10 Vita Game Reviews & 5 Developer Interviews!
The Vita Lounge M A G A Z I N E
Hello Vita Gamers!
y: Cyber Sleuth As you are reading this, Digimon Stor ady available. The will either be out very soon or alre ent to now has cem time from that Western announ can hold off you ly eful hop flown by so quickly, but least until at , utes min e mor few grabbing it for a Paul Murphy issue of our you've read our latest Vita-packed t wai to e PMurphy1978 hav will ew revi magazine! Unfortunately our nder y! Fou enjo to you for lot a e hav still until Issue 11, but we e is e will probably notice that this issu Long time readers of the magazin ing Mov . pen hap t tha ing gone into mak out much earlier, a lot of work has and s new Vita st late the get can t you forward we want to make sure tha can, and Patreon Supporters will get you as n soo as form t prin in reviews it even earlier! ed in month for releases we have squeez Back to this issue, despite a slow it's and , Vita me finally arriving on the 10 reviews, with Mike Bithell's Volu ld wor Odd is me the " the "finally arrived an essential purchase. Keeping up on. ecti coll r you in be to s deserve Inhabitant's New 'n' Tasty, which also reviews vying for your attention. er oth y man are s title se the Alongside e, y great developer features this issu As you'd expect we also have man and e fgam Wol uts, abo Lay nts, The and we talked to Oddworld Inhabita a upcoming titles, and even grabbed ir the ut abo s tion duc Pro Fine Double h Hus h Hus for n Kickstarter campaig : chat with Brigid Allanson about her of the art in the eagerly-awaited YIIK t mos for ible ons 229. Brigid was resp as k Studios, so if you are as excited A Post-Modern Adventure from Ack e a look. gam we are for that you should give her s munity Feature from Chris Knight' We round this issue off with a Com we and s title Vita r olde into k bac ing PSP Roundup, and he describes gett t Bes er Sup from e instigated by Liam take a look at the #VitaVote initiativ and for out look to es latest news, gam Friends Play. We also feature the rd's es) of Cross Buy with Punk and Liza ativ neg (or its mer also debate the SJ Hollis! February issue and we will see you We hope that you really enjoy this 11! back here on March 7th for Issue
Welcome REGULARS 04 BITE-SIZED NEWS
BITE-SIZED NEWS
THE LATEST VITA NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!
06 OPINION PIECE PAUL AND SJ HOLLIS DEBATE THE MERITS OF CROSS-BUY FOR THE VITA
08 NEW RELEASES WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE FOR THE VITA THIS MONTH
09 HOT TEN UPCOMING GAME WE SHOW YOU THE UPCOMING VITA GAMES THAT WE WANT THE MOST
10 WHAT'S KICKING?
WE LOOK AT HUSH HUSH 229'S KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN FOR VITA
WHAT'S KICKING?
43 PATREON STARS PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR PATREON – IT WOULD REALLY BE APPRECIATED AND WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO SUPPORTING WHAT WE DO! FOR $10 PER ISSUE YOU WILL GET A PRINT COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR! YOU CAN FIND OUR PATREON PAGE AT WWW.PATREON.COM/THEVITALOUNGE 11 Re 11 Re 13 Re 10 Re 10 Re views views views views views ! Dev ! Dev ! Dev ! Dev ! Dev elope elope elope elope elope r Fea r Fea r Fea r Fea r Fea tures tures tures tures tures ! Late ! Late ! Late ! Late ! Late st Ne st Ne st Ne st Ne st Ne ws! ws! ws! ws! ws!
T T The V T T ita Lo he Vita Lo he Vita Lo he Vita Lo he Vita Lo unge unge unge unge unge M A G A Z I N E
10 Vita Game Reviews & 5 Developer Interviews!
The Vita Lounge M A G A Z I N E
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M A G A Z I N E
M A G A Z I N E
M A G A Z I N E
The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Editor-in-Chief / Kyle Wakeling @teflontactics Deputy Editor / Charlie Large @CharlieLarge Podcast Editor / Tyler Olthoff @imsohappy77 MAGAZINE DESIGN Art Editor / Jhonatan Carneiro @JhoCarneiro
WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE #VOTEVITA CAMPAIGN
46 COMMUNITY FEATURE
Issue 10 | February 2016
EDITORIAL TEAM Executive Editor / Paul Murphy @pmurphy1978 6
M A G A Z I N E
44 #VOTEVITA
THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS MAGAZIN POSSIBLE. TAKE A MOMEN TO APPRECIATE THEIR AWESOMENESS!
WEBSITE TEAM Zach Price @MyrishMartyr Liam Langan @liamhangover 9 Colin Byrne @ColinJByrne Kerry-Lee Copsey @Kezz182 Jenny Jones @Kitty_has_Klaws
PSP ROUNDUP'S DEBUT COMMUNITY FEATURE DESCRIBES GETTING BACK INTO OLDER VITA GAMES!
@PSVitaMag CONTRIBUTORS SJHollis @SJHollis Chris Knight @psp2roundup Brad Gruetzmacher @vongruetz Liam Allen-Miller @2BFLiam
to your
ES
Magazine!
DEVELOPER FEATURES
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ODDWORLD INHABITANTS
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PETER CHAPMAN TALKS TO US ABOUT THE REIMAGINED ABE'S ODDYSEE, NEW 'N' TASTY
DOUBLE FINE PRODUCTIONS
MATT HANSEN TAKES TIME OUT TO TELL US ABOUT DAY OF THE TENTACLE REMASTERED
16 WOLFGAME WOLFGANG WOZNIAK EXPLAINS MORE ABOUT THE UPCOMING "WAIFU BARTENDING" IN VA-11 HALL-A
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THE LAYABOUTS
THE TEAM BEHIND "THE LEGEND OF DOODLE" EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS
REVIEWS 21
Nuclear Throne
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Taco Master
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TowerFall Ascension
24
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
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The BIT.TRIP
36
Red Game Without a Great Name
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Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star
40
Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
NE NT
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Volume
thevitalounge.net SPECIAL THANKS Oddworld Inhabitants @OddworldInc Double Fine Productions @DoubleFine James Spafford @thespaff Wolfgang Wozniak @Ouren The Layabouts @welayabout Brigid Allanson @BrigidAllanson
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Desert Ashes: Episodes 1 & 2
@TheVitaLounge COVERAGE Are you a developer? If you are working on PSVita content and want to get it covered for FREE in either the magazine or on the website, then we would love to hear from you! Please send an email to press@thevitalounge.net and add us to your press lists. If you have a game coming out soon and want us to tell other Vita owners, get in touch!
patreon.com/TheVitaLounge DISCLAIMER The Vita Lounge is an independent PlayStation Vita enthusiast website and magazine. All content featured is used with permission, and is used to promote existing and upcoming titles for the PS Vita. We are not endorsed or affiliated with Sony or PlayStation, or any of the companies featured. Š 2015-2016 The Vita Lounge
BITE-SIZED NEWS Civilization Revolution 2 Plus delayed again It's already been held back once, but 2K have done it again and pushed the Western release of the highly anticipated strategy title to "later this year". A bit odd, when it's already out in Japan. If you don't want to wait you could import...
Not a Hero cancelled This news is particularly devastating to take as it was one of our most anticipated Vita titles, but unfortunately Not a Hero won't be coming to Vita. Roll 7 haven't announced why exactly, but we understand that there were issues with getting the engine working on the handheld.
Burning Blood out on June 3rd Fans of One Piece looking forward to Burning Blood might not have too much longer to wait as Bandai Namco confirmed to us that the one-on-one fighter will be released in Europe on June 3rd.
4
Roundabout close to submission
SwapQuest coming soon
This ’70s B-movie game� which sees you driving a constantly spinning limousine could be quite close, as No Goblin's co-founder explains that it needs a little polish but the end is in sight.
After a new puzzle game? SwapQuest is coming soon and is described as "a captivating mix of easy-to-learn puzzle mechanics and old-school RPG elements."
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Klaus delayed until later this year
New DLC for Velocity 2X
Klaus, the tight and challenging platformer that took inspiration from hyper-precise classics is still coming to the Vita, it's just been delayed until later this year. We've seen a lot of positive previews for Klaus, so hopefully we don't have to wait too long.
