Filed under: Final Fantasy

Kaz Hirai attended Square Enix’s 10 year anniversary party for Final Fantasy VII, leaving a note saying “the best is yet to come.” Is he alluding to Crisis Core? Or the oft-rumored Final Fantasy VII remake? Regardless, it looks like Square is far from milking this milestone RPG.

You must check out Kotaku’s gallery from the event, which shows some memorabilia on display, such as the Final Fantasy VII limited edition PSP. Our heart yearns for it … even if our wallets shy away.

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Filed under: Disgaea

Geo Cubes are crucial to the new multiplayer mode found in Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness. As you can see in this image, there are a lot to choose from. Geo Cubes are like magic/trap cards in card based games. Not only can they alter stats, they can summon units, destroy units, etc. Even when facing opponents that overpower you, Geo Cubes can turn the tides.

In order to use Geo Cubes, you need to have Geo Souls. You can gain 1 Geo Soul at the beginning of your turn. Some Geo Cubes cost more than 1 Geo Soul to use, so you may have to wait a couple of turns to use a powerful Geo Cube.

Some of the Geo Cube types include:

• Morning Class - Make 1 enemy in the Base Panel fall asleep
• Overlord’s Wrath - Randomly destroy 3 units
• Reckless Chaos - Decrease all units’ HP by ½
• Fall Back - Send selected unit back to the Base Panel
• Dimensional Rift - Randomize all unit positions
• Neutral Pact - Cannot be targeted by neutral forces for 1 round
• First Strike - Destroy enemy Base Panel

Expect more on Disgaea soon.

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Filed under: Peripherals

The designs are really wild and we mean that in a good way — who wouldn’t want to support rugby as you quietly play whatever game you want? Since these skins are European in origin, those of us in the states will have to buy them online when they come out, so no hands-on time prior to purchase for us. For those in Europe, they’re a measly four pounds, so they won’t put much of a bite in your wallet.

[via DigitalSpy]

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Filed under: Final Fantasy

Do you want fresh juicy burgers? Or how about fresh direct feed screenshots of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core? Well, if it’s lunch time, you probably want both. Too bad we can only help you with the latter.

These crystal-clear images show off how good the game will look on your PSP screen. If you’re a true Crisis-aholic, you’ll download these images to your PSP and pretend that you’re already playing the game.

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Filed under: Reviews, Jeanne d’Arc

Get your microscope ready, because that’s what you’ll need in order to find flaws in Level-5’s PSP-exclusive, Jeanne d’Arc. Although it rarely, if ever, breaks away from standard SRPG conventions, Jeanne d’Arc does everything a game in the genre should do — and it does it very well. Combining fantastic graphics, impressive production values, addictive gameplay, and an intriguing story, this is a must-have for any PSP owner.

Level-5 is known to produce some of the best looking titles on the platforms it works with. For example, Rogue Galaxy is still one of the finest looking titles on the PlayStation 2. The upcoming Dragon Quest IX looks to push the boundaries of Nintendo DS graphics to limits we never imagined possible. Jeanne d’Arc, already nearly a year old in Japan, manages to still look marvelous by today’s standards. The cel-shaded graphics and expansive levels certainly look impressive on the PSP screen. Add beautiful anime cutscenes, and you have a game that provides a visual feast for its players.

From the opening moments, the game tries to wow players with an impressive anime cutscene that sets the stage for the events to come. Although a bit lengthy, as many of the game’s non-playable segments are, we were compelled by the high quality of the animation. The story, very loosely based on the classic Joan of Arc tale, strays so drastically from its inspiration, that it manages to surprise the player ever so often. King Henry is possessed with some demonic power, and Jeanne not only hears the voice of God, she finds an armlet that lets her transform into a armored warrior.

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The high fantasy setting of Jeanne d’Arc keeps things interesting, as the story is free to go into all kinds of territory. Along the way, you’ll run into a large variety of characters. However, this comes at a price: many of the characters rarely develop, weakening the player’s involvement with these personas. Many interesting plot themes do arise, especially between the overzealous Jeanne, the misguided Lianne, and Roger, who’s caught in the middle. Many of the other characters are disposable, but these three keep the story focused and interesting throughout.

