PS Vita Thread 2.0: Twice as bright, just as long

Okay I'm pretty stacked with games for the foreseeable future but one game I'm going to try and hunt down is P4 Golden. Never played P4 before but I've heard amazing things and its pretty cheap. I missed out on a crazy deal but I'm sure something will turn up soon. So with P4 and the PS+ games in the wild, this is a decent purchase already.

I finally got Hotline Miami and Guacamelee for my Vita :D

@The_Last_Ride: I downloaded the PS3 version of Hotline Miami first, and the controls suck. I'll try the Vita version later and hope it's better.

If you don't have the exact perfectly aimed angel when attacking somebody, it's easy to miss even close up. You know the controls are messed up when you're face to face with an enemy and shoot at them with a shotgun up close and miss, only to be killed with a crow bar.

Since the Vita only has two shoulder buttons, it might work better than the horrible L2/R2 buttons on the PS3 controller.

I've had the Vita for all of two days and already there has been a great update that really improves the friends list and what feels like snappier menus. They also added PS4 remote play, first thing I did was place the icon in the first apps screen.

I'm really loving the hardware, it really is the most sexy device ever. The screen is so orgasmic I am regretting not buying the thing new because the little imperfections are bothering me. Regarding the controls, I find them a bit awkward. I find that if I turn the Vita upside down, the analog sticks at the top are actually more comfortable, they should have done that instead. Even the way the top intrudes would be perfect if there were triggers up there. Seriously try it, turn the thing upside down and its brilliant.

I also wanted to ask about PJMonsters. Does anyone know when the PS+ deal expires? Its currently free and I definitely want it for the new levels I missed out on.

@F1Lengend:

I'm not sure I understand your question, but if space is an issue, start to download the PJM and cancel the download. From that point forward you can redownload it whenever you have the space, as long as you are subscriber to PS Plus.

Anyway, I decided to start posting LBP PS Vita levels in this thread.

Binary Expander is a great educational level (I'm as surprised as you). You are given a big number then you have to pick a selection of little numbers whose totals add up to the big number. As you work on the problem a spiked ceiling descends towards your character (it rises a bit when one solves a problem). At first my attitude was 'Cool concept, but its so easy its math for babies!' but it quickly gets more complicated and I confess the game beat me. No good screenshot on LBP.me but I'll take one myself and post it sometime doday. Binary Expander is the sort of crazy but well executed concept I've come to expect from the LBP community and I highly recommend this to everyone.

http://vita.lbp.me/v/946k0

Interkinectic despite its name doesn't require you to shout and wave at the screen. It is a port of one of the PS3 LBP's best clockwork levels (my term for very complex levels which use lots of real gears and suchlike to move stuff around rather than relying on the magic that LBP makes it possible for creators to employ) and people who never played the original should check it out (people who played the original don't need me to tell them to check it out). Once again, highly recommended.

http://vita.lbp.me/v/cmddq

if it is clunky on the ps3 i can always play it on the Vita

The game in the video above (I screwed up when I was inserting videos into this post :) ) is Doki Doki Universe, a charming game about a robot who needs to learn what it means to be human to avoid the scrapyard. It is hitting the PSV, PS4 and PS3 this December. I'm expecting great things not only because the game looks and sounds wonderful, but because its made by the guys who gave the world Genesis Classic Toe Jam and Earl. The game is all about travelling from planet to planet and talking to people (everybody has a problem and you have a couple different ways to respond each time). The game and the people you deal with judge you based on the choices you make. Below is its E3 presenation.

Here is a nice interview with Media Molecule about Tearaway (as one might expect, some lovely gameplay footage is mixed in). Cannot wait for this game.

The designer of Assassin's Creed Liberation (a game with some nasty bugs, but once which had a strong female protagonist) recently gave a speech about how/why designers should include more women in games. As the father of two daughters who seem to be drawn towards games where they can play as girls (Gravity Rush, LBP and The Puppeteer spring to mind) I agree. Still, if one wants to play a high quality free roamer starring a female character, one should play Gravity Rush.

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/204101/Want_interesting_women_in_video_games_There_are_binders_full_of_them.php

In a talk at GDC Next in Los Angeles on Tuesday titled “Binders Full of Women: Diversifying Feminine Archetypes in Games," Ubisoft Quebec narrative design director Jill Murray explained why she believes that the role of female characters can (and will) change in the years to come.

Murray, who worked on Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and ACIV’s upcoming Freedom Cry DLC, believes “the future of games will feature a representative balance of complex, interesting characters of each sex and gender.” Her talk was “less of a call to action and more of a prediction that by including women well in our games, we will move beyond common archetypes and find new inspiration for a greater variety of game stories.”

