Countdown reveals Yuusha sequel

Filed under: Imports

Good job CVG! You guessed Sony's mysterious game correctly! A few days ago, a mysterious countdown appeared, featuring retro art reminiscent of the PSP exclusive Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida. Looks like the "or2" mysterious referenced on the site is the name for the sequel. The original Yuusha had players in a retro universe, taking down heroes with their minion horde. The sequel to this surprising cult hit promises more monsters and more heroes.

Senior producer Masami Yamamoto explained to Weekly Famitsu magazine (via 1UP). "A lot of gamers just wanted more to play with, so volume was the first thing. Also, since there were fewer stages in the first game, some of them had a challenge level that was far more of an uphill battle for the player than previous stages. With more stages at our disposal, we wanted to be sure we smoothed that over and gradually increased the challenge instead."

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth gets reprint, only $30

Filed under: News

We don't really know why we're sharing this because we thought perhaps putting in our pre-order first and securing a copy for ourselves would be a wise choice before sharing the scoop. But, we've got an obligation to you dear readers and we wouldn't do that to you. If you haven't picked up a copy of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (a PSP port of the PSOne classic) then now would be a good time.

Online retailer GameQuest Direct has exclusively grabbed reprinted copies of the game and is selling them at 30 bucks. The games will ship June 27, so there's really no reason to hesitate. Go pre-order.

[Via CAG]

New cinematic Blood Bowl teaser released

Filed under: Video

No doubt a whole bunch of you have been itchy to get your hands on something new regarding the upcoming title Blood Bowl. No? Well tough, we've got a newly released video to watch and you're going to sit there and like it. Unless you don't. Obviously there's no gameplay in this teaser trailer but it does a good job of introducing you to the world of Blood Bowl.

If you don't already know, it's a Games Workshop (tabletop gaming) game which sees Humans, Orcs and Elves compete in a brutal version of American Football. There's combat and magic and all sorts of strange stuff you don't see in normal American Football. Sounds like it good make a decent video, but we'll have to wait to see it in action to make any judgments there. Check out the teaser trailer on the Blood Bowl website.

PSP Phone rumors resurface

Filed under: News

These PSP Phone rumors just won't go away, will they? Another one has surfaced today via UK marketing magazine, Marketing Week. Their sources say that a phone incorporating elements from the PSP will be out in time for Christmas 2009. Interestingly, the article also intimates that "the relationship between Sony and Sony Ericsson has become 'frosty'" and that "Sony would "never give its PlayStation branding" to the Sony Ericsson joint venture." Interesting.

If this phone is in the works, despite a breakdown between Sony and Sony Ericsson, could Sony be working on it alone? GameIndustry.biz state that Sony have previously confirmed that they are not working with Sony Ericsson on any such device. We'll be keeping our ear to the ground in case any new information becomes available.

[Via GI.biz]

Koller promises more first and third party games, less ports

Filed under: Interviews

It's undeniable that the PSP is in the middle of a serious software drought. Even John Koller, PSP's main marketing man in America, acknowledges that. Why the sudden drop of games, after the successful launches of games like God of War: Chains of Olympus and Crisis Core? It's simple -- PSP wasn't performing too well earlier in its life cycle, and developers have only recently woken up to the incredible potential of the PSP as a platform. "I think what you're seeing is the result of decisions made 18 months ago, a development cycle ago when hardware sales weren't as strong as they are now and we were shifting demographics from that older, professional consumer to the teen group. There was kind of a little bit of a lull in hardware sales 18 to 20 months ago; you're seeing the results today from those decisions back then."

Since then, Koller and the Sony team has been going on a publisher "road show," and according to Koller, their efforts to envigorate the PSP development community has been successful. "Our worldwide studio team is actively developing titles for that platform and we've been on a road show amongst every, major third-party publisher -- which we actually just finished last week -- and have been talking to them about really how to publish on the PSP, and the level of excitement is really palpable."

When can we expect new game announcements? Well, that's up to each publisher. However, Koller promises that "we're going to see a very good lineup of quality franchise titles coming over to the PSP that are really unique." In fact, "you're not going to see many ports anymore, and I think that's good." We'd agree.

Read the complete interview at IGN.

