There's a reason Calling All Cars! has forum users up and down the internet slathering like slack-jawed vegetables - and that's God of War. Or, more accurately, the dependably outspoken man behind PS2's astonishing god-rocker, David Jaffe, who's on design duties for Sony's latest PlayStation Network title. So, with a near-final build at our fingertips, we thought we'd take one last thorough look at the game before the world goes review crazy. Jaffe fans should prepare themselves though - there ain't no interactive sex-scene in this one.

Essentially, Calling All Cars is a straightforward - if impressively entertaining - mix of tag and Capture the Flag, albeit on wheels. Your goal is simple: snag the escaped convict on the map and drive him as fast as you can to jail, avoiding the onslaught of rampaging vehicles determined to capture your cargo for themselves. Points are awarded depending on you method of delivery and the car with the most points at the end of a round wins.

You see, each jail has numerous drop-off points - some are easily accessible ground-level gates and others might require high-flying ramp-leaping to reach, while the hardest of all might necessitate a daredevil climb up a precariously winding path. Go for the easy option and, provided you don't lose your prisoner, you've a guaranteed one point. Aim for two or three point gates to wrack up your score though and you'll need some serious car control for success. It's all about strategy and risk-taking.

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via ign

Everyone's been wondering where all the PS3 game demos are hiding. Our response is, you can't have demos when you don't have any games!

Sony Japan is actually making the best of a sparse summer PS3 lineup with demos for two of the system's biggest upcoming games. The first is Ninja Gaiden, whose demo was already announced for distribution via the Japanese PlayStation Store beginning on 4/27.

Today, Sony announced another demo. This one is for FolksSoul, the title formerly known by too many names to recall without doing some actual research. The Game Republic developed action adventure in which you gather fairies for use in battle will see a demo in early June, presumably prior to the final 6/21 release date.

Sony has also announced a tie-up with Japanese boy group Abingdon Boys School. A promotional video for the group, who will be performing the theme song for FolksSoul, will be available for download at the PlayStation Store on 5/21. ...

Let's face it: Silent Hill is one of those places you don't want to live in, you'd hate to visit and you sure as hell hope you don't get a postcard from. Perhaps it's the continually fog-enshrouded streets that hide frightening skinned monsters. Maybe it's the messages from deceased or long-lost relatives that potentially draw hapless people to their doom. Or maybe it's simply the continual traveling between the seemingly normal and the completely hellish dimensions that bends a character's definition of reality and insanity. Over the course of four console games, Konami's adventure franchise has redefined psychological horror for players around the world. Now, thanks to the developers over at Climax, these scares are bringing a one-two punch for gamers: they're going portable and they're exploring the source of the town's insanity with Silent Hill: Origins.

The pre-alpha build we checked out introduced us to Travis O'Grady, a trucker driving past Silent Hill during a rainy night. Of course, going near this damned town is bound to court disaster, and as Travis slams on his brakes to avoid hitting a robed figure, he finds himself enveloped in fog. As he runs along the road in search of the mysterious figure, he comes upon a house in flames and a badly burned little girl inside. While he manages to carry the girl outside to safety, he quickly passes out and awakens the next day on a bench inside of the Silent Hill city limits. Although he has no idea how he managed to get to the town, Travis' primary concern is of the child he saved, and he runs through the deserted streets to the nearby hospital to check on her. However, once he gets there, Travis runs into the only other soul he's seen in town, a doctor that ignores his questions and disappears into the bowels of the building. Following the physician, Travis quickly finds himself in an alternate version of the hospital, complete with the dilapidated environments, malevolent nurses without faces and other elements that fans of the series know well.

Full Article ...

via ign

The new version 1.7 firmware update for the PS3 promised one long-awaited update for the system: the ability to play PlayStation games that you've downloaded from the PlayStation Store's Game Archives section. Unfortunately, there appear to be some lingering issues with PS3 compatibility, as many upcoming Game Archives games are still PSP-only.