Media Molecule's Tearaway is almost here. Scores range from 8-9something but they all seem to say the same thing, that its a game which encourages novel interactions with the beautiful, highly customizable world but the main character's attacks (only half the attacks since the player directly takes a hand, so to speak) are surprisingly traditional. Another complaint is that it only takes 5-7 hours to beat. For people on the fence, a demo is going to hit alongside the main game this Friday.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/11/20/tearaway-arrives-this-friday-on-ps-vita-watch-the-launch-trailer/

Destructoid 9.5

http://www.destructoid.com/review-tearaway-266048.phtml

Following in the footsteps of my other favorite Vita game, Gravity Rush, there’s even a bizarre, surrealist third act that is all kinds of reality warping. It goes from eerily quiet and desolate to a shimmering desert that’s equal parts Journey and the Simpsons episode where Homer hallucinates in the desert on chiles and goes on a spiritual journey with a coyote voiced by Johnny Cash. Without getting too spoiler heavy, the tale reaches a surprisingly poignant, affirming end. I was left misty eyed.

The game is such a technical and artistic marvel, not unexpected from the inventive team that made LittleBigPlanet. That love of creation shines through. You can outfit your messenger with pieces and parts you buy with in-game funds, or go crazy and carve unique things out of paper yourself. The camera is surprisingly fleshed out. You can even unlock instructions for paper craft models you can make in real life.

IGN 9.3

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/20/tearaway-review

Tearaway is a joy. Whether it was a riding a pig towards the sunset or playing basketball with a super-powered accordion, it never failed to make me smile. It sincerely believes that imagination really is the most important faculty, and in turn, succeeded in transporting me back to a time when I built strange worlds equipped with nothing but crayons and card. It does this by using every aspect of the Vita, crafting an experience that I can’t imagine being realised elsewhere. It might be short, but it’s very special. Please come back soon, Iota.

Eurogamer 8.0

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-20-tearaway-review

Tearaway also understands the importance of seeing your creations at work. One of the first things you're asked to do is make a crown for the Squirrel King. When you encounter him again, hours later, he's still wearing it - every wonky line and imperfect snip on proud display. Hardly a feat of programming genius, but a personal touch that wraps you in the game's snug embrace all the more securely. Every mark you leave on the world gets its moment to shine. You'll design snowflakes that then fill the screen in a papery blizzard, and draw flames that appear in every subsequent fire. If Tearaway has a deeper message, it's that in life as in the game, this is your world, your story; a canvas to be filled.

Gamespot 8.0

http://www.gamespot.com/tearaway/

One early section sees you riding an energetic pig through a valley--an everyday task for many, I'm sure, apart from the fact that the pig can be altered before you start. Give it four eyes, a Santa Claus beard, and an oversized crown of gold and gems, or simply give it fangs. A hedonist pig... a vamporker... nothing is out of bounds. Remember that you're not just the protagonist; you're the god of this world, and a pig will look how you want it to look. Your all-powerful status extends to gameplay that makes full and excellent use of the Vita's unique features. Many past Vita games have failed to implement the handheld's touch capabilities and tilt functions in any meaningful way. Thankfully, Tearaway never feels gimmicky or anything less than an excellent example of incorporated design.

Edge 9.0

http://www.edge-online.com/review/tearaway-review/

Tearaway is a game that blurs the lines between real and virtual, one that takes to dizzying new heights the concept of putting the player in the game. The cutting mat might be the highest of the lot. You’ll encounter it first when the king of a local squirrel colony has lost its crown and asks you to make a replacement. You select a square of coloured paper, tap the pencil icon, and set to work against a jaunty ukelele soundtrack. Tap the scissor icon and it will cut along the dotted line you’ve drawn, then you drag the waste paper off to the side. After that, the squirrel asks for jewels. We’re no master jeweller at the best of times, least of all when drawing with an adult index finger, but when our ramshackle creation appears in the game, it somehow fits. The effect is striking. We made that.

Yet even without our input, Tearaway’s world is beautiful. Screenshots can only tell you so much – they can’t show you the way that waves are made of sheets of paper that unfurl like party streamers. They can’t convey the sticky inertia of setting foot on the brushed swirls of glue that let you walk up walls, the wavy sway of parchment plant life, or the way fabric tears as you drag your finger along the rear touch panel to bring a distant platform within reach. Tearaway’s world may be made of dead matter, but it ripples with life from the minute you first set foot in Valleyfold right through to the end, when Iota’s journey to your solar throne completes and the two of you are rewarded with one of the sweetest closing sequences you’ll have seen in years.

A few bits of PSV news are that PS Vita TV and the PSV combined for sales of 88K in Japan for the week ending November 17th. The Vita (at 46K) sold the lion's share of those copies. Its worth noting that God Eater 2 (one of the more popular of the Vita's many Monster Hunter knockoffs) hit that week.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/11/20/ps-vita-tv-and-ps-vita-explode-in-japan-media-create-hardware-charts-sell-88000-units/

3DS LL – 47,852

Vita - 46,350

Vita TV – 42,172

3DS – 22,250

Wii U – 15,906

PS3 – 12,019

PSP – 4,353

Wii – 518

Xbox 360 – 404

I've been reading over reviews of the Vita TV and it seems most people are pleasantly surprised that picture quality isn't that badly compromised by playing on a TV.

One of the biggest gripes is the 'Topics' App which is always active (you can't get rid of it) and takes up one of your active app slots. Whenever you close an app you are booted back to Topics (which is basically a panel with filled with adverts).

Others have noted that, unlike the PS3, you have to pair the DS3 to the Vita TV everytime you use it. Kind of annoying.

