Posts by Andrew Yoon at PSP Fanboy

Andrew Yoon
New York, NY - http://www.pspfanboy.com

After a fairly lengthy stint as a Community Manager, maintaining websites for Konami, Square, Namco, and others, I became absorbed by the Joystiq crew, and ~~work~~ blog full-time. As the lead PlayStation writer, you'll see my work prominently on PSP and PS3 Fanboy, although I contribute to all the other Joystiq sites as well. As a big anime fan, you'll notice that I'm also the managing video game critic at Anime News Network.

Noteworthy games: Ikaruga (DC), Pokemon (GB), Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64), Half-Life 2 (PC), Metal Gear Solid (PS), God of War II (PS2), Resident Evil 4 (GC), Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA), Otogi (XB), Chrono Trigger (SNES), Gitaroo-Man Lives! (PSP), Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (DS), Gears of War (360), Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii), Super Stardust HD (PS3)
Currently playing/reviewing:
Hot Shots Golf 5 (PS3), Persona 3 (PS2), Jeanne d'Arc (PSP), Metroid Prime 3 (Wii), Bioshock (360)

EMAIL: andrew @ joystiq .com

PS3 and PSP versions of UNO coming to PlayStation Network

Posted Jan 9th 2009 1:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Store

The popular card game UNO is getting PS3 and PSP adaptations, courtesy of GameLoft. The two versions will be available on the PlayStation Store. Both versions will be available some time this year.

Michel Guillemot, president of Gameloft, said: "UNO is one of the most recognized card games in the world and we are excited to extend it beyond mobile and onto a whole host of console executions."

[Thanks, David B.!]

Resistance Retribution continues to astound

Posted Jan 8th 2009 10:23PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Resistance

Click to start gallery.

SCEA had Resistance Retribution on display at this year's CES. Bend Studios has managed to tap into the PSP in a way never seen before. Of course, graphics are one thing -- the story of Retribution looks to be quite satisfying, especially for Resistance fans. Bridging the gap between the first and second games on PS3, the story looks nothing short of epic. You'll have to check it out, after the break.

Gallery: Resistance Retribution

Continue reading Resistance Retribution continues to astound

Red Sox Dustin Pedroia declared MLB 09 cover athlete

Posted Jan 8th 2009 11:00AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

Boston Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia will grace the cover of MLB 09, appearing exclusively on PS2, PS3 and PSP. The 2007 American League Rookie of the Year helped the Red Sox win their seventh World Series Title that year.

"Dustin Pedroia has made a tremendous impact on an already storied Boston Red Sox organization and was an integral part to their 2007 World Series victory," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President, Product Marketing, SCEA. "We are excited to have him become part of our MLB franchise, represent MLB 09 The Show, and join the impressive roster of MLB stars who have served as previous cover athletes."

This is the first video game to don Pedroia. Previous MLB cover stars include Vladimir Guerrero, David Wright, Eric Chavez, Troy Glaus, Shawn Green, Adam Dunn and teammate David Ortiz.

Sony Asia introduces two new colors

Posted Jan 8th 2009 9:02AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

There haven't been many color variations of the PSP-3000 series yet. That is, until now. Sony Asia has just revealed two new colors: Radiant Red and Vibrant Blue. Both models are part of a new series called "Carnival Color." No word on whether if these colors will make it to other territories. These two colorful systems will be available in Taiwan starting January 17th.

[Via PSPHyper]

SCRABBLE coming to PSP in March

Posted Jan 6th 2009 10:17AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

The beloved crossword game is coming to handhelds in March, courtesy of EA. SCRABBLE will feature three gameplay modes, including: Classic, which offers traditional play; Speed, where players race the clock; and, the new SCRABBLE SLAM card game. In SLAM, players must make four letter words in an attempt to get rid of all their cards.

There will be six difficult levels, including a Training mode, which offers six training exercises. There will also be multiplayer features.

SCRABBLE is expected to retail for $30.

Gallery: SCRABBLE

PSP games to look for in 2009

Posted Jan 5th 2009 8:36PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Software

PSP has no games? WRONG. The dreadful PSP games drought is over, my friends. 2009 has barely begun, and we already know of more than a dozen titles to look for this year. And trust us, there are even more games coming that just haven't been announced. LocoRoco 2, Resistance Retribution, Phantasy Star Portable, Dissidia ... the list keeps on going. In fact, it keeps on going here.

PSP is a 'huge opportunity' for edutainment dev

Posted Jan 5th 2009 10:49AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

Marco Minoli, one of the guys responsible for The History Channel's Great Battles of Rome game, sees the future of his company on PSP. Speaking to GI.biz, he says "the PSP version gave us the best results. That's why we really keep pushing the PSP now, it's perfect for us, for our strategy of history and strategy."

Slitherine Software will continue working on educational video games, a genre Minoli thinks is expanding. As the company moves forward, PSP will continue to be in their sights. "To be very honest nobody's looking at the PSP as a huge opportunity at the moment, and I really think there is a huge opportunity there. I've seen sales charts for some territories now and a top ten PSP game sells more than a top ten Nintendo DS game," he added.

PSP Game of the Year, as chosen by other media outlets

Posted Jan 2nd 2009 11:04AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Fan Stuff

While the PSP library was rather small this year, it still had a number of high quality gems (all released in the first half of 2008). The diversity of PSP's library is reflected in the diversity of critic's choices for their PSP Game of the Year. We chose God of War, but other outlets had differing ideas.

