We apologize in advance

The kingdom of Altago is rebuilding their realm around a newfound peace after years of war against the merciless armies of Romn. Two adventurers, Adol and Dogi, arrive in the harbor of Altago City, and quickly find themselves in a scuffle with the Dragon Knights, the kingdom’s military police body, when attempting to save a local girl from harassment by one of their commanding officers. Upset by the interruption and subsequent humiliation, the commander arrests Adol and Dogi, charging them with espionage.
The king of Altago, having known of the duo’s pending arrival from an old and trusted friend, quickly releases the pair from prison and summons them to his chambers. He tells the men about an ancient shrine that was uncovered after a recent earthquake and asks for their help in investigating this mysterious new find. Adol and Dogi oblige, unaware that they are undertaking the start of a long journey involving the resurrection of a great new evil. Adol and Dogi oblige, unaware that they are about to take the first steps on a long journey to save all of Altago from long-forgotten ancient forces, and to reunite the estranged five tribes who serve and protect the Five Great Dragons – deified beings who may well be the world’s last hope. They must awaken the corresponding deities in an attempt to have the “Five Dragons” assist them in the final battle.

DETAILS:
Ys SEVEN is the latest installment in the long-running Ys series which first debuted on PC in 1987. This is the first iteration to be built specifically for the PSP system, taking full advantage of the widescreen format and hardware. The battle system consists of a three-member battle party with enemies engaged on the field map in real-time for fast-paced combat. Fans of the series and new players alike will be immersed in the rich, vibrant world containing over 30 hours of gameplay.

KEY FEATURES
• Gorgeous New RPG for the PSP – Built from the ground up for the PSP, Ys SEVEN takes full advantage of the hardware with colorful and beautiful 3D graphics presented in a widescreen format, with minimal load times.
• Epic Story Spanning Over 30 Hours of Gameplay – This tale of Five Great Dragons, a wartorn kingdom, ancient rites and more spans over 30 hours of gameplay as the player ventures on an epic quest to save the world.
• Real-Time Battles on the Field Map – No random encounters as all enemies are seen and engaged on the field map in real-time with the player’s three-member battle party.
• Highly-Rated and Eagerly-Awaited by RPG Fans – Already five years since the last installment was published in 2005 for the Playstation 2, and having already been awarded a gold rating by Famitsu upon its Japanese release, Ys SEVEN is the long-awaited next chapter in the Ys series, highly anticipated by old and new fans alike.

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After a quick explanation of the game mechanics and some cool features, I was thrown into a race as everyone in the room sat and judged my racing, ahem, skills.  In the final build, Michael Rooker reprises his role as Rowdy Burns providing voice over work as your coach and pit chief.  He’ll push you along as you race through the game’s four modes, Quick Race, Time Trial, Career and the unlockable Derby Mode.  Since this wasn’t the final build and the voice over wasn’t available, Glenn suggested that Michael take matters into his own hands and start yelling in my ear, motivating me, berating me, all of it.  I have to say it made for a pretty intense experience.  No pressure… really… but hey it was still a lot of fun.  I started off pretty poorly as I tried to get a handle on the control of the car and figure out how all the controls were mapped.  That’s not to say it’s a difficult button layout or anything, just that I was thrown in with little preparation.  The handling felt a little loose but decent overall, the graphics could certainly use some polish but I’m expecting that’ll happen well before release.

Since I was quickly at the back of the pack, and not wanting to disapoint Mr. Svenning, I had to pull out all the tricks the game has to offer, starting with Dropping The Hammer.  To make this happen, you just have to line up behind the other cars ahead of you (and I had many to choose from) and draft off of them.  Then as you get close enough, use the extra speed to blow right around them.  Standard fare in most racing games but this one has a slightly more arcade feel to it.  Not too much, closer to Daytona USA than Ridge Racer.

One of the other cool features is Focus.  Very important when racing here as there tend to be a lot of pile-ups and clusters of cars.  After all, it’s Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition.  Focus builds up over time and you can use it to enter a ‘bullet time’ type mode where everything slows down allowing you to see the clear line to take (if there is one) to avoid becoming part of the twisted wreckage on the track.  Speaking of trading paint, that’s all part of the race but you’ll have to be careful as the cars take real time damage and as I sped towards the finish, my rear bumper was hanging off and I had black smoke coming off the car.  As I came into that final turn, only one car stood between me and sweet victory.  So with Colonel Edwards of Stargate SG-1 yelling in my ear “Hammer Down son!  Hammer Down!!”, I blew past the lead car and over the finish line in first place.  Michael grabbed my arm and yaked it up in the air shouting “Rookie of the Year!” – one of my finest gaming moments.

