One of the reasons that the PSP is still doing so well in the Japanese market is due to Capcom’s Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. It’s an immensely popular game, selling a whopping 2.4 million units in Japan since it’s release back in March 2008. That particular game never made it to the North American market, but the few that did weren’t very well received (Monster Hunter for PS2 and Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for PSP, for example).

One of the new elements that gamers can expect with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is the existence of a customizable companion, named Al Felyne. The other newly announced feature comes in the form of a media install, allowing you to save your game directly to your memory stick, giving you faster load times.

Monster Hunter Freemdom Unite should be hitting store shelves in North America and Europe sometime in Spring 2009.

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

The hook-up is a little convoluted, but Sony announced earlier this week a way to use a PS3 dual-shock controller with your PSP, giving you both a second analog stick and rumble capabilities. You will need to hook your AV cable up to your TV and then connect your PSP (2000 and 3000 models only) to your PS3 via a USB cable. Once you’ve set the controls to your liking, off you go! You’ll be able to play your PSP games on your television, using the PS3′s Dual-Shock 3 controller. 

It may take some time before there are many games on the market that are able to use this feature, seeing as Resistance: Retribution is the only one to be currently announced. Just keep in mind that you will also need to have a copy of Resistance 2 on hand for your PS3 in order to do this, as “PSP Plus” is activated through that game.

After the announcement of the PSP-3000 back in August, a lot of people were disappointed at the lack of physical improvements on the handheld system. Gamers have been clamoring for a second analog stick for the PSP for quite some time now. “PSP Plus” isn’t quite the same, but it comes close! It’s just too bad that we’ll all have to wait until sometime in 2009, when Resistance: Retribution is released, to try this out!

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LocoRoco first came out for the PSP two years ago and captured the attention of a wide range of both casual and hardcore gamers. Sony Computer Entertainment followed up with LocoRoco Cocoreccho! for the PS3 almost exactly a year later, leaving the PSP crowd out in the cold.  Fortunately, at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, creator Tsutomu Kouno brought all sorts of new information about the next PSP-exclusive title in the series.

The mechanics of the game will remain the same: using the L and R buttons causes the world to tilt, making your Roco move around the screen. You will also have several new abilities while navigating through the levels: being able to grab things with your teeth (to grab onto levers, switches and swings, for example), dig to hide from enemies, and even go underwater for a swim.

There will actually be less levels in LocoRoco 2 than there were in the first game, but the developers are making each of those levels so incredibly jam-packed full of action that I highly doubt that anyone will complain. You’ll be so busy with brand new quests and challenges to notice: you can try your hand at a hide-and-seek challenge, fetch quest or a race challenge.  And I haven’t even gotten around to the mini games that are included! I won’t go into too much detail here except to outline that there will be a version of Whack-a-Mole, along with a side-scrolling shooter, a stamp and sticker collecting game, and one called Mui Mui House, where your Mui Mui’s will live and you can interact with them (a la Sims).

LocoRoco 2 is set to hit PSP’s in both Japan and Europe later this year, and North America at some point in 2009.

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

There are some pretty interesting benefits to owning both Resistance 2 for your PS3 and Resistance: Retribution for the PSP. You’ll be able to connect the two systems together via a USB cable, choose to “infect” your PSP and gain all sorts of extra goodies for the game on your PSP.

Once the systems are hooked up, navigate over to the Resistance 2 option menu on your PS3 and choose to “Infect Your PSP!”, which causes your character in Resistance: Retribution to become infected with the chimera virus.  The infected mode will only last until you power down your PSP, so keep that mind.

Here are the benefits of the connectivity for your game on the PSP: you will gain a new uniform to use, access to various weapons that were previously unavailable in Retribution, along with the abilities to heal yourself and breathe underwater. These added elements allow your character to reach areas that were inaccessible before, opening up all sorts of side stories.

What are your thoughts? Will the added elements through connectivity make you run out to pick up the PSP or PS3 to do?

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I never got around to checking out the first Patapon game for PSP when it was released earlier this year, but got to live it entirely through Lloyd as he quite frequently played it with the sound turned way up! Nevertheless, I found it quite catchy and still get the riffs stuck in my head from time to time (pon pon pata pon) and am looking forward to all the new content that will be available in Patapon 2.