Square Enix to release PS1 classics, begins with Xenogears

Filed under: Imports, Store

According to a NeoGAF posting, this month's Dengeki PlayStation reveals the very first PS1 games Square Enix will revive on the Japanese PSN. The titles will be available for 600 yen each, and will begin releasing in Japan today. There are twelve titles planned, starting with Xenogears. However, there are a number of other titles to be released today, such as Einhander, Astronoka, Rakugaki Showtime, Raystorm and Fighters Impact. While none of these titles feature the words "Final" or "Fantasy" in them, many are considered classics of the PS1 era. Titles like Xenogears can be pretty rare, so these re-releases are of great convenience to those that missed them at first. At only 600 yen each, this is an incredible bargain, especially when one considers the ability to play these downloadables on both the PS3 and on the go with the PSP.

Unfortunately, SCEA and Square Enix USA haven't announced any similar plans to release English language versions of these classics. We hope that they follow suit soon.

[Thanks, Noshino!]

Man tries to trade drugs for PSP

Filed under: News

We don't even know where to begin with this one. So far this year we've had a young cancer patient's PSP stolen and then a wrestler's PSP stolen, but now we can add an illegal drug user's PSP to the list.

One Steven Priddey, was convicted of stealing a PSP from Cash Concepts in Worcester, England.

Here's how the story goes -- last year, Priddey claims he approached an employee of Cash Concepts, Richard Shurmer, with cannabis in exchange for permission to take a PSP from the store.

Shurmer, on the other hand, claims Priddey simply stole from the shop. Shurmer noticed that the PSP was missing, decided to check his security cameras and saw Priddey had taken the PSP by hiding it in the waistband of his pants. Upon questioning, Shurmer admitted that he purchased cannabis from Priddey on two occassions, but at no point did he give permission for Priddey to take anything from the shop.

Eventually Priddey was found guilty of theft because Shurmer is not the proprietor of the shop, and therefore unable to give out a PSP that does not belong to him. Priddey's lawyer claims he has since given up the drug as it affected his ability to think clearly. Priddey was sentenced to probation service for 12 months and ordered to pay £450 (about $698 US) costs and £65 (about $100 US) compensation.

Worldwide PSP releases for the week of June 22

Filed under: Software

This week has a healthy set of games. It's always nice to pencil in a game name or two instead of "no new releases," which, if you've been following this weekly post every Sunday, is something we got used to seeing. As the summer movies come in, so will their games; hence, why we have both Hellboy and Wall-E this week.

NA Games:

• Hellboy: The Science of Evil
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress
• WALL-E

EU Games:

• Skate Park City

Asian Games:

• Ken to Mahou to Gakuen Mono
• Shinkyouku Soukai Polyphonica 0-4 Hanashi Full Pack
• Winning Post 6 2008
• World Neverland Olerud Okoku Monogatari & Pluto Kyouwakoku Monogatari 2 in 1 Portable

The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 box art looks quite good. We're real suckers for flame designs and swirling energy.

Rebellion CTO: PSP 'kicking arse,' just in the shadow of DS

Filed under: News, Interviews

Rebellion CTO Chris Kingsley sat down with GamesIndustry.biz in an interview and he had quite a few positive things to say about the PSP. However, he claims that publishing games on the PSP "wasn't a deliberate choice, it just happened. We were very keen on it as a platform and it took off for us." Earlier during the the week, Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley echoed similar sentiments.

The CTO went on further to say that Sony's handheld has a good few years left in it, thanks to its versatility, but admits that publishers are not as keen as they once were about software on the PSP. Why? It isn't piracy, according to Kingsley, but rather developers want "to work on the flashy, high-end stuff." He cites the PS2 as a "less glamorous platform" that has remained economically viable for publishers because the software matches the right platform -- Kingsley feels the reason why the PSP has been "kicking the arse of pretty much every other system out there" in Japan is precisely because it has the right games. His illation on the PSP is that Sony has "done a great job," with "tens of millions of PSPs ... worldwide." but that its "incredible" success has been overshadowed by the DS.

Get 20% off used games at GameStop

Filed under: Software

Click for full-resolution image.

There's a huge variety of games on the PSP, and many should be available on the cheap at your local GameStop store. Get them for even cheaper with this printable 20% off coupon. This is a great deal for those that are stocking up on games before those long annoying car rides with your family.