In a welcome surprise, Futurlab have updated Velocity 2X with some free DLC! The update, which brings the game to version 1.04 contains the Daily Sprint pack which essentially adds a daily challenge mode encouraging players to complete randomly selected levels as quickly as possible.
Grand Kingdom coming West this Summer
Assassin's Creed Chronicles will work on PSTV
NIS America has announced it will be publishing Grand Kingdom in North America and Europe and the game is to release in Summer 2016. Originally developed by MonoChro and published by Spike Chunsoft, the tactical RPG will also see a physical release.
The 2,5D sidescroller - which is due out in April and set in India, China and Russia - will work with the PSTV, as confirmed by this box art posted on Amazon.
Space Overlords out in April Space Overlords is a "combat action shooter" set across multiple galaxies, and is a story of retaliation and retribution. With a level editor, multipayer and more this could keep you busy (and shooting) for some time!
@PSVitaMag
New 'n' Tasty getting the LRG treatment Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is finally here on the Vita and reviewed in this issue, but you might want to hold off getting it for now as Limited Run Games are set to release it in physical form! We will have more news soon!
The Vita Lounge Magazine
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COULD CROSS BUY ACT
FOR MANY PEOPLE, GETTING MULTI FOR ONE PRICE SEEMS A NO-BRAIN AN ESTABLISHED PART OF THE PLAY FOR INDIE TITLES. HOWEVER, COU ACTUALLY BE A BAD THING? WE LO
Paul Murphy Founder The Vita Lounge PMurphy1978 PMurphy1978
YES It sounded like a match made in heaven. Buy the PlayStation 3 version of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time or PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale and you’d get the Vita version – at no extra cost. “It’s the future” many declared, but I distinctly remember one forum member I encountered saying that it would prove to be a bad thing. How could it possibly be? You are getting two versions for the same price! As the years have gone by its use in indie titles has become a staple of practice and expectation, but I now personally feel that it could actually be a bad thing. Before you all say I’m mad, I’ll explain why. The most obvious is pricing. Since the release of the PS4, CrossBuy now means that you are getting as many as three versions for one price, but I feel that this price is inflated somewhat in some cases; you end up paying much more than you might if you bought the game elsewhere and you could essentially be paying a premium for the privilege of getting multiple versions. What might actually help is if there were two versions listed, one for the single game and an enhanced one for those that want other console variants. That way those of us that don’t use the extra versions – or even own the other consoles – don’t have to pay that price.
Another problem with Cross-Buy – and probably the biggest with regards to the Vita right now – is that some developers simply don’t have the means to develop multiple versions of the game simultaneously, and what is increasingly happening is that specific versions – typically Vita – are postponed, delayed or even cancelled. A game could release on the PS4, equipped with Cross-Buy, and people grab it either at release, on sale or even PS Plus. The Vita version is nowhere to be seen, yet that’s the version that many of us want. It’s been queued, meaning that these owners have guaranteed themselves the game at a reduced cost or even free. The thing is, it’s not free to develop games and essentially this money is being pumped into development of a game that will see little or even no return, and ultimately jeopardize future Vita versions of that studio’s games. Another personal gripe is that it’s constantly mentioned that you are getting two or more versions, but these generally share a trophy list. If there were separate lists then it could entice repeated play on multiple platforms, but that said with CrossSave people could use it as a way to enhance their trophy count. Third-parties didn’t buy into Cross-Buy at all, which impacted the feature significantly resulting in something little more than a gimmick. Many of them have bought into Cross-Save, which works in tandem but have stopped short of giving you the additional version, which doesn’t really help matters, and whilst many of us would prioritise the Vita game instead of the PS4 edition, not everyone will. Which again impacts on Vita version sales… When it was announced it was certainly a great concept, and those that do prefer to play big screen at home then to continue on the go really do get something great. It does however highlight that you need multiple PlayStation systems to get the benefit, and I fear that as time goes on it could risk future Vita titles, as we are already starting to see. 6
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TUALLY BE A BAD THING?
IPLE VERSIONS OF THE SAME GAME NER AND CROSS-BUY HAS BECOME YSTATION ECOSYSTEM – ESPECIALLY ULD THIS COST-SAVING EXERCISE OOK AT TWO DIFFERING OPINIONS.
NO
S J Hollis
Editor/Reviewer Grab your trumpets and activate your party poppers because Cross-Buy games are here Punk and Lizard and they are expanding our gaming libraries and giving us value for our very hard earned @SJHollis_ money. How splendid it is to have a choice between PS4 and Vita. Do I want to play Aqua Uninv1ted333 Kitty from the comfort of my own recliner or do I want to take him to work? Is it CrossSave? Then I’ll do both. How wonderful that with so many games we don’t have to pay for the pleasure. How likely are you to buy the same game twice? Not very, I’d say, but given a free second copy there’s every chance you’ll be smiling. Maybe you’re in the middle of a long JRPG on the Vita and don’t want to spend your lunch break playing anything else just yet, or perhaps you’re still trying to finish that last AAA epic on the PS4 but your bus journey feels barren and devoid of any joy. Cross-Buy gives us the opportunity to choose a system, and that’s pure unadulterated rainbows and balloons. While the strength of the Vita has always been its indie and Japanese library, a closer link to the PS4 cannot be a bad thing. Sony resorted to pushing Remote Play as a reason to buy the Vita ‘add on’ but how many people would buy one specifically for that function? I’m really quite dubious. But marketing a function that allows you to play the same game on your handheld wherever you happen to be? That’s a bit more like it. While there’s not a chance in all the universe this can happen with the bigger games, Sony could be missing a trick if they don’t embrace the development of games more suited to this function. Visual novels are a genre I would very much like to see go cross buy as a standard feature. These games are long and personally I don’t like being interrupted by other games. The Vita will always be my go-to console for VNs. I like to hold it to my nose like a book, maybe whizz through during a lunch break or while I’m only half-watching another poor episode of Sherlock, but sometimes – only now and again – one needs to do the washing up and wrap a birthday present. Yes you can set the text to Auto on your Vita but wouldn’t it be nice to read on a nice big TV while you’re eating your sausage, egg and chips? I played Hatoful Boyfriend this way and it changed the way I wanted to play visual novels. I wonder how many games wouldn’t have made it to Vita if Cross-Buy hadn’t been an option. Developing specifically for a platform that will have a limited sales potential is a risky and expensive business or at least that’s what several Android developers have told us in response to Vita version requests. It makes sense, however, that if a developer is already working on a PS4 version that a Vita release would be a much less risky investment. But is Cross-Buy harmful to the Vita? Is there a danger that developers will drop Vita versions completely in favour of the PS4? It’s possible, but I also think that every console has a natural point in time when it begins to run down. The Vita will go down that road when it’s good and ready and Cross-Buy isn’t going to interfere with that. Rather, I think Cross-Buy enhances Vita and PS4 ownership, linking them together like best buds in a playground. Friends 4 Eva? Maybe not, but Cross-Buy gives the Vita another reason to hang on in there. @PSVitaMag
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Lemmings Touch
Helldivers
Nova-111
Crypt of the NecroDancer
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Letter Quest: Grimm's Journey Remastered
Dreii
Siralim
We Are Doomed
February 9th NA & EU
Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders From Planet Space
Super Blast Deluxe
Attractio
CubiKolor
Ninja Senki DX
February 2nd NA & EU
February 2nd NA / February 5th EU
THESE ARE THE VITA GAMES DUE OUT IN FEBRUARY. WILL YOU BE PICKING ANY OF THESE UP?
