Slowly but surely, Sony has finally gotten their act together with downloadable content on the PSP. Aside from their recent ramp up of releases, they have given PSP users a variety of ways in which to acquire games and content. My favorite option has always been to download to the PS3. While Sony has rarely been explicit about it, PSP games need double their storage space in order to install. Downloading to the PS3 negates this requirement, as the install files remain there, while the game itself is copied to the PSP. Plus, this method allows you to play any PS1 Classics you buy on both consoles. Of course, if you can’t fire up the TV for a download, one can buy and install games directly to the PSP via a wireless connection, or transferr them from a PC. → Hey, hey, hey, it’s time to make some crazy reading!
posts by christian
Review – Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament
The Steambot Chronicles series can’t catch a break. The PS2 original, while rough around the edges, garnered a solid cult following. Eventually, developer Irem teased its fans with footage of a PS3 sequel, and then…nothing. It still looks to be in development, but it is anyone’s guess as to when, or if, we will actually get it. In the meantime, Majesco brought over a Steambot themed puzzle game, only to give it box art that would scare anyone away.
Now comes the Atlus localization of Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament, a side story sequel on the PSP. Battle Tournament was largely ignored in Atlus’ email newsletter, one of the best sources of hype and information on their products, and the information that was given was fairly basic. → Fire Post Wrestling Returns
Flaws, Fighters and Fanboys
Fighting games are, sadly, one of the few areas of gaming where I can still get worked up into a fanboy. Shameful, I know, but every gamer has their flaws. My problem is that I am a hopeless, shameful SNK fan. I buy their games when they treat the fanbase like crap. I buy the games that are crap. And every time I see gamers tear them a new one for a legitimate grievance, I can’t get myself to join in.
At the same time, I have never understood the appeal of the suite of fighters made by Arc System Works. I can tell you about some of the many things the studio does incredibly well, perhaps better than anyone else. → Postgaea 2: Cursed Memories
Review – Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Poor Klonoa. The plucky little dog/cat thing has appeared in two well regarded platformers and five spinoffs (two of them well regarded GBA platformers). Yet he has always dwelled in relative obscurity. With the release of the Wii remake of the original Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, nothing much has changed. Klonoa is still unable to light up the charts (and with a cover that looks like a budget release, I can understand why), and he is still able to make a damn fine platformer. Short, sweet, thoroughly gorgeous, they don’t make them like this anymore.
I say that because this is a very strict remake, helmed by many of the original team members. They decided to keep the core game intact, including the levels, story, and even the jibberish Phantomilian language. → Onimusha 2: Samuread’s Destiny
Metroidvanias and Me
This past Sunday was spent almost entirely playing Symphony of the Night on my PSP. It is rare these days for a game to grip me so much that I not only desire to spend my gaming time with it, but put aside other duties in order to make more gaming time. Symphony was one of those experiences, and while I cannot afford to have them all of the time, it is nice to know they still exist.
That being said, I was surprised to see myself become so engaged with the game. On one hand, this statement is silly. SOTN is one of the few modern classics where the gaming community’s opinion hasn’t greatly diminished after years of constant play and retrospective. → Readbot Chronicles
Unlocking Okami
After owning it for two months, I finally started playing Okami in earnest. After six or so hours, I still feel the urge to continue, but I feel as if I already know the game all too well, and if I keep going it will only mean me abandoning the game later down the line. I always wondered why a game billed as a “Zelda clone” would end up being Clover’s most talked about release, but now it makes quite a bit of sense. I’ve got this one’s number.
First, Okami is easy. Now some may argue this point, especially if the game gets harder later on (I have heard that it does). But between dodging, blocking, recovery items and stat upgrades, I have all the tools I need to stay alive in battle, especially considering how small in scope the battles are. → It’s time to read and chew bubblegum… and I’m all outta gum.
Review – Patapon
I bought Patapon at launch, played for a week straight, and got to the third boss, a giant sandworm. After countless failed attempts, I put the game away for over a year, until Patapon 2 was released in 2009. Naturally, I could have just skipped to the sequel, especially considering the attractiveness of its new difficulty settings, until I learned that you can import some materials from the original. I finally learned just how to “play” Patapon, and suffice to say that the game is not only original, but highly deceptive.
If you are to succeed at this game, and by succeed I mean “win at all costs” rather than “handily”, you will need the following:
– A sense of rhythm that doesn’t falter under pressure. → Tokyo Xtreme Reader: Drift 2
Review – Killzone 2
When I was first thinking about how to approach my review of Killzone 2’s campaign, I thought I could write up a sizable spreadsheet detailing all the cliches and tropes stolen from other games and films. Thankfully, I realized the errors of such an idea. The problem with the game wasn’t that it was using cliches and silly names. Plenty of other shooters do the same and are forgiven. No, the problem was that Killzone 2 was breaking one of my primary sins of game design – it made me feel like I was wasting my time. I began thinking not of the action at hand, but what else I could be doing during my time after work. I soldiered on simply for the purpose of review, which in turn led to my putting a magnifying glass on every little piece of creative laziness, even if it technically got the job done. → Ba da bam ba baa I’m readin’ it.
The King of Fighters ’98: Ultimate Match
By the end of 2008, the situation concerning Western localizations of SNK games was at its grimmest. No one could tell what was happening with the US Branch. Did they actually have any power? If they did, why did they choose not to use it? Why were their games being released over a year after their announcements? What financial/business decisions forced them to use different developers for each port, leading to localizations of incredibly mixed (and now universally poor) quality? Why hasn’t their website been updated since last summer, and why are their forums dead?
At this point I have only a guess, based on the nature of their current lineup – after the remnants of old announcements are wrapped up and shipped out, SNK US may only exist for branding and licensing purposes, while all development, localization, and PR for future products is handled by Ignition Entertainment. → Lords of the Read 2
Cash for Preorders
Target has decided that it is time to face the competition head on and get into the business of game preorders. However, as is common with Target, they have decided to put their own spin on the process. To reserve a game with them you pay one dollar for a fancy “collector’s” reservation card. When you bring the card to pay for the game, you get a new kind a card – a five dollar gift card, that is. Here is a link to all the facts at VerticalWire, as well as the Kotaku coverage of the story, which actually contains some interesting comments. Questions include “Will this actually guarantee me a copy?” and “How does $1 down and five free bucks in merch help on a product with an already tiny profit margin?” → Now is the winter of read this content.