Details emerge on PSP titles not at TGS

TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment and several third-party publishers have disclosed some new details on a number of PSP titles that aren't on display at the Tokyo Game Show. They are as follows:

Popolocrois: Pietro Ouji no Bouken
Sony Computer Entertainment's Popolocrois for the PSP will be a compilation of the original two PlayStation titles, from 1996 and 2000. The game plays with classic-style 2D graphics in quarter view, which should be welcomed by fans of the series. According to SCE's press release, the PSP version will include new storylines, though whether it will be a side story or something bigger isn't known at the moment.

Ghost in a Shell Stand Alone Complex
Sony Computer Entertainment's Ghost in a Shell: SAC will be a first-person shooter based on the popular sci-fi anime series Ghost in the Shell. You'll play as one of the four members of the Security Police Section 9 (Motoko, Batou, Togusa, or Saito) and take on various missions with the assistance of your mini-tank, Tachikoma. Aside from fighting in standard FPS style with your guns, you'll also be able to set booby traps for your opponents. In addition to the single-player mode, the game will feature a multiplayer mode that makes use of the PSP's wireless-communication capabilities.

Sarugecchu P!
While Sony Computer Entertainment's Piposaru Academia is a collection of short mini-games, Sarugecchu P! will play as a standard Ape Escape game. You'll be running around the game with your trusty net and numerous gadgets, traveling through various ages to catch apes for the sake of peace and humanity. All the minigames will be new, and you'll be able to play against your friends using the PSP's wireless capabilities.

Derby Time
Sony Computer Entertainment's Derby Time is a 3D horse-rearing game in which you assume the role of a horse owner. You'll be nurturing your horses and making them compete against other horses on the tracks. And to raise money for your activities, you'll also be betting on the horses as well. Derby Time seems to use real data from race horses in Japan. Considering that horse-racing games never make it across the Pacific, the chances of Derby Time hitting America seem slim.

Ys: Ark of Napishtim
Konami's Ys: Ark of Napishtim is a port of the game that was released on the PC and PlayStation 2. This game is the sixth installment in the Ys series by Falcom. In this action RPG, you play as the series' red-haired hero Adol, taking on different monsters using swords that have different elemental attributes. Konami is planning to replace all the music on the PSP version with its own original soundtrack, but it hasn't revealed if the game will have any new features.

Higanjima
Now Production's Higanjima will be a horror adventure game. Slated for release in spring 2005, Higanjima is based on the manga of the same name, which is currently running in Japan in the Weekly Young Magazine. In the game, you assume the role of the main character Akira, who needs to find his way out of an eerie island named Higanjima, which is infested with bloodsucking villagers.

Intelligence License
Now Production's Intelligence License will be a puzzle game that rates your IQ using puzzles that take advantage of a "virtual 3D environment" rendered on the PSP. The game will essentially calculate your brain's flexibility and intuition using 3D graphics. It shouldn't take a genius to play though the game, however, since you'll be able to answer the questions with just the directional pad and the circle button. Intelligence License is slated for release in spring 2005.