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Tech Hunters: The PlayStation and the rise of 3D gaming
In the early nineties, the console market was rising to prominence. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Mega Drive were popular but were largely dismissed as kid's toys because they featured tiny red and green plumbers and spiky blue hedgehogs. However, that all changed with with the launch of the Sony PlayStation, which featured three-dimensional gameplay and gave millions their first taste of 32-bit gaming. The original PlayStation was a big risk for Sony. It had never developed a computer game, let alone a complete system. In 1991, the company was reeling from a failed partnership with Nintendo -- which would have resulted in it supplying CD-ROM technology for the popular SNES -- so it decided to go it alone. Back then, console makers like Nintendo, SEGA and Atari would develop their own titles in order to showcase what their platforms could do. Sony didn't have its own game development studio, but it did promise powerful new features and flexibility for developers thanks to its disc-based architecture. With the chance to render 3D worlds and deliver stereo CD-quality sound, games studios jumped on board and the rest, as they say, was history. In this episode of Tech Hunters, Julia Hardy traces the history of the console that made gaming the massive industry it is today and takes a look at giving the trailblazing system a modern makeover.
Vib-Ribbon launching in North America via PSN tomorrow
At last, Vibri is free. Sony announced today that PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura's vector-graphics rhythm game Vib-Ribbon will hit the PlayStation Network tomorrow, marking its long-awaited North American debut. Released for the original PlayStation in 1999, Vib-Ribbon puts players in control of Vibri, a bizarre rabbit-like creature who must vault on-screen obstacles in time to a backing music track. In a novel twist at the time, Vib-Ribbon allowed players to insert their own music CDs and create playable levels based on individual tracks, often upping the game's challenge far beyond the difficulty of its default soundtrack. Though Vib-Ribbon was released in Japan and Europe, a North American version never surfaced. This week's PSN release will be the first time Vib-Ribbon is officially available in the United States, and Sony notes that its CD-scanning feature will arrive on the PlayStation 3 fully intact. [Image: Sony / NanaOn-sha]
Strider 2, original arcade Strider team up on PSN next week
Capcom's over-the-top arcade side-scroller Strider 2 will launch for the PlayStation Network next week as a PSone Classic, the publisher confirmed yesterday. Released in arcades in 1999, Strider 2 chronicles the unlikely acrobatic adventures of its ninja star Strider Hiryu, who scales gigantic structures and battles robotic creatures within a futuristic cityscape. The latest series entry, Strider, premiered earlier this year as a downloadable console and PC release. Hiryu also appears in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, most recently returning in 2011's Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The PSone version of Strider 2 includes a port of 1989's Strider arcade game, which will be bundled with next week's downloadable PSN release. Strider 2 will be available for the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita on October 7. [Image: Capcom]
Six more import PS1 games slated for PSN release
Publisher GungHo Online America continues its campaign to bring under-the-radar, import-only classics to North America, announcing that six more Japanese-language PSOne games will hit the PlayStation Network soon. The company's upcoming re-releases include the Recettear-like item shop RPG Dungeon Shoutenkai: Densetsu no Ken Hajimemashita, pinball game Dragon Beat Legend of Pinball, terrain-shaping planetary simulation Neo Planet, oddball rock-paper-scissors action-RPG Tokyo 23ku Seifuku-Wars and idol-raising strategy games Heroine Dream and Heroine Dream 2. GungHo hopes to "bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," and previously spearheaded North American releases for games like Zanac X Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2. GungHo's PSOne import games are priced at $5.99 apiece. [Image: GungHo]
Bust-A-Move 4 on the PlayStation Network this spring
Natsume announced that it will release a digital PSone Classics version of Taito's Bust-a-Move 4 this spring, bringing the classic bubble-bursting puzzler to the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita. Bust-a-Move 4 expands on the color-matching gameplay of Taito's arcade-born Puzzle Bobble series with new pulley mechanics, challenging players to balance bubble clusters throughout its single-player Puzzle mode. The game also includes a friendship-straining competitive Versus mode, along with an Edit mode that allows players to create and save up to 25 custom level layouts. A specific release date for Bust-a-Move 4 was not announced. [Image: Natsume / Taito]
Rumor: PS1 and PS2 emulation coming to PS4, won't use cloud streaming
PlayStation and PS2 backward compatibility may soon be coming to the PlayStation 4, a source close to Sony told Eurogamer this week. Notably, the source stated that backward-compatible PSOne and PS2 games would be stored locally on PlayStation 4 consoles and recreated via emulation. The claim runs contrary to Sony's previously announced plans to offer PS1 and PS2 games remotely via its PlayStation Now streaming service. According to Eurogamer's source, Sony still plans to make legacy PlayStation 3 games available via cloud streaming on the PlayStation 4. The source additionally claims that Sony is working to ensure that backward-compatible games are optimized for native HD resolutions, eliminating the blurred upscaling seen in emulated releases on the PlayStation 3. We've reached out to Sony for comment regarding these rumored features, and currently await a response.