[Via CAG]

This week's Monster Hunter DLC ...

Filed under: Monster Hunter

Besides Rock Band, we don't really know of any other game that updates its downloadable offerings as frequently and regularly as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. Every week, Capcom releases a new quest for the insanely popular action RPG. And every week, PSP is the top-selling system in Japan. We're not suggesting that those two trends are related in any way, but we have to say that Capcom is really treating its PSP fans quite well in Japan. We wonder what the Western equivalent of Monster Hunter will be ...

[Via PSPHyper]

New Gundam Battle Universe Famitsu scans

Filed under: Gundam

For those who are anticipating the July 11th Japanese release of Gundam Battle Universe, we have a couple of scans to help alleviate the pain of waiting for this import to reach your hands. It features of the mecha from the many incarnations of Gundam, new mission features, and their female (at least I think they are... one can never tell with anime) pilots. Why is there another Gundam game you ask? Like the endless number of Dragon Ball Z games, they never fail to sell extremely well over in Japan.

Space Invaders invade through the ears with new headphones

Filed under: Peripherals, Fan Stuff

There are already so many Space Invader Extreme products out there and now we're getting some Space Invader headphones. No doubt to coincide with the release of the new game (out now) and the 30th year anniversary, this headphone set is really pimping out the little alien creatures that sway side to side. Offered by online retailer NCSX, the headphones go for about $20. Worth it? Maybe -- if you don't already have a pair, or just a really huge Space Invaders fan.

[Via Kotaku]

Macross Ace Frontier announced

Filed under: News, Imports

Macross Ace Frontier has been announced as a new mecha title for the PSP. Developed by Art Dink and published by Namco Bandai, the title is aiming for a Fall 2008 release in Japan. The game will include mechs from Macross, Macross Plus, and Macross 7.

Currently, the game is 60 percent complete; glad to hear Art Dink is going to work their butts off to pull off that remaining 40 percent in time for autumn. Unlike some other games and dev teams ... we're looking at you Dissidia! Anyway, check out what the game looks like over at Jeux-France.

Kingdom Hearts and Dissidia playable at Square Enix party

Filed under: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts

Finally! It seems like we're inching ever closer to the releases of Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts on PSP. Dissidia has been playable before, so we're excited to hear that Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is in a state where it can be played as well. Unlike the other Kingdom Hearts spin-off titles, Birth by Sleep looks to most closely resemble the PS2 games -- not just graphically, but in terms of gameplay as well. For many, that's exactly what they're looking for.

Invitations to this closed party are incredibly limited, so we're hoping that someone will be fortunate enough to attend the show and report on how both of these games play.

[Via Kotaku]

Nomura says Dissidia is half finished

Filed under: News, Imports

More Dissidia: Final Fantasy news is coming in. Along with last week's look at Final Fantasy X representatives, Tidus and Jecht, comes this week's progress report. Tetsuya Nomura, revered fashion designer in the belts and zippers fetish industry and Dissidia producer, has stated in a new Famitsu mag that Dissidia is currently 50 percent done.

We're a bit disappointed to hear that the title is only half done; however, it doesn't come as a surprise. Only about half the cast has been revealed thus far (at least, half a list of protagonists/antagonists) and we suppose we'll be seeing the rest to trickle in within the rest of the year. Check out the magazine scans here for more pics of Tidus and his dad, and, if you can read Nihongo, then check out the interview with Nomura.

[Via PSP Hyper]

Firmware 4.00 now available on Network Update

Filed under: News

Yesterday, PS3 got a new firmware update (2.36), and today PSP follows suit. This is the big 4.00 update, but unfortunately the biggest addition to this patch is the ability to search Google directly from the XMB. Yay? Here's the official changelog:

• [Internet Search] has been added as a feature under [Network].
• You can now change viewing speed during video playback by pressing the Up and Down buttons. Use this feature if you want to watch a video quickly, or if you want to slow down playback and listen to the dialogue carefully.

Check out a helpful video overview of the update, after the cut, brought to you by PSPGadgetZ.
No wi-fi? Download the update from us:
Click here to download. Extract EBOOT.PBP file and place in Memory Stick in the PSP/GAME/UPDATE folder.

