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Hideo Kojima still misses his dear rumble
You may be thinking to yourself, "!", but it's more like "?", followed by a shrug or perhaps a strange pattern of walking. Metal Gear overlord and storyteller extraordinaire, Hideo Kojima, does indeed miss the rumble feature in the Sony controller for the PS3, as told in an interview with OPM. He even "hopes it will come back". A lot of people do, Kojima-san, a lot of people do.How about the motion-sensing? Kojima did say they would use it in some way, shape, or form, but wasn't specific as to what, exactly. Let's take some time to think about it. Would it be aiming? No, no... that needs more than six axes (axe-eees). Looking around corners? Maybe, but L2 and R2 did just fine there. Perhaps moving the camera after hitting the aforementioned buttons? No... the right analog was dandy. Perhaps controlling something akin to the Nikita missile? That would be subtle enough to not get in Kojima's way, but still a proper utilization. Leave us your theories here!
Feast on these new Metal Gear Solid clips
Happy Thanksgiving PSP fanboys! I'm helping out in the kitchen right now, so I can't really talk too much. But why should I have to talk when these videos can explain themselves? Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops comes out on December 5th. Go past the break to see even more footage.
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops video preview
The insanely pretty and ambitious Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is finally coming out soon. December 5th, to be exact. Gamespot seems to have a near-complete version in their hands, and they have a very detailed video preview, featuring tons of new never-before-seen footage of the game in motion.They seem to have nothing but praise for this fully loaded sequel. From the graphics, to the gameplay, to the storyline and presentation-- it appears that Konami has taken no shortcuts for this game. I could say more, but I'd rather let the video do the talking.
IGN picks its top 10 PSP games for this holiday
Just in time for next week's infamous Black Thursday, IGN has released its 2006 Holiday Buyer's Guide and has also added their 10 choices for PSP games that should fill your stockings this Christmas. That's if you've been a good boy or girl, because if you've been bad, you get Family Guy. Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception Daxter Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Killzone: Liberation LocoRoco Medal of Honor Heroes Mercury Meltdown Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror Tekken: Dark Resurrection What, no Sega Genesis Collection or EA Replay? And while Daxter is a very good game, I don't think too many kids will go Nintendo 64 Kid crazy over getting a game released in March. Still, this is a pretty decent list, and I can't argue with it too much. If you're PSP shopping for someone, you might want to refer to this list.
Up-close with the Metal Gear Solid pre-order case
TGBus.com has some very revealing pictures of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops pre-order case. If you didn't know, you get this swag for free by pre-ordering the upcoming PSP-exclusive action game at Gamestop. It appears that it actually latches onto your PSP in a snap-on fashion. While it looks cool, it doesn't appear to protect the PSP's screen... defeating the purpose of a case? Regardless, it looks good, and Metal Gear fans won't want to miss this.[Thanks, Joel!]
Sony and Konami releasing MGS-edition PSP
Sony's just going hog-wild with these fancy new PSP editions. This time we have the "camo" version that was spotted at the TGS, complete with Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, a "Skin of a Warrior" faux snake-skin case, three pins and a nifty certificate. The handheld should be hitting Japan on December 22nd, and Play-Asia is already offering pre-orders for a fairly hefty $449 USD -- but we suppose they've gotta make a living somehow. There's also a cheapo option that skimps on the snake-skin and certificate, but reduces the price a whole hundie. No indication yet of when the madness might stop.[Thanks, Sengo]
Gurumin to feature accomplished VAs
Tara Strong, voice of Final Fantasy X's Rikku, joins a surprisingly strong voice acting cast for the upcoming PSP RPG Gurumin. Other VAs include Amber Hood (Psychonauts), Dee Bradley (Viewtiful Joe), Kim Mai Guest (Metal Gear Solid), Robin Atkin Downes (Prince of Persia), and more. The voice acting will be directed by Kris Zimmerman, the voice director of all the Metal Gear Solid games (all of which feature excellent voice acting).It's great to see a PSP RPG finally get some solid voice acting. We've had way too many quests with minimal voice acting-- hopefully, publisher Mastiff sets a standard for all PSP RPGs to come. We'll have more on the ultra-cute Gurumin in the future.[Via GameDaily]
Metal Gear bundle gets even more awesome
It looks like the Metal Gear Solid Portable bundle that's coming out in Japan soon just got a classy upgrade. the standard black PSP that was originally included is now replaced by the camo-inspired PSP that was discovered at Tokyo Game Show a month ago. This limited-edition bundle is only 27,800 yen (about $235), which makes it quite a deal for any truly hardcore MGS fan.Of course, if you don't want to go all-out with a new system purchase, you can still get a free case for pre-ordering the game in the US.[Via PSP-Vault]
Metal Gear PSP bundles exposed
This holiday, Sony and Konami will dangle a pair of enticing Metal Gear-branded PSP bundles in front of Japanese consumers' faces. A camo-painted PSP with matching snakeskin-patterned case and strap, and a copy of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops will be hard to pass up, even if the asking price is ¥39,690 ($338) -- 'dat real snakeskin?A more value-priced bundle will also be available, replacing the snakeskin accessories with blander offerings for a mere ¥29,190 ($248). Aside from memory sticks, both bundles are also missing the GPS add-on, which Portable Ops makes use of.