The Vita TV also doesn't have a functioning Youtube app at this point in time (which is annoying given that it can play video fine through the web browser).

Tearaway is out today (going to check PSN when I can to see if the download is up). Here's a European tv commercial and a couple screenshots. The link below contains all of Tearaway's trailers.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/11/22/tearaway-out-today-on-ps-vita/

Recently Sony released gameplay footage of futuristic Monster Hunter knockoff Freedom Wars.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/11/21/ps-vita-exclusive-freedom-wars-gets-first-spectacular-gameplay-video-and-key-art/

Sony is going to be bundling together a PS4 and a PSV. That's cool if Sony can keep up supplies of the normal PS4 but problematic if people who want PS4 but not Vita find themselves having to choose between getting a system they want along with a portable they don't and not getting a PS4.

http://www.destructoid.com/report-ps4-vita-ultimate-bundle-dropping-in-december-266189.phtml

So I just realized that the march release date for FFX HD does not include the VITA version :(

As if there was any doubt, tearaway is wonderful. A lot of critics complain that the game is too short, that actually works considering that Ys is right around the corner

@Jehuty08:

Yeah, I haven't beaten it yet, but I'm five hours in and Tearaway is amazing. Its nice how each save saves the various settings (not only progression, but finger size and color) because I'm playing through this at the same time as one of my daughters (who is further ahead than me). When it starts off your paper character (as opposed to You, who is literally the thing the world revolves around) is weak, but as time passes they get more abilities so they wind up being able to tackle weaker enemies on their own, though they need your help to unfurl the world and crush moderately strong enemies.

I love all the little ways Media Molecule encourages player creativity. Its really cool to be asked to design a snowflake and then from that point forward that is the snowflake that pops up in snowstorms. Anyway, here are few screenshots.

Beat Tearaway this morning. Gets very abstract towards the end but it stays fun and creative throughout. Its really cool how developers take bits of player input and run with them (you will see and hear yourself quite a bit during the adventure because you are literally a giant face in the sun with tremendous power over the world). The pop up book style ending is a masterpiece and the story it tells (which I won't spoil here) is a sweet one.

Due to the fact that its on the Vita Tearaway is unlikely to find the audience it deserves, but I've only beaten 77% of the game (the main game never gets tough, but the last few levels have some challenging optional challenges) so I intend to revisit it periodically until I've done everything.

Next up is Killzone Mercenary (which I downloaded off of Amazon for $20 on Black Friday). Fantastically brutal and pretty much the opposite of Tearaway. I'm still very early in but I just tortured a guy and then cut his throat after he gave me the info I wanted. Unlike GTA5 the torture was optional (you could simply kill the guy) but also unlike GTA it didn't end with a 'Remember, torture is bad and doesn't work!' message.

I have yet to get Killzone, Tearaway, and Ys: Memories of Celceta.

Sorcery Saga is already coming out next week too.

Persona 4: The Golden (PSV only) has sold 700,000+ copies and Dragon's Crown (PS3 and PSV) has sold 800K copies (sales are shipped copies and digital downloads). That makes The Golden the bestselling Persona game yet.

The PSV's sales are nothing to brag on, but it has become a great system for developers (and of course fans) of niche and indie games.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=727297

On that note, Eufloria HD has been announced for the Vita. A lot of changes have been made including but not limited to a framerate doubled to 60 fps and the controls totally redone to take advantage of the Vita's touchscreen.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/03/eufloria-hd-coming-to-ps-vita-on-december-17th/

Also, popular indie rpg Rainbow Moon hits the Vita today. Once I get through Killzone I might give it a shot.

Firstly, for new players, we have a trial version of Rainbow Moon that gives you access to the full game for 90 minutes. The trial can be replayed as often as you like and any progress that you make is carried over when you purchase the full game for $14.99. The latest version of Rainbow Moon adds more than 30 bug fixes, improvements, and new features to the original, including cross save support. Now you can now import old saves and share any new progress between both platforms.

For those of you who already own Rainbow Moon, for a limited time you can take advantage of our PS3 player offer and grab Rainbow Moon on Vita at a 50% discount. PlayStation Plus subscribers can also save 20% during the first two weeks of launch, meaning you can pick up Rainbow Moon for as little as $5.99!

And last but not least a trailer for Soul Sacrifice Delta, the sequel to the gruesome but popular Monster Hunter clone (from the guy who created Monster Hunter).

Really glad to hear Persona 4 Golden and Dragon's Crown selling well.

I wonder how well Muramasa Rebirth did.

For Muramasa, pretty sure that the DLCs for it (first one already available in Japan) will help push more numbers in the following months. Can't wait to play the new characters :3

I'm still pretty early in Killzone. Hard is brutal. Like the Vita Syphon Filter games, stealth is an option until the moment of detection, at which point the rest of the level is a big firefight (no hiding in a corner until the guards forget you are there). However, prior to detection guards (who are visible on the minimap) show the same shortsightedness common to guards in stealth games :).