Continue reading Firmware 4.00 now available on Network Update

IGN imagines the best E3 conference ever

Filed under: Fan Stuff

Not content with pitting PSP systems in a battle royale, IGN PSP has created some loving fanfiction for the PSP. It imagines the "greatest E3 press conference" ever. In their imaginary E3, Jack Tretton goes on stage during the E3 keynote: "Last year, we introduced the PSP Slim and sales shot through the roof," he says with a grin. "This year, we're done screwing around."

There on out, a slew of megaton announcements would come. In-game XMB (coming soon to PS3!), downloadable games direct to PSP (a promised feature), downloadable music and movies from the PLAYSTATION Store, tons of PS1 downloadables (such as Metal Gear Solid, Vagrant Story). Oh, and the announcement of games like Patapon 2, the next Syphon Filter and a brand new Vib-Ribbon.

Of course, this is but a dream -- but it's a dream we can all share. Definitely check out IGN for a so-bad-it's-good Photoshop of Phil Harrison crying.

IGN compares all the PSP bundles

Filed under: Fan Stuff

There sure are a lot of PSP bundles out there. IGN PSP (having nothing better to do) compared all the Entertainment Pack bundles announced by Sony. Which one gets the win? Will Daxter's attractive combination of 1GB Memory Stick and Family Guy UMD win out, or will God of War's bloody combo of Superbad and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops win the hearts of the IGN editors?

The winning choice is the Daxter pack. According to the IGN editors, "if you're starting from scratch, the Daxter Pack gives you an engaging game, funny UMD, and enough memory to get your PSP on its feet." Of course, if you already have a Memory Stick, you can't do wrong with the God of War pack. For PSP newbies, however, we totally agree with IGN's recommendation.

Sony pres Yoshida: admits third party struggle, promises continued support for PSP

Filed under: Interviews

The state of PSP is rather confusing at the moment. On one hand, it is meeting extraordinary sales in Japan, being the top selling system in the territory for the last few months. On the other hand, disparaging software sales in the West have caused major publishers and developers to speak against the platform. New Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida talked with GI.biz, and although he admits shortcomings, is confident about the platform.

"It's too early to make judgments," Yoshida says about the three year old handheld. "We know there's a lot more that we can do, and with the massive growth of the industry we understand that third party publishers have so many choices, many more than they have resources. Sometimes we struggle to convince them to put more resources into the PSP."

Yoshida views the DS not as PSP's rival, but as a different kind of product altogether (not unlike comparisons between the PS3 and Wii). "We've always thought that the PSP as a platform is standing on its own - there's no direct competition, although some people think that the DS is its rival simply because it's portable, but the positioning and the main user base are totally different."

While Sony may be struggling to convince third parties to work on PSP, Yoshida promises continued support for the handheld. "So we continue to support the platform, and we've been doing really well with first party software, and I hope that more developers and publishers see some of the things that the PSP can uniquely offer to them, and its reach into consumers' lives." See the full interview here.

Crytek looking for a PSP programmer

Filed under: News

Crytek, the team behind the critically acclaimed Far Cry and Crysis series, is looking for a programmer to work on the PSP. According to their official site, they are looking for someone with "1+ years experience working on PS2, PSP or DS title" and is "willing to relocate and work at Crytek studio Budapest, Hungary."

We don't know exactly what this may become, but it appears Crytek may create a FPS for our beloved handheld. Or, they're pursuing something completely different -- your guess is as good as ours.

[Via Gameguru]

LocoRoco 2 due out sometime 'this year'

Filed under: News

The only issue with our subject line is that we can't discern the context of "this year", as quoted by SCE UK's product manager Claire Backhouse, when it comes to the release of LocoRoco 2. In addition to talking about the busy summer ahead for the PSP, whether it be increased incorporation with the PS3 and Remote Play, or the new Go!Range set of utilities adding GPS and voice video calling among other things. She says that "The key software titles we have coming out this year for PSP include Echochrome, Buzz The Master Quiz, Secret Agent Clank and LocoRoco 2." Whether this means 2008 or the fiscal year which ends at the end of March 2009, we don't know. But expect an announcement soon for your favorite rolling blob.