Although storytelling is a large part of the Jeanne d’Arc experience, the core gameplay is what keeps me coming back for more. The opening moments of the game do a great job of easing the player into the various mechanics to be found. The level progression is fantastic: not once do you ever feel as though the game is being surprisingly or unnecessarily difficult. Even beginner players of SRPGs will find the controls intuitive, and the integrated tutorials very helpful.

As with all SRPGs, proper placement of your forces is crucial to victory. Levels are based on grids, and players are limited to a number of spaces for movement each turn. At the end of a turn, players can attack, either with their weapon, or through a magic spell. A variety of factors then comes into play. For example, attacking an enemy’s back will inflict a much more significant amount of damage than facing the enemy head-on. As players begin to find different characters with different weapons and abilities, the tactics will continue to change. Lancers, for example, can hit two spaces ahead of them, instead of one. A thief character, like Colet, will be able to travel long distances, and steal items from enemies.

When making an attack on an enemy, the space behind them will glow. Called the “Burning Aura,” this space will allow attackers to inflict a greater amount of damage. If the “Burning Aura” falls on a character already occupying the space, the Aura will move with the character, giving them the ability to use the damage bonus elsewhere. When characters are no more than one space apart, they will combine their defensive abilities, minimizing the effects of enemy attacks. Considering the placement of enemies and allies becomes even more crucial, in this regard, as players will want to take advantage of these bonuses to as little detriment as possible.

Every turn, each character will earn a little MP, which can be used on a variety of skills. The abilities are fairly standard fare, letting players attack with greater strength, alter stats, or attack a number of enemies at once. What makes special attacks so enjoyable is how players can choose apply different skills on each of the characters before each battle. Abilities take the form of jewels, which can be traded amongst the various characters. Some jewels can only be used by specific character types, so each character will have a unique feel.

The customization system adds a lot of depth to the game, and is simple enough to understand. The frog from Rogue Galaxy makes a significant cameo in the game (especially in the latter half), and like in the PS2 RPG, he has the ability to create new skills. By combining two skill jewels, a new one is created, and it’s through combination that the most powerful abilities will be unlocked. For example, creating the incredibly helpful HP+100 jewel involves taking HP +50 and adding it to a Luna Sol +2 block. Through these abilities, players will be able to counter enemies before they attack, run longer distances, run through enemies, and more. It’s these abilities that make the game constantly evolve and stay interesting.

Within Jeanne d’Arc’s simple, and easy to understand battle system lies an incredible amount of depth that will make each battle challenging, but fair. This is one of the few RPGs in recent memory where we’ve never had to level up for a battle. The progression of the game is natural, something we certainly appreciate. However, if players are struggling, Level-5 has smartly included “Free Combat” areas which players can revisit and level up their characters, if necessary. Because the amount of experience points varies based on the challenge posed by the level, even severely under-leveled characters will be up to snuff easily and quickly.

There’s too much to like about this PSP SRPG. If we had any serious complaints, it would be that the characters are shallow and the story certainly has some awkward moments. Regardless, this stands as a fine example of what an SRPG should be, and will stand out, even in light of upcoming releases like Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea. With over 30 hours of gameplay, this $30 UMD is a terrific value that should be in any PSP owner’s collection.

PSP Fanboy Score: 9.0

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DL.TV Ep 193: Learn how to build a PC. WikiScanner: Find out who’s been tinkering with what on Wikipedia. Surf the web anonymously For Free! OpenDNS: What is it and how do you use it? Metriod Prime 3: Corruption. Your viewer questions and more!

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Filed under: Disgaea, Video

Need we say more? Disgaea is finally coming to PSP, with more than a handful of PSP-exclusive features. We’re going to go a little crazy with Disgaea love in the coming days. In order to prepare you, enjoy this brand new trailer of yet another great addition to the PSP SRPG lineup.

