Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) News Bits

PS

Admittedly, it took me some time to buy into the PS Vita after some bumpy experiences with the PSP models and the PSPgo. After waiting it out (and I could have benefitted from waiting even more, as of yesterday’s PS Vita price cut!), now seems like the ideal time to get acquainted with the PS Vita. Below are my humble ten opinions on why now would be a great time to pickup a PS Vita, especially with the PlayStation 4 on the horizon (November 15, 2013 release date).

Top ten reasons to pickup a PS Vita now:

1. The PS Vita WiFi/3G model is at a great entry price, now at $199.99 and packed with The Walking Dead game and 4GB memory card.

2. Remote Play support with games from a PlayStation 4, taking your PS4 games to the PS Vita when you have to surrender your TV.

3. Dragon’s Crown – An artful throwback to side-scrolling gaming greatness, in beautiful colors on the vivid PS Vita OLED display.

4. A slew of free and worthy PlayStation Plus games are available with a subscription to the service, including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, WipEout 2048, Gravity Rush and more (and Star Wars Pinball, while it lasts!). To which you’ll need some memory cards, which leads us to…

5. Memory cards just received a price drop – 32GB, 16GB, 8GB, 4GB

6. Cross buy/play support on select PS3 games.

7. Sounds Shapes – An original puzzle game with distinct graphic designs and sharp sounds.

8. Rear touch panel works great and is unique to the PS Vita’s gameplay, when implemented properly by developers.

9. Great use of social media apps like Skype, Twitter, Facebook and Google Maps functionality.

10. Borderlands 2 is coming to PS Vita!

PlayStation

PlayStationSony Computer Entertainment has announced the release date of their next portable PlayStation game system, the PlayStation Vita. The release date of the PlayStation Vita is set for launch on February 22, 2012 in the United States. A $249.99 (MSRP) PS Vita Wi-Fi model and $299.99 (MSRP) PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model will be available. The PS Vita will also launch on February 22 in Canada and Latin America at $249.99 (Wi-Fi model), and in Europe for euro 249.99 (Wi-Fi model) and euro 299.99 (3G/Wi-Fi model). Pre-order the PlayStation Vita WiFi system here or the PlayStation Vita 3G/WiFi system here.

SCE notes the highlights of the PS Vita with “OLED front touch screen and rear touch pad, dual analog sticks, motion sensors, and dual cameras.” Among some of PS Vita’s games are Sound Shapes, wipEout 2048, LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Resistance: Burning Skies, UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, EA SPORTS FIFA, and Activision’s Call of Duty (at $39.99 MSRP each).

Below are the details of what is included with the PlayStation Vita, along with the system specs:

PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Model Crystal Black
Model/code: PCH-1101 AA01
Available: February 22, 2012
MSRP: $299.99
Included:
  • PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model x1
  • USB cable x1
  • AC adaptor x1
  • Power cord x1
  • Printed materials x1
  • SIM card x1 (Inserted in the system)
PlayStation Vita Wi-Fi Model Crystal Black
Model/code: U.S. & Canada: PCH-1001 ZA01LATAM: PCH-1010 ZA01
Available: February 22, 2012
MSRP: $249.99
Included:
  • PlayStation Vita Wi-Fi model x1
  • USB cable x1
  • AC adaptor x1
  • Power cord x1
  • Printed materials x1

PlayStation Vita Product Specification

Platform name PlayStation®Vita
Model number PCH-1000 series
CPU ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU SGX543MP4+
Main memory 512MB
VRAM 128MB
External Dimensions Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Weight Approx 279g (3G/Wi-Fi model)

Approx 260g (Wi-Fi model)

Screen
(Touch screen)
5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED

Multi touch screen (capacitive type)

Rear touch pad Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras Front camera, Rear camera

Frame rate: 120fps@320×240(QVGA), 60fps@640×480(VGA)

Resolution: Up to 640×480(VGA)

Sound Built-in stereo speakers

Built-in microphone

Sensors Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Threeaxis electronic compass
Location Built-in GPS (3G/Wi-Fi model only)

Wi-Fi location service support

Keys / Switches PS button

Power button

Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)

Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)

Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)

Right stick, Left stick

START button, SELECT button

Volume buttons (+/-)

Wireless
communications
Mobile network connectivity (3G/Wi-Fi model only)

For U.S., 3G modem (data communication): HSDPA/HSUPA, GSM/GRPS/EDGE

IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1)(Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)

Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR (A2DP/AVRCP/HSP)

Slots/Ports PlayStation®Vita card slot

Memory card slot

SIM card slot (3G/Wi-Fi model only)

Multi-use port (for USB data communication, DC IN, Audio [Stereo Out / Mono In],

Power Built-In Lithium-ion Battery: DC3.7V 2210mAh

AC adaptor: DC 5V

Operating
environment
temperature
5 degrees C ~ 35 degrees C
Supported
AV content
format
Music

–MP3 MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 3, MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC), WAVE (Linear PCM)

Videos

–MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High/Main/Baseline Profile

(AAC)

Photos

–JPEG (Exif 2.2.1), TIFF, BMP, GIF, PNG

For more details on the PlayStation Vita, visit the official wesbite at us.playstation.com/psvita.

OnlyStarting today, Sony Computer Entertainment America will be releasing a selection of PS3 exclusive downloadable games. Also kicking off is a deal to help save on the PSN exclusvies. Sony is offering up $10 in credit when you reach $60 in purchases from the PlayStation Store during October 2011. From Sony Computer Entertainment: “Spend $60 on games, movies, avatars, PlayStation®Home items, PlayStation®Plus subscriptions; and you’ll receive $10 in November via a redeemable voucher.”

