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Super Stardust HD shoots up PSN today
You're a spaceship destroying bad guys and asteroids -- it's been a time-honored tradition from Space War all the way to Geometry Wars and now crash landing on the US PlayStation Network as Super Stardust HD, an ancestor to descendant of [update: you have your concept of the direction of time and I have mine] the 1993 game Stardust with 1080p visuals. The shooter was released in Europe on June 15, receiving a glowing review from Eurogamer. Super Stardust HD should be available today for US PlayStation 3 owners for $7.99. %Gallery-2813%
Rumour: Killzone 2 could be coming sooner than we think
There's a chance we may be seeing a Killzone 2 release as early as September. Game Planets is reporting that the latest issue of Power Unlimited magazine states that "expectations for the PlayStation 3 premier shooter are high, and Sony aims to release Killzone 2 during September." While we're going to reserve judgement for now, we wouldn't be surprised if this was true. We first got a glimpse of the game two years ago and, judging from the way Sony is handling the Killzone 2 presentation at E3, they must have something spectacular to show us now. A pre-Halo 3 release would also do the game a great deal of good, especially if its as groundbreaking as they say. We'll keep you updated as and when any developments occur. [Via N4G]
A trio of Jeanne D'arc movies
The upcoming PSP SRPG, Jeanne D'arc looks incredible. Three new videos showcase the beautiful anime cutscenes, graphics, and accessible gameplay. It looks to have all the things that make Level-5 games so good. We're still a bit iffy on the voice acting, but color us impressed by everything else. The RPG will hit the handheld towards the end of summer, in August. Check out the two other videos, after the cut.
Killzone 2 will be shown at invite-only pre-E3 event
Supposedly, there's this big game called Killzone 2 coming out for PS3. We haven't heard of it. But, that will change come Tuesday, July 10th. Instead of going to the Microsoft keynote, we're going to head to this invite-only Sony event, which we're assuming will feature something Killzone-related (see invite, pictured above). Only 150 people have been invited to the event, so we're hoping that we can get some intimate alone-time with a playable Killzone 2. Stay tuned for more. For a more detailed look at the invite, visit our Facebook page.
Free Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow demo UMDs [Update]
Various members of the IGN Boards have spotted Logan's Shadow demo UMDs at GameStop/EB Games. The demo will allow you to get a taste of what the media got to play at Sony's Gamer's Day. Lucian04 from the forums noted that "they just gave me the demo when I asked for it. No pre-order involved." You may want to do the same. The incredible graphics, sweet new control options, and fantastic presentation all have us thinking Logan's Shadow can become PSP Game of the Year. Rush to your nearest GameStop, hassle an employee, and tell us what you think of the demo. [Update: You can get a free UMD from Sony at the official website.]
Because we love you: Wipeout Pure downloads
One of our readers, Eric, has been unable to find the downloadable expansions for Wipeout Pure -- they seemingly disappeared off the face of the internet. Don't worry Eric, we got your back. Because we love our readers, we've uploaded all the tracks that were released post-launch. These levels add a significant amount of gameplay to the already-amazing launch title. Download the ZIP file. Extract the contents of the zip file (there should be many folders that start with UCUS). Connect your PSP via USB. Browse the Memory Stick. Save folders in PSP/SAVEDATA. Enjoy!
Complete Wipeout Pulse soundtrack listing
The Wipeout series is known for its incredible techno-heavy soundtrack, and Pulse doesn't look to disappoint. The upcoming racer will have yet another licensed soundtrack, which CVG has unearthed: Flat Out by Dopamine Chemical by MoveYa! & Steve Lavers Tokyo by Stanton Warriors Break ya self - Wipeout mix by B Phreak & Groove Allegiance Slingshot - Wipeout mix by Rennie Pilgrem & BLIM X-Project (100% Pure mix) by DJ Fresh Frontline by EdRush, Optical & Matrix Seven Stitches by Noisia Smart Systems by MIST Exceeder - special mix by Mason Steady Rush by Booka Shade Fenix Funk 5 [wipeout edit] by Aphex Twin Aero Dynamik by Kraftwerk Suspicious Thoughts by Skream Sea of Sound - Wipeout mix by Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber City Lights (Martin Buttich remix) PSP Cut by Loco Dice Of course, if this doesn't suit your tastes, you have customizable soundtracks as well. With customizable ships, infrastructure multiplayer, and significant gameplay improvements, Pulse sounds like it will almost certainly be a winner. We can't wait to find out more.
