Welcome to our weekly recap pertaining to all things Inside PlayStation Network. Every MON-FRI, PSU shines the spotlight on a piece of content plucked from the digital delights of Sony’s online service, be it a chunk of DLC, PSOne Classic or regular PSN release. In case you missed out on any of this week’s entries, here’s your chance to catch up and see what titles we dissected under the microscope.
Monday – Driver
Driver’s release back in 1999 came as something of an invigorating experience for fans of Grand Theft Auto and petro heads alike. Released at a time when Rockstar’s illustrious crime-em-up had yet to make the transition to 3D, Driver packed a myriad of concepts under its hood, though while comparisons to GTA are easily drawn, its most striking difference is the fact you never leave your vehicle. As such, there are no on foot-based shenanigans here – everything that takes place happens from the confines of your flash motor. (Click here for full article).
Tuesday – LocoRoco
Conceived by Japanese developer Tsutomu Kouno, LocoRoco was born out of the desire to cobble together something totally disparate to what was being released for Sony’s pint-sized PSP back in 2006. And to that end, the game passed with flying colours. Indeed, this charming platform romp is no less of an idiosyncratic effort today than it was five years ago, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Patapon for its creativity and uniqueness. The premise is simple: the homeland of cute critters LocoRoco has been invaded by the dastardly Moja forces, and it’s up to you to put a stop to their activities. (Click here for full article).
Wednesday – Assault Heroes
Originally showing up on Xbox LIVE back in 2008, Assault Heroes finally made a push for PSN in early 2010 accompanied by a welcome budget price tag. Coming up fairly lightweight in the narrative department, this bite-sized blaster has players controlling a surviving member of an elite Special Forces Unit, who have been tasked with infiltrating a secret underground lab that’s suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction. All you need concern yourself with, however, is that there’s a bunch of alien scumbags on your case and it’s up to you to eliminate them. (Click here for full article).
Thursday – Bushido Blade
Released back in 1997, Light Weight’s acclaimed hack-n-slash proved quite an eye-opener for fighting fans, who couldn’t quite get their head around the notion that stabbing someone in the face could kill their character outright. But that’s exactly what Bushido Blade is all about – strategic, meticulously-timed cuts designed to put your foe down in one bloody strike. Players control six stylish samurai warriors, each one able to wield one of eight quintessentially classic Japanese weapons – katana, naginata, broadsword, war hammer, short sword, nodachi and saber. (Click here for full article).
Friday – Sonic the Hedgehog
As one of the most revered platformers to date, Sonic the Hedgehog needs no introduction. Available now on Sony’s PlayStation Network service, SEGA’s inaugural outing in its speed-tastic series is one of those gems that you simply have to get your mitts on — period. Originally launched in 1991, the spikey speedster’s debut outing went on to sell a whopping 15 million copies worldwide, spawned countless sequels, captivated a generation of gamers and popped up on numerous platforms over the years. It is, undoubtedly, the quintessential 16-bit platform romp, rivalled only by a certain plucky plumber in the SNES classic, Super Mario World. (Click here for full article).