psone-classics
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Upcoming PS Plus deals: Dyad 20% off, free PSOne sports games
This Tuesday, PlayStation Plus users will get to crack their brains open for less, as Dyad is 20% off for members of the premium service. It'll launch for $11.99 for Plus ($14.99 for everyone else).Next week, Malicious will launch at 20 percent off, and then that will lead right into PSN Play. So ... the only difference between now and PSN Play is that you get some money back and a PS3 theme for buying the games that come out later this month. The Plus discount is the same!You'll be able to get a couple free games tomorrow on PS3 (and on PSP, through your PS3): the PSOne Classic games International Track & Field and Hot Shots Golf 2. These two freebies lead into a 50 percent off sale on unspecified games for Plus members.
Vita firmware 1.8 to add PSOne Classics support
The next Vita firmware update will add the PSOne Classics support originally announced during E3. There's no exact date for version 1.8, but it's due sometime this summer.The update won't simply enable all PSOne Classics; according to Sony representatives, support for PSOne games will be rolled out a few at a time following the new firmware. The good news is you'll just have to buy (or have already bought) each supported game once for use on PS3, PSP, or Vita.
Vita PSOne Classics to be rolled out gradually
PSOne Classics will soon be compatible with PlayStation Vita, finally. However, the launch won't just be flipping a switch on all the PSOne Classics available on PSP and PS3. Instead, Vita PSOne Classics will be rolled out gradually starting this summer, Sony informed Joystiq today.If you've previously bought any newly Vita-compatible PSOne Classic, you'll be able to download it for free on Vita. The exact launch lineup wasn't announced, but expect it to include the games shown at Sony's press conference: Wild Arms, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy 7, Twisted Metal 2, Arc the Lad, Cool Boarders 2, and Jet Moto.
Tomba arrives on PSN June 19 for $10
The response was enthusiastic to our announcement of Tomba!'s impending arrival – we're guessing people have been looking at the astronomical eBay prices. Those of you who were thrilled to hear about the pink-haired caveman's digital thaw will likely be equally thrilled to hear that it's happening very soon: June 19, in fact, at a $9.99 price point. That's on the higher end of PSOne Classics prices, but on the far low end of Tomba! prices.MonkeyPaw also shared the above trailer. End your work week on a 2.5D note and watch!
Starhawk online pass grants free Warhawk download in Europe
There's a good chance a lot of Starhawk players haven't experienced the game that started it all, let alone for free. Every new copy of Starhawk comes bundled with a free copy of Warhawk (PSOne) in Europe.It's part of the online pass voucher, which is visible on the back of the instruction booklet for Starhawk. Once you input the code and unlock online functionality, the original Warhawk will be added to your download list. Here in The States, however, you need to grab one of the first-run "limited editions" available exclusively at GameStop.
Understanding The Legend of Dragoon
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. The year 2000 was incredible for console RPGs developed in Japan. I'm sitting here looking at the list, and so many pantheon level games jump out at me. Final Fantasy IX, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Front Mission 3, Valkyrie Profile and Super Robot Taisen Alpha (the first of the franchise's "modern" entries) all came out that year. There's also Legend of Dragoon, Sony's erstwhile attempt to piggyback on the success of SquareSoft. And as it happens, it hit the PSN this week.The impending arrival of The Legend of Dragoon has brought with it a wave of nostalgia from some very vocal fans; and boy, they will not brook any criticism of their favorite game. Just look at what happened when 1UP asked why they should care about Legend of Dragoon: blanket proclamations that it's the PS1's most underrated RPG, and by the way, a true classic.Was it though? Have we all somehow overlooked a true gem of a JRPG? I don't think so. I would take every one of the RPGs I listed in the introduction over Legend of Dragoon. I do, however, think that Legend of Dragoon has its place in RPG history.
PSOne Classic for Vita released early in Europe, doesn't work yet
European PS Vita users were able to purchase the first PSOne Classic to be released on the platform yesterday. But don't get too excited – it didn't work. And it was Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. The game could be purchased, but presented errors when users attempted to run it or view the manual, suggesting that PSOne Classics support is not quite ready on the Vita.However, the "LiveArea" for the game – the screen that pops up when you tap a game's icon, where you can choose to launch the game, view the manual, check the store for DLC, etc. – displayed a custom PSOne-style background, suggesting that, at least, some work has been put in on the Vita's PSOne emulation.