The biggest news comes in the form of the added multiplayer mode, with up to four players being able to join in and work together. Along with the added mode, gamers can expect new units to control (the Hero, mage, robot and flier) along with almost twice the amount of levels, items and even game time.  The original title boasted a game time of approximately 10 hours, the developers expect the sequel to run you 20 hours.

For those of you who played the first Patapon, don’t go and delete your save game yet!  A little tidbit to keep in mind is that your save file can be used in Patapon 2 to carry over special items, gold and medals. No release date has been published as of yet, but I will keep you posted as further news comes out. I can tell you that I will definitely be giving this one a try when it comes out!

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

Sometime this fall (the date has yet to be announced), PSP owners in Japan will be able to connect directly to the PlayStation Store through their PSP’s without the use of either their PS3′s or computers. You will be able to use this feature, regardless of the version of PSP you currently have, but keep in mind that you will have to upgrade to the latest firmware in order to do it. To commemorate the launching of the PSN store for the PSP, Sony is making a game downloadable for free: Mainichi Issyo Portable, which roughly translates to Everyday Together Portable.

In conjunction with this, Sony has also announced another new feature that will be available to gamers who own both a PSP and PS3.  They have created a new Infrastructure Mode which will allow you to connect the two systems together, using the PS3 to set up multiplayer online matches for certain games.  One of these games is Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G.  A second bonus to this feature is that players will be able to add voice and text capabilities through this service.

No further information is known at this time, but I will keep you posted as more details are released, hopefully in the form of an announced date for the North American crowd as well!

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For those of you who may not have heard of this title as of yet, Everyday Shooter was originally released for both PS3 and PC and has gotten fantastic reviews everywhere for it’s incredible usage of music paired with a fairly basic shooter. It sounds fairly run-of-the-mill, but anybody who has played the game will be quick to assure you that it’s not!

You control a ship that changes shape with every level, shooting your way through graphically amazing scenes to the sounds of an all-guitar soundtrack.  Instead of the destructive sounds that usually accompanies shooting enemies in these types of games, each enemy you shoot adds harmonizing guitar riffs. 

Unfortunately, there is no separate release date confirmed at this point. The only way announced so far to snag a copy of the game is via a PSN voucher that is included with the PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Packwhen it is released this November.

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Earlier this month, I reported that a new edition in the Parasite Eve franchise would be making it’s way to both the PSP and mobile phones. I also promised that I would be forthcoming with any further news about the game, and here it is!  

Square Enix’s director of the project, Hajime Tabata, had a few details to share.  Not many, but enough to keep us wanting more! He has indicated that Parasite Eve: The 3rd Birthday will be a true third-person shooter with the possibility of of some online action, but his team is still investigating the infrastructure versus adhoc possibilities that are available to them.

Also released were a few story line details: Aya Brea remains as the heroine in the game as she fights to eliminate “The Twisted”, who act as her antagonists this time around. She has a brand new ability at her disposal called overdrive, which will allow her to “cross time” in her fight. There is still no release date in sight as of yet, but again… I’ll keep you posted!

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About I week ago, I posted news that the FCC had blown the cover of the PSP-3001. Finally, Sony has officially released all the information you could possible want to know about the upcoming release of the newly named PSP-3000.

When compared to the previous model, the PSP-2000 (or PSP Slim), there is virtually no visual differences unless you take a really close look. The two major additions to take note of come in the form of the built-in microphone, which is definitely good news for those PSP owners out there who use Skype, and the PS Home button. The other new features are the improved anti-glare screen for when you’re playing outdoors along with a higher contrast ratio to go along with the greatly increased color spectrum.

There will be three entertainment packs released between October and November of this year, including both of the new PSP colors (Mystic Silver and Piano Black), various games, memory cards and PSN vouchers. Check out all the information and package details along with the full press release after the jump. 

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The PSP-3000 will be shipped as part of a Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Entertainment Pack on October 14th in North America.  Included in the bundle will be a Mystic Silver PSP-3000, the Ratchet & Clank game, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets UMD, a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo along with a voucher to pick up echochrome from the PSN. This entertainment pack will be retailing for $199.99 USD.

If the Mystic Silver PSP doesn’t interest you, don’t fret.  There will be another color released later this November, called the Piano Black PSP.  It also will have it’s own bundle, called the PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack. This pack will also retail for $199.99 and will include the PSP, a voucher to pick up Everyday Shooter from the PSN along with a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo.

