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PSP Fanboy review: Space Invaders Extreme
PSP Fanboy review: Secret Agent Clank
The premise of Secret Agent Clank is quite intriguing. Inexplicably, Ratchet has broken into a museum and has stolen the universe's largest diamond. But what's his intent? Secret Agent Clank is sent on the case. The experience of playing as Clank is similar to Ratchet, but there's a greater emphasis on stealth and gadgetry. Busting out the big guns simply won't work with Ratchet's diminuitive friend.
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PSP Fanboy review: Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2
Open Tee 2 expands upon the original Open Tee game by adding more courses, more customization options and the biggest selling factor, online Infrastructure gameplay. For those that are familiar with the franchise, these additions may be enough to warrant another purchase. However, those that want more than the series' traditional 3-click swing mechanic have no reason to upgrade from the already-excellent original Open Tee.
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PSP Fanboy review: Warriors Orochi
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PSP Fanboy review: FlatOut: Head On
At first, we were impressed by the trailers released for the title. However, we're sad to admit that Head On falls short of the visual fidelity found in its initial videos. Textures and environments are muddy, but even worse: the framerate suffers quite a bit through the experience. For a racing game, this is rather unacceptable. The questionable physics and grip of the cars does little but detract from a game that touts its destructible environments.
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PSP Fanboy review: Wild ARMs XF
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PSP Fanboy review: flOw
flOw is a rather accurate recreation of the PS3 title -- an impressive feat, considering the reduced processing capabilities of the handheld. Just like the PSN original, flOw will look and feel unlike anything else on the system. However, those that have played the original will find little reason to revisit the title, and many may find the technical shortcomings of this SuperVillian-developed effort to be an ebb to an otherwise engrossing experience.
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PSP Fanboy review: God of War: Chains of Olympus
The stuff that comes out of every game in the series has always been top notch, and Ready at Dawn's Chains of Olympus is no exception. The hard work put into Chains of Olympus makes us wonder if the developers themselves adhere to the hardened Spartan culture that they so skillfully instilled in Kratos. Like the strictly disciplined Spartans, do these developers kill off straggling animators, modelers, and ilk if production standards are sub par? We only jest of course, but their skill in game design is so analogous to Sparta's warriors it's hard not to try and draw parallels.
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PSP Fanboy review: Patapon
Combining gameplay from a wide swath of genres, developers Pyramid managed to create a game that is part rhythm-based, part RPG, and part RTS. It's not always easy for developers to successfully combine genres to create a greater whole, but Pyramid absolutely nailed it with Patapon. The resulting gameplay makes Patapon one of the most unique titles to come along in years, on any system -- not just the PSP.
You play the roll of a long missing deity to a tribe of big-eyed warriors, called Patapons, who have been banished from their land and have lost the will to fight. In order to help the Patapons regain their former glory and achieve their final hope of seeing the mysterious 'it' at the end of the world, they need you and your mighty war drums to whip them into shape and get them motivated for some serious combat.
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PSP Fanboy review: Need for Speed ProStreet
The offering is pretty standard-fare, but should more than satiate the basic needs of the car enthusiast. The career mode has players completing various challenges in each course. Many trials involve crossing the finish line first. However, there are a couple of modes that keep things interesting. There's Speed Trap, which has players attempting to reach the highest speeds possible at each checkpoint. There's no need to be in first: rather, players must smartly approach each gate in a way that'll allow them to get the highest speed. Sometimes, that means cutting corners, or taking turns in rather unconventional ways. It's an interesting mode that takes advantage of a different kind of strategy.
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PSP Fanboy review: Wipeout Pulse
Nearly three years later, Studio Liverpool finally returns to PSP with the next installment of the Wipeout franchise. Wipeout Pulse attempts to do the impossible: improve upon the formula they created with Pure. Undeniably, they have succeeded.
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PSP Fanboy review: Go! Puzzle
Go! Puzzle is an excellent addition to the PLAYSTATION Store and best exemplifies the kind of content we'd like to see through digital distribution in the future. Although the game is a direct port of a PS3 title, the pick-up-and-play puzzle gameplay of Go! Puzzle is a much more obvious fit with the handheld. At $5.99 for three puzzle games, Go! Puzzle is an excellent value.
When launcing Go! Puzzle off of the Memory Stick, players are greeted to a menu where they must select one of the three games available. Each game has its own menu and interface, making each game feel rather distinct from the other.
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PSP Fanboy review: Downstream Panic!
The basic gameplay of Downstream Panic! is simple to grasp, and the game does a terrific job of teaching players the core essentials throughout the game. Like any good puzzle game, the game is easy to learn, but hard to master. Like in Lemmings, players must use the various tools at their disposal to safely create a path for the adorably helpless fish. Players will have access to bombs, spears, growing plants, and more in an effort to safely navigate the shark-infested, trap-riddled world of Downstream Panic!
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PSP Fanboy review: Bomberman Land
(Yes, one of the mini-games in Bomberman Land is to roll toilet paper.)
There are a number of modes to play through, but the game's focus is its titular Bomberman Land mode. In this story-based journey, Bomberman is sent on a quest to save Bomberman Land by collecting various land pieces, 150 in total. By collecting the right land pieces, Bomberman will be able to unlock more parts of this inexplicably sunken world. To make matters worse, the denizens of this land have seemingly undergone collective amnesia, and will only bestow the "Piece King" (that's you, by the way) a piece when he completes one of the game's 50 mini-games.
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PSP Fanboy review: Pursuit Force Extreme Justice
Extreme Justice is the sequel to the original Pursuit Force which many thought to be too challenging. Extreme Justice is still quite tricky, but has been toned down to make for a more accessible experience.
The game is also nice and long, especially for a handheld title. The mission-based structure splits the entire experience up into five acts, with a total of thirty missions during the entire story mode. These are then replayable in Bounty mode and Challenge mode, in order to elongate the game even more. Of course, Ad-Hoc multiplayer adds even more to do.
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