GamePro chose Patapon as handheld GOTY. "This hasn't been the best year for portable systems, but there were a few bright spots. The PSP, surprisingly, garnered 75 percent of the vote."
GameTrailers chose God of War: Chains of Olympus. "It has it all. And it has it on the go."
GameSpot chose Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. "The ending is also one of the most emotional moments in gaming, and the ability to achieve this level of storytelling on the PSP is an incredible feat. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is not only one of the best games on the PSP, but it's one of the best role-playing games we've seen in a long time."
GameSpy chose God of War: Chains of Olympus. "Ready at Dawn's graceful touch makes Chains of Olympus feel like a real handheld experience rather than a PS2 game with a smaller screen and longer load times."
IGN chose Patapon. "It's just pure, simple, unadulterated fun, and it's fun that quickly spirals into outright addiction as more commands and unit types are unlocked throughout the course of the game."

amazon.com offers 'early access demo' of Resistance Retribution

Posted Jan 2nd 2009 10:19AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Resistance

Do you want to play Resistance Retribution? The upcoming third person shooter is coming to PSP very soon -- although if you want an early hands-on, you'll have to pre-order the game. A pre-order bonus demo is hitting amazon.com. Pre-order through January 12th, and you'll get access to the demo. For hardcore Resistance fans, demos are a dish best served as soon as possible.

[Via PlayStation Boards]

A look back: our predictions for 2008

Posted Dec 30th 2008 7:09PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

PSP Fanboy has been making predictions every year for the last two years now. We found incredible success the first time around. Did we strike gold in 2008? Let's find out.

PSP Prediction #1: New limited edition PSP bundles with high-profile games and peripherals.
"SCEA will release a special gold PSP-2000 system that includes God of War: Chains of Olympus and a Memory Stick for $200." Yes! We got that one right ... almost The God of War bundle came with a red PSP and -- we guessed it -- retailed for $200. Unfortunately, we were wrong that "Sony will release a PSP system bundled with GPS in the US." Drats.

PSP Prediction #2: The PSP Store will debut a huge franchise exclusively for download.
The PlayStation Store was successfully launched this year, so we get that right. The Store includes Network-exclusive games like Syphon Filter and Super Stardust Portable. They're not "huge" games, but they're still pretty big titles. Japan has also fully embraced the Store, offering all first-party titles as downloadable games.

PSP Prediction #3: Square Enix will bring tons of PS1 love to PSP.
"PSP fans will find that Square Enix will resurrect many of its long-forgotten PS1 franchises back to the PSP." We were right about that one ... but only in Japan. However, Square Enix showed some more love for PSP by moving games like Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Agito XIII to our favorite handheld.

Continue reading A look back: our predictions for 2008

Disgaea 2 port features tons of enhancements

Posted Dec 30th 2008 9:54AM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Disgaea

Considering the effort that was put into the first Disgaea game on PSP, it's no surprise that so much is being added in the upcoming PSP port of Disgaea 2. Nippon Ichi's cult SRPG hit will be getting all sorts of new content. Players can expect a new chapter for Axel, and new party members. There's new weapons skills for the bow and the spear, and a new magic spell.

In addition to the added content, the PSP version of Disgaea 2 will also feature enhancements to the gameplay to make it easier to play on the go. Your characters will be able to move faster than before, and menus will be adjusted to make it easier to find characters, items and magic. A new camera system will also be implemented.

All in all, it looks like PSP fans are in for a treat. Check out the official Japanese site for screenshots.

[Via PSPHyper]

'Whole slew of downloadable PSP and PSone titles' coming from Capcom in 09

Posted Dec 27th 2008 5:22PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: News

Is the game drought over? We hope so. Capcom's John Diamonon hinted at increased PSP support in 2009 in a recent post on the PlayStation.Blog. "So what's in store for 09? Well, I'm working with Grace and Ro at SCEA to come up with some innovative ways we can offer games and programs on the PlayStation Store. You can expect to see a whole slew of downloadable PSP and PSone titles from our vault next year."

Capcom has released a number of great PSP games which we'd love to see re-released on the PlayStation Store. Mega Man Powered Up, anyone? However, their PSone offerings have us even more excited. Let's not forget that they released Breath of Fire, Marvel vs. Capcom, a whole slew of Mega Man games, Resident Evil and Street Fighter games during the PSone era. Having them on the go would be perfect.

PSP Fanboy Game of the Year 2008 nominations

Posted Dec 25th 2008 3:30PM by Andrew Yoon

Although PS3 Fanboy is featuring awards for multiple categories this year, PSP Fanboy is having just one award this year: Best PSP Game of 2008. We decided that there weren't enough games on the PSP this year to warrant having multiple categories. We're hopeful that 2009 will look a little bit different, though.

These are our nominations for Best PSP Game of 2008. However, we'd love your input as well. Simply choose the game you want and leave a comment for your favorite game this year.

Winners will be declared on December 29th.

PSP Game of the Year 2008

And for fun, you may want to check out last year's winners.

LocoRoco 2 hits the US this February

Posted Dec 24th 2008 1:15PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Loco Roco

After such a tiring localization process (from English to ... er, English), LocoRoco 2 will be available in the US this February. The blubbery fellows are finally coming back to the PSP with tons of enhancements over the original title. Watch for it on UMD on February 10th, 2009.

[Thanks, Alex L.!]

Dissidia's ridiculously epic intro movie

Posted Dec 21st 2008 10:00PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: Final Fantasy, Video

Dissidia has graced Japan and it won't be long until the rest of the world will be able to join in. As expected, the CG intro to the Final Fantasy mash-up is epic -- perhaps more so than we could have possibly imagined. Watch all the heroes and villains battle in one super-battle will make any fanboy or girl squeal. Fanfic writers, this is the stuff of legends.

Check it out, after the break.

Continue reading Dissidia's ridiculously epic intro movie

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