30 minutes - impression on P3 PSP

With Memento Mori as its theme, Persona 3 is one dark, stylish treat and one of the games that breaks the Shin Megami Tensei/ Persona title from a niche series into to a big commercial title.

All those who have played the old P3 on the PlayStation 2 should be familiar with the game, those who are not, get the game, play it and post your impressions on your own blog or some message board!

This PSP port has a new OP and the pictures are still as attractive as ever, the song has a bit more 'fire' than the last one, which is both good. However, I could not help but miss the opening animations in the old PS2 version! I remembered feeling Yukari's fear when she first held the Evoker to her head. There are no texts and no dialogue, but that brief sequence of her sweating and trembling and dropping the gun already explains everything.

Another thing about the animation is that it gives you such a deep impression of the game world and the trendy people who live there. Just seeing how the girls' school bag accessories jingle as they giggle and the MP3 screen flash already remind gamers of urban Japan.

Now, instead of the animations, we have some stills that are visibly brightened and contained more visual details. The sequence with Yukari is replaced by a picture with the voice over saying something like "I can do it... (sob)... no I can't..." It's very explicit, but I like the old representation better.

I need to play on to see how many animations survive the cut, and before I lament on about how much I miss the old PS2 version, I have to say that the battle system of the PSP Port makes P3 so much more playable.

I'll admit that I have never finished the old PS2 version, the highest floor I have gone up to was 5 or 6 (pathetic, isn't it?). Party Characters get exhausted easily and the AI, although quite intelligent (or so I've heard), wastes SP, which makes the battling aspect very difficult.

Now that I have control over all my characters, the battles aren't as annoying and I am so much more willing to go on. Even if I get a game-over at the end, I've only got myself to blame.

Actually, there are more reasons I can't finish the old PS2 version, click "read more" to be spoiled. Or leave it to order, or even better, play your game now.


Memento Mori - remember that you will die... means that you will die no matter what. There are three ways of dying, gameover during a battle, selecting a wrong path during a game event and... well, winning the game.

You just, die.

Actually, this is a selling point, I don't remember where I've read it, but on some guide/art book, the director said that parting is a big thing that teenagers are going through and this is one of the games that gives you the most realistic experience. (take this with a grain of salt, as I've read it a year ago and I no longer have the book near me.)

Going through all that trouble, battling all those shadows just so you can die (or fall into a coma) on a pretty girl's lap just doesn't add up. If its about death and rebirth, fine. However, it's not, in P3 FES, you're officially dead and the spotlight goes to Aegis (the pretty girl whose lap you fall "asleep" on).

I don't mind sad endings, I do read some tragedies, I just like to have a choice to live if I could.

Now I'm not sure if the girl-MC route in P3 PSP will give me this choice, but I'd like to try it out after I beat the game in the original guy-MC route. And at the mean time, I'll stop reading any spoilerific material.

Uncharted 2 - As good as it gets?

So yeah, I'm a big Uncharted fan and I've managed to have some time to play the sequel lately, and it is superb. It does top everything from the first game. Graphics, story, music, gameplay, you name it! Not an easy job when the first game was so good. I remember when I played the first Uncharted, I thought it was the closest thing to playing a Hollywood movie and the bit with the German U-boat really amazed me and not many games do. Well, the sequel is even better and you have the added bonus of multiplayer added into the mix when the single player game alone is worth the admission price.

Modern Warfare 2 will really need to impress to dethrone Uncharted 2 as my game of the year. And please don't forget to pick up the first Uncharted if you haven't already, it's a classic at a budget price. I wonder if they'll be able to top this one with another sequel...it's gonna be tough. I thought Gears of War had a better single player experience than the first game, but if anyone can keep churning out better games, you can count on Naughty Dog to do it!

Rocket Knight Retro Game Sequel

It's great to see some classic retro games getting remakes or sequels with updated graphics and sound on Xbox Live and PSN. Apart from the new sonic game which looks to possibly be a real direct sequel to Sonic & Knuckles on the Genesis, we now have Sparkster from Rocket Knight Adventures to look forward to, 15 years after the original sequel. The game is set 15 years later and you'll enter the Kingdom of Zephyrus once more. The gameplay looks good, but the art style is a little different of the new game, I prefer the retro look. Anyway, check out the trailer and prepare for a 2010 release!

Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Demo Follow up

I've mentioned I don't play online much if at all. There are the rare exceptions such as Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm 2 and of course Uncharted 2 (hah, all sequels!). Anyway, after my brief play previously with the demo, I've now had a couple of hours worth of gaming time with it and I have to say it's really fun stuff. Well, three of the four modes are, there's one I got bored of quickly.

Deathmatch is excellent, but I'm a fan of team deathmatch and since I was in a party, I was automatically put in a team with my party members. First team to get the set number of kills, wins. Simple and fun.

