The PlayStation TV, Sony’s microconsole that plays certain PlayStation Vita and PSP games directly on your TV, apart from also playing PSOne Classics, PlayStation Minis, and PlayStation 4 games via Remote Play, is finally going to be launching North American territories on October 14 2014, which means that some 700 odd games, spread over select PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Mini, and PlayStation One games, will be playable on this new hardware. Add to that the usefulness of the Remote Play function, which means it can also basically play every single game on your PS4 on a different TV in the house,, and you can see why it’s so useful.

Of course, it has one other use. Do you know what that is? Yeah, that’s right, you can finally play Persona 4 Golden on the TV. That’s amazing right there, and warrants a purchase all on its own!

PlayStation TV will be available in two variants- $99.99 for the standalone system, or $139.99 for the bundle that includes a Wireless Controller (DualShock 3), 8GB memory card, and The LEGO Movie Videogame. For a limited time, you can find an exclusive PS TV bundle at Walmart, which comes with everything in the PS TV bundle plus Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, also for $139.99.

Honestly, if you already own a PlayStation 4, this seems like a good purchase to me, and a way to further enhance your experience of the PlayStation ecosystem. Will you be picking one up?

And now, a year later, it’s been released for the PS3, PSP and PS Vita via the PS Minis program. Is it good? Of course it is. It hasn’t changed one bit. But does it make sense? Not really. Does it have flaws? Yes, yes it does.

But let’s talk about what the game is exactly about first- you play Jetpack Joyride using just one button. The X button. You use it to power your machine gun powered jetpacks and hover above obstacles and lazers and enemies, and shoot them with your machine gun jetpack’s bullets as you go over them. It’s a simple enough concept, as it should be, but mastering it takes time, since the game speeds up as you move forward, to the point it becomes breakneck and you eventually, inevitably die.

It’s gratifying and fun, and maneuvering around the arenas and trying to make high scores and then consequently beat them is highly enjoyable, and due to this simple yet fun nature of the game, you can easily come back to it again and again. The extra objectives that the game gives you the option to tackle while playing- like hovering a specific amount of meters of collecting a specific number of coins- makes it even more fun.

But there’s an issue- there are no leaderboards. Sure, creating high scores and beating them is fun, and having no leaderboards isn’t an issue as long as you’re playing it on the same device with friends, but it takes away a lot of competitive edge and the game loses some replay value, thanks to this. Leaderboards seem like a logical and basic feature that a game such as Jetpack Joyride should have, and their omission is baffling.

There’s also the fact that the game is priced at $3.99. You could buy this game for free on your Android and iOS devices, and the visuals don’t appear as stretched on them as they do here (not that they matter in such a game), but here, you have to pay for what is arguably an inferior version.

And why exactly would you pay for a game that you can play for free on your mobile phone or your iPod? It makes no sense.

So yes, Jetpack Joyride on the PlayStation systems has a few issues, and I wouldn’t recommend buying it if you have an iOS or Android device. But it’s still an enjoyable experience that you can keep coming back to.

This game was reviewed on the PS3. 

The trailer above shows plenty of interesting gameplay bits and pieces, showing features that look pretty enjoyable.

BreakQuest: Extra Evolution will have plenty of new features- unlockable shuttles, new Energy Shield mechanics and a lot more. The video above shows plenty of those new features too.

The game is available now for $3.99.

Tell us if you will be buying it in your comments below!

Beatshapers has announced that it will be releasing a sequel to its 2009’s BreakQuest, BreakQuest: Extra Evolution for the PS3, PSP and PS Vita on the PS Store via the PS Minis program next week, €3.99 in Europe and $3.99 in the US.

Some of the many new features the game will have are- 100 new levels; 10 new bosses, each with their special attacks; new space shuttles, each equipped with their special weapons; new energy shield mechanics which will help the player control the ball and will also include an endless Gravity energy; 21 achievements for players to unlock in-game; new power-ups and bonuses; new music tracks composed by the SandS band.

“BreakQuest: Extra Evolution is an unusual game: from one side it’s a full sequel to BreakQuest, one of the best block-breaking and genre defining games licensed to us by its creator, Nurium Games but from another side its completely new game which incorporates our vision and based on our inspiration from playing original BreakQuest.” said Alexey Menshikov, CEO and founder of Beatshapers. “What we made is took best game and design elements of original BreakQuest and rebuilt it from the ground using today’s approach to the genre.”

