Playstation Network Wrap-Up for March 4th, 2010

This hasn’t been a good week for Sony. First, the paid DLC from Heavy Rain wouldn’t work; they fixed that literally as I started typing this. Then, they had a bug come about in their older, “fat” model PS3 systems that makes the system think 2010 is a leap year, which rendered any game with dynamic trophies – including Heavy Rain, which isn’t having a good start out of the gate – unplayable for a couple days. Even I’m not exempt from the Sony bug, as MLB ’10: The Show has shipped with a startling number of bugs, one of them a game-crasher. Sony’s PR staff probably needs something strong and alcoholic at this point.

Thankfully, for Sony supporters, this week’s PSN update has a lot of good stuff. While there’s no AAA downloads like the God of War 3 demo, there’s a lot of interesting things to look at here, especially for PSP owners.

Let’s start with the PSP, come to think of it. This is a huge week for the PSP with FOUR full new releases. Arguably the biggest “name” of the lot is Dante’s Inferno for $40. This God of War ripoff is basically the same game as it’s console versions, which are still going for premium price at the moment, so this could be a good alternative for someone who wants a new God of War style game but doesn’t feel like either paying $60 or waiting for the price to drop. My personal recommendation? Try the demo of the console version (assuming you own a console), and if you like it, wait for that price to drop. This isn’t God of War; the price won’t be kept high for long.

Also out are both big baseball games. Along with their big brothers on the consoles, both Major League Baseball 2K10 and MLB ’10: The Show are out for the PSP; the former is $30 while the latter is $40. I really can’t judge the PSP games too much, as I’m playing the console versions and will have at least MLB ’10 reviewed soon, hopefully next week. If I’m judging them off of their console brothers, then SO FAR, MLB ’10 is the better game. However, I say that after only playing 2K10’s demo, and for some people, the extra $10 in price might be off-putting.

Finally, the big release around these parts is Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, a remake of the PS one classic with newly drawn characters, new character voices (after all, the person who originally voiced Alex is my age), and a couple of new additions to the game itself. I PERSONALLY didn’t like the demo that much, but take that with a huge grain of salt, because I’ve played through the PS1 game so many times that anything that sounds or looks different to me automatically sets me off, almost like an anime fan who won’t tolerate dubbing, even if it’s good. I can almost guarantee that Mark B. will have a more positive view of the game in his review of it. My recommendation for anyone looking to pick this up, however, is to ignore the downloadable version and grab the Limited Edition copy instead. This comes with some very nice extras, and while those aren’t quite as numerous as the ones that Working Designs gave us back in the day, the Limited Edition copy is sure to become a collector’s item just like the PS1 version, which is currently going for about $55-$60 online for the full Silver Star Story Complete edition. Don’t waste your money on the DLC version, especially when the same price will get you a UMD that you can trade in or re-sell with no penalty. Usually, most PSP games don’t resell well enough to consider the UMD argument past the desire for a physical copy above all else, but in the case of an RPG like Lunar, there are exceptions to that rule.

There’s only one demo for the PSP, and it’s all we need, because it’s amazing. Patchwork Heroes has you taking the role of Titori, the leader of a group of people who are protecting their hometown from a coming armada of battleships by flying onto the battleships and sawing off enough portions of it to dismantle it; if the timer runs out, the game is over, and you see the town being bombed into oblivion. I really don’t have any game I can compare this to. In fact, I don’t even know what genre I can place it in, if any is applicable. All I know is that it’s addicting like crack cocaine, and it’s also small; this one might see an affordable release. When it comes out, I will actually recommend this to fans of puzzle games, though I must warn that the demo was HARD. Even being hard, however, I had an absolute blast .

The PS3 itself also sees a few demos. Strangely, there’s still no MLB ’10 The Show demo; I could have sworn we’d see that one this week, but the PS3 demo for Major League Baseball 2K10 has dropped. I tried the PS3 demo last week, and thought they improved on a lot of things over last year’s game, though the gameplay isn’t there yet; they made a big deal of emphasizing “Hitters vs. Catchers”, but when you do that, you forget half the game of baseball, and predictably, defence is an atrocity. I had one play in the demo where I went to queue a throw for a double play, but my shortstop stood there with his thumb up his ass instead of actually throwing the ball, meaning everyone was safe. Furthermore, Alex Lucard stated that he had his catcher drop three straight pitches, all of which were strikes. I hope to give this game a more in-depth look in the coming weeks, but as of right now, it can’t compete with The Show.