Stealth is possible in most places but impossible in some. For example, after one enters a prison cell and grabs a high ranking prisoner, everyone knows you are there so you have to shoot and stab your way out. To melee kill someone you just have to walk up to them, hit triangle and then swipe in a direction. Then you do something like stabbing them in the groin, then putting your knife through the top of their head as they fold (sometimes you just slit their throats but there are a lot of different ways you can stab someone). You can also incapacitate someone and either leave them on the ground to bleed or end their suffering with a downward stab or a bullet to the face..

These stores not only give players access to everything in their inventory, but allow them to buy guns, armor, bullets, weapons, drones and camouflage. One nice touch is that really heavy, effective armor can slow down players, so its not just like you just buy the heaviest armor and call it a day, sometimes you want light armor so can quickly dash from hiding place to hiding place.

Combat is very frantic and involves a lot of running (though there is a cover system) because at least on hard, enemies are big on grenades and very aggressive about trying to flank you (thus far all the fights have happened in places with lots of cover). Below are a few screenshot I took. Early on the game is set Vetka (its a warzone, but still fairly colorful). Its worth bearing in mind the graphics look a lot more impressive on the Vita's small screen.

Moving on to Vita news (due to the two posts in a row limit I cram as much stuff as I can into a given post) the Vita version of Rayman Legends recently got the 28 missing levels. I'll probably wait for the PS4 version.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-13-rayman-legends-vita-gets-the-28-missing-levels-this-month

Ratchet and Clank Into the Nexus (the end of the Ratchet future series and possibly just plain the series) is hitting the Vita.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-12-05-ps3-platformer-ratchet-and-clank-nexus-rated-for-vita

Last and certainly not least, Doki Doki Universe is hitting the Vita, PS3 and PS4 next week. Its a game from the makers of the Genesis classic ToeJam and Earl in which you similarly are a stranger in a strange universe. You wander around different planets and meet lots of weird creatures with weird problems (snowmen who don't like the cold for example). Depending on your mood you can help or hinder them. As a huge fan of TJ and E this is day one for me.

Gamasutra posted an interesting write-up on Tearaway in which they praise both its creativity and its willingness to be weird. Sony boasts a ton of talent, but for my money Media Molecule is Sony's greatest studio.

http://gamasutra.com/view/news/206414/Tearaway_is_the_weirdest_hardware_showcase_piece_ever.php

Every time my face or fingers intrude I have an interesting revelation: This fourth wall-breaking, this AR future, isn't inherently wonderful. I wonder if Media Molecule immediately noticed this, upon being tasked with Showcasing the Hardware, and began to play with it -- knew, as if by private joke or internal secret, that they were making a game where the goal of Putting "You" In It wasn't Pixar, but David Lynch. Surreal. Absurd. A little creepy.

They knew, maybe, what Sony did not, that at the first sign of their own face looming in a sun, their own finger slicing through a designated spot in the game patterned with PlayStation symbols, players might be provoked or uneasy more than "delighted." And that this bizarre provocation might be possessed entirely of its own artistic merit: the kind you can't bookend in simplistic conversation about where in the market things go.

I thought touchable games on Vita had a lot of potential to be "cute and happy." I didn't really realize how unsettling and weird and cool they could be. Thanks to Tearaway, I know, and I'm glad I know. I have been gawping at my fake virtual fingers and my own paper-haloed face for hours and hours. I don't just want to show this to my friends who have kids. I want to show this to everyone.

Fling yourself into showcasing the hardware. Get weird with it.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/04/doki-doki-universe-launching-december-10th-for-ps4-ps3-ps-vita/

Hi there! Greg Johnson again. We here at HumaNature Studios are excited to finally announce that Doki-Doki Universe will be available next week on Tuesday, December 10th for PS4, PS3, and PS Vita. In Doki-Doki Universe you play as the adorable robot QT3 on a quest to learn about humanity with the help of Alien Jeff.

The full game, available for $14.99, includes the story mode, 31 personality quizzes, and the Doki-Doki Mail messaging system. Or if you prefer to test out the waters before diving in, you can alternatively download a free version of the game — the Starter Pack — which includes 16 personality quizzes, Doki-Doki Mail, QT3’s home planet, and a tutorial planet. Doki-Doki Universe will support cross buy, so once you download the game on one system, you’ll be able to download it at no additional cost on the other systems.

In the spirit of the upcoming launch, I’ll be joining the PlayStation.Blog team to do a live playthrough on December 10th. Check out the official PlayStation channel on Twitch to watch and ask questions. We’ll also be giving away voucher codes for the full version of Doki-Doki Universe!

We thought we’d share a sneak peek at one of the many little stories you’ll encounter as you travel around Doki-Doki Universe as QT3, and one that’ll we’ll also be sharing with you on the live stream next week. This story seemed especially appropriate for the holidays as it has a wintery theme, as well as a theme of love and acceptance.

posting just to allow you to go again Carnage

1. The Vita sold 70K copies and the superb Tearaway sold only 14K physical copies. Of course, there's digital, but digital is only a percent of physical and even 100% wouldn't be good. Still, Tearaway reaffirmed my belief that Media Molecule is Sony's best studio (as I've said before, LBP2 is the best game I've played in my 37 years of gaming). They are fearlessly creative, very skilled and their joy just literally shines through in every game they make. Sony really ought to offer some sort of Tearaway bundle. A poster on Neogaf created a nice thread about it.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=734251

2. Also, Doki Doki Universe has hit. Honestly, I haven't played the Vita version because I don't have the space (still waiting for the 64 GB memory card to hit the US) but the PS4 version is charming and reviewers indicate that the Vita version controls better. I wrote a small book about Doki Doki Universe and posted links to two videos in the PS4 thread.