February 2nd NA / TBC EU
February TBC NA & EU
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The Vita Lounge Magazine
January 9th EU
February 12th EU
February TBC NA & EU
February 9th NA
February 16th NA / TBC EU
February TBC NA & EU
thevitalounge.net
Ho eN THE VITA GAMES WE ARE MOST EXCITED FOR! YIIK
ackkstudios.wordpress.com @ackkstudios
DANGANRONPA 3
SENRAN KAGURA: ESTIVAL VERSUS
estivalversus.com/projects/estival-versus-pre-order @marvellous_games
DARKEST DUNGEON
darkestdungeon.com @RedHookStudios
@spikechunsoft
ATTACK ON TITAN
SWORD ART ONLINE: HOLLOW REALIZATION
swordartonline-game.com @BandaiNamcoEU
@koeitecmoeurope
DRIFTER
SEVERED
celsiusgs.com/drifter @celsiusgs
severedgame.com @DrinkBoxStudios
AXIOM VERGE
axiomverge.com @AxiomVerge @PSVitaMag
ZERO ESCAPE 3
zero-escape.com/coming-soon @aksysgames The Vita Lounge Magazine
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WHAT'S KICKING? Brigid Allanson
brigidallanson.com @BrigidAllanson
Hi Brigid, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Can you tell us a little bit about your background in games? Thank YOU! Sure! I’ve been working as the 2D cut-scene illustrator/animator for Ackk Studio’s new game, YIIK: A Postmodern RPG for the past 2 years. I’ve also done promo illustration for YIIK and their previous game.
IN WHAT'S KICKING WE LOOK AT NEW GAMES THAT NEED YOUR SUPPORT ON KICKSTARTER! THIS MONTH WE ARE LOOKING AT HUSH HUSH 229, A STEALTH BASED VISUAL NOVEL FROM BRIGID ALLANSON. We are talking today about your upcoming game Hush Hush 229, which is currently on Kickstarter. What is it about? Hush Hush 229 is a Visual Novel/Stealth Game that I'm currently developing! Gameplay is split between managing field operatives, and real time strategy style stealth missions.
the cool ideas, or seeing Brian design new worlds haha. I really wanted to get as involved with the process as possible. Which is hard, because I am primarily an illustrator. I’m still learning something new everyday!
What games would you say have acted as inspiration for Hush Hush 229? Metal Gear Solid is the number 1 inspiration for Hush-Hush 229! The game is primarily based around the idea of, “how would it feel to play Metal Gear Solid from the perspective of Mei Ling, Rose or Otacon?” But we’re also taking inspiration from visual novel games. Your experience in gaming has predominantly been around design, what made you want to actually make a game? Being surrounded by my two extremely talented brothers Brian and Andrew during the making of YIIK, really made me want to get more involved in the process. I would get jealous watching them come up with all
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The Vita Lounge Magazine
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What was the motivation for bringing Hush Hush 229 to the PSVita? Because hand-held games are awesome! Playing MGS on the PSVita was a blast, so we wanted to make that a possibility for this game as well. Just looking at the designs of game, it kind of screamed PSVita at us. Your Kickstarter target is $20,000. Is this going to be enough to fund development? What happens if you don't reach it? That will be enough to fund development! However, if we don’t get funded making the game will be much harder, and will definitely take much longer.
How far into development is the game? The game is still pretty early on. We have a lot of the design aspects down, gameplay, half of the game engine is finished with some polishing here and there. A lot of the work in this game will be creating a ton of beautiful and awesome content, including dialogue! Are there any Vita games that you have enjoyed? What games would you says are highlights for you? I really liked Persona 4 and Gravity Rush. And of course, YIIK. But you guys won't get to play that for a little bit! What Vita model do you think is the best, the OLED version or the Slim? I've only ever used the OLED version! So, I'll have to say that one.
@PSVitaMag
We would like to thank Brigid for her time with this interview! Hush Hush 229 is expected in late 2017 and needs $20,000 on Kickstarter to fund development by February 11th. Does this look like a game you want to play? Why not pledge? kickstarter.com/projects/ lacunawalker/hush-hush-229 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Oddworld Inhabitants oddworld.com @OddworldInc
Peter Chapman @colossalblue
Hello Oddworld! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! This is now the third Oddworld title to see a re-master for the Vita. For those that do not know, where does New N Tasty fit in to the series? Hi! Well, Munch’s Oddysee and Stranger’s Wrath were remasters of their respective originals, but New ‘n’ Tasty certainly isn’t it’s a ground-up remake of Abe’s Oddysee but with every single aspect redone from scratch. The audio, the graphics, the gameplay, even some parts of the level design - it’s all brand new.
AFTER WHAT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER, ODDWORLD: NEW 'N' TASTY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED ON THE PSVITA AND HAS BEEN WORTH THE WAIT. WE CAUGHT UP WITH ODDWORLD INHABITANTS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE REIMAGINING OF A CLASSIC ADVENTURE. two sets of difficult trials before being rewarded with a very special power, one that might just help him get his own back and save the Mudokons from their twisted fate. Whilst the basic premise is the same as Abe’s Oddysee, on the Vita we’ve made significant changes to how the game plays, ensuring we really match the strengths of the platform. The game feels much more ‘digital’ in its controls, it’s a little grittier looking and is designed to be played whenever the player has the time - be that in short bursts on the bus or inbetween meetings at work, or for a couple of hours laid back on the sofa at home.
happen? We never thought it wouldn’t happen, but it’s fair to say that squeezing the PlayStation 4 version onto the little handheld has been something of a challenge. When you’re dealing with a mobile device like the Vita, it’s literally a case of examining every single part of the game with a magnifying glass and deciding what needs to be changed to make it work.
Naturally, as it was with PlayStation 3, RAM was an issue. We couldn’t keep the high-poly models from the PS4, and we All of the games have been a little had to do a fairly global reduction on the different to each other. What gameplay pixel size of most of the textures. Which can Vita owners expect to see in New 'n' is fine, by and large, as most of the raw tasty? Well, New ‘n’ Tasty is a sidescrolling New 'n' Tasty is a remake of Abe's Oddysee textures were higher resolution than the Vita’s screen anyway! But we’ve spent 2.5D adventure. It’s in full 3D, but Abe is but it is so much more than that. What an extraordinary amount of time getting normally only moving from left to right (or exactly has changed? the game to look and feel how we want vice versa) rather than in and out of the Everything apart from the plot, the it to do. To give an example, we’ve been screen. It’s more Oddysee than Munch in overall level design and the characters, pulling individual plants out of the ground, that respect. really. It looks and feels like a brand new moving little piles of rocks, changing the current-gen game, but we’ve kept the number of particles in dust clouds and The story is that Abe, a Mudokon charged bubbling themes of environmentalism with cleaning the floors of a giant meat and capitalism - mostly told through cut- - where we’ve been CPU bound - subtly factory, stumbles across his boss’s latest scenes - of the original. Fans of the 1997 masking a few of the myriad bones and joints for the characters, tweaking the novelty meat product, which will mainly classic will feel at home, but we’ve been consist of Mudokon. So, he tries to escape very careful not to alienate anyone whilst physics, activating enemies only as they the factory, saving as many of his fellow also ensuring it’s fresh for even seasoned become visible, and reducing their activity off screen. It’s been tough, but the end species as he can. Once free, he discovers Abe veterans. A difficult set of balls to result is a mobile version of our flagship much more about his former employer, juggle! title that we’re proud of. It shines on the the environment around him and the Vita, and we hope our fans really enjoy the other species that inhabit the areas How difficult has it been to get New experience without being confined to a nearby. Armed with a new-found desire to N Tasty onto the Vita? Were there any do right and save the planet, he completes points where you thought it just wouldn't nearby TV or power supply. 12
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Out of the three released Vita titles, which is your favourite Oddworld title? Technically Oddysee and Exoddus are available on Vita, and we’d get lynched if we didn’t give a nod to our 1997 original at least. The Oddworld games are meant to be diverse, albeit with a unified theme and visual style, so it’s really hard to pick. We’re really wanting to see how New ‘n’ Tasty does on the platform, of course, so naturally that’s the one we’re really focused on just now. If you could make any game in the Oddworld Universe, what would it be? With New ‘n’ Tasty we followed our community’s wishes in their request for a remake of Oddysee. We’ve announced we’re in the planning stages for the follow-up, too, but we’re not yet in a position to talk much more about what that might mean. Rest assured we’re always reading the opinions out there, and don’t think we won’t have a few surprises along the way in the relatively near future... :) New 'n' Tasty appeared on PlayStation Plus earlier this year for the PS4, and through the blessing of Cross-Buy many Vita owners will have "queued" the game for when it arrives. As a developer, what are your thoughts on Cross-Buy and PS Plus - especially when there is a gap between the platform releases? We’re well aware that for consumers, PlayStation Plus is an excellent way to @PSVitaMag
boost your personal video game libraries, and coupled with Cross-buy it does mean that we’re not going to see the sort of figures on PS Vita that we’d really have liked to have seen. But we’re sticking by our word - the game will be free to download if you’ve already got the PS4 or PS3 version.