Other features include a Sponsor System where your driving style will be tracked throughout the game and you’ll be approached by different sponsors.  There’s also a mini game when you enter the Pit to fuel up, repair damage and build up your Hammer meter.  You can also steer your car using the SIXAXIS controls if you want to.

Overall it looks like this could be a fun little racing title with the inclusion of 12 player online races and the leaderboards, just don’t go looking for a ton of depth.  While it has a number of modes and some cool mechanics, I think the real key is going to be the price.  The game I saw feels right at $9.99 but the price is still to be determined so we’ll see what happens.

Now, for my geeking out. Michael Rooker has been in 100 movies, TV Shows and video games in the past 24 years so even if you don’t know his name, you’d likely know him if you saw him.  I was already a fan with all the bit parts and major roles he’s had over the years but two that jumped out immediately to me when we sat down were Mallrats and the following: The Producer asked if we had any other questions about the game or even questions for Michael and since I already made the Mallrats connection with Mr. Svenning, I asked how it was working on Stargate.  The Prodcer looked confused and said, “You were in Stargate?”, “Yeah”.  I mentioned that it was SG-1 and the Producer’s face cleared up a bit and asked when he was on by saying “Fat Teal’c or buff Teal’c?”  Any Stargate fans out there should get a kick out of that one.  He was a really cool guy in person, very friendly. We got autographed pictures that he personalized and signed right there and I even got a picture with him.  Certainly one of the highlights of my week.

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We’ll give some impressions soon, both here and on the show. Enjoy!

*New listeners, the length of this show is not normal, if you don’t like long shows, don’t let this one scare you away *

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#PSP New Releases
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable $39.99
- Despicable Me: The Game $29.99

#PS2 New Releases
- Despicable Me: The Game $19.99

#News
- Firmware Update 3.40 http://ps3.ign.com/articles/110/1102729p1.html
- PlayStation Plus http://kotaku.com/5575419/what-do-you-get-with-playstation-plus
alt link for PS+ http://www.giantbomb.com/news/playstation-plus-subscription-launched/2254/

#Interview with Deborah Mars and Matt Morton from SCEA for the new Fat Princess content
#What We’re Playing

#E3 Round-up finished
(Not in specific order)
- Mafia II
- Spec Ops
- Rock Band 3
- Bionic Commando 2
- MvC3
- Rush ‘n Attack 2
- Castlevania: Lord of Shadows
- Hard Corps: Uprising (Contra game from Arc System Works)
- Homefront
- John Daly Golf (Move support)
- “Gamer Grub”
- Vanquish
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
- Gran Turismo 5
- Twisted Metal
- Socom 4
- Heavy Rain (Move)
- Scott Pilgrim vs The World (PSN)
- Super Stardust HD (3D)
- Singstar Move
- Motorstorm Apocalypse
- Echochrome II
- LBP2
- Dead Nation
- Killzone 3
- Crysis 2

#Comedian is Louis CK

#It Is Written
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Email us at Podcast@PSNation.org

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#PS3 New Releases
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- Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 $49.99 (also a collectors edition for $69.99)
- Trinity Universe / Tecmo – RPG $49.99
- Naughty Bear / 505 Games – Action, Adventure $49.99

#PSP New Releases
- Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip $19.99
- Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 $29.99

#News
- http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/16/move-navigation-controller-can-be-replaced-by-dualshock/
- http://kotaku.com/5568927/the-sly-collection-is-all-hd-only-a-little-3d
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#Comedian is Kathleen Madigan

6:15- Singularity
16:00- Sly Cooper Collection
21:42- Gran Turismo 5
30:32- Tilt to Live
31:28- Twisted Metal Black
32:44- Batman Arkham Asylum
41:40- MAG
44:55- Lead and Gold
49:06- Bioshock 2
50:27- Snoopy Flying Ace
51:55- Super Mario Galaxy 2
57:00- Just Cause 2
58:22- Blur
1:00:50- Futurama
1:03:00- Medal of Honor
1:44:05- Heroes on the Move
1:48:00- Resistance
1:50:40- PSNPlus
1:59:10- Brink
2:01:12- Rage
2:10:45- NHL 11
2:19:55- Days of Thunder
2:23:08- DC Universe Online
2:25:30- The Agency
2:35:10- Socom 4
2:55:20- Family Style

To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Kane and Lynch. I thought it was a cool idea, but the game itself was pretty boring to me. So my expectations for the second one were pretty low. I wasn’t able to touch on the single player in number 2, but if the multiplayer is any indication, Kane and Lynch 2 may end-up being a game worth having. Many of the MP modes that were found in the original are again included here, but with a lot of refinements. The only mode I was able to play was the best from the first game, Cops and Robbers. They’ve done a great job with balancing straight team gameplay, but by adding the twists of becoming a traitor to your team so you can grab a fallen comrade’s loot is where the fun comes in. Also, if a traitor takes you out, you can then spawn on the opposing team so that you can exact your revenge on the traitor, and of course get your loot back (along with whatever else he had in his possession.) It’s a great take on the team dynamic, and was a lot of fun to play.

