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Playstation Store 03/26/09

Corto

Member
I was wondering if anyone would be interested in seeing a PSN guide with descriptions, mini-reviews/comments, and info about certain games.

There are certain games which don't get the attention they deserve, and I feel like there are only a few users who know the JPSN's hidden gems.

I would be very thankful if someone had the trouble to accomplish this... *wink wink nudge nudge*
 

test_account

XP-39C²
Dragnet said:
Yeah but it's not even fun to play like others. The inability to aim using the right stick seriously throws a spanner in the works regarding fun, imo.
Ye, it kinda sucks that they dont have the right stick as aim by default, i agree, but if you hold down the L1 button, the you can aim with the right stick. I think it worked fine :)


Azrael said:
You can't move and shoot independently? Think I'll pass.
You can, but you must hold down the L1 button. Then the game almost works like a "twin stick shooter", at least in my opinion.
 

Dragnet

Member
Azrael said:
You can't move and shoot independently? Think I'll pass.

You always shoot the direction you are running. Gameplay ends up being a constant lock-on fest, with the occasional strafe if you're feeling adventurous. What confuses me is, when the game displays the controls it lists the right stick as 'aim'. I've checked out all the settings and menus and there are no control options either. Retarded, but could be easily patched.

Trophies are in, naturally. They're pretty standard, most of them require quite a heavy time commitment to get them though. No YouTube/Screenshot/Custom soundtracks. There's multiplayer but the option is greyed out atm..maybe I have to unlock it.

Edit: oh snap you can use right stick when holding l1? brb!
 

Greg

Member
Damnit, I had my eye on Q4B at the discounted price all week - just went into the store now since I had some free time and it's back to $14.99.

Fuck.
 

Speevy

Banned
kamorra said:
I would be interested.



Obviously I can't whip this up in a second, but here's a preview. Tell me what you think.



1942: Joint Strike (US Playstation Store, available elsewhere)
Classic vertical plane shooter with HD overhaul, online co-op
Review: 7.0/10
Respectable effort in mixing old school gameplay with a newer presentation and online multiplayer.
Multiplayer: Yes
Trophies: No

Gameplay from Wikipedia

Like all games in the series, Joint Strike is a classic vertical scrolling shooter and allows 2 player co-operative multiplayer.[2] The multiplayer can be played locally or online. During multiplayer gameplay, the game's standard homing missile attacks are replaced with Joint strike attacks. Each player must select one of three Joint Strike attacks at the beginning of the game. One ability co-op players can use jointly is a lightning field net.[3]

Despite the name, 1942: Joint Strike is more of an amalgamation of best elements of the 194x series than it is remake of Capcom's classic 1942.[4] For example, 1943: The Battle of Midway introduced a health meter and bombs that clear the screen of enemies and their fire whereas the original 1942 had one-hit kills and simple rolls that would dodge enemies and their fire. 1941: Counter Attack introduced charge-fire, land-based battle sections, and rank increases, none of which 1942 nor 1943 has. 19XX:The War Against Destiny introduced multiple plane selection, end-stage bonuses for bombs left, and grades for the time it took the player to defeat the stage boss. The music heard on the title screen and during the first stage in Joint Strike is a remix of the background music for the first few stages of 1943.



2xtreme (US Playstation Store and elsewhere)
PS1 street skater
Review: 3.0/10
Far surpassed in the years since, clunky presentation, controls and graphics do not stand the test of time.
Multiplayer: Yes

Gameplay from Wikipedia
Tricks of different difficulties can be performed during the race to gain points and different-colored gates can be passed through for a variety of purposes. Players can also punch and kick opponents to knock them down. Health dictates how easily a player can be knocked over by an obstacle or other racer, and decreases when a player accelerates. 2 Xtreme has four different difficulty levels. A player can choose in the options to race without the other computer characters, and also turn off fighting.