Breakout was an incredible hit, and now, for modern audiences, the game returns again, slightly tweaked, by developers Beatshapers, notable for porting hits from other platforms (mostly iOS) to Sony’s Playstation Mini program. Under the new moniker of ‘Wizorb,’ the classic formula returns yet again, and the game remains as captivating to play as it ever was, with some notable concessions made to modern audiences and gaming trends.

And I’m not talking about the graphics or the sound either- the original Breakout was an arcade game displayed on a monochromatic screen, with with colored plastic pasted over it, so that it might seem to have some color, so obviously the new game looks better. And it definitely sounds better than its primitive progenitor. As a matter of fact, it looks and soundsgreat. It has a neat, polished, curved look to it, with bright colors and quirky music, looking and sounding like something of a mid era SNES game.

But no, the graphics and the sound were not the concessions to modern audiences that I was talking about. Rather, I was referring to some gameplay changes and tweaks, that many purists will probably balk at, but objectively are probably made for the better.

The problem is, the original Breakout is an old game. It was made for a different era. We’re talking about a game made when arcades were still the primary method of video game consumption, a game made when a single knob for game control was considered groundbreaking, a game made for black and white screens with plastic pasted over them, to save costs. It was a different time, a different world. Most notably, made for the arcades as it was, the game was designed to maximize the number of quarters it could reasonably extract from any player, and thus, its gameplay and difficulty balance was what we can only say was a wee bit unfair (something that later ports and clones almost surprisingly failed to fix).

Wizorb fixes all that. It has some notable gameplay changes, such as more varied levels that really challenge the player to think about how he wants the ball to bounce off the bricks, while dodging dangerous obstacles and bricks. For instance, Wizorb provides the player with magic powers: there’s an explosion that takes stuff out in the vicinity, the ability to redirect your ball using controllable gusts of wind, great for reaching otherwise inaccessible bricks, and the ability to directly control your ball itself for a while; and all of this is governed by a magic meter, which can be refilled using a magic potion. The potion isn’t always available, though, so this demands a special kind of game balance that is achieved. It also demands some thought and planning from the player.

Other changes include the introduction of gold coins that the bricks often release, which are risky to collect, but yield high rewards. The game’s premise, which exists solely to justify constant brick breaking, involves a kingdom under attack, and a wizard breaking bricks to save it and rebuild it. Collecting gold coins will enable you to have enough currency to donate later to rebuild the kingdom, one brick, one house, at a time.

There is also a newfangled control scheme that is probably the most intuitive analog controller implementation ever seen for such a game, which allows for precise control over the paddle, and consequently, the ball, as well as some RPG elements thrown in just for good measure, such as the aforementioned town rebuilding. There are boss battles, there are enemies on screen that you can shoot at, secret passages and hidden shops in every level where you can buy power ups with your gold, as well on level items like power ups and healing potions, that are either static, and thus must be aimed for, or dropped by hit blocks.

All in all, then, Wizorb is the best new age implementation of the classic brick breaking genre that I have ever seen. Nostalgia dictates that I must by necessity find Breakout better, because Breakout is the game I grew up on. However, by any objective standard possible, Wizorb outdoes Breakout, and it does a great job at modernizing the concept for today’s day and age.

At $6? It is definitely recommended.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.

Hungry Giraffe  was commercially successful, with over 100,000 downloads worldwide.

We recently reviewed the game and appreciated some of its features.

Laughing Jackal have also provided some gameplay footage of the Minis version in action:

Our editor Kartik said about the game: “The game has a solid and enjoyable foundation, and you can pick it up and play it whenever you feel like and have tons of fun with it. It’s that kind of game. The visuals are charming and pleasant to look at, and the soundtrack is nice. ”

About Hungry Giraffe:

A 20 foot tall, 1200kg giraffe needs a ton of food each day just to survive. But, oh no! All the tastiest leaves have been eaten, while up in the sky endless streams of snacks, fruit and junk food hover just out of reach! Can you propel our long-necked, half-starved critter on his twisty-turny upward journey? Hungry Giraffe is the greatest giraffe-feeding game of all time! Dare you miss out?

Laughing Jackal have today announced that their PlayStation Mini game Hungry Giraffe will be coming to the European PSN store a week earlier than originally planned on February 1, exclusively and free for PlayStation + users, before going on general release on the 15 February priced at £2.49 (€3.49).