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/the-official-playstation-4-thread-of-greatness-is--30919044/?page=12#js-message-562

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1384011691848750

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1384013065181946

If you are a Toejam and Earl cultist like me (I thought it was a big hit at the time of its release, but I've seen it referred to as a cult classic so maybe I was wrong) you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Its wordy (lots of reading, thought the writing is clever) but its a great kids' game and my youngest loves controlling a robot who travels around the universe helping people and making friends. I just visited a really crazy planet where I came across a warrior who had been turned into a lion. I came across a jealous man that wished him ill and them tried to assuage the man's jealousy by giving him a daughter (who immediately asked him for her allowance) and a wife. Then I learned that he hadn't cursed the guy and the culprit was a wandering leprechaun. I had to summon a musician who played Irish music so the leprechaun would get homesick, lift the curse (which he had slapped on the guy for fun) and go home.

Anyway, here's a some direct feed footage I found of the Vita version.

3. The long ago promised GoW collection (GoW 1 and 2) is almost here judging by the fact it was recently rated by the ESRB. Since Ready at Dawn has moved on to the very promising looking The Order 1886 this is probably the closest the Vita will come to a GoW.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/10/5195810/esrb-rates-god-of-war-collection-ps-vita

1. The DC universe is coming to LBP. There will be a level pack (hitting the PS2 this week, the PSV somewhere down the line) which consists of a couple levels and all of the objects, music and textures used to build them, plus two costumes (Cyborg and Cheetah)and four costume packs each with 5 costumes. Only the first costume pack is hitting this week. One can buy the entire package for 20 bucks (though you won't be able to download later costume packs until they hit PSN).

In addition to the characters named Batman, The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, Bizarro, Braniac and Supergirl are going to be making an appearance.

As is the norm with LBP, costumes work across all three LBPs, but level packs are exclusive to each LBP, though the Vita level pack is park of the DC bundle.

The new packs sees the addition of a cape which enables characters to glide and a material which enables characters to walljump.

I still can't post photos (wrote a post in the Bug reporting forum about it yesterday, no response, not holding my breath) but here is the trailer.

I think its awesome the in LBP DC and Marvel comics characters exist in the same universe (along with the cast of TLOU, Uncharted, Bioshock Infinite, Heavenly Sword, God of War, Judge Dredd and many other properties).

http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2013/12/16/littlebigplanet-dc-comics-premium-level-pack-coming-this-week/

2. Popular Monster Hunter clone Toukiden Age of Demons is hitting the US February 11th.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/12/16/ps-vita-exclusive-toukiden-rated-by-esrb-with-tentacle-dismemberment-and-large-amounts-of-cleavage/

3. The Digital Foundry isn't a big fan of Vita TV, saying that the big screens is less kind to games than the Vita's OLED, there are lag issues and that any Vita game with any sort of touchscreen functionality (quite a few of them) doesn't work.

Firstly, you simply cannot underestimate how much the PCH-1000's stunning OLED screen brings to the table - the deep, rich colours work beautifully in tandem with the high pixel density display to produce some stunning results. In fact, the screen is so good that it helps to mitigate some of the problems with sub-native resolution games. Even wobbly frame-rates somehow seem like less of an issue than they should be when you're gaming on a mobile platform.

This changes for the worse with Vita TV. Blown up on a living room HDTV, the compromises become far more evident. Even games running at native 960x544 don't look great, with only titles featuring decent anti-aliasing really holding up well. Sub-native games can look really rough, not complemented at all owing to the two upscaling procedures in place (first up to 960x544, then expanded again to 1280x720). Even on a decent screen, colours can look washed out compared to the OLED experience, resulting in a very bland presentation - even on our well-respected Panasonic VT20 plasma, colour reproduction didn't hold a candle to our treasured PCH-1000 launch Vita.

4. Tearaway's US price has been halved at Gamestop. Shame it didn't do better, but now this excellent game can be picked up cheap.

http://www.gamestop.com/ps-vita/games/tearaway/107777

5. Stick it to the Man recently (perhaps as recently as last week) made its way to the Vita. You play a guy who has a hand protruding from his head that allows him to not only read people's thoughts but change them around as well as alter the environment. Looks really weird. Lucky for the developer, I like weird. I'm going to buy it and post some impressions sometime this week.

6. The PSV versions of Final Fantasy X and X2 are hitting alongside the PS3 version this March. 40 bucks for both games (not sold separately) and cross saving but not cross buying.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/16/final-fantasy-x-x-2-hd-collectors-edition-detailed-vita-release-date-2/

7. Its a pretty good week for the Vita in terms of releases with Eufloria, Flow, Terraria and Furmins (a cute puzzler from the makers of Resogun) hitting. IIRC only the Vita version of Flow is crossbuy (meaning if you own the PS3 version you own the Vita and PS4 versions).