PlayStation Vita won't play grandpa's games -- for now
While Sony confirmed that the PS Vita will be able to dive into the PSP's back-catalog from launch, it looks like it'll miss out on anything pre-millennium. An updated page from the PS Vita's Japanese site has backed up rumors that PSOne Classics and other "archive games" won't be available when the quad-core console arrives in Asian stores next month. However, it's not all bad news for anyone hoping to relive those jaggy-edged gaming triumphs of the late 90's -- the official response adds that plans for older titles will be announced in due course.
PSOne Classics and other Game Archives won't work on Vita at launch
There's no more confusion about whether or not the PS Vita will run PSOne Classics and other "Game Archives" games (that's the umbrella term used in Japan for Sony's retro games -- PSOne and PC Engine/Turbografx-16, along with, presumably, PS2) at launch. Unfortunately, the answer to that lingering question is a firm, and bewildering, no. The Japanese Vita FAQ, which initially noted that the Vita will play all downloadable PSP games except for Archives releases, cemented that in an answer to the direct question of whether or not the device will support old downoaded games. According to the FAQ, Game Archives games will not be compatible with the device at launch. "Plans for future measures will be announced shortly," the (Google-translated) FAQ notes. There's no reason to suspect that there's a technical issue with running old PlayStation, PC Engine, and PS2 games on the powerful Vita. It's more likely that Sony's figuring out how to square the existing PlayStation Store for consoles with the PlayStation Suite version of the store, which offers a different and smaller selection of PSOne games. That hasn't been a problem so far ... because there hasn't been a device that could theoretically use both stores yet.
Vanguard Bandits ATACs PSN next week
Square Enix is enticing vintage RPG fans with a PSOne Classics "Winter of RPGs" promotion. It's not alone in populating the store with new old RPGs, however. MonkeyPaw Games informed us that Vanguard Bandits will be released in North America on November 15, for $9.99. That puts it right between Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy V. Vanguard Bandits is a strategy RPG developed by Human Entertainment, and published in North America by Working Designs. Players battle giant robots called ATACs (All Terrain Armored Combatants, of course) in grid-based environments.
PEGI rates Fear Effect series, Fighting Force 2 for PS3
So, PEGI, the European game ratings board, has rated Fighting Force 1, Fighting Force 2, Fear Effect and Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix for PS3. The most likely explanation, of course, is that the titles are all headed to PSN as PSone Classics, at least in Europe (the original Fighting Force is already available in North America). Apart from the "controversial" lesbian overtones in Fear Effect 2, perhaps the most interesting note about the titles is that the Fighting Force series was developed by Core Design, the same studio that brought us Tomb Raider. Yes, that Tomb Raider. Also noteworthy, Fighting Force was originally intended to be Streets of Rage 4 for the Sega Saturn. Also also noteworthy, the game kind of sucks.
Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy 5 and 6 all coming to PSN in coming weeks
If you, like us, have felt jilted as other territories received a glut of Square Enix RPGs while the U.S. got table scraps, it's time to relieve yourself of your worries. PlayStation Blog has just announced the "Winter of RPGs" campaign, which will see the release of three much-desired PSOne Classics on the PSN: Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy 6. You'll be able to grab the character-rich Chrono Cross next Tuesday, November 8, the career-oriented Final Fantasy 5 on November 22, and the positively operatic Final Fantasy 6 on December 6. It's nice that they'll finally be on there -- though forcing them to compete for our free time with Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations seems, well, kind of mean.
Magical Drop and DIY shmup maker Dezaemon Kids on PSN imports today
MonkeyPaw Games returns today with more PSOne imports, including a second Dezaemon shooter-creation utility! Available today for $6, Dezaemon Kids further simplifies the creation interface for scrolling shooters, and -- oh yeah -- throws in over 100 sample games. It's a good thing the interface is designed with simplicity in mind, because as with all the PSOne imports, the text is presented in the original Japanese. The other game, Arcade Hits: Magical Drop, is a port of the original arcade game in Data East's beloved color-matching puzzle series. Both will be available whenever the PSN update happens today.%Gallery-138071%%Gallery-138069%
ESRB: Darkstalkers stalking PSOne Classics release
Here's some super spooky pre-Halloween news for you: a (haunted?) ESRB rating reveals plans to re-release the monster-mash fighting game, Darkstalkers: The Night Warrior, on PS3 and PSP, as a PSOne Classic. Unfortunately, there's no way the game will hit in time for our scariest holiday, as there's no announced release date and the next PSN update will occur after Halloween. Not that there's anything wrong with playing this game for its own merits instead of its seasonality. If you've never played it before, this will be an excellent (cheap) opportunity to check out one of Capcom's lost fighting game series. A $6 emulated version isn't exactly a "revival" of the series that has been mostly absent from Capcom's renewed fighter output, but might lead to one. Oh, who are we kidding -- Capcom released Cyberbots on PSN too.