Here’s a new trailer of the game:

Laughing Jackal’s latest PlayStation minis title, Orbit, will launch on the 6th December in North America and the 7th December in Europe for PlayStation Plus members who will be able to pick it up for free for two weeks, after which it will go on general release for the price of £2.49 / $3.49.

By collecting the money mysteriously floating in orbit around the planets, you’ll give the project a cash boost, upgrading shonky systems and gaining new ships to move beyond the Moon.

Laughing Jackal have announced that their arcade-action puzzler, Cubixx HD, will be on sale in Europe between the 16th and 30th of November for the price of €3.99 / £3.19, as part of Sony’s Trial and Unlock sale.

Cubixx HD was one of the better PSN games we played this year. In  our review this is what our Editor said about it:

“A classic retro title given a modern day revamp… and it works really well. Maintaining all of the addictive qualities of its predecessors, Cubixx HD is a great game solo or with friends.”

The game is, unsurprisingly, about hunting various breeds of dinosaur. There is no story involved, with the game instead just dumping you into a series of maps with a variety of weapons with which you must hunt a plethora of prehistoric lizards. It sounds simple and quick, but this belies the core of what Dinosaur Hunter really is.

The game is presented in first person shooter fashion, with players tasked at hunting and killing a specific type of dinosaur for points. More dangerous carnivores net higher points, and these earnings can be used to buy new maps and further upgrade your repertoire of dino slaying toys. Said weaponry offers a pleasing level of variety, but they all feel a little hollow. Without any particularly satisfying sound effects and weight to accompany each shot, it all feels a bit empty and unsatisfying; a feeling that would sadly dog my time with Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter in general.

The upgrades give the game a pleasing depth, but going after them isn’t as addictive as you’d think

The general action of Dinosaur Hunter is pretty impressive. Having been used to little more than Tetris and Breakout clones ganging the Minis section of the Playstation Network, the open maps and 3D visuals of Dinosaur Hunter are a real step up. Whilst the scope of the graphics is a milestone for the platform, there is a serious issue of repetition that seeps into the game’s visuals and gameplay. From a graphical standpoint the maps, whilst numerous enough, all feel samey. The textures are flat throughout and, aside from the odd hill or pool of water, there is little geographical need to ever adapt your tactics in the game.

These same maps are a cause of the game’s pacing, which at times boarders on the excruciatingly slow. There just aren’t any definable elements that make the levels memorable or engaging, aside from many drops and hills. These don’t sound like such a big deal but, without a jump button, they become the constant bane of any players with a particular destination in mind. The lack of jumping is the first of a few control issues that felt niggling. The big one is the analogue stick issue. Being a FPS style game on PSP, Dinosaur Hunter maps the analogue nub to aiming with the face buttons used to move your character. I understand this was done to help with targeting sensitivity but, in an age where players are so used to using the right analogue stick to adjust aiming, this control method was a constant source of irritation. The option to aim with the face buttons would have greatly alleviated this problem, but regular console players used to dual stick controls will just have to be left out in the cold on this particular issue. The final killer to the game’s pace is speed. The movement speed of the game is slow. Too slow. Without a sprint feature or any kind of running pace, getting from A to B is a mind-numbing chore. There’s the option to relocate to different areas of the map but, without any kind of control over where you’re going, this is a poor excuse for the fast travel option this game so clearly needs.

The scale of the game is ahead of the competition, and the dinosaur AI impressive

I’ve focused a lot on the negatives so far, but that’s not to say that Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter is without positive qualities; quite the opposite in fact. The graphics have already been covered, but the sheer sense of scale is impressive for such a budget and portable title. Though the maps have their problems, they are big and expansive. Though there are pacing issues, the sheer feel of commandeering a decent hunting sim on the minis platform is pretty awesome. Not to mention the fact that the weapons, though lacking in weight and feel, offer enough variety within themselves to provide the game with a certain hidden depth. The dinosaur AI contributes to this particular element too, with your prey being able to track you with sight, sound and smell based on the direction of the wind.

There’s a lot of good to be had in Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter, especially for the price. That said, there’s just a certain something lacking. You keep slaying dinos for points and then spending them on new equipment to help you slay more reptilian ancestors for yet more points. It’s just a shame that the game’s technical successes aren’t enough to free it from the cycle of repetition that it falls into. That said, if you are a fan of the series or want a really cool mini hunting sim to distract you from time to time, Dinosaur Hunter has few enough flaws for them to be overlooked.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.