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Filed under: Reviews

This September, Sony will be unleashing the first ever revision of the PlayStation Portable. Codenamed PSP-2000, the system sports a new slimmer design, and the ability to display content on a television. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the new system — but tonight, we’re going to clear things up. We asked the readers of PSP Fanboy to submit their questions and received about a hundred responses. That’s a lot of ground to cover, so we’re going to spend the next few days answering as many as we can. Let’s begin.

The PSP-1000’s volume wasn’t that loud. Did they increase the volume?
Submitted by: dapurplebyrd

The system includes firmware 3.60. Some new features of the firmware include: USB Charge, new background colors (27 in all!), and Connected Display Settings (for TV output).

What video sizes does it play? Hopefully 640×480.
Submitted by: Surtur

Nope. PSP 3.60 still does not support 640×480 video, which means many iPod-compatible video podcasts still don’t work on the PSP.

Is the system quieter when loading data from the UMD?
Submitted by: Brandon

Do files open faster on XMB?
Submitted by: TheHood

We loaded up our 4GB Memory Stick Duo with tons of 1080p images and had the PSP generate thumbnails. In our test, we noticed one thing: the two systems performed identically.

Is ghosting still noticeable?
Submitted by: Saigon

Yes, ghosting is still noticeable on the screen, particularly in scenes involving bright whites. The screen isn’t bad — let’s not forget that the original PSP screen still produces fantastic video.

Does the web browser take advantage of the added memory? For instance, can web sites that cause the old PSP’s memory to run out work on the Slim?
Submitted by: J@F

We were trying to read our favorite gaming blog when this error message struck. Seemingly, the browser is another thing that hasn’t been improved in the new PSP.

What happens if you press the screen button long enough to start video out if it isn’t plugged in?
Submitted by: Don
The screen simply turns off, just as it did before. This will help you conserve battery.

Is it possible to play music while viewing a slideshow on the PSP with this new release?
Submitted by: Sai
No. When you enter a different part of the XMB, your music will stop just like before.

How is the Wi-Fi connection? Can you test the range?
Submitted by: Makiyura

The range for both PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 seem nearly identical. For us, the system lost a signal once more than 30 feet away from our wireless router. In terms of download speeds, we saw that the PSP-2000 had only a marginal advantage, one that could have been caused by random network speeds, rather than an inherent system design. Regardless, PSP-2000 constantly outperformed the original PSP in our RSS download tests.

Do the buttons actually have a better response/feel to them?
Submitted by: Dennis
Yes. The buttons have slightly more resistance, which makes it much better to the touch.

I heard that when you output games to your HDTV (through component), the picture is framed. Is it true?
Submitted by: Sephiroth_FF

Yes it is true. On our 61″ TV, the image produced by the PSP was 42″ on our TV. That means, in diagonal terms, less than 70% of your screen will be devoted to the game. The XMB, however, will appear in full screen, as will movies and everything else accessed from there:

The image quality of games is particularly impressive. Ignoring the somewhat significant borders, the games we played looked like they were being output by a PS2. Movies, on the other hand, fared worse. Our Spider-man 2 UMD looked good, but didn’t match the quality of a properly upscaled DVD running on the PS3.

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There are still a lot more questions to answer. However, we need to spend a little more time with the system. Expect answers to burning questions on PSP-2000’s load times, battery life, TV out functionality, and more in the next few days.

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Filed under: Hacks, Video

The Acidmods team is at it again, showing off how it’s done. These guys are awfully familiar with the innards of the PSP, and they happily rip one apart for you. See how it’s done in this new video, and then when you want to see the finished product, click here.

[Thanks, sim!]

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Filed under: News

Although Manhunt 2 will be censored in the US, an uncut, unedited version of the controversial Rockstar game will appear in Holland. In a letter to Parliament, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin said: “The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material.” He added that keeping a watchful eye on the content in games is “the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government.”

While we’d love for other nations to take an equally liberal approach to games, it appears that Holland is reconsidering its laws. According to MCV, the ministry was now examining whether new laws or policies were needed “to better protect the youth.”

The game will be released in Holland uncensored, but there’s no word on the fate of Manhunt 2 in the UK, where the game is still banned, according to Next-Gen.

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