Sony Japan at last announced what games PS3 owners will be able to play when PS3-compatible downloads begin on 4/26. The PS3 will have just 11 titles available for play on day one. The list includes:

Spectral Force (Idea Factory)
R-Types (Irem)
A.IV. Evolution Global (Artdink)
Resident Evil Directors Edition (Capcom)
Bishibashi Special (Konami)
Arc the Land (Sony)
Ore no Shi wo Koete Yuke (Sony)
Gunners Heaven (Sony)
Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony)
Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime (Nippon Ichi)
Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco)
The PSP will be able to play all these games as well. In fact, this list of PS3-compatible games is just a subset of the current Game Archives lineup that's already available for PSP owners. To that growing lineup, Sony will be adding 14 new PSP-only titles, also on 4/26. Here's the full list.
Ikasama Mahjong (Idea Factory)
CG Mukashi Banashi Jiisan Ni-do Bikkuri (Idea Factory)
Yaku Tsu Noroi no Game (Idea Factory)
Lunatic Dawn III (Artdink)
A5: Take the A-Train 5 (Artdink)
Metal Slug X (SNK Playmore)
Real Bout Garou Densetsu (aka Real Bout Fatal Fury, SNK Playmore)
Kenkaku Ibunroku Yomigaerishi Soukou no Yaiba Samurai Spirits Shinshou (aka Samurai Showdown Warriors Rage, SNK Playmore)
Bakumatsu Roman: Gekka no Kenshi (aka The Last Blade, SNK Playmore)
Garou Densetsu Wild Ambition (aka Fatal Fury Wild Ambition, SNK Playmore)
Fushigi Keiji (Capcom)
Philsoma (Sony)
Jigsaw World (Nippon Ichi)
Wai Wai Tennis Plus (Hamster)
PSP owners can at last celebrate the arrival of SNK Playmore product in the Game Archives. Also notable is the sudden jump in game releases for this update. Previous updates included just a handful of titles.

As for the few games that are playable on both platforms, there's a bit of good news as well. As previously announced by Sony, you'll be able to exchange save data between your PSP and PS3. By transferring your data from the PS3 the PSP, you can continue your PlayStation games on the go. The data can then be transferred back when you want to continue on the big screen.

Sony also revealed today that the Game Archive downloads will be compatible with your old PlayStation save data. If you happen to have save data sitting around on a Memory Card somewhere, you can use a Memory Card Adapter to transfer the data to the PS3. This data can also be copied over to the PSP.

The PS3's slow pace in catching up with PlayStation compatibility is a bit mysterious, but the growing lineup of games in the Japanese Game Archives section, as well as the ability to share data in the home and on the go, has us excited. Stay tuned for further details on Sony's plans for the Game Archives in your part of the world. ...

via ign

The new version 1.7 firmware update for the PS3 promised one long-awaited update for the system: the ability to play PlayStation games that you've downloaded from the PlayStation Store's Game Archives section. Unfortunately, there appear to be some lingering issues with PS3 compatibility, as many upcoming Game Archives games are still PSP-only.

Sony Japan at last announced what games PS3 owners will be able to play when PS3-compatible downloads begin on 4/26. The PS3 will have just 11 titles available for play on day one. The list includes:

Spectral Force (Idea Factory)
R-Types (Irem)
A.IV. Evolution Global (Artdink)
Resident Evil Directors Edition (Capcom)
Bishibashi Special (Konami)
Arc the Land (Sony)
Ore no Shi wo Koete Yuke (Sony)
Gunners Heaven (Sony)
Ganbare Morikawa-kun Ni-go (Sony)
Marl Oukoku no Ningyou Hime (Nippon Ichi)
Tekken 2 (Bandai Namco)
The PSP will be able to play all these games as well. In fact, this list of PS3-compatible games is just a subset of the current Game Archives lineup that's already available for PSP owners. To that growing lineup, Sony will be adding 14 new PSP-only titles, also on 4/26. Here's the full list.
Ikasama Mahjong (Idea Factory)
CG Mukashi Banashi Jiisan Ni-do Bikkuri (Idea Factory)
Yaku Tsu Noroi no Game (Idea Factory)
Lunatic Dawn III (Artdink)
A5: Take the A-Train 5 (Artdink)
Metal Slug X (SNK Playmore)
Real Bout Garou Densetsu (aka Real Bout Fatal Fury, SNK Playmore)
Kenkaku Ibunroku Yomigaerishi Soukou no Yaiba Samurai Spirits Shinshou (aka Samurai Showdown Warriors Rage, SNK Playmore)
Bakumatsu Roman: Gekka no Kenshi (aka The Last Blade, SNK Playmore)
Garou Densetsu Wild Ambition (aka Fatal Fury Wild Ambition, SNK Playmore)
Fushigi Keiji (Capcom)
Philsoma (Sony)
Jigsaw World (Nippon Ichi)
Wai Wai Tennis Plus (Hamster)
PSP owners can at last celebrate the arrival of SNK Playmore product in the Game Archives. Also notable is the sudden jump in game releases for this update. Previous updates included just a handful of titles.

