BitSnark

Citing some ‘sources directly involved with the new system’, gaming site 1UP.com is claiming that Sony will be making a splash at E3 this year with a redesigned PSP that will be known as ‘PSP Go!’.

The site goes on to detail the fact that the source claims the new PSP will ditch UMD functionality, in favour of flash memory with the onus being on user downloadable games and content. Allegedly, the new handheld will be asthetically redesigned, sporting a slide-screen based touchscreen and a possible built in camera. Unfortunately, the site makes specific mention of the fact that the new handheld will not incorporate a second analogue nub (perhaps the most requested feature for a new PSP console), instead remaining with the existing controller layout.

Finally, the article claims that two SKU’s will be available; one with 8GB of flash memory, the other with 16GB.

It all sounds very interesting, at least for people who don’t have a PSP (since going by this article their current library of games would be useless) but as always with salt shaker in hand, it’s best to take anything with a pinch of salt (a very small pinch given the supposed credibility of the source in question) and sit on our hands to E3.

Still, all sounds quite exciting eh?

Citing some ‘sources directly involved with the new system’, gaming site 1UP.com is claiming that Sony will be making a splash at E3 this year with a redesigned PSP that will be known as ‘PSP Go!’.

The site goes on to detail the fact that the source claims the new PSP will ditch UMD functionality, in favour of flash memory with the onus being on user downloadable games and content. Allegedly, the new handheld will be asthetically redesigned, sporting a slide-screen based touchscreen and a possible built in camera. Unfortunately, the site makes specific mention of the fact that the new handheld will not incorporate a second analogue nub (perhaps the most requested feature for a new PSP console), instead remaining with the existing controller layout.

Finally, the article claims that two SKU’s will be available; one with 8GB of flash memory, the other with 16GB.

It all sounds very interesting, at least for people who don’t have a PSP (since going by this article their current library of games would be useless) but as always with salt shaker in hand, it’s best to take anything with a pinch of salt (a very small pinch given the supposed credibility of the source in question) and sit on our hands to E3.

Still, all sounds quite exciting eh?

Announced in an overnight US briefing, Japanese superpublisher Namco Bandai made the surprise confirmation that the forthcoming home conversion of Tekken 6 and a conversion of the already released Soul Calibur IV, will be hitting Sony’s resurgent handheld this year.

By all accounts Tekken 6 promises not to let the side down, as Namco Bandai have promised that all the characters and moves will be intact, in addition to wireless multiplayer and the ability to upload and download ghost data through PSN. Visually, the game looks absolutely stunning, and given the predictable drop in screen resolution and polygon count, it still looks comparable to it’s home counterparts.

Take a look:

http://uk.media.psp.ign.com/media/143/14345009/imgs_1.html

Tekken 6 is due to hit worldwide this coming Autumn.

The Soulcalibur IV conversion for the PSP, is being retooled and remonikered as Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. SBD will not have the spotlight stealing Star Wars characters that pretty much defined the advertising campaign for the home versions, instead it will introduce a new character; Dampierre as well as the predictable myriad of fighting modes, wireless multiplayer and ghost upload/download features.

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, will hit worldwide this Summer.

Two potentially awesome fighting games within the space of a few months… it seems like Sony’s claims of a ‘stellar’ lineup for 2009 is becoming a most welcome reality.

Announced in an overnight US briefing, Japanese superpublisher Namco Bandai made the surprise confirmation that the forthcoming home conversion of Tekken 6 and a conversion of the already released Soul Calibur IV, will be hitting Sony’s resurgent handheld this year.

By all accounts Tekken 6 promises not to let the side down, as Namco Bandai have promised that all the characters and moves will be intact, in addition to wireless multiplayer and the ability to upload and download ghost data through PSN. Visually, the game looks absolutely stunning, and given the predictable drop in screen resolution and polygon count, it still looks comparable to it’s home counterparts.

Take a look:

http://uk.media.psp.ign.com/media/143/14345009/imgs_1.html

Tekken 6 is due to hit worldwide this coming Autumn.

The Soulcalibur IV conversion for the PSP, is being retooled and remonikered as Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. SBD will not have the spotlight stealing Star Wars characters that pretty much defined the advertising campaign for the home versions, instead it will introduce a new character; Dampierre as well as the predictable myriad of fighting modes, wireless multiplayer and ghost upload/download features.

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, will hit worldwide this Summer.