PlayStation Store available for the one PlayStation Certified tablet
Sony's PlayStation Suite cross-platform initiative continues its gradual, piecemeal rollout, with the arrival of the PlayStation Store for PlayStation Certified devices -- a category that, as of this moment, includes the Sony Tablet S and nothing else. Eventually, it'll include the Sony Tablet P, other Android devices, and the PlayStation Vita (which will, of course, have access to the normal PlayStation Store as well). And before you get your hopes up about seeing what kind of new cross-platform experiences PlayStation Suite can provide, it's just PSOne Classics right now. Tablet S owners have a selection of ten PSOne games, for $5.99 each, including Cool Boarders, Hot Shots Golf 2, and, oh hey, Jumping Flash!
PlayStation Store hits the Tablet S today, lets gamers relive the glory of the mid-'90s
Remember how badly you wanted a PlayStation phone, only to find out that "experience" was headed to a multitude of devices across the Android spectrum? Well, it looks like Sony's finally making good on that retro-gaming promise. Starting today, the company's one stop shop for its classic games of yesteryear goes live in nine countries -- although, you'll have to be a Tablet S owner to partake of the PlayStation Certified nostalgia. Helping Sony usher its fanbase back into the quaintness of 32-bit graphics are ten titles familiar to PSOne fans: Cool Boarders, Destruction Derby, Hot Shots Golf 2, Jet Moto 1 & 2, Jumping Flash!, MediEvil, Motor Toon Grand Prix, Rally Cross and Wild Arms. So, if you happen to be packing the electronic giant's non-foldable slate, get your thumbs primed for a capacitive walk down memory lane. No word on when those other certified devices will get to mine the company's gaming archives, but there's always the Vita for that.
Sony looking into UMD download discount for Vita, hedging about PSOne Classics support
It wouldn't be a PlayStation system without complicated backwards compatibility issues. A new Japanese-language FAQ posted by Sony offers some new wrinkles, both potentially good and bad. The FAQ notes that Sony is "considering" a service to offer PSN versions of the UMD games users own for a "special price." This isn't a confirmation, but at least Sony is looking into some method to make it possible to play the UMD games you bought on your Vita. "Details of this service will be announced at a later date." That's the good news. The bad news: the FAQ says that the Vita will play all downloadable PSP games ... except for Game Archives, which is the Japanese label for PSOne Classics, Neo Geo games, and other retro downloads. Sony will have more details about this limitation later, but the fact that there's more to it than "they all work" is troubling. We really hope we'll be able to play the PSOne games we've already bought ... and that we won't have to buy them again in their Android/PlayStation Suite incarnations.
PSN Tuesday: Portal 2 DLC, PS2 Classics
There's new stuff on PSN today, most prominently that freebie Portal 2 DLC. But there's also an absurd wealth of old stuff! There's a new version of Crysis, HD Dreamcast ports (Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2), the PSOne port of Chrono Trigger, and five PS2 games -- including Clover Studio's brutally difficult, equally strange cult hit God Hand. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy Origins rated for PSN
Oh, Chrono Cross? And Final Fantasy Origins, which includes the franchise's first two NES installments? You mean those games that have been available in other territories' PlayStation Stores for a few months now, leaving us to stew in a bog of our own jealousy? You're telling us that they were recently rated to be released on the North American PlayStation Network? Well, guess what -- we don't care anymore. We don't care that we'll be able to play Chrono Cross on our PSP, taking the magical adventures of Serge, Kid (and a third party to be named later) on the bus with us. Maybe if you'd gotten to us a few months ago, our hearts wouldn't be so cold and calloused.
Japanese, American import PSOne games coming to Euro PSN
The North American PSN features a PSOne Imports store, to sell previously Japan-exclusive games digitally. SCEE is expanding the idea for the European PS Store, announcing an initiative to publish US and Japanese games in that region. No titles have been announced yet. Publishers of US/Japanese games can now apply to release their PSOne games on the European store, in an "as is" format -- meaning no additional localization. "This also means that if a PAL version of a title has been unable to pass QA in SCEE, but the NTSC version is already available on the PlayStation Store in SCEA or SCEJ," said SCEE PS Store rep Rich McGrath, "we can look at publishing that version instead." As long as it gets through the ratings boards, that is.
