BitSnark

PSP owners which have long been hungry for their own fix of Capcom’s premiere survival horror franchise Resident Evil, can now stop praying.

Capcom announced that Resident Evil: Portable will be arriving on the format in 2010 and is being built from the ground up to optimally leverage the unique features of the PSP handheld.

Aside from this no other details were given.

After being completely silent on the title which was announced when the original PSP was first shown some five years ago, Polyphony Digital have at last broken their silence and shown Gran Turismo for PSP.

It looks like Polyphony Digital weren’t slacking at all during it’s five year PSP hiatus as the tile Boasts some 800 cars, 35 tracks, a range of single player modes and ad-hoc wireless online multiplayer modes.

Gran Turismo PSP certainly isn’t skimping on features.

Aesthetically also, the title is also a massive achievement, boasting some of the most detailed car models and tracks to ever grace a PSP screen, the graphical shock and awe of the title is further compounded by the fact that it’s all locked at a super smooth 60 FPS.

The game is due to be released alongside the PSP Go on October 2nd 2009.

I can’t wait.

Firing the first shot in the impressive PSP E3 line-up and providing us with the second of two new Metal Gear titles, comes the announcement of an actual bona-fide Metal Gear Solid sequel for the PSP known as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Due for release sometime in 2010, Peace Walker takes place in the year 1974, some ten years after the events depicted in fan-favourite entry in the series Metal Gear Solid 3. The trailer depicts Costa Rica being overtaken by some unknown force whilst in the midst of a nuclear missile crisis. All the recognisable traits of the Metal Gear series are there; stealth, action, deep dialogue and of course cardboard boxes.

Graphically the title is boasting a simply insane amount of detail for a PSP title, easily surpassing that of previous entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops with hugely detailed environments, great character animations and facial detail all rendered at a liquid smooth frame rate.

Perplexingly, the demonstration concluded with not one, two or three but four Naked Snake/Big Boss clones facing down a Metal Gear unit, prompting much speculation indeed.
Overseen by series guru Hideo Kojima himself, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is to be considered a true Metal Gear Solid sequel.

Ironically Peace Walker may prove itself to be truer to the series than the PS3/360 Metal Gear: Rising title, which appears to primarily deal with supporting character Raiden whilst apparently ushering in a new type of gameplay for the series.

One of many PSP titles to look forward to methinks.

Recognised as the ‘world’s worst kept secret’ by Kaz Harai himself, the PSP Go handheld was finally given it’s moment in the spotlight as it was unveiled at the Sony conference.

It many regards it appears that the internet leaks were accurate. The revamped console is roughly the size of an iPhone and is some 40% lighter and 50% smaller than the original PSP-1000 series. In terms of storage, the PSP Go marks a brave foray into the market with a gaming platform which is totally driven by digitally distributed content.

Echoing this idea, the UMD drive is no longer present instead the machine possesses 16GB of flash memory with no 8GB SKU announced as per the internet rumour mill. As a result of this all games will be downloaded to the PSP through a revamped Playstation Store and owners of large UMD libraries will be offered some kind of ‘good-will’ solution for converting their purchases to a digital downloadable medium. The specifics of this have yet to be announced however.

The machine can also take Memory Card Mini cards, to further increase the amount of storage available to the user.

In terms of media capabilities, the machine can do anything the regular PSP can do; playing videos, music, browsing the internet and streaming content directly from your PS3 are all part of the PSP Go’s resume. Additionally, the machine also boasts full bluetooth conectivity for a variety of applications and hardware associations. In somewhat of a mixed message, Kaz Harai also suggested that the PSP Go would co-exist with the currently available PSP-3000 series, with UMD and retail releases occurring simultaneously for the ‘foreseeable future’.

The date of the PSP Go was also announced; it is due to hit European territories on October 2nd 2009, for 249 EUR. As of writing, Sony have yet to confirm a price for the UK, but many sites are currently taking pre-orders for the machine to the tune of £229.99.

I just realised I completely missed out the PSP Go! announcements and software from my Sony Conference coverage.

As a result I will be taking a break from the Ninty stuff to cover the PSP news and then will return once it’s all done.

Ergh.

One of two Mario titles announced at the show for the Wii, although New Super Mario Bros wasn’t exactly what a lot of people were expecting, it was still a welcome surprise nonetheless.