What's next for the Oddworld series? Whilst we’re just getting started with Exoddus, we’d be reluctant to talk too much about what else is bubbling away in the background.
What are the chances of it happening on the Vita? We’re unlikely to forget about the Vita Are there any games coming out for the New ‘n’ Tasty has shown that anything Vita that you are looking forward to? is possible - but without going into detail What have been your favourites so far? about our plans for this year and the next, We’re probably entering the twilight years it’s difficult to really give you an accurate of the console just now, but there’s been answer. Sorry! some truly excellent games released for the Vita and there’s still a few to come. Finally - of the two released Vita models, PlayStation Experience 2015 showed that the 1000 series OLED and the 2000 series there’s still life in Sony’s little console yet, slim which do you think is better? and developers - even if most of them are In terms of New ‘n’ Tasty, the OLED screen indies - still love it. really makes things ‘pop’, but we adore the weight and feel of the 2000 series unit. It We think New ‘n’ Tasty is great on Vita, just feels fresher and new. Rest assured purely because it’s the full console we’ve tested the game extensively on experience on the go, but not all games both, and tweaked the colour curves to are like that and don’t need or want to be, best match the two devices. and that’s what makes the platform so diverse in terms of content. Everyone loves the likes of Minecraft and the big AAA titles on there like WipEout, Killzone and LittleBigPlanet, but we adored some of the early PlayStation Mobile titles and the likes of Olli Olli, Velocity, Guacamelee!, Retro City Rampage and so on show that there’s plenty for everyone.
We would like to thank Peter and Oddworld Inhabitants for their time with this interview! Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is out now on the PSVita and you can read what Charlie has to say about it on page 24! The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Double Fine Productions doublefine.com @DoubleFine
Matt Hansen
COO, Double Fine Productions @mhansen3113 Hi Matt, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Can you tell us a little bit about Double Fine? Double Fine is an independent studio based in San Francisco, set up by industry veteran Tim Schafer, and we just celebrated our 15th anniversary. In those 15 years Double Fine has released 17 games including Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Costume Quest, Stacking, Grim Fandango Remastered and Broken Age. We are talking today about Day of the Tentacle Remastered, which originally released back in 1993. For those that either aren’t old enough to know (or so old they forgot!) what is the game about? Day of the Tentacle is a mind-bending, time traveling, cartoon puzzle adventure game in which three unlikely friends work together to prevent an evil mutated purple tentacle from taking over the world! Not sure how anyone could forget that! What differences will there be between the original and the new version? On paper the main differences are all new hand-painted high resolution graphics, restored and remastered voices and music, a new interface, trophies, etc. But I think a really key difference lies in the new platforms we’ll be putting it on. When DOTT was released in the 90s it was played exclusively at your desk on your computer. Now it’s on PS4 people will be able to enjoy a big screen version of the game from the comfort of the couch, along with their friends and family. 14
The Vita Lounge Magazine
DOUBLE FINE’S ADVENTURES HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED, AND THE CALIFORNIA-BASED DEVELOPER HAS CERTAINLY BEEN BUSY WITH VITA TITLES. WE CAUGHT UP WITH DOUBLE FINE’S COO, MATT HANSEN ABOUT RE-MASTERING PROJECTS, WORKING WITH THE VITA AND THE FUTURE. Episodic games have become quite popular, with Telltale Game’s collections the most obvious examples. Is this something that you may consider in the future for new projects? It’s not something that we’re considering What gameplay will gamers experience through Day of the Tentacle Remastered? at the moment, as it’s not our speciality. Day of the Tentacle is a comedy adventure There may come a time when we have puzzle game, it’s an interactive story with a great idea for a game that would work best episodically, and maybe we’ll go for it, things to pick up, puzzles to solve and a host of really well written silly characters. but for now it’s not on the cards. What makes DOTT special is that it takes How difficult is it to bring these games to place in the same Mansion but each of the Vita? What performance compromises the three main characters are 200 years apart – past, present and future! They can – if any – do you have to make to get them send some objects to one another, but to running on the handheld? Luckily Broken Age and Day of the solve some puzzles, players may need to Tentacle are both 2D and didn’t strain change something in the past to affect the hardware too much – the Vita is a the future! great machine! Grim Fandango was a little trickier to get the lighting to work, Maniac Mansion was Day of the Tentacle’s predecessor, and is available in but ultimately no real compromises were the game. Did you think about tying game required! trophies to the game within the game? You are bringing Full Throttle Remastered Actually, there is at least one trophy to the Vita next, and you just launched associated with Maniac Mansion! a campaign to fund an new version of This is Double’s Fine’s third Vita remaster, Psychonauts 2. What are the chances for a Vita version of that? with Grim Fandango and Broken Age coming before. What was the motivation With Psychonauts 2 we’re aiming to for bringing Vita versions of these games? really use the full power of the current generation of consoles to make a game We think the Vita is a really good that will look great when it comes out in companion to it’s big sister the PS4, and lends itself well to adventure games. The 2018. Sadly that means the likelihood of a Vita port is pretty low. touch screen works well for pointing and clicking, and adventure games are a good way to spend your commute! With the Vita they can get up close and personal with it or play it on the go. Adventure games lend themselves well to both of those situations!
thevitalounge.net
What about The Secret of Monkey Island Remastered? Does Double Fine have potential plans to revisit that series? It’s unlikely that we’d work on those games as they were already remastered by LucasArts themselves. There are some other games we might be interested in remastering, but we’ll have to see what happens with DOTT and Full Throttle first though! @PSVitaMag
Are there any Vita titles that you are looking forward to? I’m really looking forward to Hyper Light Drifter! Which of the two Vita models – the OLED and the Slim – do you prefer? I prefer the older one! It has a nicer screen! And my eyes are getting bad. I’m old.
We would like to thank Matt for his time with this interview, as well as thank James Spafford (@thespaff) for helping it happen. Day of the Tentacle Remastered is coming soon to a Vita near you and we will bring you a review soon! The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Sukeban Games
waifubartending.com @SukebanGames
Wolfgame
wolfgame.com @Ouren Hello Wolfgang, thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into developing games? I’m an old theatre kid, I did technical theatre (that means I ran the house audio) and film in high school. I graduated in 2007, around the same time as the PS3 was launching. And as someone who was interested in theatre, when I got my hands on Heavenly Sword and saw all the special features with Ninja Theory and Andy Serkis, I saw what games could be in a theatre and film context. I chose to pursue game development in college at Full Sail U. I took the Digital Arts and Design (Graphic Design) degree out there as a way to get into developing games. The combination of playing FFXI all throughout high school and seeing Andy Serkis sort of show me the fine arts angle of games really set my course. Since college I’ve been doing prototype work for the mighty Iron Galaxy and starting up my porting/publishing thing on the side. It’s all been going great! You have been working on the Vita port of Sukeban's VA-11 HALL-A. Can you tell us what it is? Sure! VA-11 HALL-A is a “Cyberpunk Bartending Simulation.” You tend bar, listen to customers’ needs, and try to serve those needs all the while trying to get more information from them or 16
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VA-11 HALL-A: CYBERPUNK BARTENDER ACTION IS A BOOZE EM' UP ABOUT WAIFUS, TECHNOLOGY, AND POST-DYSTOPIA LIFE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH WOLFGANG WOZNIAK, THE MAN TASKED WITH PORTING THE VITA VERSION OF THE GAME TO FIND OUT MORE. expand the conversation. The story is the reward here! What games would you describe VA-11 HALL-A as a mixture of? That’s a very interesting question. The main hook is that on the surface, it’s a sort of visual novel. However, there’s no “dialogue” system to speak of. The way you alter and manipulate the conversation is by serving drinks either right, wrong, or with more or less alcohol. It’s a very interesting system and I can’t wait to see what Sukeban has in store for everyone. What sort of things will gamers encounter during their experience? I think that if you’re looking for some really chilled out, cool PC-98 visual novel experience in 2016, that VA-11 HALL-A is the best place for you. I imagine a lot of people playing this game in a dimly lit room drinking Earl Grey and pondering the story. I imagine players curling up with their PS Vita like a book. Can you tell us anything new about the game? The developers just revealed that there will be an increased focus on the daily life of your player character, Jill. The apartment interactions and as Sukeban would say “comfy” atmosphere in this hub-world are great. I love little vignettes like that.
