Metal Gear: Portable Ops £25 VirginMegastore

This is game I've been waiting far too long for and I can finally say it was worth it. It looks like a MGS3 on the PS2 graphically but minus all the swaying grass as this eems to be set on different bases. No longer does the game require you to just control Snake.

Now you use Snake to recruit other soldiers and send them in in teams, to gather recon, or just to recruit more. Makes this game feel a bit like MG:Pokemon as in gotta collect them all.

The controls are mapped quite well to the PSP but take a bit of playing with until you get used to not aiming in the wrong direction if your spotted. The FMV cutrscenes are now gone but replaced with animated comic book sections. Which work really well. It makes me want the Metal Gear Comic now. I'm only into the 4th mission but I'm starting to get the nack of it. I'll let you know what I think when I've played fully through and managed to get a game online.

NINJA EDIT: I've just discovered that there's a multiplayer only demo avaiable from yourpsp.com. Had a 3 player game on it last night and it works really well. It's given me the motivation to try and complete the game at least once before I go online and lose all the troops I've recruited.

Logic 3 PS2 pad adaptor for PS3 £10 VirginMegaStore

I'm not impressed with this at all. When I purchased it I asked about the box looking like it had already been opened I was told it hadn't. It clearly had. I asked if the adaptor would allow the Virbration fuction on the pads to work since Sony added the features back in on Firmware Ver1.7. It doesn't. What it does do is allow you to hook up PS2 pads to you PS3 and uses the Analogue button as The PS button. Which is a nice touch but sadly the only redeeming feature. Avoid as there's supposed to be an official version released this week.

4gamers - V-Stand with USB Hub £15 Virgin megastore

This isn't bad at all. It does exactly what it says it does and very well. It's a vertical stand that has blue LEDs all around it to give the machine a blue glow (which can be turned off) and also has 2 USB ports on the back. It uses one but gives you one back woo. So I've now got my Eye-Toy & wireless mouse hooked up to the back. Not essential but useful.

NINJA EDIT: I've had to remove the Eyetoy from the back to a front USB, as the PS3 wouldn't acknowledge it via the USB hub.

Version 3.50

Doesn't appear to add much but what it does add really helps the little system.

RSS Channel Guide: Basically launches pages that you can add as RSS channels and simply down load the content you want straight to your machince. I recommend having a look at the North America as it lets you into the US Playtation site with loads of RSS links. Meaning you can down load game demos and movie trailers.

Remote Play via the Internet: I've used Remote Play via my PS3's WI-Fi and via my router but now I can access the PS3 and control it from a Wi-Fi hotspot. I've had a quick test and it requires you to log into the PS3 with you PSN ID and password. The works like a it does normally.

Crush

A strange puzzle platfrom game were you have to navigate a player though a virtual world to collect marbles. This is done by changing perspective and the crushing. This cause everything to be on the same plane. ie if you crush from above then levels that were to high become flattened so you can wealk over them.

A nice idea but a hard game once you get into it.

Puzzle Bobble (Jap version)

Other than having to remember to press O instead of X to enter. This game is the arcade of my youth. Which I spent far too much money on and should really be far better than I am. If you've never played before you aim is to pop ballon that are of the same colour by firing baloons at them. Harder for me to explain that to play I promise. Not a bad game but a little to retro for me.

Sims2

I've not played this yet mainly due to the fact that for the last 3 days my gf has been playing it solidly. Not really my type of game but she seems to be well into it.

Well I managed to get a look at what the US Store has in comparison to the EU one. I know the US has had the machine longer but why do they have so much more stuff than us.

They’ve got loads of game / movie trailers we haven’t but the biggest shock was the number of demo and purchasable games.

It does give me some hope for the EU store with the fact that games do exist. I guess SCEE don’t want to flood the market yet.

The US store had the games I’m most interested in ie PS1 games that came be played on both the PS3 and PSP. Sadly as I don’t have a US credit card I could download any games for money but I did manage to get hold of all the US game demos…

Due to the games being made for US machines I had to run my TV in NTSC mode (60HZ) so they displayed in colour.

I’ll take them in reverse order of Piss poor or not interest to promising.

I really wanted to have a play on this but sadly the demo download and installs but says is corrupted when I try to run it. I downloaded it twice for the same problem to occur. Sadly I’ve not heard anyone say anything good about this game and sadly I have nothing to say about it yet.

Argh, a baseball game what a shock in the US store. I had one go on this and I’m sure it looks lovely and feels like baseball but I couldn’t even swing the bat. So I gave up.

A game that has you controlling a giant robot to destroy thing with. The only mech game I’ve played that I like was Koj’s: Zone of Enders (ZoE). And this is far from being that game apat from the graphics which look like a PS2 game in parts. I lost interest very quickly.

Well this was a surprise not only does it give you a taste for the game offline but there is also a level online. From the quick blast I had it feels like the bastard child of Burnout & Twisted Metal. Not bad but I need to have a few more plays before I can tell you exactly what I think.

Another surprise in the US Store a Basketball game. This is really a rather nice game to both play and look at. Sadly I got trounced 66 to 12 in my first game. I aim to have a bash with a few more human players to see what I think. Basketball has never really been my favourite sport but this play well and looks lovely.

WOW. This game is nice and rather bloody too. The first thing that strikes me is that this feels like a next gen game. The speed and the graphics are quality. The game is a hack and slash of the Ninja variety and works really well. The demo gives you the 1^st level and boss. Which after a couple of attempts I completed. Which gives you a go with the other playable character. The trick seems to be with this is to guard and roll or flip out of attacks by enemies and they attack them when they’re open.

Not sure when this is getting a UK release but the review I’ve read seem to really like it.

The UK store has had a few things added to it over the last few weeks. Mainly classics being added. QBert (No thanks), Joust (Online play but no thanks), Rampart (Now it looks like they’re taking the piss). Even at less than £2 each I’m not buying these.

Friday saw the addition of a few more worthy titles. Rampage (A rebuffed classic that I wanna play so bad) for £1.99. Calling All Cars (Cell shaded Micro-machines anyone?) £4.99. There are also a couple of PS1 games on there including WipeOut and Crash Bandicoot for £3.49 each. These game are supposed to be transferable to the PSP for playing.

According to Sony’s main site the PS3 version of Tekken 5: D.R. is going to be getting a free update for those who’ve already purchased it. By all accounts it adds back the features that were in the PSP game (ie Practice and survival). Whilst adding the most amazing thing. Online play with by all accounts full chatting abilities). I’ll let you know when it’s downloadable and when I’m available for a butt kicking. Amazing news and makes the £7.99 seem like a bargain.