Here is a summary of the games and their release dates, from SCEA:

October 4:

  • Eufloria – Developed by Omni Systems, Eufloria is an addictive ambient game of space exploration and conquest, plant growth and bio mechanical evolution. Explore a beautifully realized universe rendered in a style that is unique and compelling. Conquer asteroids in deep space and use their resources to literally grow and nurture semi-organic plants and creatures to do your bidding.
  • Rochard™ – Developed by Recoil Games and published by Sony Online Entertainment LLC, Rochard is a unique gravity-defying, side-scrolling, puzzle-platforming, astro-mining action adventure game. Featuring a resourceful hero, ominous villains, rugged machinery, big explosions, even bigger stunts and sharp one-liners, Rochard tests players’ coordination and wits as they use gravity to their advantage, changing it at will to solve environmental puzzles and advance through each level.

October 11:

  • Sideway: New York™ – Developed by Playbrains Inc. and published by Sony Online Entertainment LLC, Sideway: New York is a 2D adventure platformer set in a 3D world. Sideway offers players the chance to leave their mark on the city as they help rescue friends and defeat Spray, a sinister tagger who wants to dominate both Sideway and the real world in this unique side-scroller.

October 13:

  • Sodium Collection – This PlayStation Home value pack includes the SodiumOne Pilot’s Jacket, which unlocks the full 50-level tank combat Salt Shooter game, and weapon upgrades for your SodiumOne tank. Also included is a variety of upgrades for Sodium 2: Project Velocity, a high-speed, free-to-play, futuristic multiplayer racing game exclusive to PlayStation Home, and the wildly-popular Blaster’s Paradise personal space, which hosts a tabletop version of Salt Shooter. Buy from the PlayStation Store and play in PlayStation Home.

October 18:

  • Okabu – Developed by Hand Circus, Okabu is an action-puzzler, where players will guide Kumulo, Nimbe and four cloud-flying heroes as they battle to save their people and their world from the industrialized threat of the Doza. Dive into a hyper-tactile toybox world filled with a huge number of puzzles, playthings, adorable creatures and devious machines spread across an epic co-op campaign.
  • RocketBirds – Developed by Ratloop Asia, RocketBirds offers players the chance to annihilate an evil penguin regime in this cinematic platform adventure game offering full solo and co-op campaigns with stereoscopic 3D support. Destroy enemies with a slew of weapons and illuminate the secrets to his past while uncovering the real enemies of Albatropolis.

October 25:

  • inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood – Developed by Sucker Punch, inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood explores the darker side of the inFAMOUS universe as vampires swarm New Marais, and revered superhero Cole MacGrath has been bitten. To save his soul and city, he has just one night to find and kill the head vampire. inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood features hours of new gameplay, PlayStation®Move compatibility, themed environment settings and new characters/enemies.
  • PixelJunk Sidescroller – Developed by Q-Games, the popular PixelJunk series goes old-school with a completely retro side-scrolling shooter that reinvents the genre from the ground up while maintaining that nostalgic feeling. Dodge flurries of alien bullets and strategically upgrade weapons while battling through sweeping stages full of hazardous fluid and endless shooting mayhem.

For more details and to see a preview of the upcoming Sony PSN exclusive games, visit us.playstation.com/psn/only-on-psn.

Dark

Namco Bandai Games and FromSoftware are preparing to release a relentless challenge in the form of Dark Souls next week. To get you wound up for the game, a new “All Saints’ Day” trailer has been released. Watch the dramatic video below, and don’t be surprised if the odds seem insurmountable.

Namco Bandai Games has also teased a giveaway of five original (and incredible looking) Dark Souls statues. See them further below. Getting your hands on them will also be a challenge. Here are the details:

“The five unique, one-of-a-kind statues were crafted by sculptor and Dark Souls enthusiast Peter Nordstrom, aka ‘PNordstrom’ on the PrepareToDie.com forums.  Each are of limited edition “1 of 1″ status, all measuring over 12” tall in actual size.  These items will not be sold online or found anywhere else. For more detailed information on how you can be one of the lucky five fans to acquire these rarities, visit PrepareToDie.com for a full list of rules and regulations. If you haven’t been playing all along, it’s still not too late to jump into the action and walk away with one of these unique Dark Souls character statues that won’t be found in stores.”

Dark Souls will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next week. Pre-order and get prepped to die here. Dark Souls will be available in North America on October 4th and in Europe on October 7th. Visit www.PrepareToDie.com and www.facebook.com/DarkSouls for more details.

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

SNK Playmore NEOGEO Station games review: Baseball All-Stars 2 and King of Fighters ’95

by GamingBits on August 1, 2011

in Game Review Bits, Sony PlayStation News Bits, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) News Bits

PS3

SNK Playmore NEOGEO Station games review:
Baseball All-Stars 2
and King of Fighters ’95

Available for PS3 (via PlayStation Store) and PSP
Official website: neogeostation.snkplaymoreusa.com

Review recommendation:
/
Recommended download!

Review Summary:
NEOGEO Station is a new platform that SNK Playmore is using to re-release its great library of classic games on the PS3’s PlayStation Network. Featuring a new online component, replay system and a slew of control options, this new format provides a great retro recreation.  At nine dollars a game on the PS3 ($7 on PSP), it may seem like the cost is a bit high but it is well worth the cost. King of Fighters ’95 and Baseball All-Stars 2 are the two most recent NEOGEO Station game releases reviewed here, which are both quite good.  Read the full review for all the details and new options in these classic NEOGEO games.

Read the full review here.