@ I finally picked up Persona 4 Golden on Boxing day. After my coupon I paid 10 for it! Really stoked to play this, it has so much positive word of mouth.

1. Dragon's Crown (which has sold 800K copies on the PSV and PS2, making it far and away Vanillaware's biggest game) recently got a major update.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/20/dragons-crown-new-difficulty-and-dungeon-available-now/

It’s been a while since Dragon’s Crown launched, but we haven’t stopped working to make it better. We added cross play, improved the game balance, and tweaked many things to make the game even more fun. You would think we were done by now, but today we have a true holiday miracle for you: another brand new feature. So knock the cobwebs off your Fighters, Elves, Wizards, and the rest, because we’re adding in a lot of new content with The Fifth Dragon’s Crown Patch.

If you’ve ever played a Vanillaware game before (Odin Sphere and Muramasa: Rebirth spring to mind), you know the brutal difficulty the games are known for. We got the impression that a lot of people didn’t feel Dragon’s Crown was hard enough on the way to level 99, so now there’s a brand new Ultimate difficulty level. After you clear the ninth layer of the Labyrinth of Chaos, you can access the new difficulty in the Temple.

So what’s it do? Well, it makes things harder, for one. But harder monsters mean players need to be better, stronger, and faster, so we’re raising the level cap from 99 to 255. You read that right, you now have 156 levels to grind out.

2. Sonic All Stars Racers transformed is now available to PS Plus subscribers.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/23/ps-plus-sonic-all-stars-racing-transformed-free-for-members/

3. X-seed recently talked about some of what they have in the pipeline for the PSP and the Vita.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/12/26/xseed-games-a-year-in-review/

All in all, not a bad year for XSEED on PlayStation… but 2014 promises to up the ante, big time! Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is coming to PS3 and Vita in both physical and digital form sometime in early 2014, and it’s going to knock the socks off of anyone who weaned themselves on the original Ragnarok Odyssey back in 2012 (As well as anyone who enjoys hunting Norse giants but can never seem to find the time for it!).

We’re also working with independent localization studio Carpe Fulgur to bring you the long-awaited sequel to The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky on PSP via PlayStation Store this summer. This will continue the tale of Estelle Bright as she searches the country of Liberl for answers to… so very many questions!

4. In the US the Vita clearly wasn't boosted by the PS4, but Sony claims it got a bit of a bump in the UK. Unlike SCEA, SCEE is pretty good about advertising the Vita (for example, Tearaway had tv ads over there).

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/19/ps4-launch-boosts-ps-vita-sales

“PS Vita sales wise we are continuing to see strong week-on-week growth since our latest campaign kicked in,” said senior product manager Ben Law.

“The new TV advert went live this week and we’ve already seen amazing feedback from PS4 owners on the Remote Play feature, and the success of Tearaway highlights what an great proposition PS Vita is, either as a stand-alone device or as the perfect companion to PS4.”

5. Disgaea 4 is about to hit the Vita in Japan. As is the norm for NIS, it will feature all of the content of the original (including DLC) plus a ton of original content, which seems to be aimed at high level players (the sorts of fanatics who double dip on Disgaea). I still can't post screenshots here at GS, but lots of screenshots at the link.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/12/26/ps-vita-exclusive-jrpg-disgaea-4-return-gets-new-many-new-screenshots-introduce-petafire/

5. The Vita is getting an enhanced port of another PS3 jrpg (Atelier Ayesha). Unlike Disgaea its not clear if this will come to the US, but its predecessor did.

Gust announced the Atelier Ayesha Plus, the PS Vita version of the PS3 JRPG Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk, released back in 2013.

The game will include all the DLC from the PS3 version and is scheduled for release in Japan on March 27th.

Lots of interesting Vita tidbits.

1. The Vita remains a flop in the US (its a little stronger in Europe and a lot stronger in Japan, but strong is relative). However, its still an indie darling and smaller Japanese developers are still onboard so its software prognosis is still brighter than the Wii U's :).

2. The makers of Don't Starve would like to make a PS Vita version (though they note that Don't Starve PS4 works well with remote play) and a skateboard game named Ollie Ollie is getting rave reviews (its often called the best controlling skateboard game out there). I may give it a shot down the line.

http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-vita/olliolli/critic-reviews

3. Tecmo's Deception 4 will allow users to create missions.

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/01/youll_be_able_to_share_your_sinister_side_with_the_world_in_deception_iv

4. Borderlands 2 will be hitting the Vita soon (though the studio claims a March release date they posted was a mistake). I hope it has all or at least most of the DLC of the console versions.

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/01/sassy_fps_borderlands_2_is_coming_to_vita_sooner_than_you_think

5. A cutesy but fun looking beat'em up is making its way to the Vita (no word of a Western release). Damn it, I'm still working on Dragon's Crown!

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/01/why_is_no_one_talking_about_vita_brawler_phantom_breaker_battle_grounds

6. Sounds like Sony is going to be formally launching the PS Vita slim outside of Japan. Won't change anything, but its nice that Vita buyers will have an option (I saw opt for the old school version with the amazing OLED). I hope that press conference also announces the release of the 64 GB memory card.