On 2 Xtreme a player can either do a normal 'Exhibition' race or a season which involves all 12 tracks and creates standings based on the score the player achieves in each track. The score is calculated mainly by the time the player finishes in and place in the race. Points from gates, knockdowns and tricks are then added to this. On 2-Player mode both for Exhibitions and Seasons the screen is split horizontally and both players start at the back of the race. This makes the game a little more difficult as it becomes harder to see and avoid the obstacles in your path.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Xtreme"



Adventures of Little Ralph (Japanese PSN exclusive)
Platforming Action with weapon mechanics
Review 9.0/10
Imaginative and vibrant visuals, rewarding gameplay, and nice music make this a surprising must-download for anyone browsing the Japanese PSN. Language barrier is nonexistant.
Multiplayer: No

Gameplay from Another Review

The game is an orthodox "platform game" (jump action game) in the tradition of Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong Country. The player controls Ralph with the +-key and the jump button and maneuvers him around treacherous traps and footholds. Ralph can also use his sword to defeat enemies. You don't have hit points: you have a shield which protects you once, and after that the next hit will be fatal.

In additional to typical swordplay techniques such as the normal slash and the downward thrust, by holding down the sword button for a split second and then releasing it, Ralph can do a "swing" attack. Besides doing double damage, the swing attack can also reflect enemy projectiles, or send small enemies flying to knock down a row of enemies (just like the infamous turtle



Age of Booty
Strategy game involving high seas pirate ship battles
Review: 7.0/10
A solid, light strategy game that lets you conquer the oceans, either online or off.
Multiplayer: Yes
Trophies: Yes

Gameplay from Wikipedia

Gameplay largely revolves around the maneuvering of a boat around a sea. The sea is made up of hexagons called Hexes. The player controls the boat by selecting a hex for a destination. If the ship becomes adjacent to a hex containing an enemy ship, merchant ship, town, or settlement, it will automatically attack it with cannon fire. If more than one enemy is adjacent, the ship will split its fire, firing at a different one each time. The objective is to capture a certain number of towns. The required number is displayed at the top right of the screen. To capture a town the player must bombard it until it has no health left.[vague] A bar then appears and the percentage the town is "captured" rises. The only way capturing can be halted is for an enemy ship to move next to the town; it must be destroyed for the capturing to continue.



Ape Escape (Japanese and other Asian PSN)
Platformer involving monkey-catching hijinks
Review 8.0/10
This is a great game for its time and the graphics aren't too bad either, however the language barrier makes this a difficult recommendation. If you can read Japanese however, give Saru Getchu! a try.

Gameplay from Wikipedia

Ape Escape was the first PlayStation game to fully require the use of both control sticks to play (one needed to purchase a DualShock controller to play this game, as the original PlayStation controller would not work). The right stick is used in many different ways, such as aiming and swinging weapons. Players can have four items equipped at once, on the X, Square, Circle and Triangle face buttons. Unlike some platformers, Ape Escape uses the R buttons to jump.

At the very beginning of the game, Spike is hurled into a level set in the dinosaur age. After completing this level, where Spike learns the basics of the two primary gadgets and catches a handful of monkeys, he is transported to the Time Station, the hub of the game.

Gadgets
Ape Escape has several gadgets, which each have their own unique function. Spike's primary gadgets are the Stun Club and the Time Net, which are often used to subdue and catch apes, respectively. Throughout the game, Spike will acquire more gadgets that will be useful to him in the next world, and are often needed to get some of the apes in earlier levels. When a new gadget is obtained, players are dropped into a training level, where the basics of controlling the gadget are learned and practised. These levels can be revisited in the Training Room (see above).

Monkeys
Each monkey in Ape Escape has a unique personality, with a name ", a feature of the Monkey Radar gadget that is used in-game by pressing the L2 button when pointing the radar towards a monkey. After the monkey is caught, its Data File can be read in a log book, called the Monkey Book, accessed from the main hub of the game. These names often hold many humorous jokes and pop culture references. For example, a monkey named "Kubrick" is described as one who "enjoys thrillers". Each monkey also has three fields of skill: Speed, Attack and Alert, all of which are ranked out of five. This combines to a level of difficulty, which is also denoted on the File.