Fan shows his love of Rockstar through modded PSP

Filed under: Mods

Someone really loves Rockstar. Ramon at Morpheon Mods has created a PSP that's ready for the upcoming multiplatform (PSP included) release of Midnight Club: Los Angeles. This mod features: "Six polished clear coats, auto grade Metalflake paint, LED's in the R and L trigger buttons (which switch on and off with the WLAN switch), custom clear orange buttons, custom start and WLAN switches (to look like a car's starter button), faux carbon fiber trim around the edges, and a whole heap of custom decals."

[Thanks, Simca!]

Check out more Phantasy Star Portable media

Filed under: Imports

Coverage of Phantasy Star Portable is picking up in Japan as the game draws closer to its July 31 release. There's a good collection of screenshots over at Gpara, and Famitsu has a new trailer to watch. The trailer takes some footage we've seen before and mixes that in with some more details highlighting the game's features. The ad hoc multiplayer mode looks like a lot of fun; it's a good time to tout such a feature since all those Monster Hunter fans may want a nice, new alternative co-op game this summer.

Canal bringing over 2500 movies through French VOD service

Filed under: News

The two million PSP users in France just got a lot to celebrate about. Canal plans on making 4,000 programs available to PSP owners, including 2,500 movies, using Sony's DRM system. With this new service, subscribers will be able to use their PCs and download videos directly to their PSP.

"It provides Sony with quite an appealing content proposition for their portable device, in addition to the games," said Dan Cryan of media analyst Screen Digest to Variety. "What's become clear for about every form of online content, with the exception of sport and adult, is that the PC is not a paying platform. "But if you move it onto a device, people become more interested in handing over money."

There are plans for other services to become available throughout Europe. However, no similar program has been announced for America.

Sakamoto describes his inspirations for echochrome's music

Filed under: Interviews, echochrome

How does one craft the music for a game like echochrome? It must have been a challenge to create the ambiance necessary for such an abstract puzzle game, but Hideki Sakamoto was up to the challenge. Speaking with Siliconera, the musician noted the need for simplicity to match the game's visual style. echochrome is a game that needs no language, and Sakamoto wanted to convey that through a sound that's universally appealing. "Considering that the visual aspect of the game is strikingly simple, I had it in mind not to let the music overpower the overall design. I wanted to avoid distracting the player by using unusual sound effects or unfamiliar instruments. Classical music seemed to me the best choice because it is universal."

One of the challenges of crafting the musical landscape for echochrome was creating a sound that doesn't necessarily move the player in a particular way. "In Echochrome, the important thing was for the player to have such feelings, just for their own sake. There was no sense of striving to manipulate the player's emotions, and that was something of a realization for me as a musician."

Please read the entire interview at Siliconera for more. It really is quite fascinating. Samples of the soundtrack can be heard here. The soundtrack is available for import at Play-Asia.

Game prices increase sharply on US PLAYSTATION Store

Filed under: Store

For some reason, the prices of games on the US PLAYSTATION Store have fluctuated. Many games have actually increased in price, while The Con has been slashed in half. We're not exactly sure what's behind this seemingly-random adjustment in price, but we can't say we support it. Digital copies of games shouldn't be more expensive than buying it in retail. Let's hope this is a bad glitch.

• The Con was $19.99 now $9.99
• LocoRoco was $21.99 now $22.99
• Kingdom of Paradise was $10.99 now $16.99
• Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee was $10.99 now $15.99
• Ape Escape: On the Loose was $9.99 now $15.99
• Twisted Metal: Head-On was $14.99 now $15.99
• SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo was $14.99 now $15.99
• Gangs of London was $11.99 now $22.99
• Wipeout Pure $10.99 now $15.99

[Thanks, Matt! Image Credit]

European PC Store updates for June 12th

Filed under: Store

Not a lot to see here today. SCEE has told us that, along with D2Comics' "interactive multimedia experience," The Cryptics, the store has also been updated with a trailer for Ape Quest as well as the game itself. To that, we ask "is it May 1st again?" We'll add it to the release list, to keep The Cryptics company. Plus, who knows -- maybe some of you forgot to pick up Ape Quest and need some gentle reminding that it exists. Here's the release list:

• The Cryptics (£1.49/€1.99) Hands-on
  
• Ape Quest (£6.99/€9.99) Review

Way of the Samurai finding its way on PSP

Filed under: Imports

Way of the Samurai was originally released on PS2 back in 2002. Now, eight years later, it's getting revamped on the PSP. Set in 19th century Japan, the player takes control of a ronin that takes part in a Choose Your Own Adventure-style story, where every decision can radically alter the outcome of the story.