Tomba 2 caps off latest PSOne retro batch from MonkeyPaw
Niche-focused publisher MonkeyPaw Games has revealed a slate of six classic PSOne games set to launch digitally via the PlayStation Network through January and February. The studio's Retro Rush campaign will conclude on February 18 with the PSN re-release of Tomba 2: The Evil Swine Return, a cult-favorite platformer originally released in 1999. MonkeyPaw previously oversaw a PSN reissue of the original Tomba back in 2012. Building up to Tomba 2's return, MonkeyPaw will launch a new PSOne import game weekly, starting with tomorrow's release of Double Dragon. No, it's probably not the Double Dragon that you're thinking of – it's a port of a Neo Geo fighter loosely based on the 1994 film adaptation of Double Dragon, not the original 1987 arcade game. MonkeyPaw will finish out January with PSN releases for Toshiba EMI's beat-'em-up Lucifer Ring and Human's firefighting sim The Firemen 2: Pete and Danny. February will see the release of Nichibutsu's arcade revamp Hyper Crazy Climber and Data East's horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up Wolf Fang before Tomba 2 hits on February 18.
Get three PSOne games free via PlayStation Home scavenger hunt
PlayStation Home has been updated with a virtual PlayStation 4 area, where users can embark upon a most mighty and epic quest. A "Quest For Greatness" as Home calls it. Okay, so maybe it's less "epic" and more "find 13 hidden cards," but PSOne games Twisted Metal, Warhawk, and Destruction Derby are yours for the taking should you complete the hunt, along with lots of PS4-branded virtual swag. The Quest For Greatness can be accessed via the Experience PlayStation 4 area, which is connected to the Home main hub. Inside the Experience PS4 area is a giant PlayStation Vita, and it is here your quest begins. Reddit posters have claimed that the ordeal shouldn't take more than roughly 10 minutes, so if that amount of time for three PSOne games playable on your PS3 and Vita sounds worth it, log onto PlayStation Home and get to collecting.
Sony parties like it's 1999 with PocketStation app on Vita
The PocketStation was a small memory card with a monochrome LCD screen and five buttons that launched for Sony's first PlayStation console in 1999, allowing players to complete mini-games while away from their systems. Clearly feeling a little nostalgic, Sony has launched a PocketStation app for Vita in Japan. The app is free for PlayStation Plus users, and is compatible with classic PS One games that used the device in its heyday like Final Fantasy 8, Ape Escape and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. The hardware manufacturer teased a return of the handheld device last week, though it was unclear whether Sony's plans involved a new physical device at all. As it stands, the PocketStation app is limited to Japanese Vita owners, and there is no indication yet that it will come stateside or launch on PS3 or PS4.
Obscure Final Fantasy IX sidequest uncovered and detailed
Details regarding a little-known sidequest in Square Enix's PSOne RPG Final Fantasy IX have surfaced, sparking fan discussion some 13 years after the game's initial release. GameFAQs user The_Kusabi_ discovered the sidequest while reading through Final Fantasy IX Ultimania, a 600-page guide/tome that was never released outside of Japan. Despite its appearance in an official guide, the secret remained undocumented in the western world, evading the watchful eye of FAQ authors until recently. According to fan documentation, the newly discovered sidequest only triggers after entering the game's final dungeon. It activates once the player speaks to the Nero brothers in Lindblum, and advances alongside specific story triggers and boss battles within the final dungeon. The quest requires the player to return to the Nero brothers a minimum of 9 times within a possible 16 advancement points, adding another layer of complexity to a quest that a majority of players would never see in the first place. Fans can attest that Final Fantasy IX is rife with obscure secrets like this one. An alternate bit of dialogue during the game's opening can only be seen if the player answers a question incorrectly 64 times in a row, for instance. One of Final Fantasy IX's more notorious secrets is the Excalibur II sword, which can only be obtained by speeding through the game, start to finish, in under 12 hours.
Sony offers up a PlayStation retrospective video
If your calendars aren't already marked for Sony's February 20 PlayStation 2013 event, Sony added a new video to its event page to remind you. The video teases next week's big announcement with a retrospective on the company's first console, the PlayStation.According to the Wall Street Journal, the PS4 will be announced at the event, will launch this year and include Gaikai streaming support for PS3 games.