An amusing yet useful feature of the monkeys is that their pants can tell the player the main traits of their personality by use of a color code. For example, a monkey with red pants would be a strong attacker. Players can use this to employ the best strategy to use in order to catch the monkey.



Aquatopia (Playstation Eye required, multiple stores)
Interactive art in which you ripple water by running your hand in front of the camera.
Review 2.0/10
It's pretty and is a great way to show off your HDTV, but aside from that I can't recommend this rather useless piece of software. There are PC screen savers that do the same thing for free (and probably better).



Arcade Hits Raiden (Japanese and Asian PSN)
HAMSTER PS1 port of the classic vertical shooter.
Review 7.0/10
This game will scratch your nostalgia itch, and the core gameplay is definitely in tact. Runs in a full vertical window which is different from most PS1 classics that cover the majority of the screen. Music will take you back to the era of the arcade shooter. Press select for more continues, no language barrier to overcome.



Gameplay from Wikipedia

The formula of the game is simple and typical for the era of this game. The player pilots the "Raiden Supersonic Attack Fighter" through waves of enemies, and several levels. There are two types of weapons, and the player can collect several powerups for them to make them stronger. There are bombs and missile powerups as well as collectable medals which add to the score.



Arcade Hits Shienryu (Japanese and Asian PSN)
HAMSTER PS1 port of the classic vertical shooter
Review 7.3/10
Multiplayer: Yes
Very similar in presentation to Arcade Hits Raiden, wider window resolution, pause and select for continues, ships feature more advanced technology, very good graphics for this type of shooter, vibration support, big explosions and typical weapon upgrades.

Gameplay from Wikipedia

Players control either of two double-piloted ships going against the headquarters of a regime based both on Earth and in space.

Survival is a great emphasis in gameplay as enemies will fire blankets of pulse shots across the screen, some larger than others and some taking on wide intricate patterns.

Like most shooters, the player's ship speed could be increased by picking up Speed boost pick-ups (indicated by blue S's). As the enemies in Shienryu fire very quick moving shots, having a fast ship was beneficial in combat, but if a player happened to die at a tough check point, they would have to repeat the check point with a slightly slower ship.



Arcade Hits Sonic Wings Special (Aero Fighters in the US, Japanese PSN, Asian PSN)
Vertical shooter anyone?
Review 6.8
Similar presentations to Arcade Hits Shienryu and Raiden, but the graphics are slightly blander by comparison to Shienryu. Game has characters that will make comments between flights but unless you understand Japanese, you won't know what they're saying. Seems like a decent example of the genre overall.
Multiplayer: Yes

Gameplay from Wikipedia

The player chooses one of four nationalities (USA, Japan, England, or Sweden), and proceeds to fly through seven enemy-laden stages, dodging massive amounts of enemy fire in order to reach the colossal end boss of each stage.

Player 1 can only play as the Player 1 Side fighters (F/A-18, FS-X, AV-8B, and AJ-37), and if a second player joins, player 2 must play as the second fighter for player 1's nation (F-14, F-15, JAS 39 Gripen, or Tornado IDS). The nationality restriction is removed in Aero Fighters 2.



Arkanoid Returns (Japanese Store)
Breakout-style gameplay with old school difficulty.
Review 8.0/10
If there's one age-old gameplay style that's stood the test of time, it's Breakout, which mixes the old style gameplay with newer graphics and sound. Very challenging. No language barrier, plenty of English. Has an edit mode. In this game, you must return the ball to to the top where it breaks through the jewels and score points while collecting power-ups.

Wikipedia

The enemy known as 'DOH' still did not get the message and after many years of silence decides to attack once again. The 'Vaus' space vessel better be ready to face new, yet familiar challenges, in order to stop 'DOH' for the last time. Features 50 levels of revamped graphics and sound, the same gameplay as its predecessors, as well as plenty of power-ups to try out.