This port of the PS2 original will be enhanced with new Ad-Hoc multiplayer features, and will also include characters from the upcoming PS3 Way of the Samurai 3. Undoubtedly, more will be revealed about this game as time passes.

[Via PSPHyper]

The clothes-exploding goodness of Ikki Tousen

Filed under: Imports, Video

They say sex sells. Well, Marvelous is going to put that to the test in this upcoming PSP fighter, Ikki Tousen, where the female fighters will have their clothes explode when they're hit. We don't think we'd be too comfortable playing a game like this on a crowded subway ...

The slightly NSFW video is placed after the break. With such a fear of sex in the States, it's unlikely this game will ever successfully cross the pond.

[Via PSPHyper]

Square Enix Party announced for August

Filed under: News, Final Fantasy, Fan Stuff, Kingdom Hearts

It appears that the Japanese side of Square Enix is going to hold an event promoting some of the company's upcoming software. The event, dubbed DKΣ3713, will take place on August 2 and 3 in Harajuku in Tokyo. It's invite-only which means there's a huge chance you won't be able to go (read: absolutely no chance if you don't live in Japan); however, SE is giving people the chance to sign up and be selected to receive an invite.

Square Enix is giving away 2,400 invites to eager gamers waiting to see the latest on PS3 games: Final Fantasy XIII, Versus XIII, and PSP games: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Dissidia. The application period starts this June 23 and will end July 13. Invites will be selected after those dates. Check out the full list of games here.

We won't be in Japan for this, but we hope our (few) Japanese readers will be able to enjoy the festivities. As for the rest of you, let's just look forward to Secret Agent Clank and Space Invaders Extreme next week.

Tidus & Jecht revealed for Dissidia

Filed under: News, Imports

It has been awhile back since we last hear anything related to Dissidia: Final Fantasy. We even broke up the long silence with our "Top 20 Final Fantasy characters that should be in Dissidia" feature. In that feature, we listed Jecht as one of our top draws. Looks like we need not worry.

The Final Fantasy X father and son duo are both heading into the mixed cameo fighting game as revealed by this week's issue of Famitsu. Very cool stuff. We wonder who's next, and, will it be another six months again before we hear anything else?

Ready at Dawn denies piracy as reason to leave PSP

Filed under: News

While Ready at Dawn has established itself as the premiere PSP development team, it recently sent back all of its devkits back to Sony so that it can move to new projects on other systems. Joystiq spoke with Ready at Dawn's president, Didier Malenfant, to see why they left Sony's handheld. According to Malenfant, piracy was not a reason. "We sold over 2.3 millions copies of Daxter and are on track to beat that with Chains of Olympus so we're pretty happy with our sales," he responded. "Could we sell more games if piracy was non-existent? Maybe. But we don't target the market that could be, we target the market that is."

He adds, "Good games sell. Who would have thought?"

It seems the team is simply looking to do more on another platform, and try something new. They've seemingly pushed the PSP to its limit, and they can work their magic on other platforms. "We feel like we've done everything we wanted to do with the PSP," admitted the exec. "We have new projects on other platforms and we like to focus on one thing at a time."

Star Ocean discovered in GameCrazy system, for November release

Filed under: Star Ocean

Square Enix's PSP Star Ocean games should be hitting the States this November, if this listing from a GameCrazy store is to be believed. The RPG remakes will retail for $39.99 each. Square Enix has yet to officially announce a localized version of the game, but with this new evidence (and the listing found on GameFly), it's clear that the games are coming to the US.

[Thanks, Chibi-L!]

Ubisoft clarifies: still supports PSP, 12 titles underway

Filed under: News

Addressing UK manager Rob Cooper's previous comments on a directionless PSP, Ubisoft wants to clarify that the company still believes in the PSP and will back it up. Back it up they shall with 12 titles planned for this fiscal year. As for what those titles are, they haven't said; however, Ubisoft hinted at some possible fan favorites: " ... including titles for some of our top-selling brands."