MGS4 on the 360? Let's debate some random rumors!
People over at Konami HQ have long been pressuring Hideo Kojima, mind behind the Metal Gear games, to go multi-platform. Until the time of this writing, he has remained adamant about staying solely on Sony platforms (although MGS2 did get onto the XBox after some time). So, what's the rumor, eh? Check out the cover of EGM. Zoom in or whatever on the smaller print right above Master Chief's head. MGS4 on the 360? Couldn't be! What's the proof? We won't know until we get our mitts on this magazine (I'll check my mailbox incessantly -- I'm that addicted to gaming "news"). Unless this magazine is out... don't think so. Last one we got had a huge Gears of War spread. Well, let's try our best to keep this civilized, but... what do you guys think would happen if Metal Gear goes multi-platform? Is it truly (along with Squeenix -- debatable) the only thing keeping Sony afloat? How important are the (trite, meaningless phrase warning) killer apps for each system? Is it enough to have large quantities of "pretty good" games, or do you have to have one "I need this game right now or I'll kill you" among a sea of mediocre garbage? Ready? Go.
Metal Gear wins the future
The people of CESA sure love Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. They gave it a "Best of Show" award at Tokyo Game Show a few weeks ago, and now they're willing to give it the prestigious "Future Award," which is given to games which are sure to be hits in the future. It joins other games such as Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, Elebits for the Wii, and Heavenly Sword for the PS3.Monster Hunter Portable also won a "Special Award." The game gets to wear a special hat and sit in the corner because of it. Check out the rest of the winners at Siliconera.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
A few steps away from Sega's booth at DigitalLife was Konami's. I got a chance to talk to Matt Knoles, product manager for Konami, and play a few rounds of multiplayer from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Although Matt couldn't reveal anything new to you guys, the ability to go hands-on with the game was exciting. Four PSPs engaged in the battle, and I got into the control scheme very quickly. It was relatively simple to move around, lock on and start firing away. It was a great deal of fun, but I worry that the multiplayer may be a bit too shallow. The gameplay was fun, easy to pick up, and graphically very impressive, but at the same time, it felt unrefined. It wasn't hard to find yourself fighting with the camera, and entering first-person view seemed to give you a distinct disadvantage in the game.I previously questioned whether or not controlling the game using the PSP's analog nub would be effective. The answer is: yes. But, I think it will work much better in Portable Ops' crucial single player story mode, where the pace should be slower, and the game should be... well, stealthier. A slower pace will certainly make the controls much more forgiving. However, the production values of the multiplayer game are so amazing, that I believe that the game should be quite amazing when it comes out in December.The PSP met the Blue Screen of Death for this unfortunate player.