Two potentially awesome fighting games within the space of a few months… it seems like Sony’s claims of a ‘stellar’ lineup for 2009 is becoming a most welcome reality.

In the best news to come along in a long damn time, Capcom today have confirmed the rumour that fan-favourite 2D crossover fighter Marvel Vs Capcom 2, is due for a release on XBLA and PSN thi summer costing 1200 MSP or £9.99 respectively.

Based on the supremely awesome Dreamcast conversion and cribbing the massively robust netcode from the similarly awesome Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, this should be the definitive version of the title.

Oh, and lucky PSN users get to try a free demo of the title next week!

Ryu! Wolverine! Ironman! On the same team!

Bring it the feck on.

In the best news to come along in a long damn time, Capcom today have confirmed the rumour that fan-favourite 2D crossover fighter Marvel Vs Capcom 2, is due for a release on XBLA and PSN thi summer costing 1200 MSP or £9.99 respectively.

Based on the supremely awesome Dreamcast conversion and cribbing the massively robust netcode from the similarly awesome Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, this should be the definitive version of the title.

Oh, and lucky PSN users get to try a free demo of the title next week!

Ryu! Wolverine! Ironman! On the same team!

Bring it the feck on.

Yep the title pretty much says it all, but what it doesn’t say is the price: Amazon.co.uk presently have the pack down for £14.99, which is just a little more expensive than if the packs were to be bought from the Marketplace seperately.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fallout-Downloadable-Content-Operation-Anchorage/dp/B0022NHM36/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1240846826&sr=8-8

People have been quick to point out the notable absence of the Broken Steel; the third (and possibly largest) DLC from the pack. As far as the third and final Fallout 3 DLC pack goes, I can quite easily see it heading to retail but in what form is up to debate. I can forsee it either coming out seperately at a cheaper price or bundled in together with the first two DLC installments in some kind of mega pack.

Annoyingly enough, news has only spread of the pack hitting shelves for the 360 and PC, with no mention of a PS3 version.

Yep the title pretty much says it all, but what it doesn’t say is the price: Amazon.co.uk presently have the pack down for £14.99, which is just a little more expensive than if the packs were to be bought from the Marketplace seperately.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fallout-Downloadable-Content-Operation-Anchorage/dp/B0022NHM36/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1240846826&sr=8-8

People have been quick to point out the notable absence of the Broken Steel; the third (and possibly largest) DLC from the pack. As far as the third and final Fallout 3 DLC pack goes, I can quite easily see it heading to retail but in what form is up to debate. I can forsee it either coming out seperately at a cheaper price or bundled in together with the first two DLC installments in some kind of mega pack.

Annoyingly enough, news has only spread of the pack hitting shelves for the 360 and PC, with no mention of a PS3 version.

Borne from the frustration inflicted upon me from the earlier Crave developed MMA titles, it was with a sense of wariness that I approached Smackdown developers Yukes take on the popular UFC franchise. Upon starting the demo you have a choice of exhibition and tutorial modes only. Being the kind of gamer who is confident in his ability with fighting games, I confidently started an exhibition match (you get to choose either the ‘Iceman’ Chuck Liddell or Shogun Rua) and decided to get stuck straight in the thick of the action.

The first thing you notice is just how detailed the character models are. Each of the models is a very close approximation of their real-life counterpart boasting lifelike veined muscles, detailed facial hair, accurate motion captured movement and of course, a crap ton of sweat (and when the occasion calls for it) blood too.

The next thing you notice if you didn’t do the tutorial first, is that this game is not the game you’ve seen in the trailers previously, as for the first fifteen minutes (before I let common sense get the better of me and jumped into the tutorial) you simply find yourself stood upright trading punches and kicks with maybe the odd clinch that doesn’t lead anywhere.

In relation to strikes, each of the four face buttons is mapped to a limb, and can be used contextually. So for example, whereas ‘X’ may initiate a haymaker at mid-range, at close range it will instead produce an elbow strike, and just as pressing ‘A’ may make your fighter do a mid-level kick, at closer ranges the fighter will elect to kick the inside of your opponent’s leg. Strikes as in real life, can be match enders too, as it’s entirely possible to end a match with a well placed haymaker into maw of your opponent, dropping them like the proverbial sack of spuds.

