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PlayStation Plus this week: Free NFL Blitz, Alex Kidd for $1
PlayStation Plus subscribers ready for some football can tackle NFL Blitz for free starting tomorrow. Following Tuesday's regularly scheduled PlayStation Network update, the arcade-style American gridiron simulator will be gratis, along with discounts on Alex Kidd and Spelunker HD.Spelunker HD is deeply discounted at half off, diving the game's price to $5. Sega Master System classic Alex Kidd in Miracle World will be 80 percent off, making the regularly priced $5 game a mere buck. Be sure to practice your life or death, competitive rock-paper-scissors strategies before visiting Miracle World.
Delving into the differences between Spelunker and Spelunky
Welcome to Living in the Past, a weekly column about what's new in old games. Now get off our lawn. I'm a fan of the genre of game that I can best encapsulate as "people dying in caves." For whatever reason, there's a subset of sidescrolling platformers that puts players in the role of an archaeologist or other explorer, navigating subterranean tunnels full of deadly creatures, traps of unknown origin, and always, always spikes.Examples of this genre include Cave Story, La-Mulana, and Aban Hawkins & The 1000/1001 Spikes, all published (or almost published) by cave game fans at Nicalis. Other examples include the two games I want to talk about, which share a lot of DNA but diverge in interesting ways: Mossmouth's brilliant Spelunky, and one of the progenitors of the genre, Spelunker (and its modern-ish sequel Spelunker HD). Spelunker was first released way back in 1983 as an Atari computer game; it later found success and infamy in arcades and on the NES.Mossmouth's XBLA game has been a critical success since its release in July, and was beloved as a freeware PC game before that. Conversely, most people don't have anything nice to say about Spelunker, and I think my appreciation of the PS3 sequel puts me in a fairly elite club. However, that club most assuredly includes Spelunky creator Derek Yu.
Spelunker HD update and DLC will kill you starting August 28
Spelunker HD – the PSN game from Tozai Games about an extraordinarily fragile cave explorer, not the XBLA game Spelunky that was partially inspired by Spelunker – will get new DLC almost two years after release, along with a free update.The update, due August 28, adjusts the camera in online multiplayer, and gives you ten new "Championship Mode" stages for free! Seven more Championship Mode packs will be out soon after, each adding ten stages. These stages all give you 50 lives to start instead of five, because they're apparently even harder than the brutal game. Two more unspecified DLC packs are also planned for September.Each Championship Mode update costs $1.99/€1.99, unless you're a PlayStation Plus member. For two weeks after the update, both Spelunker HD and the DLC will be sold at half price ($5 for the game, $1 for each DLC pack) for Plus.
Spelunker HD drops into Euro PSN tomorrow
PS3 owners in Europe interested in extremely methodical, simulated cave exploration will get a treat tomorrow. Tozai Games announced that Spelunker HD will be released on the Euro PSN this week, allowing more challenge-seeking gamers to step into the shoes of gaming's most delicate hero. In retro or modern graphical modes, you'll navigate through dark caves, looking for keys and treasure, while maintaining your air supply and avoiding the spikes, stalactites, ghosts, bats, birds, and short falls that will end your life. The announcement offers good news for North American spelunkers, as well: the European and American versions will share leaderboards and servers, meaning we'll see an infusion of new players for the up-to-six-player co-op.%Gallery-130238%
PSN Euro update: Uncharted 3 beta, Sega Rally, Spelunker HD, Gex
Europe has received another sizable PSN update this week. The highlight is undoubtedly the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta. Two full retail titles were added as well, namely Red Faction: Armageddon and the aging Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. On the bite-sized downloadable front are Sega Rally Online Arcade, Spelunker HD and Alien Zombie Mega Death. Cohort Chess has also been added to PlayStation Minis, while Gex: Deep Cover Gecko joins PSOne Classics. DLC has been added for several games, including Super Street Fighter IV, Hyperdimension Neptunia, DiRT 3, Mortal Kombat and WWE All Stars. Head over to the PlayStation Blog Europe for the full rundown.
Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2010
Dragon Quest IX DQIX is secretly two games: when you're playing through the main quest, it's a traditional JRPG with a light but interesting story populated by unexpectedly engaging characters and perfectly brisk pacing; then as you approach the end, it becomes a dungeon crawler driven by a dungeon map trading mechanic using the passive communication of the DS. How compelling is that "tag mode" mechanic? I can't think of any other game for which I would go hang out at a GameStop and then a Best Buy, but that's exactly what I did when Nintendo held DQIX events this summer. I needed those maps. That's how I know this is my favorite game of 2010.
PSN Tuesday: Spelunker HD, Pac-Man Championship DX, so much more
Too much good PSN content! Head ... *pop*. Okay, maybe it's not that dramatic, but there are a lot of games in this week's update. There are new titles like Pac-Man Championship Edition DX or Spelunker HD, and new-to-PSN games like Dragon's Lair and Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalker, with every title mentioned carrying a $10 price tag. Then ... well, then there are all the price updates and plenty of add-on content. Check it all out after the break. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Spelunker HD brings the fragile explorer to PSN November 23
We know of at least one weirdo who has been patiently waiting for the North American release of Spelunker HD -- because he's writing this post. Those of you who, like me, are looking forward to joining up with five friends and exploring ghost-filled caves as an adventurer who can't fall more than about five feet without dying, will be able to do so on November 23. That's when the long-awaited (again, by me) Spelunker HD arrives on PSN for $9.99. It features both new, updated HD graphics and a "retro mode" which displays the new game in authentic 8-bit style. Check out a trailer after the break -- a trailer that features surprisingly long stretches of death-free gameplay.
Spelunker HD explores PSN in America
The PSN remake of Spelunker is ready to explore the dark, cavernous recesses of your console when it makes its way to America, courtesy of Tozai. GamerBytes reports that the NES game has been updated with "new graphics, and a 6-player online cooperative mode." Spelunker HD can be played with both classic and updated graphics.If you're curious about Spelunker HD, you can read through the game's Trophy list. Unlike most PSN games, the game includes a Platinum Trophy. Depending on how Tozai prices the US release, this may be one of the cheapest Platinums ever. But, if playing video games isn't "your thing" and you're still curious, check out the many, many YouTube videos on the game. Also ... does this post seem familiar?
Irem creates Japanese festival-themed Home Space
We don't expect this new PlayStation Home space to leave Japan any time soon. Irem, most famous for their R-Type games, has unveiled "Irem Plaza," a branded space that's meant to look like a traditional Japanese festival. The various stalls in this virtual world will feature items for sale, mini games, and a place to perform a bonodori.This is just the beginning of Irem's plans for PlayStation Home. Their upcoming Spelunker HD will also receive its own Home space in March.