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/01/slimmest_ever_playstation_to_be_unveiled_in_the_uk_next_week

7. A Toukiden demo (Monster Hunter clone) hit the Vita this week. I'll give it a shot once I make space on my system (by backing up a game to the PS3).

http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2014/01/this_toukiden_the_age_of_demons_trailer_will_get_you_sharpening_your_blade

8. A bunch of new screenshots and details about Disgaea 4 Vita were recently released. As I've said in this thread before, this has all of the DLC of Disgaea 4, some of the features of Disgaea D2 and a bunch of new content including a new character and a new scenario. No word on a US release date yet, but given the popularity of Disgaea, its damn near a certainty.

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/01/22/disgaea-4-return-adds-features-disgaea-d2-disgaea-3-vita/

The DLC for Muramasa Rebirth made its way quietly to the US PSN store. This one cost $4.99 and gives you a new character to play with, along with a new story filled with new bosses (the highlight of the original game) to duke it out with.

You play as a Nekomata, which is a cat creature. Instead of switching swords, you switch forms. So you run around as a half human/half cat creature that's fast and strong, or you can play as a fire spewing domestic house cat that can dance and call in other cats to scratch your opponents (you read that right). You gain energy and depending on the form you're in, you can become an avatar and turn into either a monster cat or a ball of cats in the form of a cat face and rain deadly cat death upon your non-cat enemies.

Phew, wrote cat too many times. Anyway, it's worth checking out for fans of the game especially since the new character functions a bit differently than the two identical protagonists of the original game. The first boss is quite disturbing but other than that it's a fun addition to an otherwise overlooked game.

@IndianaPwns39:

Haven't got it yet. I'll probably pick it up within the next few weeks. I'll post impressions when I do.

Thanks for the detailed impressions Indiana. I'll add it to my pile of stuff to buy/play in the next few weeks.

1. A Vita slim/Borderlands 2/8 GB memory card bundle is hitting North America for two hundred bucks. I think the downgrade from the amazing OLED is unacceptable, but a price cut certainly won't hurt. *Shrugs* I don't think it will help much though. Software saleswise Vita isn't the Wii U (many developers make money on the Vita) but its HW sales are dire outside of Japan and mildly disappointing in Japan.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/new-ps-vita-model-confirmed-for-us-included-in-borderlands-2-bundle/

Many of you have waited patiently for Borderlands 2 to come to the PS Vita system, and we’re pleased to bring it to you bundled with the new PS Vita model. The game utilizes the PS Vita system’s unique front touchscreen and rear touchpad feature so you can easily zoom and pan on maps, manage inventory, inspect items, and more. You can shoot and loot through Pandora with up to three of your PS Vita-toting friends via Infrastructure online play, and you can also cross save your progress with your PS3. As an added bonus, Borderlands 2 for PS Vita includes six downloadable content (DLC) packs: Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, Psycho Character Class, Mechromancer Character Class, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1 and the Collector’s Edition Pack.

2. The Vita version of Frozen Synapse (a very interesting looking strategy game) is coming along well.

http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/7/5390370/frozen-synapse-tactics-playstation-vita-ui-user-interface

According to Wright, players must be able to create paths and give orders quickly, just like on the PC version. Double Eleven's solution: Frozen Synapse Tactics' new user interface.

"Focus testing has allowed us to refine how the game's interface improves on the overall experience," he wrote. "This has resulted in an entirely new on screen display (OSD), which incorporates huge visual and functional changes following a minimalist and context-sensitive design. The new Command Wheel contains all your unit's orders, retaining everything from the original game as well as introducing some brand new options for casual and advanced players."

3. Blazblue Chrono Phantasma is hitting North America this summer It will contain all of the modes of the PS3 version plus additional content.

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/02/10/blazblue-chrono-phantasma-vita-beach-scenario-coming-north-america-summer/

4. Cool looking indie shooter Luftrausers will be getting a release date 'soon'.

http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/10/arcade-dogfighter-luftrausers-on-vita-ps3-pc-mac-linux-all-a/

5. Llamasoft (most famous for Tempest on the Jaguar) is releasing a quasi follow-up on the Vita today.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/11/txk-out-today-the-history-development-and-gameplay-of-llamasofts-latest/

You’ll blast your way through 100 levels and 3 different game modes to keep you challenged whether you want a long, session or a quick 5 minutes of gaming on the go. Enjoy meeting a wide variety of enemies along the way and blowing them up into millions of glowing particles with the powerups at your disposal!

A whole herd of excellent musicians have collaborated to being you a soundtrack that is even better than that of T2K back in the day. Your ears will be dancing right off your head as you blast your way to the top of the score table!

6. Trigger Happy Havoc Danganropa is an M rated game in which one plays a student at a special high school in which students graduate by murdering their peers and getting away with it. If the murderer gets caught, they are punished, if they don't everyone but them is punished and they graduate. Sounds really weird. I like weird, so I'll probably get this once I wipe out some of my Vita backlog.

http://www.destructoid.com/review-danganronpa-trigger-happy-havoc-270284.phtml

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=763079

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is easily one of the most intriguing games I've played in quite some time. It’s as if Persona and Phoenix Wright got together and had a little demon spawn that I didn't want to put down -- no matter how disturbing it can be at times. For fans of adventure/visual novel games, this is an easy must play on Vita this year. But it’s also a great entry for those who tend to find this type of game a little on the slow side and well worth the time.