There’s also a demo for Moto GP 09/10. I played around with this for a spell, and thought it was a novel, but ultimately uninteresting racer. Maybe it’s my bias towards four wheel racing, but I had problems keeping my bike on the racing path while also keeping speed, and the options that the game showed off didn’t seem interesting in 2010, after games like Forza Motorsport 3 and Need for Speed: Shift. I’m probably not the person to judge this game – again, I’m not a bike guy – but it seemed… bland. Regardless, the demo’s out, and the game releases on the 16th.

Finally, we have a demo for Just Cause 2. I never did play the original – I get scared off by words like “game-crashing bugs” – but if this game can avoid the pitfalls that came over the first one, it’ll be a fun time. You take the role of yet another Hispanic mercenary trying to take over a fictional country that I’m guessing will look familiar to Cuban ex-pats, with leadership from a female with one of the worst voice actors in history. I’m serious; she’s early 90s PC game bad. It’s a third person shooter which reminded me of Saints Row 2 but is probably more comparable to Mercenaries. It’s got a few issues in terms of having to find each and every thing to either do, find or blow up in an area before that area is “completed”, but the thirty minute demo did something that I didn’t expect: it left me wanting more. Simply put, you can do some awesome shit here. You’re given a grappling hook that lets you latch onto anything you can possibly think of, Bionic Commando style, and a parachute to drop down from places quickly, which came in very handy during the game. You can even latch enemies onto other objects, such as putting an enemy on an aircraft that’s taking off. Between that and the fact that you’re encouraged to blow things up (one problem is that we’re not exactly sure what we “can” blow up and “can’t), the game is just flat-out fun. The plot sucks, the voice acting is painful, and aiming at specific body parts can be a pain, but if you like to blow things up and get around the stages in purely awesome ways, this is a game worth checking out. If I can’t convince you of that, check out a small conversation between a couple of our staffers on Twitter:

* Matt Yeager: “Just Cause 2 demo was a lot of fun. With the destruction and PDA stuff, it feels like what Mercenaries 2 should’ve been.”
* Aaron Sirois: “@DHGFMatt Every time I used the parachute, it was pure bliss.”
* Matt Yeager: “@DHGFAaronS Parachute was fun, but I love the grappling hook. Everytime I wondered ‘can I do this?’ the answer was yes. Pinata kills!”

Finally, the only real sale this week is Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, which is down in price from $10 to $5. If you like competitive puzzle games like Puyo Puyo, you might want to check this out, but people who aren’t used to that style of gameplay should heed a warning: this game is cheap as hell. It’s one of those puzzle games where you could be winning by a large margin, your opponent pulls a chain out of their arse, and all of a sudden, you’re losing with no way to get back into the match. It’s a game of “who gets the last combo”, and anyone who is prone to throwing controllers should be wary. There’s also a bundle for the first two Penny Arcade games at $15, but I have to ask, wasn’t there supposed to be a third chapter?

That’s all for big updates for this week. There’s no PS one games, but really, everyone should still be playing Grandia anyway. Other than that, there’s a lot of decent to good PSP games, a few demos to check out, and enough DLC to waggle a stick at. Until next time, this is Christopher Bowen, who just had MLB ’10 The Show crash AGAIN. Bad Sony. BAD!

The full games and comic updates are under the cut.