Visuals are pretty unique this time around, as IO Interactive purposely applied a new visual style that is set to mimic that of a Flip-cam or a video you may see on Youtube (kind-of a grainy, semi washed-out look.) Also, and it can be disabled, they’ve added a unique take on the handicam or “shaky cam” look while you run. Standing as close as I was in the demo, it was a bit off-putting, but when I watched someone else run, the effect was excellent.

Overall I am quite interested in Kane and Lynch 2, but I won’t pass any judgment until I can get my hands on the full game.

I’ve never made it a secret that I am a total id Software fanboy. I own every game they’ve ever made, and I still play Quake 3 & 4 on a regular basis. My friends and I still talk about the tech demo that was “leaked” for the first Quake, which had no enemies, but allowed you to roam around a map and fire the Nailgun (the sound was SO COOL!) So to say that I am highly anticipating “Rage” is a huge understatement. We were ushered-in to a theater to view a 30-minute demo of the game running on a 360, and from the first moment that the world appeared on the screen, I was hooked.

The story, at least so far, is that a meteor struck the Earth, killing most of the population. You are a part of the “Ark Project,” and were hidden away before the meteor struck. The details after that were not revealed, and the demo started pretty far into the game. The first thing that caught my eye were the beautiful visuals. All of the terrain is “touched by an artist” instead of being created artificially by the engine. The animation is excellent and the visuals are insanely clean, with an amazing color palette. he was attacked by a few mutants, which is where we got our first glimpse of combat. Not only is it the typical FPS, but you also have a throwing weapon of sorts, which we saw our presenter use with great skill as it chopped the head off of one of his attackers. After the mutants were dispatched, he hopped into a dune-buggy type of vehicle and drove off into the canyons, this is where the car combat was demonstrated.

Car combat is quite well done so far, and very streamlined. I did seem to notice that it was closer to dog-fighting than anything else, with everyone trying to get on an opponent’s six. Parts fly in grand explosions, and mines can be dropped if an opponent keeps tailing you. This mechanic excites me quite a bit, as it will definitely break-up the monotony of a straight FPS.

He then arrived at a town, which acts as one of a couple of “hub towns” for different missions and events. There’s an Old-West feel with newer technology, and again, the visuals are very fitting. By the way, this entire demo ran at a silky-smooth framerate, and really showed-off what we can expect from “id-tech 5.” They showed a minigame to show one of the ways you can earn extra cash, but then it was straight to the caverns for an FPS mission. Some of the mechanics you’ve seen in other games before, including firing an electrified projectile into water to take multiple enemies out. But the subtle nuances don’t take long to emerge as any reaction by your enemies to being shot etc are all procedural. So if you shoot him in the leg, the leg flies back from the force and he’ll start limping, that sort of thing.

The release won’t be in 2010, but judging from what I’ve seen already, “Rage” has become one of my absolute most anticipated titles. Keep your eyes here for more info if it becomes available, as this one is definitely on my radar!

We had our appointment with Nyko on Wednesday and along with the standard replacement cables and remotes and such, they showed us a couple of very interesting new peripherals.

One of the cooler designs was for the upcoming Raven controllers which will run $34.99 and be available this July.  This is a full featured wireless controller with SIXAXIS and DualShock functionality.  It comes in either black or grey and like many third party solutions, it uses an adapter for connectivity to the PS3.  In size and shape, it feels like a smaller 360 controller with slightly more squared off edges right down to the concave thumbsticks and trigger buttons.  The controller has a rubberized feel and it’s actually extremely comfortable.

What really caught my eye however was the Raven Alternate controller which has the same specs and feel as the Raven Standard but offsets the thumbsticks and moves the D-pad giving the face the same layout as a 360 controller.  I really want to get some hands on game time with one of these and see how the responsiveness is and how well it works with First Person Shooters and such.

We were also shown mockups of the Charge Station which should run around $20-30 and Charge Station Quad which should be $30-40.  Both are for the upcoming Move controller and Sub controller.   It looks like these will be a good way to keep the cable clutter to a minimum as we add more and more devices that will need charging through a mini usb connection from time to time.  Both will use an AC adapter allowing for faster charge times while freeing up your precious USB ports on the PS3 itself.  They’ll also have LED charge indicators built right into the base.  Right now the design isn’t final and they’ll be available roughly a month after the launch of the Move controllers to allow for any design changes Sony may make.  If you’re looking into Move, these may be a worth checking out.

I’ll admit, I went into the meeting expecting to see the standard fare and while we got some of that, there were some nice surprises.  You can check out the full line of products at www.nyko.com