Astro Tripper (NA, PAL Store)
Horizontally-oriented Freeform Shooter
Review 8.8/10
Really nice Defender-style game for the PSN, move from side to side as you take on the spawning enemies, they're not set in overwhelming waves but will catch you by surprise, custom soundtracks and nice art design, music make this $4.99 gem a must-buy.
Trophies: Yes
Multiplayer No

Developer Description

Astro Tripper is a furious shoot-em-up experience inspired by the painful, knuckle busting experiences of years gone by. An evolution of PomPom's 2001 award winning game, Space Tripper.

Travel the surface of large horizontally-scrolling platforms, and pit your highly maneuverable craft against hoards of enemies eager to blow you to bits, eat you or worse.

Gameplay is simple. You are free to travel anywhere on the platform at anytime, but don’t fall off! Powerful Blue Lasers and Red Spread Lasers come equipped, so use both weapons tactically to get through tricky situations. Power up your weapons with power crystals dropped by destroyed enemies. Oh, did we mention the blasting absolutely anything that moves?

Enemies encountered are varied. Zippy UFOS. Fat Motherships. Tanks. Choppers. Slimy Slug creatures. Alien Insects. Aztec structures brimming with electricity. And of course, Big Bosses! 14 unique levels spread over 4 diverse worlds means there’s always something new just around the corner.



Bejeweled 2 (US Playstation Store and elsewhere)
Color-matching puzzler with tried and true gameplay
Review 7.8

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, or so the saying goes. The developer created a fine game for many platforms over the years, and it's no worse for its translation to the Playstation Network. In Bejeweled, you move jewels vertically or horizontally to form a same-colored line of three or more. Those jewels will disappear and let others in, form combos, or explode depending on the mode you're playing.

Trophies: Yes
Multiplayer: No

Gameplay from Wikipedia

Classic
The player tries to match gems together, and the resulting matches contribute to a level up bar at the bottom of the page. When the bar is filled, the player is warped onward to the next level. The game ends when the player runs out of moves.

Action
Action is the new name for the original Bejeweled game's timed mode. The level begins with the level up bar halfway filled, which slowly depletes, giving the player limited time to complete the level. In action, the point values for matches are much higher. There is always at least one move that can be made and the game ends when the level up bar is empty.

Puzzle
Puzzle Mode is made up of several different scenarios. Each scenario can be solved, by clearing the level of gems, by a certain combination of moves. There are also several unique gems. These include Bombs, and Rocks.

Endless
Endless is an untimed, unscored, and never ending version of Bejeweled 2. The player can make moves at whatever pace they wish, without the worry of running out of moves. This game is intended to be relaxing or for beginners. At game level 280, Endless offers up an additional new game called "Finity."



Bionic Commando Rearmed
A well-deserved HD triumph for an old favorite
Review: 9.0/10

Rearmed serves as a fitting tribute to the NES classic as well as a welcome use of new technology and gameplay in familiar surroundings.
Trophies: No
Multiplayer: Yes

Wikipedia

Bionic Commando Rearmed retains the basic 2D platform game of the original NES title. The player plays as Nathan "Rad" Spencer, a soldier who has been enhanced through a bionic arm that includes a grappling hook that he can fire to reach distant objects. In each game level, the player must navigate to an end goal, facilitated by using the bionic arm to swing across gaps or climb to higher ledges. Often, the player must make a series of grappling actions in a row to successfully traverse the level; a wide gap may be crossed by repeating grappling and swinging on the roof above it. The player can use Spencer's equipped weapon to fire on foes; new weapons are earned after defeating bosses that are at the end of some levels. There are also objects that must be found before certain areas can be entered; for example, the player must locate flares that can then allow Spencer to pass through dark areas. Throughout the areas are communications rooms where the player can contact friendly headquarters or hack into the enemy computer system to learn more information about the level.