What was the motivation behind bringing this to the Vita? It’s a visual novel with pixel-perfect and hand-done dithering with a PC-98 art style. It was born to be on the Vita! Just look at it! How difficult has it been bringing the game to the Vita? We haven’t started the port-work just yet, we’re awaiting Sukeban to put the finishing touches on the source. They are not that far out it seems! I have a nearfinal PC build to toy with. How long do you anticipate the porting process to take? We anticipate about a 1-2 month conversion process from getting the source to released port. Of course, this is if everything runs perfectly and there are no scheduling conflicts! Have there been any compromises with getting the game onto the Vita? However, there will be a little work resizing the screen, so you might lose a little bit of the frame-border you see in screenshots. We want to preserve those beautiful perfect pixels in the primary art. Other than that, I can’t see much else changing.
thevitalounge.net
What Vita games have impressed you the most? Hmmm, I guess these days I really enjoy like the art/tech side of things. There’s something about the way that characters are rendered in Persona 4 Dancing All Night that I love. It’s silly, but I really think their art style is really effective for that. All that carefully controlled rim-lighting on the characters just looks fantastic, here, let me share my favourite video that sold me on it…
What Vita games (if any) are you excited for this year? I’m unusually excited about Dragon Quest Builders. Before Dragon Quest Heroes, I hadn’t played a Dynasty Warriors OR Dragon Quest game. Now, I’m kinda thinking about going back to older games in the series. I really like Alena and Yangus. And an RPG with voxel-based Town building elements? Sign me up! However, I have one burning question: Does it have PS4 cross-save?
What's next for Wolfgame? Would you work with Vita again? Well! Before VA-11 HALL-A is released on PS Vita, we’re releasing a game called Dungeon Hearts DX for Wii U. We’re very excited to be working with Nintendo for the first time, and I’ve had a load of fun making the new art assets. (I finally figured out how to make the Floor Constraint for Bones work in Blender!!). Next for PS Vita, we’re planning a release of the Gyossiat Collection which is an youtube.com/watch?v=QUlRiYls4Pc almost complete body of work from the legendary avant garde designer, musician and artist Amon26. That’s very much a And look at that animation! The second half of the video is just the raw animation. passion project, but I hope fans will look Ugh so good. There’s just such a grace to forward to that one from us as well. Additionally, I should say I’m also doing this whole thing. As a recently 3D artist and character modeller/animator... I love a lot of 3D art for a game called Undead Darlings ~so long my love~, which is the presentation. Just can we all admire targeting PS Vita as a lead platform. this artistry? Thanks! @PSVitaMag
Of the two Vita models which do you prefer, the OLED or the Slim? OLED all the way! (I haven’t held the Slim model at all, I wonder how the Start/ Select buttons feel). I’m also the proud(?) owner of a Vita TV/ PS TV. I put it in my PS3 kiosk.
We would like to thank Wolfgang for his time with this interview! Make sure you follow @Ouren and @SukebanGames for more information on VA-11 HALL-A. Are you looking forward to some Waifu Bartending? The Vita Lounge Magazine
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The Layabouts
wearethelayabouts.com @welayabout
Joseph Pierce Game Designer @lbunclejoe
Hello The Layabouts! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Can you give us a little backstory into your studio and how you got into developing games? Hey there! It's no trouble at all. Most of us here at the Layabouts have known each other for over ten years now, since we were kids. We all met on an old internet community full of adolescent, would-be webcomic and webtoon creators. We all loved making things, not just those things, and some of us were even making amateur game projects back in those days. A few of us decided to form The Layabouts as an outlet to make different projects, and originally it was more of an... art-collective? I guess that's a good way to put it. We made whatever we felt like at a given time, most of it pretty weird, and we called ourselves the "Fantastic Media Creation Heroes!" It was kind of silly... At some point, that identity started to fall by the wayside, and a lot of us were itching to get more serious about making games. So, here we are, making video games! You've got two Vita titles in development right now, the first of these is Legend of Doodle. What is Legend of Doodle about? The Legend Of Doodle is an exploratory platformer set in a pencil-drawn world with a focus on elegant simplicity. One day, the kingdom of this world is engulfed by an inky black darkness, consuming everything it touches with an almost gleeful enthusiasm. In the aftermath of this incursion, the reclusive Doodle seems to be one of only two survivors. You'll need to travel this quiet and desolate 18
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THE LAYABOUTS ARE AN INDIE GAME DEV TEAM THAT APPROACHES THE CREATIVE PROCESS WITH AN ENTHUSIAST'S PERSPECTIVE AND AN IRREVERENT STYLE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH GAME DESIGNER JOE PIERCE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING VITA PROJECTS
world in search of others, clinging on to what little signs of life you can find, uncovering secrets, and discovering the nature of these shadowy invaders. Initially, we were inspired a lot by some of the earlier work of Matt Thorson, games like Jumper or An Untitled Story, but as we've grown and worked on the project over the years, our goals have changed. We've done a lot to try and emphasize the loneliness of Doodle's adventure, from the music and the level design to your interactions with other characters. The pace of the game is very deliberate; difficult, but rarely manic in the way a game like Super Meat Boy is. It takes place in a huge, interconnected world map, but the journey is made screen by screen, block by block, one foot over another underlining the scale of the world and the distance between you and anyone else who may still be out there. Our approach to combat also falls in line with this way of thinking. Outside of boss fights, we've built a lot of challenges and mechanics that don't really require traditional 'platformer enemies'. Your primary obstacle is the world itself, and what enemies we do have in the game operate in ways that highlight their existence as a part of this world, another piece of the puzzle, rather than just simple hazards. We're happy with the results, and hope others will be just as happy when people can finally get their hands on the game. How is development going for Legend of Doodle? It seems a long time ago that we first heard about it... We're trucking along. Everyone working on
the game is spread out, some of us have other obligations like school or work, but we're doing what we can to wrap things up. We're almost at the content completion stage, or 'beta', so most of our remaining workload falls under the polishing, bug fixing, and porting processes. Game Maker can also be, for lack of a better word, a bit ornery at times. It's not always the most reliable IDE to work with, and it can make rapid iteration a bit of a chore, especially on a larger project like this, but we'll push through. We've dealt with it for this long, we can deal with it for a bit longer! What made you want to bring Legend of Doodle to the Vita? Doodle's a game we've been developing on and off for a long time now. It's sort of always been a constant for us, coming back into our lives between other projects. Back in early 2014, I think around maybe March, YoYo Games and Sony announced a Game Maker: Studio partnership, and at that same time we were 'in-between projects' and getting back into the swing of production on The Legend Of Doodle. Vita seemed like a perfect fit for the game we wanted to make, and considering this announcement was for the engine we were already using, we decided to pursue it. Have you got a price point or release date/window in mind? We're hoping to have the game finished and released in early 2016, somewhere within the $5-$10 range.