As for the few games that are playable on both platforms, there's a bit of good news as well. As previously announced by Sony, you'll be able to exchange save data between your PSP and PS3. By transferring your data from the PS3 the PSP, you can continue your PlayStation games on the go. The data can then be transferred back when you want to continue on the big screen.

Sony also revealed today that the Game Archive downloads will be compatible with your old PlayStation save data. If you happen to have save data sitting around on a Memory Card somewhere, you can use a Memory Card Adapter to transfer the data to the PS3. This data can also be copied over to the PSP.

The PS3's slow pace in catching up with PlayStation compatibility is a bit mysterious, but the growing lineup of games in the Japanese Game Archives section, as well as the ability to share data in the home and on the go, has us excited. Stay tuned for further details on Sony's plans for the Game Archives in your part of the world. ...

via IGN

Today 2K Sports shed some light on a few features of The Bigs, the over-the-top baseball game due this summer. The title blends outrageous visuals with pick-up-and-play mechanics to offer a unique sports experience.

"With The Bigs, we want to take the baseball genre to new heights and redefine what a baseball video game can be," said Greg Thomas, President of developer Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. "The Bigs has the fast learning curve of an arcade game coupled with deep play mechanics, amazing visuals, and hero-like presentation of real Major League Baseball players that will keep gamers coming back for more. The Bigs will showcase dramatic highlight reel moments at every at-bat, creating a truly epic baseball title."

Each MLB player in The Bigs has been individualized with great attention to facial details and physical characteristics so fans will be able to recognize their favorite players. Stadium landmarks have been stylized to highlight each park's unique architecture and to fit the overall theme of the game. The glove at San Francisco's AT&T Park, for instance, has been resized to mammoth proportions and the left field wall in Boston's Fenway Park has been turned into a real "Green Monster."

Baseball fans will be called up to the big leagues this summer. ...

via ign

Sony's obnoxious ape mascots are back on the PSP like you've never seen them before. We're all used to catching the pesky little monkeys from the Ape Escape series. But this time, we'll get a chance to play as them!

Sarugetchu Saru Saru Daisakusen begins when the fiendish Specter captures Professor Hakase and shrinks his research lab down to tiny size. Kakeru and Natsumi, the regular heroes in the Ape Escape games, happen to be in the lab at the time, and they get shrunk as well.

It turns out that the professor has been planning for such an emergency. He comes up with a way to merge the research lab, which happens to look just like a hat, with the "piposaru" apes -- the same ones that usually cause trouble. It's up to the apes to collect Nano Cards in order to restore Kakeru and Natsumi back to normal size.

Kakeru and Natsumi are in control of the apes that sport their shrunken research lab as head gear. From the player's perspective, though, you're directly controlling the apes as you adventure through obstacle-filled stages.

You'll encounter new apes as you work through the stages, and must put their special abilities to use. One ape has a glider, and by attaching to him, you can progress to higher ground. One ape is a mermaid, which allows you to swim. Other apes are good for fighting off the mechanical foes that get in your way.

Developed by Hand, this new portable entry in the Ape Escape series hits Japan this summer. There's no word yet on an international release. ...

New from Gedeon34:

Heres the translated info:


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New game from Ghaxaq:


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