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Price Updates

• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo Sale (now $4.99, original price $9.99)

Downloadable Games

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 1 and 2 (Bundle) ($14.99)
Episode 1 and 2 Bundle is the first two installments in the RPG-adventure game series based on the web comic Penny Arcade.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 545 MB

The Tester

The Tester Episode 3 “No Cry in Team”
Eight contenders remain and in Episode 3, “No Cry in Team,” and they face one of the most demanding challenges in the series. This week, it’s all about teamwork. Wielding a giant slingshot and the “TesterNet”, these contenders must prove they can work together when the pressure is on.
File size: 313 MB (SD) 859 MB (HD)

Game Demos (free)

Just Cause 2 Demo
Prepare yourself for extreme chaos creation in this non-stop adrenalin-fuelled demo of Just Cause 2.Whether freefalling from thousands of feet, hijacking enemy fighters in mid-air or blasting through military compounds, as agent Rico Rodriguez you’re guaranteed to leave your destructive mark on the tropical island of Panau. With 400 square miles of rugged terrain and hundreds of weapons and vehicles, Just Cause 2 completely defies gravity and belief!
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.41 GB

Major League Baseball 2K10 Demo
Major League Baseball 2K10 brings baseball’s most exciting match-up to life: Pitchers vs. Hitters. Get ready to battle!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 874 MB

MotoGP 09/10 Demo
The new MotoGP 09/10 demo lets you test ride all three bike classes AND experience the challenge of three different game modes, including; “ËœChampionship’, “ËœTime trial’ and “ËœArcade’. MotoGP 09/10 is simply the best racing action on two wheels.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1.74 GB

Add-on Game Content

MLB 10: The Show – 6 Classic Stadiums ($9.99)
Unlock all Classic Stadiums for use in MLB 10: The Show!
File size: N/A

MLB 10: The Show – Franchise Funds Increase ($0.99)
Increase your Franchise funds by 20 million.
File size: N/A

MLB 10: The Show – Road to the Show Training Points ($0.99)
Increase your Road to the Show training points by 1000.
File size: N/A

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Quest Pack #1 (free)
Quest Pack #1 – Enhance your Strikeforce experience with these new missions and challenges. The following quests will be added to the city’s “Noticeboard”. To learn more about this pack and about Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce go to www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/strikeforce.

• Battle of Tong Gate
• Defense of Nan Zhong
• Martial Contest 1

File size: 101 KB

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast Ultimate Warriors Pack 1 (free)
“Dragon Ball: Raging Blast” Character Pack #8 is now available! The eighth release is the “Ultimate Warriors Pack 1!” This pack contains the fighters with ultimate abilities: Goku, Teen Gohan, Piccolo, Bardock and Super Gogeta! These fighters are already strong, but they now go beyond your imagination! See their true powers for yourself!
File size: 116 KB

Dante’s Inferno Dark Forest Pack ($4.99)
The Dark Forest pack includes the Disco Inferno costume, Stone of Wrath relic, and a prequel level featuring new enemies, puzzles, and storyline!
File size: 307 MB

Dante’s Inferno Relics Triple Pack ($2.99)
This pack contains three relics: “ËœPaolo’s Heart’ for turning souls into mana, “ËœWing of Furie’ to increase the hit counter on your scythe, and “ËœBrain of Ruggieri’ to allow you to dodge-roll from any special combo.
File size: 222 MB

Resident Evil 5 Costume Pack 2 ($1.99)
This costume pack is compatible with the original game. Play with Chris’ completely new take on tactical field armor with Heavy Metal, and give Sheva the sleek elegance of a power suit with Business. These costumes can also be used in The Mercenaries Reunion in addition to the main story.
File size: 116 MB

Resident Evil 5 Desparate Escape ($4.99)
This is the second installment of new content for RESIDENT EVIL 5. Learn the untold story of Jill’s escape during RESIDENT EVIL 5, and play as Rebecca Chambers and Josh Stone in The Mercenaries Reunion.
File size: 539 MB

topatoi: Pillar Of The Skies ($7.99)
topatoi for PlayStation 3 brings your screen to life with classic platforming gameplay over a variety of dynamic levels. Continue your journey through the brand new world of Sky Pillar with this exciting new add-on. New environments, a new gameplay experience, new bonus levels playable alone or in co-op mode, are all waiting for you in this, the second episode of topatoi saga!
File size: 116 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

• “Adam’s Song” by Blink-182 ($1.99)
• “All The Small Things” by Blink-182 ($1.99)
• “First Date” by Blink-182 ($1.99)
• Blink-182 Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “First Date”, “All The Small Things”, and “Adam’s Song” by blink-182, Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.

