PlayStation Vita

Limited Edition Hatsune Miku PlayStation Vita Unveiled

by Sohrab Osati | May 9, 2012 | 0 comments

We somehow missed this one in our report of the new Crystal White PlayStation Vita for Japan. In edition to the new color for the PS Vita, Sony and SEGA are releasing a limited edition Hatsune Miku PlayStation Vita in Japan as well. With a ¥10,000 ($125) price increase over the Wi-Fi and 3G models, Miku fans will not only get the popular character on their rear touch panel, but will also receive a a 4GB memory card and a copy of Next Hatsune Miku: Project Diva. With E3 in just a few short weeks, it wouldn’t come to us a surprise if Sony brought the Crystal White Vita State side but hopes for a limited edition Hatsune Miku PS Vita remain low in our eyes. After the jump, a promo video, showing the Crystal Vita PlayStation Vita and the limited edition Hatsune Miku unit.

Sony Announces Crystal White PlayStation Vita

by Sohrab Osati | May 8, 2012 | 21 comments

If a black PlayStation Vita is just too bland for your taste, than Sony has just the cure for you. To be released on June 28th, Sony has unveiled the Crystal White PlayStation Vita for Japan. Available in Wi-Fi for ¥24,98 ($312) and 3G for ¥29,980 ($375), both models offer the same exact feature as the current PS Vita with just a different coat of paint. No word yet on if Sony has any multi color plans for the US though with E3 just around the corner, we should find out soon enough. Video, after the jump.

Editorial: The Top iOS Games That Should Be On The Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 26, 2012 | 18 comments

The Vita’s been out for a few months now and with it came a slew of good games. (Note that I said good, not great.) Aside from Uncharted, Super Stardust, and Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, I haven’t even touched my other Vita titles. In fact, as bad as it sounds, my PlayStation Vita has actually been gathering dust in the corner because of the lack of games that keep me coming back to the system.

These days I travel a lot, and I actually find myself playing portable games on my iPod Touch more often than the Vita. Why? Because the games available on the iOS are truly built for on-the-go gaming; they’re cheaper and they’re actually a lot more fun. Sure the touch-screen controls can be hit or miss, but it’s the gameplay and creativity (or fun factor) that keep me coming back for more.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of iOS games that I would love to play on the PlayStation Vita.

New Mortal Kombat Trailer Brings Old School Back To PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 25, 2012 | 0 comments

NetherRealm Studios recently released an “old-school” trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat for the Vita. The new trailer features the MK ninjas (Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Smoke, Rain, and Ermac) wearing their klassic ninja outfits, putting on a wreckshop on everyone that got in their way. And like the Klassic costume DLC for the PS3, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile will also feature their old-school fatalities.

Scorpion – Flamethrower fatality (MK1 + MK2 + MK4)
Sub-Zero – Head Rip fatality (MK1)
Reptile – Eating the head fatality (MK2)

NetherRealm Studios has said they’re bringing every feature, every fighter, every game-mode into the PlayStation Vita version of Mortal Kombat; with the addition of a few new game modes and fun stuff that takes advantage of the Vita’s capabilities. There’s the Test Your Slice and Test Your Balance mini-games that uses the touch-screen and the accelerometers for their unique gameplay experiences. NetherRealm is also adding a brand new Challenge Tower (as if the first one isn’t hard enough) for the more hardcore MK fans and is supposed to have 150 stages and add another six hours of gameplay.

Check out the full “Old-Skool” trailer after the break.

Skype Lands on PS Vita, Lets You Video Chat Mid-Game

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 24, 2012 | 0 comments

Quite possibly the most requested app for the PlayStation Vita, Skype, which is now owned by Microsoft, is an app that Vita owners have wanted since launch date. Sony, who is no stranger to Skype, currently offers the video chatting service on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xperia smartphones, tablets, and on a range of Bravia televisions which require you to purchase a separate camera. This, of course, made Skype on the Vita a no-brainer which not only houses a more powerful processor than Sony’s line of televisions and the PSP. These all require the purchase of a separate camera, unlike the PS Vita, which comes with a front- and rear-facing camera.