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You also have another title in development, Collectems. Collectems certainly has a very familiar look about it, can you explain a little more about it? Collectems is a Role Playing Game set in an alternate history Earth where genetic experimentation lead to the creation of strange mutant creatures. During the late 20th century, these 'Collectems' boomed into a new industry, an industry fueled by emphasize the role playing part of Role highly evolved, made-to-order, Playing Games. subservient monsters. They've bled into every facet of daily life, changing the That's not to say combat won't play a large nature of war & commerce forever. role in the game. Often, a lot of these disputes may need to be resolved with The game explores the tensions force, and you'll roam around with a large surrounding this relatively new technology, the ethical questions it raises, team of Collectems by your side to engage and the impact these creatures have had in these conflicts. Battles in Collectems on the everyday lives of those living in the are brutal - they're lethal - and you'll need to be smart about how you organize your Tamota Peninsula, the birthplace of team and who to send into what Collectems. Players will travel Tamota, engagements. When a Collectem dies, it meet its citizens, capture these Collectems, and try to find their place in a dies for good, and there's no bringing it back. Fallen Collectems will leave behind world that's perpetually balancing on a some aspect of themselves in the form of knife's edge. gene clusters; partial remnants of their stats, moves, or abilities, which can be The inspirations behind Collectems are applied to surviving teammates, and it will very clear, what will set your game apart be up to them to carry on their legacy from that? after death. Even if a Collectem makes it Ah, actually, I'd argue we haven't made out of a battle alive, they're likely to be most of the biggest inspirations for the wounded, and will need some time to project very clear at all! And I know that sounds kind of surprising, but In terms of recover before they can be sent out into battle again. Overall, I'd like battles to plot, structure, and overall pacing; the occur a lot less frequently in Collectems game is very much a western RPG than most other RPGs, but carry a greater through and trough. Think Fallout 2, individual importance. Wasteland 2, Shadowrun Returns, Planescape Torment, Baulder's Gate I know there's a lot of people out there titles like that. The Collectems feature heavily into the game's battle system, but who have this impression of the game as your interactions with other people in the little more than "PokĂŠmon for PlayStation Vita". A lot of that impression is our fault, world are in many ways much more of course - we've been relatively quiet important. How these people have been affected by these things is a bigger focus about Collectems, very much intentionally, than the monsters themselves. Everyone but I worry sometimes that the game's image is getting away from us. While has a different agenda, including the PokĂŠmon is definitely a huge source of player, and working through these conflicting goals will involve making a lot inspiration, I don't want anyone to expect of difficult, politically charged, morally grey Collectems to have the same lighthearted tone. I feel bad that anyone might have decisions. I'm definitely aiming to @PSVitaMag
been lead to think that was the case up until now, because that's dishonest, and I hope to make those differences more and more obvious as time goes on. But for now, to put it simply: I'd be surprised if the game didn't end up with an M rating. How much gameplay do you expect to see in Collectems? It's hard to say, really. Putting a number to that sort of thing is never easy, especially this early into a project. At the same time, I'd like the game to be long enough to provide a thorough exploration of this world and its people. I think it's important for the project to deliver on that, and doing so will likely require a significant amount of content. It remains to be seen, but I hope we're able to make the game as big as it needs to be. Will the game just be one release or can you see yourself release a dual version? Any plans for a retail release? Actually, with some of the randomized elements we're experimenting with (such as monster locations or area layouts) we're hoping to make it so that, in away, everyone has their OWN version of the game. The original idea behind PokĂŠmon's dual versions was to get players sharing and talking with one another, so what better way to get people communicating than making everyone's experience different? That's the goal, anyway! As for a retail release, I know that I'd love to see that some day, but we don't have any official plans at the moment. We'll just have to see what the future holds. The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Is Collectems likely to be a one-off release or do you see it potentially growing like PokĂŠmon? I don't think the game will ever be as big as PokĂŠmon was, and that's not really what we're trying to do with this project either, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have ideas for other stories set in the Collectems universe. It's a very important world to me, and I hope I have the good fortune of one day being able to tell those other stories, but it's going to be a huge undertaking to get this one game done, so I'm trying to keep my focus there for now. Was it an obvious choice to choose handheld as a platform for Collectems? I'd say so. We had already become licensed PlayStation developers by the time we began more recent discussions about Collectems, so it was an ecosystem we already wanted to be a part of, and the Vita seemed like a natural fit for the game. The Vita and PS4 share quite a few games already, many with cross save/buy/play. Any plans to tap into any of that? Yes! When possible, I'm 100% committed to supporting all of those features on every project we release for PlayStation platforms. Any ideas on when Collectems might be released? I hate to disappoint, but it's going to be a long time. The game's still very much in the pre-production phase, what with The Legend Of Doodle taking up most development resources right now. Almost all of the media we've shared so far has been conceptual. None of that is final. We're still figuring out the look and style of the game, and I think it will be some time before we commit to anything on that front. 20
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The Legend of Doodle is a game that's taken us six years to make for a variety of reasons, many of them technical, and that's not something we can really afford to do again. Before we really move forward, I'd like to have the infrastructure and technology in place to develop Collectems properly. We're going to be moving from Game Maker: Studio over to Unity for all future projects, and I'd like to have a solid grasp of developing for Unity before kicking into high gear on Collectems. That may involve making a different smaller project in-between, but the experience is vital. It's what the game deserves, and it's what the people who want the game deserve. There's just no telling how long that might take, unfortunately, but we'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as we have any idea ourselves. How do you find developing for the Vita? Is there anything that you like/dislike/ wish you could change? Honestly, most, if not all of our developmental woes have been the result of Game Maker: Studio, but I think I've already said enough about that! No real complaints about the Vita platform itself. I love its big beautiful screen and that it's powerful enough to handle a straight port of a PC game without needing crazy amounts of optimization. The biggest thing I wish I could change is the ridiculous expense of those proprietary memory cards, though. That, and going back in time and making sure the Vita got more support from major developers! What games have been standouts for you on the Vita? Is there anything that you are looking forward to? Honestly, and I kind of hate to admit it, but I haven't actually had the chance to play very many Vita games. I've mostly
been using my PlayStation TV to play a lot of old PSP JRPGs I never got the chance to experience until now. I was finally able to start on Persona 4 thanks to the Vita rerelease though, and my experience with that has been wonderful so far. I hope to have more time to play and enjoy that once The Legend Of Doodle is finished. As for upcoming releases; Severed looks incredibly interesting, so I'll definitely be giving that a try as soon as I can! Do you have anything to say to our Vita readers? Regardless of how long Collectems takes to finish, I fully intend to support the PlayStation Vita. Even if, by some twist of fate, it would be the last thing ever released for the system. So please; keep the dream alive! One last question; What's the better model in your opinion - OLED Vita or Slim? What, no love for the PlayStation TV? Ha ha, I know, I know, you're mostly asking about the form factor here. Truth be told, the only member of the team with their own personal Vita is our programmer, and it's an original OLED model. The devkit is also based around that model as well, so I don't know what the slim is like. I have a sneaking suspicion that I might actually like the lighter slim model more as, from what they tell me, the original model Vita can get rather heavy after long periods of use. That OLED screen is beautiful though, so it's a tough choice!
We would like to thank Joe for his time with this interview! The Legend of Doodle is set to launch soon on the Vita and we will bring you more news as we have it! thevitalounge.net
Written by
Paul Murphy
PMurphy1978 PMurphy1978 “You did not reach the Nuclear Throne.”
3 10 31 PSTV 154 MB Publisher
vlambeer.com
@Vlambeer
Developer
vlambeer.com
@Vlambeer
Released
NA: December 5th EU: December 5th
@PSVitaMag
This obvious, if rather unhelpful sentence is probably going to be to be what you take most from your time with Vlambeer’s latest title – as it is what greets you when you fail to complete the titular objective. Which you will. Repeatedly. This is by design of course; those affable Dutch developers – best known on Vita for the fabulous Luftrausers – have crafted a “top down action rogue-like shooter” which features an incredibly brutal learning curve and some incredibly frustrating gameplay. Roguelikes are notorious for their very short-lived experiences, and Vlambeer are well known for their easy to play, shortburst games – so marrying the two up was always going to be interesting. If patience isn’t your strong point with games, this may well not be the experience for you, and for a while I wasn’t sure if it was for me either. Thankfully, I persevered. The quest to the Nuclear Throne is simple in premise. Fifteen levels across seven worlds stand in the way of your mission and along the way you’ll encounter post-apocalyptic desert wastelands, sewers, scrapyards, caverns, mansions and eventually you’ll discover – and destroy – the throne.