File sizes: 30 MB – 41 MB (singles), 100 MB (track pack)

The Beatles: Rock Band
Build your library for The Beatles: Rock Band by purchasing these song game tracks. For music credits, visit thebeatlesrockband.com.

• “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles ($1.99)

File size: 20 MB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit RockBand.com.

• “Downfall””” Trust Company ($1.99)
• “Panic Switch””” Silversun Pickups ($1.99)
• “Sort Of””” Silversun Pickup ($1.99)
• “White Falcon Fuzz””” The Mother Hips ($0.99)
• “Third Floor Story””” The Mother Hips ($0.99)
• “The Game””” Disturbed ($1.99)
• “Meaning of Life””” Disturbed ($1.99)
• “Voices””” Disturbed ($1.99)
• Disturbed Pack 2 ($5.49)- Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: Disturbed Pack 02. This pack includes “Meaning of Life,” “The Game,” and “Voices” by Disturbed

File sizes: 24 MB – 56 MB (singles), 90 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)

Pulse 3/4 Edition
Join host Christina Lee for PULSE presented by the PlayStation Network. This edition features the next installment in the smash hit role playing series, FINAL FANTASY XIII, the bar-raising MLB 10: The Show, and an add-on that expands the world of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves. New video features include 2012, Pirate Radio and Where the Wild Things Are.
File size: 255 MB (HD) 431 MB (1080)

make.believe Global Lifestyle Brand
File size: 133 MB (1080)

God of War 3 Vengeance Trailer
File size: 65 MB (HD) 109 MB (1080)

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves PlayStation Heroes Trailer

File size: 53 MB (HD)

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack Trailer
File size: 45 MB (HD)

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Treachery
File size: 150 MB (HD)

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – The Big Game
File size: 22 MB (HD)

Fallout: New Vegas Teaser Trailer
File size: 92 MB (HD)

BioShock 2 Launch Network Trailer
File size: 144 MB (HD)

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Launch Trailer
File size: 49 MB (HD)

PS3 Themes

MLB 10: The Show Themes (x11) (White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Brewers, Pirates and Cardinals) (free)
File sizes: 2.46 MB – 2.66 MB

2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Dynamic Theme ($3.99)
File size: 11 MB

make.believe Theme (free)
File size: 932 KB

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Theme (free)
File size: 6.12 MB

Clover Fractals Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.4 MB

Nightmare Before Christmas Theme ($1.49)
File size: 3.36 MB

Vintage Comic Mickey Theme ($1.49)

File size: 4.84 MB

Abstract Premium Theme ($1.99)
File size: 6.93 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 Storefront)

MLB 10: The Show ($39.99)
Get the full major league experience, anytime and anywhere.
ESRB Rated E

File size: 846 MB

Major League Baseball 2K10 ($29.99)
Major League Baseball 2K10 brings baseball’s most exciting match-up to life: Pitchers vs. Hitters. Get ready to battle.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 1.31 GB

Dante’s Inferno (English and French versions) ($39.99)
You are Dante, a veteran of the Crusades who must chase his beloved Beatrice and try to free her soul from Lucifer’s grasp. As your pursuit takes you deeper into the pits of Hell, you must battle ever more fierce and hideous monsters””while also facing your own sins, a dark family past, and your unforgivable war crimes. Go to Hell.
ESRB Rated M
File sizes: 1.41 GB

Lunar: Silver Star Harmony ($29.99)
A classic is reborn! The beloved RPG classic, Lunar: The Silver Star, with its timeless tale of love, betrayal and redemption, is reborn exclusively on the PSP system as Lunar: Silver Star Harmony with all new graphics, added gameplay features, and a re-mastered soundtrack so that a whole new generation of fans can experience this legendary first entry of the Lunar universe, while added story elements will be sure to please returning fans.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 827 MB

PSP minis (also available from PS3 Storefront)

Digi-Tiles ($2.99)
File size: 4.88 MB

Vector TD ($3.99)
File size: 13 MB

Earthshield ($2.99)
File size: 6.01 MB

Legend of Kunoichi ($2.99)
File size: 7.41 MB

Smashbreak ($2.99)
File size: 5.06 MB

Game Demos (also available from PS3 Storefront) (free)

Patchwork Heroes Demo
The fate of a city is in your hands! Act quickly in 30 levels to save cities from giant looming warships in this fun action game. Become a hero by controlling a powerful destructive vehicle that can cut enemy ships apart into patches of different sizes that crash to the ground. Dodge enemies, rescue trapped comrades, and use special attacks to beat each ship before time runs out!