Final Fantasy Ultimate Box goes from PSOne to PS3: All 13 games for $450
To mark 25 years of dungeon crawling (and soft-resetting), Square-Enix has packaged together all of its core Final Fantasy titles for this elaborate fan-baiting package. Alongside discs for Final Fantasies I through XIII, the games-maker has packaged a numbered presentation plaque -- replete with new artwork from renowned character artist Yoshitaka Amano -- alongside a two-disc soundtrack and commemorative DVD. The price of a limited-edition slice of Final Fantasy heritage? A total of 35,000 gil yen, (around $450) will net you the compilation, which lands on December 18th. Japan residents can hit the source for preorder details, while global enthusiasts can read up on the full title (and format) breakdown -- there's no news of an international release just yet.
PS Vita v1.80 update now available, PSOne titles for download revealed (video)
Of all the new features in firmware version 1.80 we're pretty sure that the ability to play PSOne classics was fairly high on people's want-list. Well, the update is live, and with it a list of the titles available. There are nine on offer today for US Vita owners, which are: Arc the Lad, Cool Boarders 2, Final Fantasy VII, Hot Shots Golf 2, Jet Moto, Syphon Filter, Tomb Raider, Twisted Metal 2 and Wild Arms, with hopefully more to follow. This is in stark contrast to what's available over the pond, as Kotaku points out, with over 100 titles hitting European shores from tomorrow -- somewhat of an imbalance. But, with Sony said to be targeting a younger crowd, maybe it's banking on some of them not remembering the PlayStation's golden age. Feature tour video after the break.
Sony Japan: PSOne classics coming to Vita in summer update, PlayStation 3 to get downloadable PS2 catalog later this month
If you've been aching to wile away hundreds more hours replaying Final Fantasy classics on the go, then Sony Japan's got some good news for you. It's finally revealed that the ability to play those charming, if a little dated, PSOne titles will arrive on the PS Vita's next software update, version 1.80, later this summer. This little nugget was tucked away behind the news that a handful of PS2 titles, playable on all versions of the PS3, will launch in the Japanese PlayStation Store on July 25th. The first wave of titles include Biohazard Code: Veronica, Siren and Dragon Force, all priced between 800 and 1,200 yen. No news yet, however, on when (or if) a similar retro-gaming bounty will arrive outside of Japan.
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.
Original Parasite Eve storyboards will blow your mind
The intro scene for Parasite Eve on PSOne didn't call for every audience member of a packed opera house to spontaneously combust on a whim -- every exploding pinkie finger was planned out by a twisted art director and put onto paper before it was recreated on-screen. Those very storyboards have now been shared with the just-as-twisted world by artist and former Squaresoft employee Marco Antonio Velasquez III. It may make us equally twisted to share them again with you, but we've never run this thing on a premise of morality, so enjoy these pencil sketches of flayed human flesh, straight from Velasquez's DeviantArt.
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.
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.
Crash Bandicoot creator ruminates on the old days
Don't be surprised if you see America's Favorite Marsupial (after Kangaroo Jack) tooling around on the highways and byways of this great land. That's right: Crash Bandicoot is old enough to get his learner's permit. To mark the big guy's 15th birthday, co-creator Andy Gavin took to his blog to share some memories of Crash's early days, naked baby photos, as it were. Our personal favorite is Gavin's story of trying to conduct an intensely technical conversation with Ken Kutaragi while (1) "pretty drunk" and (2) shouting over ear-splittingly loud music. It's a lot of fun, as are some of the Crash-centric memories readers have posted in the comments. ... And hey, while we're thinking about it, if you should happen to see Crash Bandicoot driving around, you should be wicked surprised, contrary to our intro. He's not only fictional, he's a bandicoot. It's an extremely unsafe situation that should probably reported to local law enforcement. Sorry for being so irresponsible.
Sony shares price and details on PlayStation certified Tablets S and P, coming later this year
Sony has confirmed prices and dates for its two PlayStation certified tablet computers, both coming out later this fall. The Tablet S is the more traditional tablet, with one screen and 16 or 32GB of storage, and will be out in September starting at $499. But the Tablet P is the more interesting option, offering two 5.5" display screens hinged together. Both tablets will use the Nvidia Tegra 2 chip architecture, sport dual cameras, and run Android-based software. They'll also be fully compatible with Sony's services, including Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited, and they'll both play games from the Android Marketplace as well as run PSOne titles released for PlayStation-certified hardware. Both will come standard with Pinball Heroes and Crash Bandicoot ready to go, though the P will put controls on the bottom screen, leaving gameplay up on top. The Tablet P will hit European shelves in November – North American details haven't been announced just yet. You can get a closer look at both devices in the gallery below and head over to Engadget for hands-on impressions of the Tablet S. %Gallery-132224%