Top-selling? We're thinking Rayman on PSP, but don't quote us on that. Seeing as Ubisoft didn't make mention of these 12 titles at the company's recent UbiDays gathering in Paris, we're assuming we'll be seeing official announcements for these games (or at least some) at this year's E3 in July.

Crisis Core limited edition PSP hitting Europe

Filed under: News, Final Fantasy

Click for high-resolution image.

The limited edition Final Fantasy VII silver PSP is leaving Japan, and going to Europe, just in time for Crisis Core's release. A special bundle, which includes this engraved PSP and a copy of the PSP-exclusive action RPG, will hit European retailers on June 20th for 189.99 Euros.

Combined with a special edition version of the game, Square Enix is trying its hardest to make up for the delayed release over the Atlantic. For many jealous fans in the US, it looks like they're succeeding.

%Gallery-6657%

Atlus officially announces Yggdra Union [Update]

Filed under: Video, Yggdra Union

Atlus is sending more love to PSP on September 16th, as it releases the PSP version of Yggdra Union. Originally released on Game Boy Advance, the PSP version adds completely remastered audio and visuals, featuring the art of Satoko Kiyuzuki. Fully voice dialogue in both Japanese and English, widescreen support, additional difficulty settings and new unlockable content are all added for the American PSP release of this RPG. This looks to be quite a remarkable localization, we must admit.

Check out the first screenshots in our brand new gallery, and stay tuned for more in the coming months.

Update: Okay, so not everything is fully voiced. Atlus' Aram Jabbari noted that "there is some in-battle dialogue that is not voiced." We're not complaining, Aram! Things sound good.

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Online petition for Assassin's Creed passes 20,000 mark

Thanks to a tip from SynGamer, we learned that the ongoing online petition for Ubisoft to bring Assassin's Creed (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) to Sony's PSP has now broken past the 20,000 mark. As of press time, the petition has so far garnered 22, 176 signatures, and it is undoubtedly not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The petition first came about after Ubisoft announced that it will be porting the game to the PSP's rival, Nintendo's DS. It sure looks like the word has spread, indeed, for the cause. We can only hope now that  more people give their signatures to this petition and that Ubisoft will heed what the fans want.

If you've yet to sign up for the petition, just click on our source link below.


Buy: [ Assassin's Creed (PS3) ]
Buy: [ Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360) ]

Pre-order Bumpy Trot, get nifty pouch

Filed under: Peripherals, Imports

If you've been out of the loop for Japanese game releases, Irem Software has Bumpy Trot: Vehicle Battle Tournament set for sometime in July. The game is a spiritual successor, of sorts, to the PS2 game Steambot Chronicles. It hit shores outside of Japan, so this one might, too. Well, if you're an import-friendly type of person and want to jump on this with a pre-order, you'll get this really nifty PSP pouch as a bonus. Enjoy!

[Via Siliconera]

PSP game tops Japanese charts, not Monster Hunter

Filed under: News, Software, Imports

Konami's Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 3, a baseball title, has topped Japan's weekly software charts this week. With a staggering 117,000 units sold, the game has sold double the amount of units over last week's top spot Pro Yakyuu Team o Tsukurou! (another baseball game) for the Nintendo DS.

Other PSP games are doing well. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G is still in the charts since its release back in March. It has, however, dropped down from second place to fifth with 45,000 units sold this week. Valhalla Knights 2 pops up on the chart at number eight with 32,000 units sold. While all these third party titles are doing well in Japan, seeing such strength and support in Western markets is going to be harder to find.

Sunrise moving GPX Cyber Formula games to PSP

Filed under: News, Imports

Not familiar with the GPX Cyber Formula franchise? Not a problem. It's an old anime and a yearly game in Japan by Sunrise, starting in 2003. Generally, the games released on the PS2, but for this year's title, it's getting moved onto the PSP. Dubbed Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS, it boasts seven tracks, eleven drivers, nineteen vehicles, and one hundred customizable doo-dads to fiddle with. Since it's on PSP, expect some ad-hoc play for some rival racing or partner up for time attack relay shenanigans. We probably won't see this hit outside of Japan, but it's interesting to see developers move from the PS2 onto the PSP instead of the PS3.