ESRB Rated E10+
File size: 27 MB

Add-On Game Content (also available from PS3 Storefront)

LittleBigPlanet PSP Canyons Costumes (free)
PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. LittleBigPlanet’s critically acclaimed “PLAY, CREATE, SHARE” experience, makes its way to the PSP system with a completely new Sackboy adventure. Get two free costumes from the Canyons level of the PS3 version of the game. NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.5 MB

LittleBigPlanet PSP Canyons Theme Pack ($2.99)

PLAY, CREATE, SHARE…Everywhere. Download a new set of costumes and CREATE materials to create your own Canyons levels! The Canyons Theme Pack includes 2 costumes, 19 materials, 15 stickers, 1 music kit, and 1 background. NOTE: Manual Update required
File size: 2.65 MB

BUZZ! Quiz World Sci-Fi Movies Pack ($2.99)
Sci-Fi movie questions to stump your competition into outer space “” but will you need to phone home to find out the answers? This BUZZ! Quiz World PSP quiz pack features hundreds of questions about science fiction movies to play in any of your favorite BUZZ! Quiz World PSP game modes. Download this quiz pack today and turn your party into the ultimate trivia showdown. Challenge friends and family and “Show “Ëœem Your Trivia!”
File size: 64 MB

Game Videos (free)

The Tester Episode 3
File size: 138 MB

Pulse 3/4 Edition

File size: 47 MB

God of War 3 Vengeance PSP Trailer
File size: 65 MB

echoshift Trailer
File size: 12 MB

Dante’s Inferno Developer Diary – Treachery
File size: 36 MB

Dante’s Inferno The Big Game
File size: 5.43 MB

PSP Themes (also available from PS3 Storefront)

MLB 10: The Show Themes (x11) (White Sox, Indians, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Brewers, Pirates and Cardinals) (free)
File sizes: 2.46 KB – 2.66 KB

2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit PSP Theme ($1.49)
File sizes: 509 KB

Bad Business 2 – Delinquent Lincoln PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 688 KB

Bad Business 2 – Roast Master Cleveland PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 630 KB

Clover Fractals PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 460 KB

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Comic Store Update

• 2000AD Prog # 1669 – $ 1.99
• Army of Two # 2 $ 1.99
• Donald Duck and the Unexpected Guest – $ 0.99
• Donald Duck in: “Gone With The Wind” # 2 – $ 1.99
• Dreamland Chronicles # 1 $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe # 7 $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe: Cobra # 6 – $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe Origins # 7 – $ 1.99
• G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes # 1 – $ 1.99
• Locke & Key: Head Games # 4 – $ 0.99
• Scrooge McDuck and the Haunted Cellphone # 0 – $ 0.99
• Star Trek: Nero # 1 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) 39 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 40 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 41 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 42 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 43 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 44 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 45 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 46 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 47 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) 48 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 49 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 50 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 51 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 52 – $ 1.99
• Tales of Suspense (1963) # 53 – $ 1.99
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron # 14 – $ 1.99
• Transformers # 2 – $ 1.99
• Transformers: Tales of the Fallen # 1 – $ 1.99
• Ultraheroes # 2 – $ 0.99
• Weekly World News # 1 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 50 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 51 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 52 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 53 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 54 – $ 1.99
• Wolverine (2003) # 55 $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 199 – $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 200 – $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 201 – $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 202 – $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 203 – $ 1.99
• X-Men (2004) # 204 – $ 1.99
• X-Mickey: The Glove # 8 – $ 1.99