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Syphon Filter coming back to PSP with new features
Click to un(syphon)filter the large version var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Syphon_Filter_sequel_announced_for_PSP'; The sixth Syphon Filter game, Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow (nearly one per year since 1999, dang) is coming to the PSP this fall, and it is offering up some new features like 360 degree underwater combat, a cover system with blind fire, Havok physics (on the leetle PSP? Nice!), and a contextual combat system that adds some new and unique melee attacks, from neck snaps to knife kills. What's cooler though is that they are opening this game up on a global scale as Logan travels the globe trying to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of his long-time partner, Lian Xing. Story was penned by comic book writer extraordinaire Greg Rucka, who you'll have to forgive for writing the novelization of Perfect Dark. He does a good job with Queen & Country thought, so we're willing to let it slide. The game also features an original score from Azam Ali, who also composed some of the music for 300.Check out the pictures from the gallery below. The last Syphon Filter game was one of the highest rated games last year for the PSP ... this one might just top that score.%Gallery-3227%
SGD '07: Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Looks like that accidental GameStop leak was correct -- there is a new Syphon Filter, and as you can see in these new screens, they look incredible. Logan's Shadow, which is currently planned for a fall release, has players returning to their role as Gabe Logan. In an all new story written by Greg Rucka (author of the Queen and Country series of novels and graphic novels), players must stop a criminal extremist group from using a dangerous new technology. The story will take players from the depths of the Indian Ocean to the deserts of the Middle East. In a surprising twist to fans of the franchise, Gabe must face the possibility that his long time partner, Lian Xing, is a double agent. New gameplay mechanics include a Gears of War-esque "blind-fire", an advanced melee system that allows Gabe to use enemies as human shields, and 360 degree underwater combat. "Interactive moments" akin to those of God of War and Resident Evil 4 will also add a dash of cinematic thrill. Logan's Shadow has a lot of impressive technology behind it. Aside from the visuals, it's also one of the few PSP titles (if not the first) to utilize the Havok physics engine made famous by games such as Half-Life 2. With such impressive production design, it may be Syphon Filter that becomes PSP's big "killer app," not God of War. Check out the images below, and then a video after the cut. %Gallery-3220%
GameStop reveals listing for new Syphon Filter
Is Syphon Filter returning to PSP? According to an updated GameStop release list, the answer is yes. Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow joins the newly revealed SOCOM: Tactical Strike and a US-release for Pursuit Force 2 in the retailer's latest update to their database. If Gamespot's investigating is to be believed, Logan's Shadow should hit PSP systems first -- September 4th. Afterwards, Pursuit Force 2 and Tactical Strike should release on September 25th and October 2nd, respectively.Retailers are notorious for revealing unannounced titles accidentally, giving this report a great deal of weight. With Syphon Filter joining the PSP lineup again later this year, it's clear that PSP owners are going to have a lot of games to play this fall.
Massive PS Store update includes PS1 games, Super Rub a Dub, and more
Most gamers won't miss the lack of Calling All Cars in today's update to the PLAYSTATION Store. Why? Because there's just so much to see and play: PS1 titles, now playable on PS3. 2Xtreme, Crash Bandicoot®, Destruction Derby, Jet Moto®, Jumping Flash™, MediEvil™, Rally Cross™, Syphon Filter®, Tekken®2 and WipeOut® are all available for only $5.99. Players that previously purchased these games for PSP will be able to download these updated files at no additional charge. For reviews of all these games, visit PSP Fanboy and read their Retro Reviews. Super Rub a Dub starter pack & full game. Get a free taste of Sony's quirky motion-sensing duck game. Addicts can get the full game for only $7. Gauntlet II full game. The retro classic is back for only $5. Game Trailers: Super Stardust HD, Rampart, BlackSite: Area 51 Movie Trailers: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Get your PS3s ready to download. It's going to be a long night.
Sony makes price drop official; adds Daxter and Syphon Filter to Greatest Hits
The $30 price drop isn't exclusive to GameStop/EB Games--it's universal. But, that's not where the savings end. Sony has also added two more games to PSP's Greatest Hits lineup: Daxter and Syphon Filter.According to the press release, "We have always been passionate about making great entertainment accessible to everyone, and the new price for PSP, as well as the continued growth of the 'Greatest Hits' library, reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting and expanding the PSP community," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We are pleased that we are able to engineer savings for the consumer at this stage of PSP's lifecycle, allowing more individuals to experience PSP for the first time. In particular, we have recently seen a steady rise in the number of teens adopting PSP as their primary handheld entertainment system, and we expect the new price will accelerate that trend."Sony also reminds players that the future of PSP is quite bright, especially with the upcoming God of War: "Ready At Dawn couldn't be more pleased with our success bringing Daxter to the PSP platform last year, and now we have another opportunity to blow away expectations of what a developer can accomplish on a portable when Kratos hits the 'small screen' in God of War," said Didier Malenfant, co-founder and president, Ready At Dawn Studios. "PSP is an ideal platform for us to work on because we have a high level of freedom to be creative, and we can deliver gameplay experiences that rival ones you'd get from a computer entertainment system."[Update: According to Engadget, the PSP Entertainment Pack will also receive a $30 cut, from $250 to $220.]