For those of you not interested in all the little add-ons, you will be able to pick up a PSP Core Pack, which will include the Piano Black PSP along with a battery pack and AC adaptor for $169.99.  

Sony Computer Entertainment America Announces North American Availability of Updated PSP(R) (Playstation(R)Portable) System

Updated PSP – Featuring New LCD Screen and Built-in Microphone – Will Be Included in Ratchet & Clank(R) PSP Entertainment Pack and PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack

FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — In conjunction with a global announcement by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced the North American availability of the updated PSP(R)(PlayStation(R)Portable) system (PSP-3000). Available on October 14 in the previously announced Ratchet & Clank(R): Size Matters(TM) PSP Entertainment Pack, the updated PSP will feature a new LCD screen with a wider color gamut and anti-reflection technology, as well as a built-in microphone to enhance both multi-player gaming and Skype(TM) calls. The form factor and overall functionality of the current, slimmed-down PSP-2000 will remain the same with the updated PSP system. SCEA today also announced the PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack ($199.99 MSRP), which will include the updated PSP, a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM) and a PLAYSTATION(R)Network voucher to download Everyday Shooter for PSP system. In addition to the bundles, the updated PSP will be available as a stand-alone product later this year.

“As we head into the holiday shopping season, both of these new Entertainment Packs represent a significant value for gift-givers, combining the updated PSP and its enhanced screen with content that showcases the PSP’s gaming and entertainment functionality,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PLAYSTATION Network, SCEA. “The 4GB Memory bundle is geared toward the digital entertainment enthusiast who likes to bring their media files on-the-go and download content from the PLAYSTATION Network. The Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters bundle is a great family-friendly option centered on one of the most beloved PlayStation franchises.”

As announced at the E3 Media & Business Summit, the Ratchet & Clank PSP Entertainment Pack will be available for $199.99 (MSRP) on October 14. The Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack includes:

— Updated Mystic Silver PSP system; the first updated PSP available on store shelves

— Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters — In this PSP Greatest Hits title, Ratchet and Clank go back to the franchise’s roots with classic Ratchet & Clank(R) gameplay. While on a much needed vacation, Ratchet and Clank’s rest and relaxation time is suddenly cut short as they soon find themselves lured into a mysterious quest.

— “National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets” UMD(R) video — Join Nicolas Cage on a heart-pounding adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat in a race to find the Lost City of Gold. Grounded in history, imbued with myth and mystery, Disney’s “National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets” takes you on a globe-trotting quest full of adrenaline-pumping twists and turns — all leading to the final clue in a mysterious and highly guarded book containing centuries of secrets.

— echochrome(TM) PLAYSTATION Network voucher* — Featuring an elegant black and white art design, echochrome is a puzzle game unlike any other. With gameplay based on optical illusions, players must utilize five simple laws of perspective to join walkways, hide dangers, and create new paths to reach the “echos,” or shadow guides. Download echochrome for PSP from PLAYSTATION(R)Store (http://store.playstation.com) to your Memory Stick PRO Duo with the included voucher.

— 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo — Store your photos, music, videos, downloadable games and game saves.

The PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack will be the first bundle to feature a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, offering plenty of storage for saving movies and TV shows downloaded from the recently launched PLAYSTATION Network video delivery service. The bundle will be available in November for $199.99 (MSRP).

The PSP 4GB Memory Entertainment Pack includes:

— Updated Piano Black PSP system

— 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo — Store more photos, music, videos,downloadable games and game saves.

— Everyday Shooter PLAYSTATION Network voucher* — A colorful and music-driven arcade shooter, Everyday Shooter won three awards at the Independent Gaming Festival at the 2007 Game Developers Conference. Unlike traditional arcade shooters, in Everyday Shooter each on-screen interaction is a note, chord, or riff that plays in harmony with each level’s unique music track. The title is available for PLAYSTATION(R)3 and will be making its debut for PSP. Download Everyday Shooter for PSP from PLAYSTATION Store to your Memory Stick PRO Duo with the included voucher.

In addition to the new PSP Entertainment Packs, an updated PSP in Piano Black will be available later this year as part of the PSP Core Pack, which includes an AC adaptor and battery pack for $169.99 (MSRP).

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation(R) and PS one(R) game console, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R) Portable) handheld entertainment system, and the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system and its online and network services PLAYSTATION(R) Network and PLAYSTATION(R) Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system and the PS3 system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com.