7. 60% of PS4 owners have a Vita. I doubt this will translate into anything besides maybe some level of Vita support in Media Molecule's upcoming play-create-share game.

8. Monster Hunter type game Toukiden is finally hitting the Vita in NA. It looks nice and sounds interesting, but I'll probably wait for Soul Sacrifice 2.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/11/toukiden-the-age-of-demons-out-today-on-ps-vita/

It is difficult to defeat the Oni, however, just by attacking them. By destroying parts of the Oni, the life energy that exists within them will be drawn to the surface. Attacking this life energy will truly damage the Oni. However, Oni not only possess an enormous life force, they are able to regenerate parts that are cut off — and these regenerated parts become even more powerful. The severed Oni parts that have fallen to the ground can be permanently destroyed through the Ritual of Purification, and this prevents the body part from being regenerated. Thus, in order to defeat the Oni, the destruction of body parts is a necessary part of the game system.

There are over 200 Mitama — the souls of famous historic Japanese figures — both real and fictional. The Mitama, which can be obtained by defeating Oni, each carry a battle style and/or skill which can assist in battle. Choosing which Mitama to equip deepens the strategic aspect of battle.

9. DC Comics Costume Pack 4 hits LBP (all costumes are cross compatible with all three LBPs including LBPV) today. Still no word on when the Vita DC level pack hits.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/littlebigplanet-update-dc-comics-costume-pack-4-out-this-week/

Our DC Comics adventures continue this week and we have four more popular characters arriving to LittleBigPlanet. Wonder Woman, The Flash, Solomon Grundy, SHAZAM! And Zatanna will all be available in DC Comics Costume Pack 4

10. On a sad note, amusing but frustrating strategy series No More Heroes has been turned into a free to play match three game. I won't lie. I died a little inside when I read that.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/02/10/no-heroes-allowed-no-puzzles-either-coming-soon-to-ps-vita/

11. Murasaki Baby, a very, very, very distinct looking side scroller, is confirmed for release in North America.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2014/02/11/murasaki-baby-vitas-weirdest-game

12. Optimized versions of the first three Sly Cooper games and the first two GoWs are hitting the Vita this May.

http://www.psu.com/a022456/Sly-Cooper-Collection-sneaking-onto-PS-Vita-May-27

http://www.psu.com/a022464/God-of-War-Collection-PS-Vita-receives-visceral-screens-and-gameplay-vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iVSBJl56og

Has anyone else played Dustforce? I think the game is pretty cool but the controls are frustrating. There are so many segments that irk me because the controls just aren't as tight as they need to be, or maybe it's just me.

I was hoping it would be more akin to Super Meat Boy, as that game had perfect controls, but whenever I succeed in a difficult Dustforce level I just feel lucky.

@CarnageHeart, not to be picky, but in your recent tidbit update you wrote "No More Heroes" when I think you meant "No Heroes Allowed".

A few days ago NIS announced some new Vita localizations.

Danganronpa 2 is the sequel to a popular (by niche Japanese standards) game which just hit the Vita this week.

http://www.psu.com/a022504/Danganronpa-2--Goodbye-Despair-confirmed-for-a-deadly-Western-release

The premise is still the same as the previous game: high school students trapped by the insane robot bear Monokuma but only allowed to leave if he or she can murder another student and be found innocent in classroom court. Except this time around, the setting is on the sunnier side, taking place on a tropical island, and features an all new cast. The game was originally released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable as Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Academy in 2012, with a PlayStation Vita remake out last October.

Battle Princess is a beat'em up which looks less fun/impressive than Dragon's Crown (which I still play on a regular basis) but my daughters like the looks of it (DC is so risqué I won't let them play it) so I might pick it up. Its PSN only so hopefully it will be cheap.

http://www.psu.com/a022503/Battle-Princess-of-Arcadias-bringing-side-scrolling-beat-em-up-RPG-action-to-2014

Developed by the studio Apollosoft (Ragnarok Tactics), the game stars Battle Princess Plume who must defend her kingdom, Schwert, from hordes of monsters. In order to accomplish this task, she must build an army of warriors to fight the invading forces. Players are able to switch between characters in real-time and each level wields opportunities to gain skills, materials, new allies, and weapons.

Disgaea 4 is hitting the Vita. As is the tradition, it will have all of the old content (including DLC) and tons of new content.

http://www.psu.com/a022501/Disgaea-4--A-Promise-Revisited-announced-for-PS-Vita

The port, a localization of Disgaea 4: Return, brings PS3's Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten to Sony's portable console. The port features new scenarios for more character backstory, new spells and techniques, new characters and cameo appearances from previous Disgaea games, new music, and all of the PS3 original's downloadable content.

Impressive level of support considering the Vita's admittedly bad HW sales. There's aren't many Vita owners and we are concentrated in Japan, but apparently we buy enough games to make it worth the while of smaller developers/indies.