Earlier this month, we reported on rumors which pegged the video chatting service to arrive on the Vita by month’s end. This application is available on all platforms, including the Mac and PC, which in turn allows you to video chat with nearly an unlimited pool of people. Now, the wait is over with the free app arriving later today on the handheld which will allow you to make video calls to any other Skype-enabled device. Let’s talk app capabilities.

Playstation Store Update (04-17-2012)

by Chris Quibol | Apr 18, 2012 | 22 comments

This week’s Playstation Store update has a couple of huge titles for everyone to enjoy, particularly the first home release of arcade shooter House of the Dead 4 on Playstation 3 and the release of Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention on the Playstation Vita. Short on cash this week? You can download a demo for physics-based pinball game Stardrone Extreme for PS Vita or free Vita app Paint Park, which lets players create and share sketches and drawings.

Playstation Plus members are also treated to exclusive early access to the beta for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, as well as a free download of Frogger Returns and 30 percent off House of the Dead 4.

Also available this week are downloadable content for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and a full download of Dead Rising 2: Off the Record for PS3.

Hit the jump to see the rest of this week’s Playstation Store update.

Skype Coming to PS Vita by Months End?

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 17, 2012 | 14 comments

While the PS Vita launched with a healthy of important apps which include Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Flickr, the no brainer Skype was no where to be heard. Unlike the PSP which requires the purchase of a front facing camera which already has Skype, the PS Vita features a front and rear facing camera, right out of the box. So it seemed strange that the predecessor handheld would have access to such an app while the new and much more powerful Vita would not. Now, word has it that a Skype app could be headed to the PlayStation Vita by months end.

PlayStation Vita Facebook Updated With Photo Uploading Functionality

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 16, 2012 | 0 comments

The relatively new Facebook app for PlayStation Vita just got it’s first update that brings the app to version 1.01. The update allows PS Vita users to upload their pictures onto Facebook with ease. Users can also tag pictures to the News Feed as well as Facebook Page and multi-language support.

PlayStation Vita Facebook App Version 1.01 newest features have been added:

Facebook Page support
Photo tags
Support of all system languages
Upload photo on News Feed and Wall

New Trailers for ‘Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch’ and ‘Resistance: Burning Skies’

by Chris Quibol | Apr 12, 2012 | 0 comments

Sony released trailers earlier today for a couple of highly anticipated titles, Playstation 3 JRPG Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and Playstation Vita first-person shooter Resistance: Burning Skies. The Ni No Kuni trailer provides us with our first look at the game’s English voice acting, as well as a better understanding of the game’s story. The two minute trailer features a few of the game’s beautiful cutscenes from Studio Ghibli, popular for their work in films like “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

The latest Resistance: Burning Skies trailer shows off a ton of the online multiplayer features available on the Vita-exclusive shooter, including weapon upgrades and customization. The trailer also features a ton of in-game multiplayer footage on each of the game’s six maps. Look for Burning Skies to release late next month, on May 29.

Check out both trailers for yourself after the break.

Editorial: The Top Apps That Should Be On The PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Apr 12, 2012 | 1 comment

So, you’ve had your PlayStation Vita since launch day. You’ve played the various launch games, tried the various apps, and even watched a number of movies on Netflix. But now what?

While the Vita is first and foremost a gaming console, people these days need to be connected to their friends, family, and extended networks about 60 percent of the day. And lets be honest, not that many of us care to learn the intricacies of the Vita’s NEAR and PARTY apps. We’d much rather be using apps like Facebook, LiveTweet, Foursquare and such.

But what about other apps that the iOS and Android handhelds have like Youtube, WordPress, Pinterest and others? As it stands, the Vita’s app selection is bare-bones at best. Horrid at worst.

Because of that, I’ve listed the top apps that should be on the PlayStation Vita. (Sony, I hope you’re reading this.)