Taking inspiration from the NDS New Super Mario Bros title, the game is a 2D affair with the focus on multiplayer co-operative and competitive gaming. Visually bright and cheerful in much the same fashion the DS version was, this Wii iteration seemed to be simple yet fun to play, allowing players to combine the talents of the various characters to overcome obstacles or reach areas not accessible by solo play.

Although aesthetically the title looks like an NDS or even WiiWare title, graphics perhaps remain a secondary consideration here as it is the time tested Mario 2D formula and multiplayer antics which are the stars of the show. No other details were given in regard to size of the title or other modes that might be included, but one unfortunate fact that was confirmed was that the title will not allow online multiplayer; a missed opportunity for sure.

Wii New Super Mario Bros should launch in the Autumn for a price TBD.

EA big cheese John Riccitiello confirmed today that Criterion are developing a Need For Speed title and also that Battlefield 3 is still in production at DICE, but won’t be released in this fiscal year.

While the pedigree of Criterion is undeniable, the question has to be asked, do we actually *need* yet another Need For Speed title. The Criterion announcement brings the currently known number of Need For Speed titles to five, with three (Drift, Nitro, Online) due out this year and the Black-Box developed title due out next year (presumably alongside the Criterion title).

It’s nice to know that Battlefield 3 hasn’t given up the ghost however.

Righto, that’s Sony and MS done, now just Nintendo to report on and then i’ll close it out with my overall E3 impressions.

Whoop, whoop!

Probably the game of the show for me in terms of sheer visual impact and kinetic action, Naughty Dog saw fit to grace us with its presence at the conference to demo Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

What we saw was simply incredible.

Keeping the accomplished combat system of the first one and only applying minor improvements, but ramping up the aesthetics massively paid off dividends for Naughty Dog as Uncharted 2 looked like a sequel in the truest sense of the word.

Starting off at the top of what seems to be a penthouse suite (complete with swimming pool) overlooking a town simultaneously showcased two things namely the incredible draw distance and just how effortlessly the PS3 deals with huge amounts of geometry without slowing down in the slightest. Moving further into the demo, our wisecracking hero comes under attack from an attack helicopter which quite literally destroys the right side of the building, forcing him charge through the crumbling building and take cover behind various bits of ruined furniture whilst mercenaries attack him from the front.

Wheeling around to the north side of the building, the helicopter lets rip yet again, this time blowing out the back wall and sending huge chunks of concrete into the backs of the unsuspecting Mercs, killing them instantly. As Nate works his way down through the crumbling remains of the building he comes under fire from yet more mercenaries, prompting him to mix up cover and shoot tactics with good ol’ hand to hand combat to get through.

The best thing about all of this is that none of these events are ‘canned’ in anyway, as show goers who have played through the demo multiple times have alluded to the fact that the things never happen the same way twice. For example, the mercs who get killed by the flying concrete in the demonstration, don’t always get killed as sometimes they just aren’t there.

There is so much good to say about Uncharted 2 that it hurts, but one thing is clear, Uncharted 2 forms part of a staggering line up that Sony should be very happy with for 2009 and beyond.

Oh, and the multiplayer might even rock too.

Each of the following titles is now on the XBOX Live Arcade service for just 400 Microsoft Points each. Please note also PSN fans that Gunstar Heroes will hit PSN on Thursday.

Gunstar Heroes – The classic side scrolling shooter from the SEGA Genesis returns to captivate fans new and old with its non-stop action and cooperative play.

Altered Beast – “Rise from your Grave” as the original Genesis launch game is reborn and comes to a new generation of gamers. Battle hordes of undead warriors and monsters as you return to battle in order to save Zeus’ daughter Athena.

Shinobi (arcade) – Battle your way through the “Ring of Five” as you save hostages with your ninja abilities.

Comix Zone – The game features an innovative art style that transports players directly into the panels of a comic as they fight their way to save a world from destruction as Sketch Turner. Everything from the speech bubble text, level design, and the revolutionary graphics scream COMIX!

Phantasy Star 2 – SEGA’s classic RPG which expanded on the success of the first with its epic storyline and battle system.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – The game that introduced Knuckles the Echidna comes to a new generation of gamers as Sonic explores Angel Island and discovers the true power of the Master Emerald. Speed through each level at lightning speeds as either Sonic or Tails as you foil Dr. Eggman’s in his new Death Egg station.