You begin by choosing a mutant from the default roster. You’ll initially have only Fish – an anthropomorphic Fish who can roll and utilises extra ammunition, and Crystal – a living, walking block that has more health and can shield itself from harm. These aren’t the only characters, and as you progress through the worlds you’ll soon add a mutant with many eyes (better visibility in the transitional areas), a zombie (ultra low health, explodes enemy carcasses), a plant (faster, entrap enemies) and many more. In fact, there are a total of twelve playable characters to play with once you have met their unlock requirements (and most of these are through simply reaching the required level). It is more difficult than simply bombing through the game however, as no level is ever the same twice. Your environments are randomly and procedurally generated as you go; with layout, enemies, weapons and drops never being quite the same – although it follows a basic theme. This makes you constantly on your guard and although you’re presented with a basic familiarity, you are never quite sure of your surroundings. You also do not have unlimited supplies of ammunition, so great care must be taken to conserve your supplies. Running and gunning is simply not going to cut the mustard here, and being avoidant will leave you severely impeded should you run out of weapons. Thankfully, new weapons are supplied across the wasteland in chests and you will be encouraged – and required – to become familiar with many (if not all of them). With no guarantee to what you’ll find each time, being proficient with many The Vita Lounge Magazine
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types of weapons will certainly suit you well. You can carry a maximum of two with you at a time, with ammunition shared between the different classes – and though you start off with a trusty revolver you’ll soon find assault rifles, shotguns, laser pistols, grenade launchers and much more alongside a variety of melee weapons. Physical tools trade off the range and dependence on ammunition with an increased likelihood of meeting your doom, so you’ll have to make care what you pick in that regard.
manner of benefits, such as extra ammo and health drops, additional chests, enhanced aiming (more on aiming in a second) or even kills regenerating your rounds or health.
The further you progress through the game, the more difficult it will become. Eradicating the enemies from a level will unlock the portal to the next zone, and then increases the base game difficulty by one. Thankfully, almost everything you can kill will leave “Rads” – which serve as Nuclear Throne‘s experience system. Accumulate enough Rads and you’ll level up, allowing you to select a new mutation for your character. There are more than 30 to choose from and these can offer all
The game controls as you would typically expect; a top-down twin stick shooter to play, with movement controlled by one stick, aiming from the other, and the right trigger shooting. The left trigger will execute your chosen character’s special ability, as mentioned earlier. Triangle switches weapon and Square will act as your pick-up and activate button. From there it’s all down to you. If the default controls are not for you, then you can tweak them in the settings along with
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One of my personal favourites – and the one I hope for each time – is the ability to reduce your opponents health. You will soon develop some favourites and tailor the character to how you want to play. Well, for as long as you survive on your quest, and lose it all!
other options like the screen shaking, and how much aim assist you’ll need. Ah yes, aiming, one of my biggest annoyances with the game was with the aiming. Cranking that aim assist in the menu will help if – like me – you suck, but Nuclear Throne’s aiming has a bit of a learning curve. Tinkering and practicing – as well as repeating the same level repeatedly – will obviously help, but initially it is enough to truly test your patience. Thankfully, severe perseverance yields reward, and the ensuing satisfaction you’ll experience when you begin weaving around and dispensing projectile justice on the landscape is second to none. Whether you enjoy the game’s look will very much depend on your appreciation for pixel art. Personally I like the look, and really enjoyed the representation of the world and the characters. Enemies and bosses all have their own look and style and are very well designed, courtesy
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of regular Vlambeer collaborator Paul Veer. The game passes you by at such an alarming rate, and doesn’t really give you the chance to appreciate the amount of detail that has gone into the game, with explosions, dust trails, spent shells and so much more happening around you. This level of carnage and detail does have implications, and unfortunately at times does make the game’s framerate grind to a halt – usually during the death throes of a boss, or when there are significant amounts happening on screen. It’s over very quickly, but seeing the game stutter so much demeans the experience somewhat. The game also possesses a great little soundtrack from another regular associate of the Dutch studio, Jukio Kallio. If you are a fan of this developers’ previous projects then you are bound to feel that familiar charm. What isn’t familiar is the use of a 4:3 style in a modern game. I have been told that the official reason for this is to reduce “horizontal bias” with your movement, giving you a balanced movement area to traverse… or something. This is a game which relies on precision, so having an
almost square movement area, field of view and so on ensures that the experience is balanced.
the game at any point, as many times I accidentally lost my progress due to leaving the game.
If you are looking for reasons to avoid Nuclear Throne, then the first place to start is the difficulty. It is insanely brutal and requires a lot of patience, and (dare I say it) fortune in order to get through the game. This could of course be a positive too for those that love a challenge, but I needed to mention it. Thankfully your forays do not take very long in themselves, so you’ll very soon be back in the thick of the action.
Another niggle is a lack of multiplayer on the Vita version. Other versions get a two player co-op mode; which although raising the stakes a little, also spreads the load between two. I’m sure it’s great fun, but as it’s not here I wouldn’t know.
I must also mention the pause menu, and that default highlighted option is to quit rather than return to the game. You’ll be wanting to pay attention should you stop
Despite these issues I love the game. Nuclear Throne is easily Vlambeer’s most ambitious title yet, and once it clicked with me I found myself completely addicted to it. I didn’t enjoy it as much a Luftrasuers, and that remains my favourite Vlambeer experience but still I couldn’t put Nuclear Throne down. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to try to get to it.
VERDICT Difficult, charming, colourful, addictive, frustrating and then some. Tremendous fun and the biggest title Vlambeer have pulled off yet. If you are after all of the above then you definitely want to take a look at Nuclear Throne.
@PSVitaMag
Finally, those frame rate issues. I must stress that it is infrequent (the vast majority of the time the game runs consistently), but those times when you reach the boss and die from a stray bullet during heavy chugging are incredibly annoying – not least because it’s probably going to take to a while to get to that point again.
4 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Written by Charlie Large @CharlieLarge Chaz3010
5 9 22 PSTV 1.2 GB Publisher
oddworld.com
@OddworldInc
Developer
nephilimgamestudios. com
Released
NA: January 19th EU: January 19th
24
The Vita Lounge Magazine
Almost twenty years after the release of the original Oddworld title Abe’s Oddysee (which debuted on the PlayStation in September 1997), the ground-up remake Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty lands on the PlayStation Vita – instantly challenging for the honour of becoming the handheld’s best platformer. You play as Abe, a Mudokon slave who spends his days working as a floor-waxer at Rupture Farms – ‘the biggest meatprocessing plant in Oddworld’. One night whilst he is cleaning, Abe happens to overhear Rupture Farms’ owner Mullock the Glukkon discussing his latest meatbased product – Mudokon Pops! Startled by this revelation, Abe sets off to escape the factory whilst rescuing the rest of the Mudokon slaves before they become tasty snacks. You take control of Abe at the start of his escape, and the opening chapter in Rupture Farms helps you to get to grips with the core gameplay mechanics. Keeping with the original, New ‘n’ Tasty is a 2.5D sidescrolling platformer that tests you with its precision-requiring jumps and obstacles that require impeccable timing. As you make your way through the first chapter you will notice that the game’s environment is used to display additional
information exceptionally. There is no HUD in New ‘n’ Tasty – everything you need to know is provided to you by environmental objects. You will notice the side-scrolling displays that provide information on the game’s controls that form a tutorial of sorts, and the gigantic billboards in the game that – quite hauntingly – remind you of how many of the 299 trapped Mudokons you have rescued (or left to die). The environments in the game are stunning, and you can definitely tell that a lot of time and care was put into making the Vita version of New ‘n’ Tasty. There had to be some compromises made to port the game from the PlayStation 4 to the Vita, but even with these alterations the game is gorgeous. There were a few times when there were a lot of enemies on the screen that I noticed a drop in frame-rate, and a few times when objects in the game did not work as expected, but this did not ruin the overall experience for me. Speaking of the enemies, one thing that makes Abe unique to other platforming heroes is that he cannot directly harm the various creatures that can do him harm. The one thing that he can do is chant. By holding down the left and right triggers on the PlayStation Vita you will perform a chant, allowing you to possess one of the enemy types that you will encounter during play. By taking control of the Sligs that patrol Rupture Farms and the surrounding areas you can use their machine guns to clear your path and can also unlock security gates within the Rupture Farm’s compound. Other enemies in the game cannot be possessed, and to outwit these you will need to solve puzzles and use thevitalounge.net
of the game I thought I had rescued all the Mudokons in the opening chapter; I was soon proven wrong when the first billboard I came across told me that over forty of my chums had perished. How many Mudokons you rescue will affect the game’s ending, encouraging you to play I had great fun solving the game’s puzzles through New ‘n’ Tasty multiple times just and using the various objects in the to see how the story plays out. environments to overcome obstacles that the game threw my way. Using the Vita’s Don’t worry if that sounds like too much d-pad you can make Abe (or possessed of a chore, New ‘n’ Tasty is short but Sligs) interact with other creatures. sweet. My first playthrough took me Interacting comes down to using a between six and seven hours from start command system known as GameSpeak, to finish. Although that does seem like having you mimic passwords that you a short time, I had played the opening hear in certain parts of the game in order chapters previously on the PlayStation 4, to advance. GameSpeak blends in with the so it may take newcomers to the game a other sounds that you hear throughout little longer. As I mentioned earlier I also, the game to make for great audio. inadvertently, missed out on saving Who doesn’t love the sound of farts, quite a few Mudokens – so you can mystical chants, and whistles probably add an hour or two onto against an industrious backdrop? the length of the game if you are taking your time to find and save The Mudokons that you need to all 299. There is even a trophy on rescue are located throughout offer for completing the game in the game’s fifteen chapters, and under three hours whilst rescuing they will require you to thoroughly all of the Mudokens – that is search the environments definitely one for people who enjoy a in order to find them. challenge, with the game also When I first escaped featuring online leaderboards Rupture Farms and that allow you to compare entered the details such as time taken to Stockyards area complete and how many Mudokens you have saved with others that have played the game. environmental objects to make sure that you come out on top. Each enemy is unique and distinctly different, and they all have their own characteristics that can make for some hilarious, unscripted happenings throughout the game.