The levels are presented to the player as a tactical map showing each friendly and enemy area. The player controls a helicopter to move between areas, and then can select to land in that level. Simultaneously enemy convoys will also move between areas; if the player lands on a space occupied by a convey, they will need to fight their way through the convoy before proceeding.

Gameplay enhancements
Whilst mostly remaining true to the original NES title, a number of gameplay enhancements were made to the game[5]:

A health bar replaces the previous system, meaning players collect health items from enemies to restore health, as opposed to gaining more hit points.
Players can now shoot their arm to grab barrels and throw them at enemies. The arm can also be enhanced to grab enemies and use them as human shields. The bionic arm can also be used to deflect most projectiles.
Weapons can now be changed during gameplay, with each weapon having stronger or weaker impact depending on the enemy. (For example, the default Revolver is effective against human enemies, but weaker against robots.)
Boss battles have been remade from scratch. The final boss of the original game is now a fully fledged level.
A cooperative mode is featured, with the enemy and boss AI changing to accommodate the extra player.
Hacking into the enemy network now involves navigating a three-dimensional puzzle to hack into the enemy's communications. Extra points are awarded upon completion if the player's health bar is full, otherwise a health bonus is awarded.
The game also features challenge rooms which involves using the bionic arm to get from start to finish in the fastest time possible.
Numerous competitive multiplayer modes are added, including 'Don't Touch the Floor" in which only hitting the very bottom of the level kills the player, and weapons only knock the player back.
Force feedback has been implemented when using the bionic arm, firing weapons, and other events
In-game art designed by Shinkiro



Bishi Bashi Special (Japanese, PAL PSN)
Random minigame madness, complete as fast as you can, sound familiar?
Review 7.9
The game that most probably inspired Nintendo's Wario Ware series is this wacky timed minigame collection. As you might imagine, your goal is to complete a random, zany assortment of tasks before time runs out and you get judged on accuracy and speed. If you have this game in its Japanese iteration, I would recommend knowing the language. If you bought it on the PAL store it's English so you're fine. Very fun with friends as these games tend to be.
Multiplayer: Yes

Wikipedia:

The arcade game controls are very simple; each player has a red, blue and green button, positioned left, right and centre respectively. Each minigame explains its controls before play commences. (Some titles of the series, however, make use of a lever, steering wheel or dance pad for the controls instead of the 3 buttons.)

PlayStation games
Some of the minigames from the arcade games have been ported to the Sony PlayStation and released under the name Bishi Bashi Special (ビシバシスペシャル)[4]. Salaryman Champ have also been ported to the same console.

Bishi Bashi Special was released in 1998 in Japan only[5][6]
Includes the minigames from Bishi Bashi Champ, Super Bishi Bashi Champ and Handle Champ.
 
Ow. Got burned when downloading a Queen song for GH:WT, which didn't work on GH3. I'm so used to Singstar songs working across all of the discs.

I only got GH3 to get a cheap guitar (which turns out is fairly crappy anyway) and I'm thinking of getting Rock Band. If I get RB1, can I still download songs that are meant for RB2 or do I have to settle for those released before RB2? And vice versa, can I use those songs for RB2 (or 3 or 4 or Beatles) later?

Basically, are Activision the only ones being bitches with the DLC?
 
^^Absolutely awesome. If you could start a dedicated thread for it (which they could start linking to in this store thread every week) and keep it updated, even better.

Great idea, btw.
 

Angst

Member
Speevy said:
Obviously I can't whip this up in a second, but here's a preview. Tell me what you think.
"lots of good info"

An official thread like this for all the PSN games would be loads of awesome. Obviously it would take a lot of time to do, but if someone did it - kudos to him/her.
 

Returners

Member
SiegfriedFM said:
Ow. Got burned when downloading a Queen song for GH:WT, which didn't work on GH3. I'm so used to Singstar songs working across all of the discs.

I only got GH3 to get a cheap guitar (which turns out is fairly crappy anyway) and I'm thinking of getting Rock Band. If I get RB1, can I still download songs that are meant for RB2 or do I have to settle for those released before RB2? And vice versa, can I use those songs for RB2 (or 3 or 4 or Beatles) later?