GPS sells out in Japan
Japan is certainly excited for the new GPS peripheral. amazon.co.jp is reporting that its first shipment for the device is already sold out. The customers that are buying the tool are also buying Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, most likely because the Kojima stealth game happens to support the device. They're also picking up Chotto Shot (the PSP camera), because as you know, once you start buying peripherals for a system, you want to buy them all. The hardcore Japanese PSP fans appreciate the PSP's Swiss Army knife-like functionality... how about you? Will you be picking up the GPS system when it comes out?[Via PSP-Vault]
Portable Ops crucial to Metal Gear Solid 4 story
Everything's connected. At least, according to Kevin Bacon JJ Abrams Hideo Kojima. And, in order to fully understand the events of the amazing-looking Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3, you'll have to buy yourself a PSP. The two upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear titles (Digital Comic 2, Portable Ops) will establish the story for the next-gen sequel. "We'd like you to definitely play it [the PSP games]," Kojima was quoted saying. "If you change the Ops story, you have to change 4. If you change 4, it also becomes necessary to change Ops. Until Ops is finished, 4's story can't be finalized." We'll all get a taste of the Guns of the Patriots' storyline when Portable Ops hits the system in December.[Via IGN]
The GPS games: more details revealed
The upcoming camera and GPS peripherals have been getting a lot of attention, most notably because they have the ability to extend the PSP's already impressive capability set, and interface with games in new, original ways. One of the more creative examples we mentioned earlier was Hot Shot Golf's communication with GPS that transforms the game into a personal golf assistant when you're actually on one of Japan's golf courses. According to IT Media, this can become the "golf tool of the new age." This will certainly bring in a very unique audience to the world of gaming: golfers, who might pick up a PSP just to get all the golf data they could ever want. (But we wonder, how many people will actually use this functionality? And: will it work on US golf courses?)Of course, Hot Shots Golf isn't the only game using PSP's GPS feature. Read on to see how other software is taking advantage of the device.
Multiplayer footage from MGS: Portable Ops
GameTrailers has just posted a beautiful montage of scenes from Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops' multiplayer mode. As expected, the graphics look sharp, and it appears the game will feature an abundance of gameplay modes and features. But, the video does show off some clunky gameplay; will controlling Snake via analog nub be as effective as I'm hoping it'll be? Portable Ops looks to hit our PSPs in December.
TGS 06: Every PSP game previewed
There are way too many PSP games at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Because not all of us have time to read all the impressions and previews of all the games coming out, PSP Fanboy has created this nifty guide for all the games that were previewed. You'll get a thumbs up or a thumbs down from the major video game news sites. If a game looks like it might be a real winner, we'll award it "The Official PSP Fanboy Entranced Korean Award." These are the games that'll end up in Korea on giant PSPs, luring people to their eventual doom. And, that's pretty cool. Read on to see all the previews!
TGS 06: Best in Show, according to CESA
The mighty Computer Entertainment Software Association of Japan revealed the eleven titles they thought were the "best in show." Of those titles, two were exclusives for the PSP. Here are the winners, in no particular order: Elebits (Konami) for the Wii Gyakuten Saiban 4 [Phoenix Wright] (Capcom) for the DS Gran Turismo HD (Sony) for the PS3 The Eye of Judgment (Sony) for the PS3 Seiken Densetsu 4 [Dawn of Mana] (Square Enix) for the PS2 Tales of Destiny (Namco Bandai) for the PS2 Blue Dragon (Microsoft) for the Xbox 360 Heavenly Sword (Sony) for the PS3 Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (Konami) for the PSP Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom) for the PSP Lost Planet (Capcom) for the Xbox 360 This should come as no surprise. There are so many excellent games at TGS this year, that it must've been nigh impossible to even narrow the list down. But, for those of you that are battling a fanboy war, you might want to note that PSP got two titles, and the DS only got one.[Via Joystiq]
TGS 06: Which games support wireless? [Update 1]
The good folks at IGN have compiled a fantastic list of games that support ad-hoc (local) wireless and infrastructure wireless. It's been slow to start, but more and more games have been adding support for internet play and downloadable levels, and they should be commended. The games that use Infrastructure mode include: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Monster Hunter Portable 2 (downloadable levels only) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Kingdom of Paradise 2 (downloadable items only) Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (online leaderboard & downloadable levels only) Mahjong Fight Club P-Kara While this isn't a huge list of games, it's a huge improvement over the early years of the system's life. I'm happy with the support we get from heavy-hitters like Ratchet & Clank and Metal Gear Solid.[Update 1: This list is only of games present at TGS. There are tons of other games that feature wireless support that aren't on display.]
TGS 06: Metal Gear Solid PSP bundle
They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, and these pictures discovered by a GameSpot member are absolutely mind-blowing. This PSP bundle appears to include a very sexy MGS pouch. Once I find out details about price, I'll be sure to let you know. Most likely, this one will stay in Japan only, to the great pain of Metal Gear fans like myself.