Top 5 on PSP: Action
PSP sales have been quite good the last few months and I figured there's probably a lot of new PSP owners that may not be up to speed on what great games the system has to offer. With that in mind, every day this week we'll feature a new genre and list the top 5 games (according to metareviews), so no matter what you're into, you'll have some idea of what games you should own. We start off the week with one of the most popular genres around: Action. Top 5 Action games on PSP (tie) Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories/Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror Daxter Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories I'm lucky enough to own and have played all of the games in this particular list and trust me, they are all incredible gaming experiences and it's all the more impressive that they're on a portable. I do have to say that I think Ratchet & Clank is better than Daxter and GTA: VCS is better than GTA:LCS, but you really can't go wrong with any of these games. What did you think about these 5 games? What action games aren't on this list that you think every PSP owner should have? [Data Via Metacritic]
Syphon Filter downloadable demo
They said it would happen. And it has, stealthily. Like the game. Get it? Good. 1. Download the demo ZIP file. 2. Extract the contents of the ZIP file. 3. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable. 4. Go to the PSP/GAME folder. 5. Copy UCUS98641 folder into the GAME directory. Check out our new demos site: demos.pspfanboy.com
New demos coming: Syphon Filter and SOCOM
You've begged for them, and Sony's finally listened. Sony shot us an e-mail just now stating that "first and third party demos will be offered on an ongoing basis" through their official website. As we reported weeks ago, Killzone is now available for download, but Syphon Filter and SOCOM should be available in the coming weeks. While these games certainly aren't the newest releases for the system, this is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, it won't be long until we see downloadable demos of Ratchet & Clank and third party games. See also:Demos at PSP Fanboy
The top ten girls of PSP
You've seen the top ten girls of Hooters. You've perused the top ten women of tennis. You may even have seen the top ten girls of gaming, but you haven't yet seen the top ten girls of PSP. Until now that is! The requirements are simple, to qualify she has to be a girl and has to be in a PSP game. But enough with the procrastinating, on with the ceremony! Top ten after the jump ...
Better on PSP
Sony requires any game ported to the PSP to have extra content not found in other versions of that same title, but that's not what this post is about. A strange thing has happened to game franchises on the PSP, sometimes their best showing is on the portable. Can a franchise that you loathe be loved on the PSP? Well it has happened to me ...twice already. Syphon Filter is a gaming series that I just couldn't stand on the Playstation or Playstation 2. I disliked the graphics, animation and gameplay of every version I tried. Even fams of Syphon Filter seemed to hate the last one that came out on PS2. So when a Syphon Filter game was announced on PSP, I was as interested in it as I was about castration. When reviews started to pour out that stating the game was incredible I lost respect for every reviewer that enjoyed it. Then one day while adding games to my Gamefly Q I decided to put Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror on the list. I didn't do it because I expected to enjoy the game, but rather so I could validate my hatred for the franchise. Continued after the jump...
Retro Review: Syphon Filter
File Size: 384MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: EideticPublished By: 989 StudiosOriginal Release Date: January 31, 1999Short ReviewNot Recommended. Syphon Filter's impressive PSP outing, Dark Mirror, deserves all the accolades it has been earning over the past few months. Gamers should not expect the original Syphon Filter to match the Dark Mirror's quality: the game suffers from lackluster graphics, horrendous controls, and presentation values that simply don't work well on the modern palette. Avoid this one.
What end of year awards did PSP earn?