PlayStation Vita System Software Update v1.67 Now Live (updated)

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 12, 2012 | 0 comments

It was just a week ago when Sony released the PlayStation Vita system software update 1.65, only to pull it less than 24 hours later. Of course, you can never keep a good firmware update down and Sony followed with the PlayStation Vita firmware 1.66 only 24 hours of that. Now, less than a week later, Sony has released the PlayStation Vita system software update 1.67 which is ready for your consuming pleasures, assuming you have time for the 100MB download.

PlayStation Vita System Software Update v1.66 Now Live

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 4, 2012 | 8 comments

24 hours after Sony released the PlayStation Vita System software update v1.65, which was designed to bring minor enhancements to the Vita like an On/Off “Notification Alert” setting and improved ‘Near’ functionality, the company had to pull the update. Due to a small bug, adhoc play in PSP titles seems to have stopped working.

We identified a symptom that users can not play adhoc play in PSP titles if they download the system software, so we have taken down the system software temporarily. The system software will be available to download again soon.

Originally though to be released by weeks end, Sony has now pushed out the PlayStation Vita System software update v1.66 which is designed to address the mentioned bug with no additional enhancements. As always, Vita owners can download the update by either using the built in Wi-Fi or plugging in their portable to a Mac or PC and using Sony’s Content Manager app.

Sony Pulls PS Vita System Software Update v1.65

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 4, 2012 | 0 comments

Despite being released only 24 hours ago, Sony has now pulled the most recent firmware update for the PS Vita. The PlayStation Vita system software update v1.65 was designed to bring minor enhancements to the new portable powerhouse like an On/Off “Notification Alert” setting and improved ‘Near’ functionality among other things. While all those features all seemed to pan out, an unfortunate glitch has been encountered where adhoc play in PSP titles seems to have stopped working. As Eric Lempel from PlayStation notes:

We identified a symptom that users can not play adhoc play in PSP titles if they download the system software, so we have taken down the system software temporarily. The system software will be available to download again soon.

I’m personally doubtful that this affected a large pool of people and it seemed to have gone by unnoticed by Sony’s own internal testing which more so points towards the fact that a lot of people are probably not playing PSP games on their PS Vita. Still, Sony has done the responsible thing here by pulling the update. A new update should be out by weeks end.

PlayStation Vita System Software Update v1.65 Goes Live

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 3, 2012 | 0 comments

The new PlayStation Vita system software update V1.65 has just gone live for your downloading pleasure. The small (97MB) download targets both Wi-Fi and 3G US models with minor enhancements and can be either downloaded via Wi-Fi (no go on the 3G) by going to:

Settings > System Update or
Connecting your PlayStation Vita to your Mac or PC and downloading the update via Sony’s free Content Manager software.

Now lets talk about the new enhancements with this new firmware update.

‘Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken’ Flying to PlayStation Vita

by Jan Hutchings | Mar 31, 2012 | 22 comments

Who says chickens can't be badass?

One of the PlayStation Network’s most visually stunning games of 2011, Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken, is set to arrive on the PlayStation Vita later this year. While Ratloop Asia hasn’t given much detail on what additional features the Vita version will have, we do know that RocketBirds will be a digital-only release and will support cooperative gameplay for up to two players.

If you’re one of the many who hasn’t played Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken yet, the game is an independent 2D sidescrolling action game that meshes on-foot and on-rocketpack flight gameplay. Rocketbirds casts players as Hardboiled Chicken (dubbed the original Co** of War.) as he goes on a mission to assassinate the leader of a totalitarian penguin regime.

It’s 15 chapters of full-on mayhem with a separate 10 chapter co-op campaign for those who want to play with their friends. It also features a badass soundtrack performed by the indie rock group New World Revolution.

It’s one of my favorite PSN games and was hoping to get a sequel soon, but given its visually striking presentation and lightning fast 2D side-scrolling action, I’ll be glad to play the entire thing again on my Vita.

Check out the full trailer after the break.