[via SiliconEra]

PSP needs more third party titles

Filed under: Software, Fan Stuff

There's no doubt in our minds that this gaming drought surely needs to end. First party titles have been quite good in keeping us PSP gamers entertained, but what happened with third party titles? There has been a significant drop of PSP third party titles since the initial years of portable PlayStation and we're wondering where the future of PSP software is heading.

Pocket Gamer is thinking the same as they've asked their readers on what third party titles they would like to see appear on the PSP. The answers have been varied and, perhaps, this means there's still lots of options for developers to play around with. We know our own readers are quite vocal about what games they want, too, so we're posing the same question onto you. What sort of third party titles do you want to see on the PSP?

Yggdra Union likely coming to the States via Atlus

Filed under: Yggdra Union

Atlus looks to be bringing even more love to PSP. After the release of R-Type Command, it looks like they have their eyes set on the RPG, Yggdra Union. The Atlus front page was updated with the image (above), and the cards on display look incredibly similar to the ones featured on Sting's official Yggdra Union website. Check out Siliconera to see the evidence.

The reveal will happen on June 9th, so stay tuned to see if Spencer's sharp eyes are correct on this one. We're pretty certain that he is.

Even the Space Invaders Extreme site is ... extreme

Filed under: News

The official website of Taito's upcoming PSP Space Invaders Extreme has gone live, and it does justice to the game's namesake. The site proudly proclaims that "Space Invaders is cool again!" And if you've tried the demo, you'll understand that Extreme really does make this arcade classic rather hypnotically alluring. Check out the official site to get a feel for the game's new style, and check out the budget ($20) release when it launches in two weeks.

New Naruto Heroes 2 vids are 'Jutsu' beautiful

Filed under: Naruto, Video

Excited for more Naruto? Perhaps you'll want to take a look at these two new vids of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2. These vids showcase the ultimate Jutsu attacks for both Naruto and Sakura. IGN, where these clips originally came from, plans on taking a look at all the other characters and their Jutsu attacks in upcoming updates this month. So look out for that, check out the second clip after the break, and look forward to the game coming out this month on June 24 in North America. Don't forget about that pre-order bonus folks.

Metal Gear retrospective: MGS Portable Ops

Filed under: Metal Gear: Portable Ops, Video

If you haven't been reading PS3 Fanboy, then you might not know just how crazily Metal Gear Solid 4 fever has overcome our bodies and souls. We've been following GameTrailers' Metal Gear retrospective in anticipation of MGS4, and this time we're bringing some of that excitement to all of you PSP gamers. This time the retrospective takes a look back at something you might have played: MGS: Portable Ops and the game that it was based on, MGS3: Snake Eater.

Many of you may have played Portable Ops wanting to continue the story of Big Boss from Snake Eater. Others probably just wanted to get more Metal Gear into their systems after having played the Acid games. Whatever the reason, MGS fans alike were treated to seeing some familiar faces and having a bit of their stories fleshed out. If you haven't played the game, check out the retrospective to see what it's all about. It also looks like next week GameTrailers will be taking a look back at some of the other portable Metal Gear games, so look out for that.

SCEJ announces new blue PSP SKU for Japan

Filed under: News

SCEJ seems to love colors. Not only did the PSP Slim launch in the region with a veritable rainbow of colors to choose from, but it feels like a new color SKU is announced every other month. This new blue SKU is similar (if not, the same) as what Madden fans will find in their entertainment bundles this Fall. Japan will get their hands on the system much sooner as the two new blue SKU bundles are being introduced on the 17th of July.

The blue PSP will be made available in a Value Pack, which will contain the normal power cables, 32MB memory card and softcase, as well as a D connector cable for TV-out. This pack will retail for 23,800 yen. Alternatively, there's a 1Seg pack which contains a 1Seg tuner, 1GB memory card, a stand and a much heftier softcase, which will retail for 29,800 yen. Check out Watch Impress' article for more images.

God of War Entertainment Pack available today

Filed under: News

The God of War Entertainment Pack is available in stores today (even earlier, if your local Wal-Mart decided to break the street date). For $200, you get the limited edition red PSP system, a copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus, a code to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, and the UMD version of Superbad. All in all, a terrific value.

If for some reason, the color turns you off, you may be interested in the next available PSP Entertainment Pack -- the blue Madden pack.

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