WipEout Pulse interview reveals vehicle customisation tool
In an interview with Kikizo.com, Tony Buckley - Director of WipEout Pulse - laid out some more details for the upcoming PSP game. Discussion includes PSP technical limitations, graphical improvements, the Photo mode and custom soundtracks. Have a read, it's good stuff. Also mentioned during the interview is a vehicle customisation tool. This will allow players to produce their own skins for their ships, Forza 2 style. While it is unclear as to how exactly this will work, we assume that the actual designing process will take place on a PC, with the edited texture downloaded onto the memory stick for use in the game. This has never been done before on the PSP and, with the right amount of 'Game 3.0' added, could make for an exciting new dimension in WipEout gaming. Buckley already mentioned his idea for a ship texture contest. Though he might have to come up with a better prize than a date with him, if he wants a decent amount of entries. The only danger with functionality like this is that people will be spending more time designing their vehicles than they will be driving them.
Ken Kutaragi officially throws in the towel, retires from SCE
The father of the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi, has officially retired from Sony Computer Entertainment. Previously, following a corporate re-shuffle, Mr. Kutaragi stepped down as CEO of SCE, replaced by Kaz Hirai. Now, Ken Kutaragi is relinquishing his Sony duties further, stepping down as SCE's Chairman and Group Chief Executive while remaining on board with SCE in an advisory role. Perhaps Sir Howard Stringer can assist with Ken Kutaragi's early retirement by quickly issuing restraining orders against him on all things Sony PlayStation-related. After all, earlier reports show "Krazy Ken" Kutaragi clearly doesn't know "when to say when" as he proceeded to inflate the PS3's budget until it exploded in everyone's collective faces, causing fallout from a few layoffs to a huge quarterly loss. Except now without Kutaragi in the limelight, how are we going to get such beautiful mock-ups of the PlayStation grill?
Wipeout Pulse gets previewed (we're jealous)
German gamer and long-time Wipeout fan eLhabib has received a preview copy of the upcoming Wipeout Pulse, and has posted a detailed write-up of his experience at the WipeoutZone Forum. A sample blurb is drenched with excitement: "Where do I start? First of all, the art style: as I stated before, a perfect blend of purE and w3o, so pretty much a dream come true for me and many others around here. The HUD is very slick, minimalistic, with a very noticeable w3o touch - cool thing about the new HUD: it blurs with the speed as you activate a turbo or go over a speed pad, it shakes as your ship gets hit or bottoms out!" There are pages of rants available, and as fellow Wipeout fans, we have to admit that the wait for this game is painful. Hey Sony, we're friends, right? Where's our preview copy? Off-screen video is embedded, after the cut. %Gallery-4074%
Syphon Filter: Gabe's Shadow intro movie
Sony's starting to send out preview demos of the upcoming Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow and IGN has captured video of the game in action. We've seen the impressive graphics of the game at Sony Gamers Day, and the latest build continues to impress. Check out this intro video, setting up the Greg Rucka-penned story. For more gameplay footage, check out IGN.
Separating challenge from speed in Wipeout Pulse
As acclaimed as Wipeout Pure was, many found the game unbalanced in terms of difficulty. In an interview with IGN Australia, lead designer Colin Berry noted: "Some people felt that Pure was perhaps too hard and that they didn't get to enjoy the faster speed classes as they were too fast and also the AI was too hard. We also had the hardcore Wipeout fans saying that the game was a little too easy and they wanted something more challenging to keep them coming back." In an attempt to make the game more accessible to gamers, the team has now separated the difficulty from the speed. "We then have an easier setting which will allow players to play at the higher speed classes against less competitive AI, thus they can enjoy the speed of the game without always feeling they have no chance to compete. Then we have the hard difficulty setting which means that even on the slower speed classes, the hardcore Wipeout fans will face a challenge from the AI, and at the higher speed classes they have something to keep them coming back again and again." Certainly, this will allow novice players to play at faster speeds ... a welcome change from the original. For more details on Pulse, make sure you read IGN's full interview.
Smoking new Wipeout Pulse screens
Spanish language gaming site Meristation seems to have taken a ride on Wipeout Pulse, Sony's long-awaited sequel to the critical hit Wipeout Pure. Pure was easily one of the system's best looking titles at launch, standing up quite well even to this day. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as though Pulse is adding much to the visuals. While it certainly doesn't look bad, new screenshots on Meristation don't show off significant visual improvements ... besides the rad new smoke effects (pictured, above). We're confident that the gameplay will more than make up for the graphics. Hopefully, we'll be able to give you more once E3 rolls around. [Via NeoGAF]
Tekken and Jeanne join Japan's Best lineup
It shouldn't come as surprising that two of PSP's best games is joining the Japanese "The Best" budget lineup. Each game will come at the discounted price of 2800 yen. Jeanne d'Arc will be re-released on July 5th, and Tekken: Dark Resurrection will come a week after. North American gamers will be able to get a taste of Level 5's latest SRPG, Jeanne d'Arc, later this summer.