All of our footy fans out there will be interested to find out that as of this coming Sunday, August 17th, you’ll be able to download 45 minute clips of the highlights of the Barclays Premiership to watch on your PSP. Sky Sports has committed to airing 92 Live league games along with 242 “near-live” matches, so you should be able to find ample viewing material, regardless of your favorite team!

For those of us in North America who may not be aware, Go!View is a conglomeration between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sky Sports who are committed to bringing the PSP’s video-on-demand feature to the gaming market in the UK. You’ll be looking at a subscription fee of £5 (€7) for the sports pack.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

Barclays Premier League Football available on GO!VIEW

Don’t just talk about the football – re-live it!

Football fans will be thrilled to hear that the best of this season’s Barclays Premier League will be available on GO!VIEW, the video on-demand service for the PlayStation Portable (PSP™). Following the big kick off this weekend, from Sunday 17th August, PSP™ owners will be able to transfer 45 minutes of extended highlights from Sky Sports matches to watch on the go – or wherever they want!

Throughout the new season, GO!VIEW customers will be able to watch a great range of Barclays Premier League football from hundreds of Sky Sports games. Sky Sports will show 92 Live Barclays Premier League games this season and a further 242 ‘near live’ matches, ensuring that all GO!VIEW customers will be able to access games involving their favourite Premier League team.

In addition, highlights from the season’s best games so far will also be available ongoing from October for fans to transfer to their PSP™ so they can relive the highs and lows of the current campaign.

The football content on GO!VIEW is available as part of the monthly ‘Sports’ subscription packs which offers content from across the sporting world, and includes cricket, golf, boxing and extreme sports. New GO!VIEW customers can get a one month trial subscription to the Sports Pack as well – as the two other Subscription Packs; Comedy and Entertainment – absolutely free!

In addition to the subscription packs, selected Movies to Rent and Latest TV to Rent can be transferred via the rental service on GO!VIEW. Subscription packs are priced at £5 (€7) for 1 pack, £8 (€11) for 2 packs and £10 (€14) for all three packs and with everyone who registers for the service at www.goview.tv receiving a free month’s subscription, there’s no better time to be a PSP owner!

www.goview.tv

GO!VIEW is a joint venture between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sky who have established the joint venture ‘GO!VIEW Entertainment UK’. This is being used to bring the PSP video-on-demand to market in the UK, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands & the Isle of Man. Sky is providing their expertise in building successful video-on-demand platforms as well as content acquisition. Sony Computer Entertainment is providing the marketing for the service.

I’m going to point  out right at the beginning that this it NOT a re-design of the PSP, but rather a re-working of the PSP-2000, mostly on the interior of the unit. Looks like all Sony is doing with the 3001-model is try to reduce costs by using smaller and more efficient components. Supposedly, their other reason for releasing yet another version of the PSP is to make it tougher to hack to help combat piracy.   

There is really nothing new to note on the exterior, including the much-coveted second analog stick. I’m thinking we’ll have to wait for Sony to release a PSP2 sometime in the future for that particular add-on. Even the much-talked-about and rumored microphone and “Home” button redesign seem to be missing from the shots obtained from the FCC.

Sony has been quite close-lipped on any further details on the PSP-3001, but I’m sure some sort of formal announcement will be coming fairly soon. I will keep you posted when that happens.

What do you think? From the information released so far, will it be worth upgrading?

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

A new PSP-exclusive title has been announced by developer Stormregion. It will be a turn-based strategy game set in space called Mytran Wars. Not a lot of information is known as of yet other than it’s the 23rd century and humans will be pitted against aliens in their search for resources. 

Stormregion are best known for their PC warfare games such as Codename: Panzers, Rush for Berlin and S.W.I.N.E., so it should be interesting to see how this PSP game, set so far out of their usual element, pans out. Here are the slim details that were issued in a preliminary press release:

It’s the 23rd century: The earth’s natural resources are virtually exhausted and the ruling multinational conglomerates are searching for new raw material deposits in space in order to avert the impending catastrophe. One planet turns out to be a real El Dorado, full of natural resources. But as the human conquerors in their armed mecha encounter the extraterrestrial inhabitants a dreadful war breaks out.

I will keep you posted as any further information and, hopefully, screenshots are released.