Every major video game site loves to do an end-of-year "Best of" awards feature (something we'll undoubtedly lash out at you, PSP Fanboy reader). Contrary to popular belief, the PSP has done quite well for itself, and some of the awards its received may surprise you. Here's a run-down of everything I've seen across the Internet:GamespotBest Platformer: DaxterDaxter beat out three Nintendo DS games, including New Super Mario Bros, thanks to its incredible technology, great personality and fantastic gameplay. "The gorgeous visuals and sound are wrapped in gameplay that is as polished and enjoyable as any full-fledged PlayStation 2 game. While not wholly original, Daxter sacrifices nothing and is simply an all-around amazing game."Best PSP Game: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops"Portable Ops not only delivers some of the best presentation quality to date on the PSP, but makes some meaningful, interesting changes to the MGS formula. The resulting game is very well suited to playing on the go and also achieves a better balance of gameplay and storytelling than previous Metal Gear Solid games."IGNPSP Game of the Year: Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror"What's most impressive is the depth of the action -- no second analog stick required! The control scheme enables you to do everything from operate a set of gadgets and diffuse bombs to snipe enemies and sift through different enemy types, all without slowing down the pace of the action."Games RadarWTF Award: LocoRocoGames Radar certainly took a non-traditional approach to awards this year. "We also loved that you couldn't play this game without cracking a smile - the nonsense songs were insanely catchy, the bright colors and curvy shapes were captivating and the overall theme was almost relentlessly happy and fun. By forcing our jaded, stone-like faces to grin once again, LocoRoco earns its Platinum Chalice like few other games on this list."The "It Doesn't Actually Suck" Award: PSPGames Radar understands what we've known all the time: PSP is a great system. The plethora of excellent exclusive titles and fantastic PS2 ports has Games Radar and PSP fanboys everywhere asking "this is a bad system?"Next Generation23rd Best Game: LocoRocoIn its top 50 list, LocoRoco managed to break into 23rd place. "Eminently cute and weird as a $3 bill, LocoRoco had players controlling a world and tilting it in order for a smiling blobbish thing to collect goodies, get fatter, and eventually roll or drop past a finishing point. It was as if someone's strange drug-induced hallucination had come to life on the PSP, complete with a dandy soundtrack and a punishing difficulty factor."
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.
PS1 catalogue on PS3 not yet playable
Speaking with 1UP, Sony's Phil Harrison detailed plans to make most of the PlayStation (PS1) catalogue available for download on PlayStation 3 -- in addition to PSP. Harrison confirmed that a few titles will be available at launch, including Twisted Metal and Syphon Filter. The catch is you'll have to play them on your PSP, since PS3 currently lacks PS1 emulation software.Once the patch is distributed though -- Harrison hopes by year's end -- each PS1 download will be playable on both PS3 and PSP, allowing us to enjoy treasured classics and rarities on-the-go and on the big screen. Just be warned, PS1 games will not be enhanced for your 1080p display.Note: Actual PS1 discs will be playable at launch.
Over-dramatic naked man promotes Syphon Filter
The weird ads just keep on coming out of Sony these days. Syphon Filter, one of the PSP's best exclusive games, has been out in the states for quite some time. Unfortunately for Europe, they just got the game relatively recently. In order to promote this stealth action shooter, Sony hired a scantily clad man to run around his house, acting a little silly. It's funny, but I question the wardrobe choice: certainly this commercial would've been just as funny if he were wearing pants. Due to the excessive amount of male skin in the commercial, I deem it somewhat not safe for work. Check it after the cut:
CES: Hands-on with Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
We snagged some hands-on time with Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror at the Sony CES booth. The controls are the biggest question mark when it comes to shooters on the PSP, and with Dark Mirror, Sony opted to use elements seen previously in Coded Arms and SOCOM. Similar to Coded Arms, the face buttons aim the cursor, while the analogue nub controls forward, backward, and strafing movements. However, the L-trigger acts as a lock-on to the nearest (in most cases) enemy, just like SOCOM. The R-trigger fires your weapon (or activates a contextual close combat move), while the D-pad controls secondary functions like reloading, weapon select, crouch, and gadget activation. The game looks crisp and runs smoothly, despite the clunky controls. Enemy AI is also impressive, as your foes are both elusive and relentless--they're also very talkative (and explicit). A key gameplay feature is the ability to take cover by pressing your back against a wall/object. From this position, you can easily aim the cursor, step-out and fire, and then return to cover. But be warned, enemies will also use this tactic. Once we got a feel for the controls, we enjoyed the first part of an infiltration level, blasting our way through a number of firefights while avoiding rooftop snipers. But when it came time for us to play sniper, covering our ally on the ground, the game's difficulty spiked through the roof--because of control limitations--turning into a tedious trial and error mission. Trying to track down enemies using the face buttons was simply too difficult, and we hope that the final version will allow players to reverse the analogue and face button controls. Is the lack of a second analogue nub the PSP's Achilles' heal? Overall, we were impressed by Dark Mirror. It combines the best elements from past PSP shooters with sharp visuals and intelligent enemies. There's certainly a learning curve with the controls, but dedicated gamers shouldn't have a problem. Keep an eye out. [Note: we were unable to test the online modes, but Dark Mirror will include Ad-Hoc & Infrastructure multiplayer.]
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror announced for PSP
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror has been announced today for the PSP alongwith some screenshots (pictured). According to Sony, the game will feature gun fight lovin' along with puzzlesolving. It is said to include over 30 minutes of cinematic footage with over an hour of spoken dialog. Online play will also be featured for up to 8 players, and the title is set for release sometime in 2006. Arethese the type of games getting you excited for PSP gaming in 2006?