But what about all those mat grapples, and submission holds that MMA and UFC is famous for? Surely it can’t be *that* hard to do the grapples and counter grappling that the trailer so artfully displays? Well it turns out it actually isn’t, you just need to remember two things; firstly, don’t button bash as you *will* get murdered by a more experienced player and secondly, use the tutorial. Seriously, this is one instance where actually paying attention to the tutorial pays sweet dividends, as within five minutes of using the tutorial, your grizzled MMA fighter is throwing down, grappling and counter grappling with the best of them. The grappling system that Undisputed has is multi-layered and relatively complex, but not overly so at the expense of accessibility.

Grapples are initiated through either an aggressive motion; a double leg takedown forcing your opponent to the mat for example, or through a defensive motion, catching an opponent’s kick and forcing them down into a mount position. Each position that you enter in allows you to strike the opponent using your hands, elbows or knees depending on your proximity to them and the hold in use. Conversely, if you are on the receiving end of strikes or even a submission hold you can fight back with punches and elbow strikes of your own, or, you can shift the momentum of the hold by countering the next strike and gesturing the analogue stick the direction that you wish to take the hold. The transitional grappling system that is Undisputed’s trump card does indeed work as advertised, providing a tense game of timing and strategically momentum as two players negotiate the myriad of holds each trying to get the upper hand on the other.

More so then other less-realistic po-faced fighters, there is a bespoke sense of ‘mat’ strategy here, one that hasn’t been seen for a long while and which pays off the studious and forward thinking player more so then the frantic button bashers hoping for a quick KO.

This is one title, I’ll be keeping an eye on for sure.

Borne from the frustration inflicted upon me from the earlier Crave developed MMA titles, it was with a sense of wariness that I approached Smackdown developers Yukes take on the popular UFC franchise. Upon starting the demo you have a choice of exhibition and tutorial modes only. Being the kind of gamer who is confident in his ability with fighting games, I confidently started an exhibition match (you get to choose either the ‘Iceman’ Chuck Liddell or Shogun Rua) and decided to get stuck straight in the thick of the action.

The first thing you notice is just how detailed the character models are. Each of the models is a very close approximation of their real-life counterpart boasting lifelike veined muscles, detailed facial hair, accurate motion captured movement and of course, a crap ton of sweat (and when the occasion calls for it) blood too.

The next thing you notice if you didn’t do the tutorial first, is that this game is not the game you’ve seen in the trailers previously, as for the first fifteen minutes (before I let common sense get the better of me and jumped into the tutorial) you simply find yourself stood upright trading punches and kicks with maybe the odd clinch that doesn’t lead anywhere.

In relation to strikes, each of the four face buttons is mapped to a limb, and can be used contextually. So for example, whereas ‘X’ may initiate a haymaker at mid-range, at close range it will instead produce an elbow strike, and just as pressing ‘A’ may make your fighter do a mid-level kick, at closer ranges the fighter will elect to kick the inside of your opponent’s leg. Strikes as in real life, can be match enders too, as it’s entirely possible to end a match with a well placed haymaker into maw of your opponent, dropping them like the proverbial sack of spuds.

But what about all those mat grapples, and submission holds that MMA and UFC is famous for? Surely it can’t be *that* hard to do the grapples and counter grappling that the trailer so artfully displays? Well it turns out it actually isn’t, you just need to remember two things; firstly, don’t button bash as you *will* get murdered by a more experienced player and secondly, use the tutorial. Seriously, this is one instance where actually paying attention to the tutorial pays sweet dividends, as within five minutes of using the tutorial, your grizzled MMA fighter is throwing down, grappling and counter grappling with the best of them. The grappling system that Undisputed has is multi-layered and relatively complex, but not overly so at the expense of accessibility.

Grapples are initiated through either an aggressive motion; a double leg takedown forcing your opponent to the mat for example, or through a defensive motion, catching an opponent’s kick and forcing them down into a mount position. Each position that you enter in allows you to strike the opponent using your hands, elbows or knees depending on your proximity to them and the hold in use. Conversely, if you are on the receiving end of strikes or even a submission hold you can fight back with punches and elbow strikes of your own, or, you can shift the momentum of the hold by countering the next strike and gesturing the analogue stick the direction that you wish to take the hold. The transitional grappling system that is Undisputed’s trump card does indeed work as advertised, providing a tense game of timing and strategically momentum as two players negotiate the myriad of holds each trying to get the upper hand on the other.

More so then other less-realistic po-faced fighters, there is a bespoke sense of ‘mat’ strategy here, one that hasn’t been seen for a long while and which pays off the studious and forward thinking player more so then the frantic button bashers hoping for a quick KO.

This is one title, I’ll be keeping an eye on for sure.