Killzone devs say they'll shut up the critics
Ever since that over-ambitious trailer from E3 2005, the fellows in charge of Killzone have had to dodge tomatoes from everyone in the universe, it seems. Surely, no game could look that good, could it? Guerrila Games has issued a pretty telling statement regarding their showing of Killzone 2 at this year's E3: "hopefully it will all go brilliantly and we'll shut up even some of the most ardent critics." Well, that and their inner voice telling them "OH MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!" So says Sebastian Downie. We can't even imagine what they'll have to say at E3. It's going to be very difficult to satisfy fans and critics alike because they can't get over the fact that the graphics in the game can't possibly match that shown in the 2005 video, which served more as a tech demo than a hint at a game, like Final Fantasy VII. At least, not gameplay. What we were told to expect, however, was the announcement of online capabilities and some kind of public beta coming later this year. We'll see these guys at E3!
Super Stardust HD interview is super starry
We're not very secretive about it: the latest selection of PS Store games are lackluster. While it's nice for the two people who actually want to download classic arcade titles, we'd all like to see some new, original games that actually benefit from a high definition experience. One such title, we anticipate with cautious optimism, is Super Stardust HD. The guys at Housemarque sat down for a very lengthy interview, perhaps too lengthy for a downloadable title. With that in mind, we'll summarize for you. You should already know what the game's about. If not, let us educate you on the basics. The temptation to put the title on the PSN instead of a budget PS2 title was too great! Online distribution, the developers claim, is so much more efficient for these types of games. We can see their point. As with most virgin PS3 projects, Housemarque had trouble programming for the PS3 from the PC version, but after hacking away and not giving up (see F.E.A.R., Splinter Cell: Double Agent), they got the hang of it and are pleased with the console and their results. What does the Cell bring to the table? Glad you asked: "the physics, collisions and particle effects run natively on Cell ... We are able to get over 10,000 active objects with physics and collisions and over 75,000 particles simulated and drawn @60fps." Wow! You can have real friends play with you! A shared-screen co-op mode will be available. No word on future downloadable content for the game, but we've got a feeling we'll see something. We have been assured that we won't be disappointed with this game and heaven help us, we believe them. The game is due out by the end of June, but we'll be having dreams about it every now and then. If our brains can actually dream up "over 10,000 active objects with physics and collisions and over 75,000 particles simulated and drawn @60fps." That would be a challenge.
Level 5 answers a few easy questions on Jeanne d'Arc
SCEA recently lobbed a few softball questions for Level 5, the talented team behind Jeanne d'Arc, a title we've had our eye on for some time now. The questions ranged from asking how long the game has been in development [2 years] to describing the overall world and story behind the game. The full interview has been included for your reading pleasure, after the break. New details on the combat system are given, which imply importance on stance and character position in order to maximize combat skills. One of the combat particulars "Burning Aura," deals additional damage by trapping enemies between two playable characters whereas "Unified Guard" involves lining up your characters side by side to lessen the blow of damage from bad guys. We're already hooked, how about you? Anyone else got this one on your immediate radar? Jeanne d'Arc should be hitting stateside in August.
Killzone: Liberation patch finally available
After countless months of waiting, the promised Killzone: Liberation patch is finally available for download. The patch includes an extension of the single-player campaign (Chapter 5), and new multiplayer options -- such as the hotly anticipated Infrastructure mode, which allows players to compete against other PSP players around the globe. The download is available through the game's in-game menu and can also be found at the newly revamped killzone.com website. [Thanks, Lucas]
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror infiltrates PS2 from PSP
If you lived through the early part of the millennium and you saw a Syphon Filter game in the "Coming Soon" list on EBgames.com, your brain would be forgiven for skipping over it. "Oh no, we don't care about those games any more, let's move along," your brain might say. But you may have to revamp your policy for Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, which is apparently making the jump to PS2 from PSP. Listen, no one's going to blame your if you don't want to get burned again. But sometimes, that's what love is: Falling off of the filter that's also a syphon, and climbing right back on. Plus, it's only $30! Listen, you've got until Sept. 4, just promise us you'll think about it. That's all we ask. [Via PSP Fanboy]
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror sneaking onto PS2
For anyone browsing the coming soon listings for PS2, you may notice a familiar title. The excellent Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is being ported to Sony's last gen powerhouse. Previously, we've seen Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto titles and Tokobot make their way from PSP to PS2, but Syphon Filter may be the first Sony developed title to make the journey. Losing a PSP exclusive like this is usually somewhat maddening. In the case of Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror though, it so easily eclipses its precursors, that we can't help but want others to experience the series reboot. Besides, the PSP sequel Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow comes out on the same day, so PSP gamers should be too busy playing that to care.
