -- either that, or the titular overweight monarch is switching over to a more vegan-friendly diet.
European PSN releases for June 30
If you thought Fat Princess couldn't pack on any more pounds, think again, because the promised "Fat Roles " DLC is now available for download on the Euro PSN. On top of that, the celebration of Sonic's 19th birthday continues and -- honestly, guys, there's so much this week, it'd probably be best if you just cruised past the break and saw the full list for yourself. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Fat Princess getting plumper with Fat Roles DLC on June 29
Next Tuesday, Fat Princess' roster of playable classes will be fattened considerably when the Ninja, Pirate and Giant archetypes (which have been frequently teased over the past year) hit the PSN as part of the "Fat Roles" pack. The expansion, which will cost $4.99, includes the three classes and four new maps, all of which are previewed in the trailer posted after the jump. If you're strapped for cash, the game is also getting a free update adding four-player couch multiplayer to the game, which should lead to some noisy banter to concern your neighbors. "Put down the girl, stuff that cake in her mouth, and then let's kill this priest!"
Preview: Fat Princess 1.06 & Fat Roles DLC
It's been a long time coming, but Fat Princess is finally getting the long overdue pirates and ninjas DLC. In addition to the premium "Fat Roles" content, the online-only PSN game will be patched to version 1.06, which adds a rather significant new feature: four-player same-screen co-op. Being able to bring three local friends into an online match does a lot to enhance the overall experience. There's the obvious benefit of being able to chat and coordinate strategy in person, but there's also the added bonus of enhanced spawns: so long as one member of the party remains alive, any fallen teammates can revive quickly at a captured tower. (No need to go all the way back to base!) While the 1.06 patch is free, the Fat Roles DLC is a premium add-on. All players will be able to see the new hat which activates the three new classes (pirates, ninjas and giants), however only those that have purchased the DLC will be able to pick up and wear the hats. Obviously, each of the classes have their own unique abilities: pirates have a gun, which can be charged for a more lethal attack; ninjas can throw shurikens; and giants can instantly kill other players (but cannot regenerate health). In addition to these base powers, the Fat Roles offer additional special powers.
Pinball Heroes adds Fat Princess, Wipeout, ModNation and Motorstorm tables
Pinball Heroes may be an odd way of cashing in on Sony's most successful franchises, but it works. The original release debuted on the PSP (via PlayStation Network) last year, and featured four tables based on Uncharted, PAIN, Hot Shots Golf and High Velocity Bowling. A new expansion pack, available next week on the PlayStation Store, will add four more tables to the mix: Fat Princess, Wipeout HD Fury, ModNation Racers and MotorStorm. All four tables will be bundled together for $9.99, and can be played with or without the original game. PSP Go owners have even more reason to check out Pinball Heroes -- it's one of the few games that can actually be played in closed system mode!
Former Blizzard dev starts Atomic Operations game studio
Industry veteran Chris Millar has been around -- he's been with Blizzard since the WarCraft II days, and has worked on everything from Black and White 2 to Fat Princess – but now he's off to head up his own company called Atomic Operations. In this quick Q&A with Gamasutra, he says that the company will be a grab-bag of methods and products, all using "an evolved production method similar to that of movies." They've already got a project out the door, too: Atomic is the company that's supporting Fat Princess, with the bugfixes released the other day and presumably more to come. Millar and Atomic Operations join the multitude of other Blizzard veterans off working on their own companies. Let's see, there's Keith Lee and his crew at Booyah, the ex-Blizzard folks at Red 5 Studios, the unfortunate souls at Castaway Entertainment and Flagship Studios (now Gravity Bear and Gargantuan Studios), new WoW TCG licensees Cryptozoic, and a few other little developers and divisions headed up by ex-Blizzard devs. Whew, that's a whole lot of babies -- Blizzard is like the Zeus of gaming studios lately. What are they serving in the cafeteria over there, startup cola?
Fat Princess expands with two free DLC maps today
Have you made a date with the Fat Princess on PS3 lately? If not, perhaps this news will entice you to jump back on: a new patch today will add two new maps to the online PSN game. Frost Bite and Candy Mountain are both snow-themed maps, ripe for cake eating and princess snatching. This update will boost the number of free DLC maps to four. It appears that with this update, Fat Princess will switch hands to a new developer: Atomic Operations, helmed by former heads of Titan Studios. It seems that they may be working on that long-teased pirate-themed update, as a recent post on the PlayStation.Blog ends with a "Yo ho ho." Of course, we could be wrong, and SCEA's Deborah Mars may simply be saying hi to some cream-filled cakes.
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake squeezes onto UMD and PSN April 27
If our comprehensive video preview of Fat Princess for PSP whet your appetite for more, you'll be glad to know that the full experience isn't too far away. Fistful of Cake will be appearing on both UMD and PSN on April 27, promising "new game modes, new maps, a new extended storyline for single player." And although the single player options have been greatly expanded, multiplayer remains a big focus for the game, with 8-player Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure support. The PlayStation.Blog features a Q&A, a new trailer (posted after the break) and box art. Curiously missing from the announcement, however, is a price. An SCEA rep told us the price has yet to be "100% confirmed," and that an announcement would be forthcoming.
Hands-on: Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (PSP)
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake is a great match for the PSP. The game's structure, its very nature, means it can be segmented in a very effective way on a handheld platform -- a quick match during your morning subway ride or while taking a break from work is when Fistful of Cake works best. [Note: Be sure to check out our video preview, as well. We spent all night slaving over a hot stove to bake it just the way you like it!] %Gallery-83725%
PSP Fat Princess may have global launch, does have new screens
click for a moist, delicious gallery Supervillain Studios, the developer of the upcoming Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake for PSP, has released some new screens of the game, featuring the new Reaper Mode. Supervillain also lets us know that its developing for a simultaneous (or "near-simultaneous") worldwide release, though publisher Sony has yet to put a date on this cake, regardless of region. He also notes that the game is "pretty solid and bug free right now," which is always good to hear. Enough about hearing; make with the seeing in the gallery below! %Gallery-83725%
Fat Princess gets patch for the fans, free 'Brownie Town' map
Say what you will about Fat Princess developer Titan Studios -- but don't say the team behind the slightly chunky Capture the Flag title is unappreciative. In a recent PlayStation.Blog post, the developer thanked its fans for their continued support, and announced that the game will receive a patch tomorrow. The update includes a few alterations to how online rankings are calculated -- but the meat cream filling of the patch is a brand new, totally free map, titled "Brownie Town." No further details on the new playground were given, but we're guessing it'll be a symmetrical metropolitan area covered in sweet, chocolatey pastries. Let us know how it is once the game is updated tomorrow!
Best of the Rest: Andrew's Picks of 2009
Flower This year had a number of terrific downloadable games (this list is a testament to that), however no game -- retail or digital -- connected with me like Flower. Jenova Chen's flOw was an interesting experiment, but Flower is an actual game. In fact, Flower is one of the few experiences I can think of that show the true potential of games as a unique storytelling medium. No other non-interactive art form will ever be able to replicate what thatgamecompany has managed to create.
Best of the Rest: Griffin's Picks of 2009
DJ Hero What started out as tepid fascination in DJ Hero quickly turned into a deep, passionate love. I initially thought it was just another rhythm game knock-off with an obtuse peripheral and a too-high price point. However, as my turntabling improved, my fondness for the game multiplied. Based on the game's lackluster sales, I'm guessing most people shared my outright hesitance -- but once you invest a bit of time and patience into DJ Hero, I guarantee you'll get hooked. (And that soundtrack! Oh, man, that soundtrack.)