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The Koreans have been enjoying a rhythm music game called DJ Max for a while now and those of us in North America with a craving for more than just Guitar Hero have had to import the game, up until now! The game’s developer, Pentavision, has announced through PM Studios that it will be bringing a combination of the two DJ Max games (DJ Max Portable and DJ Max 2) that have been released in Korea to North America under the title DJ Max Fever.

The game is very similar to Beatmania in that you have to hit buttons to coincide with falling notes on the screen, but that is where the similarity and simplicity ends. Along with the button mashing there will be scratching elements thrown in and quite a few techno beats.

The title will pack in more than 100 songs for you to tap through; a Freestyle mode that’s activated by performing a perfect mix; goal-based contests called Extreme challenges; five difficulty levels…; Network Battle Mode; and a collection gallery to house the music videos, soundtracks, and images you unlock.

I usually consider myself fairly competent when it comes to music games, but seeing the videos of this title in action truly humbles me! The difficulty on the DJ Max series looks insane, but then, the series is known not only for it’s great tracks but also for it’s uncompromising difficulty. I may have to pick it up just to test my not-so-mad skills! I won’t have to wait that long either, with DJ Max Fever scheduled for a November 11th release date.

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Earlier today, Sony announced an entertainment pack that they have put out to coincide with the release of Madden 09.  The pack contains all sorts of goodies including, among other things, a never-before-released-in-North-America “Metallic Blue” PSP-2000. Something to keep in mind if you’re collecting the various PSP colors is that picking up this bundle is the only way you’ll be able to get your hands on the “Metallic Blue” PSP, short of importing it from Japan, of course.

Other items included in the entertainment pack are the game (Madden 09),  a Beats PSN voucher, NFL: In Just One Play UMD and a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo.  All of this is available to you for a fairly decent price: $199.99 USD. The bundle is available from the Sony Style Store.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com

Football season is right around the corner, and Sony Computer Entertainment America is kicking things off with the limited-edition Madden NFL 09 PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) Entertainment Pack ($199.99 MSRP), available today. Centered on the 20th Anniversary edition of the popular sports franchise, the Madden NFL 09 bundle showcases the multi-functional features of the PSP system, from gaming to videos and music, while delivering great value to consumers.

The Madden NFL 09 PSP Entertainment Pack includes the following:

* “Metallic Blue” PSP-2000 system; this is the only time that this special PSP color will be offered in North America.

* Madden NFL 09: Twenty years as a dynasty of gaming, Madden NFL 09 aims to deliver the most immersive gameplay, the richest online offerings and the most comprehensive feature depth in the history of the franchise. Madden NFL 09 features legendary quarterback Brett Favre as its cover athlete.

* NFL: In Just One Play UMD video: Hosted by one of the most colorful and premiere receivers in the game today, Chad Johnson, NFL: In Just One Play features an inside look at some of the X factors in the league. NFL: In Just One Play, the first UMD video from NFL Films and Warner Home Video, combines sound, action and interviews to showcase some of the NFL’s most exciting players.

* Beats™ PLAYSTATION®Network voucher: Download the PLAYSTATION Network exclusive title, Beats*, to your Memory Stick PRO Duo with the included voucher. Beats is a new and exciting way to interact with your music collection on your PSP system. It breathes life in to your music by using a beat tracking technology to create gameplay from any song the player supplies. The title is currently available on PLAYSTATION®Store (http://store.playstation.com).

* 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – Store your photos, music, videos, and game saves.

*Voucher expires March 31, 2009. Requires PSN Registration. User responsible for all applicable Internet fees. Some services or features may require additional fees.

This truly is sad news for all the PSP gamers out there who have been looking for ways to extend their playtime through other battery methods.  The Extended Life Battery Kit for the PSP was only released late last year and it’s quite puzzling to have Sony pull them off of the shelves so soon.  

The kit nearly doubled the battery life of the PSP-2000′s on the market, giving an additional 12 hours of gameplay.  The only drawback of the kit being the slight bulge at the back of the system due to the larger battery cover that was needed.

This is all that SCEA’s Al de Leon had to say on the matter:

Yes, we are discontinuing this product as we look for other opportunities to service the consumer.

Well that doesn’t really give a lot of useful information! It really is too bad that we’re seeing the end to this particular PSP peripheral, hopefully Sony has something bigger and better in the works?

Re-blogged from our sister site: Nukoda.com