Next on the list is objective. Again, being in a party led me to be in a team objective match, I'm not sure if this can be played with everyone being independent, I'm guessing not. There are two different types of objectives that I encountered, but there may be more in the full game. One is to capture nodes on the map. You need to stand at a node until it is captured with no enemies within range of the nod. This is the same as in Battlefield games. If your team captures all nodes, you win. It's a fun tug of war type objective. The other objective is capturing treasure and bringing it back to your treasure chest at your respective base. This is basically capture the flag and was very fun to play. You can throw the treasure (like a grenade or propane tank) if you need it to get across a gap or to a higher level and of course, you can't shoot if you're carrying it. But unlike capture the flag, where there are two flags (one for each team), the treasure is neutral and gunning down the carrier doesn't mean you can run up to the treasure and return it to it's original post. It lies on the ground waiting to be picked up again.

The third mode is my favorite. It's three player co-op in which you need to get to a certain area to find treasure and you'll fight bad guys together and do simple puzzles. It's like playing the singleplayer game and is excellent.

The final mode is the weakest of the lot. It's another three player co-op mode with an objective. As with the capture the treasure mode, you'll need to find the treasure and bring it back to your chest to complete the round. Waves of bad guys try to stop you from reaching your goal and each round gets progressively more difficult, but I find it much to repetitive and it gets boring quickly. It's a mode that I wouldn't bother playing ever again. In the co-op modes, you can also heal your partners if they've been mortally wounded, but you have a limited time to do so.

My only complaint is that unlike Killzone 2, players can't just jump in mid game if there are spots open from people quitting or there not being a full amount for that particular match. You need to wait to find and join a fresh game everytime, just like in Resistance 2. This wouldn't be so bad if there was something to do while you wait, but there isn't. And wait you will (at least in the demo), sometimes up to a few minutes before you join a match, but it's not too bad and maybe it will be shorter times in the full game. So there you have it, all the multiplayer modes in more detail.

All Japanese Music CDs are discounted at 10% in Play-Asia.com

This is as good a chance to try out some new music genres as ever. All Japanese music CDs on Play-Asia.com are available at a 10% discount. So get the new Arashi CD or try out some exotic Enka music. Who knows? you could be addicted to it after your first go.

All products that are available, including those that are currently , are discounted. As long as it's not a sold out Limited Edition, you can enjoy the price cut. Don't worry if you cannot grab the last Limited Edition of your favourite artist, you can preorder the next one, this deal applies to all preorders as well.

Browse around for things you like, to help you distinguish the products that are discounted, we will place a 10% off logo on the product page. Get the best out of the deal, use the credit card that gives you the most points and your Play-Asia coupons. No strings attached.

Please be aware, however, that the discount does not apply to shipments to Japan.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Multiplayer Demo

I tried the demo of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on PSN. It's multiplayer only but is very generous with what you get to try out. There are four different modes and all of them were fun. My favorite being the co-op mode where you need to find treasure. It's like playing the actual game, except you've got two other players and need to work together to take out the bad guys and get past certain places. There's deathmatch in there too of course. The game looks fantastic and the multiplayer mode is excellent from what I've played.

I highly recommend downloading the demo. I'm sure it will be a purchase for most PS3 owners.


"Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™, a pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who’s after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance, Drake will be forced to risk everything – but has his luck finally run out?"

Weekly Special - Terminator Salvation for Xbox 360

Did everyone see the movie? It wasn't the glorious return of Terminator people were hoping for, but I guess it was better than the crappy Terminator 3. Anyway, now's your chance to play as John Conner for the first time in a video game and at a bargain price to boot! Get it now for the low price of $24.90, that's a whole $20 saving!

It's region free and will work on all Xbox consoles and includes English, French, German, Italian and Spanish languages, so you can kick Skynet's ass in your own native language of choice. So get to it and start taking down those terminators. Oh and it's limited to two copies, so you can buy one for a friend to join the fight against our biggest threat.


"In Terminator Salvation the videogame, based on the upcoming Terminator Salvation film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures, players assume the role of John Connor, a soldier in the resistance, battling for survival against the far superior forces of Skynet.

Terminator Salvation the videogame is an intense action-packed third-person shooter featuring concentrated armed combat against all of the Skynet enemies from the film and new killer machines specifically designed for the game. Taking place two years before the events of the upcoming film set in a post apocalyptic, decimated Los Angeles, players will be lead through a visceral, story and character driven gaming experience.

Featuring intense third-person action, Terminator Salvation the videogame will take combat to the next level with iconic enemies, cinematic fight sequences and advanced weaponry, drawn directly from the film, as well as an innovative, multi-layered cover mechanic."