Basically, are Activision the only ones being bitches with the DLC?

For Activision, Yup, they're being bitches.

RB DLC songs works across both RB1 and RB2. (don't know about Beatles)
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
A giant guide like that would be a thread overload.
I like it though, but PSN needs like a user-generated Wiki.
I buy quite a lot off PSN (not nearly as much as Speevy) but I do get a lot of the stupid stuff like the PS Eye screensavers, and import gems (dark mist, etc) so it's something I wouldn't mind contributing to.
 

Speevy

Banned
Well send me a PM if you want to contribute to this project. The more volunteers we have, the better off it would be (and the quicker we'll finish).

And I'm not aiming for deep, critical analysis into these games. I just want people to know what they are, if they're worth even playing, if they have multiplayer, etc.

Send me a PM and I'll assign you a portion of my list.
 
2192ck3.png
 

StuBurns

Banned
DMPrince said:
nah. i'm on the "Where's my ps1/psp games that non-monkeys play" bandwagon :lol
They continue to blow my mind with their incompetence.

The fact that every PS1 game isn't on every territories store blows my mind.

I've been waiting for Klona for what seems like a year.
 

Teknoman

Member
Wait, was Silent Hill 1 a new addition to the store? Also was it added to the NA store then taken down like EU and AUS?
 
stuburns said:
They continue to blow my mind with their incompetence.

The fact that every PS1 game isn't on every territories store blows my mind.

I've been waiting for Klona for what seems like a year.
As a guy who has more PS1 games than PSN games currently installed on my PS3 (20 vs. 18, give or take 5 in each for stuff not installed), I agree with this wholeheartedly.

I have a much easier time throwing my money at a full-fledged game for 4€ than a half-assed cash-in at 9€. The games don't even have to be made! They're right there Sony, take my goddamn money.

Gah that shit makes me angry. :(
 

Dragnet

Member
Dante said:
Anyone got any Burn Zombie Burn impressions?

Read above.

Also, anyone fancy trading Worms for Burn Zombie Burn? I got an account full to the brim with games and every piece of LBP content released so far (except MGS4 pack). Worms is like, my goddamn childhood. I needs that game bitches!! :D
 

neight

Banned
Can someone help me real quick. I bought the LBP MGS level kit and I don't know how to access the MGS missions.
 

Teknoman

Member
Dragnet said:
Read above.

Also, anyone fancy trading Worms for Burn Zombie Burn? I got an account full to the brim with games and every piece of LBP content released so far (except MGS4 pack). Worms is like, my goddamn childhood. I needs that game bitches!! :D

You need to buy the MGS4 level pack.
 

neight

Banned
Angst said:
Store not story:lol
I know you have to buy the level kit on playstation store. I already did that. But it's not showing up inside the game now.

Edit: Oh LittleBigStore. Wow I feel stupid.
 

TONX

Distinguished Air Superiority
Oh mannnnnn Worms! I can play this game for effing hours. Send me game invites and i'll always be down to play.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
Burn Zombie Burn is fun so far. Only knocked the tut out but it's got more depth than I would have thought with the weapons and how to use your environments to harness their powers. This is a fun party game. I would reccomend.
 

test_account

XP-39C²
Dragnet said:
Edit: oh snap you can use right stick when holding l1? brb!
Sort of, i think the description just says something as "ajust aim" or something on the right stick. What the right stick does when you hold down the L1 button is to change the locked on target, at least i think that it what it does, but it does feel abit like you are manually aiming with the right stick, at least in my opinion :) Did you get to try it for yourself?
 

Rlan

Member
Can any of you find the Worms and Burn Zombie Burn store images on playstation.com? I like to use them in my updates, but I can't find them there.
 

Mileena

Banned
No GH: Metallica demo

Thanks Activision. I'd like to know the reason why PS3 gets no demo and 360 got it last week. Fucking worthless company.
 

test_account

XP-39C²
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