VERDICT This ground-up remake manages to encapsulate the feel of the twenty year old original and still holds its own against modern 2D platformers - showing how ahead of its time Abe's Oddysee was. Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a game that both fans of the series and newcomers alike will enjoy, so pick it up and jump into the strange and humorous land this game is one of the best platformers in recent years! @PSVitaMag
Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is, in my opinion, the best Oddworld title on the PlayStation Vita – which can only be a good thing when the Oddworld games available include the excellent Stranger’s Wrath. I think that this is partly due to the time and attention the developers have put into optimising New ‘n’ Tasty for the Vita. One example of this is the controls, which have been tweaked for the handheld and work perfectly – allowing for precision which is crucial for both platforming and sneaking throughout the game. The gameplay is also exceptional, with New ‘n’ Tasty managing to encapsulate the feel of the original – Abe’s Oddysee – whilst managing to feel fresh at the same time. Now that I have finished the game, I have an urge to go back to it – which is unusual as I normally put games back on the shelf or remove them from my memory card when I complete them. With New ‘n’ Tasty however, I want to go back; I want to try and beat the game quicker, see the other ending, and try and save all 299 Mudokons. That in itself is a testament to the work that Nephilim and Oddworld Inhabitants have put into perfecting the PS Vita version of Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty, and why the game is one that I highly recommend you purchase – you won’t regret it!
4.5 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Written by Charlie Large @CharlieLarge Chaz3010
8 6 10 PSTV 904 MB Publisher
bithellgames.com
@mikeBithell
Developer jawltd.com
@jawltd
Released
NA: February 6th EU: February 6th
26
The Vita Lounge Magazine
After the simplistic brilliance that was Mike Bithell’s debut, Thomas Was Alone, I kept my eye on Mike Bithell’s follow-up project – the modern-day, Robin Hood inspired, Volume. I did give Volume a quick play on the PlayStation 4 but didn’t really get too invested in the game because in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to play through the title on my Vita. Thankfully, my judgement paid off – Volume on PlayStation Vita is brilliant, I have not been able to put the game down since it launched in the UK last Wednesday. The backstory to the game is both clever and keeping with the times. You play as Robert Locksley, a petty thief who finds a device known as ‘the Volume’. This bit of kit was initially intended to be used as part of a secret military coup, but now it is in Robert’s hands he has the ability to simulate high-profile heists. Robert decides to stream these heists online in the form of Let’s Plays, allowing for his audience to pick up tips so that they can steal from the rich and give to the poor – in a post-modern day Robin Hood tale. There are 100 core heist simulations for you to tackle that form Volume‘s story mode, each lasting around 2-5 minutes. The goal of each level is simple; collect all the gems to activate the exit, and make it there without being caught. The great thing about Volume‘s take on the stealth genre is that it offers a pure stealth experience.
Whereas some other recent stealth games offer a lot of freedom for you to escape your pursuers, Volume keeps you penned into a set area – meaning you will have to use whatever equipment you have to hand and the surrounding environment in order to survive. You can see the influence that Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid has had on Mike Bithell, especially Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions from the original PlayStation days. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – and it certainly shows here. From the vision-cones that show where an enemy is facing, to the almost top-down perspective of the game it is clear that Metal Gear Solid heavily influenced Volume‘s (and Mike Bithell’s) direction. This is no bad thing, as what you get as an end result is one of, if not, the best stealth experiences in recent years. Volume is a game that challenges you but does not frustrate you. As you make your way through the game’s levels, you will be introduced to new enemies, new gadgets and new environmental objects for you to interact with. These features are split across the levels in such a way that new mechanics are introduced into the gameplay before a previous one becomes tiresome. This kept me engaged with the game and has had my Vita glued to my hands for the past few days as I ran through each level so that I could see what the next stage was going to throw at me. As you race through these levels – and race you will as you try to make a mark on the game’s leaderboards – you will be subjected to the audio dialogue between Locksley thevitalounge.net
(voiced by Charlie McDonnell) and his AI companion Alan. Although the casting of real-life YouTuber Charlie McDonnell as Locksley was a great idea in principal due to the stream-inspired theme of the game, I felt that the voice performance came across a tad flat – leaving a lot to be desired. This is not the end of the world though, as Alan is voiced by the brilliant Danny Wallace – teaming up with Bithell again after his BAFTA winning performance as the narrator in Thomas Was Alone. Going against this pair is Guy Gisbourne, reimagined in Volume as the CEO of a company that has taken over England. Gisbourne is voiced by Andy Serkis, and both him and Danny Wallace put in stellar performances – although I would have loved to have heard more from the two of them throughout the game. Complimenting the voice actors is the game’s soundtrack, which features an intense, orchestral-style score, was created by the same guy that did the soundtrack for Thomas Was Alone, David Housden.
The visuals are fantastic, with a polygonal look prominent in both the areas and the characters that fill them. Unlike other stealth titles that thrive on darkness, Volume is bright, with the different simulations you visit shaded with a range of bright oranges, blues and purples amongst other colours lighting up the levels that you sneak around. Manoeuvring about the simulations is simple, using the left analogue stick to move and the right to move the camera slightly in any given direction. You can interact with items (such as keys and gadgets) that litter the levels and pick up text documents with a press of X. These text documents are worth a read, some of them are hilarious and help to fill out Volume‘s story. You can also hug walls to escape line of sight with a press of the Left trigger and utilise your gadgets with the Right trigger. These gadgets are what thieves dream of, with 9 in total to use throughout the game. These are crucial to your progression and each one offers a unique way to distract and evade the enemy pawns that guard each level.
VERDICT After an agonising delay for PlayStation Vita owners, Volume has finally landed on our favourite handheld and it plays like a dream. With great gameplay and a perfect port, Volume on the Vita is a must-own title for any Metal Gear fans and another top-notch title from Mike Bithell.
@PSVitaMag
Aside from the game’s core levels, there is also a level editor available for you to create your own simulations – which you can then upload for the whole world to try. This level editor offers a great range of customisation for you to create a masterpiece (or a feeble attempt like mine below), with hundreds of levels available to play through already – with highlights listed in a ‘Staff Picks’ section. After all is said and done, Volume on the PlayStation Vita is a fantastic game. Just Add Water have done a fantastic job in porting the title over to the handheld, and it feels at home on the Vita. With bitesized pieces of stealth that are ideal for a pick-up and play gaming session, Volume has finally arrived and is 2016’s first must-play PlayStation Vita title.
4.5 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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When starting off, the game can be pretty slow; you’re learning your basic tutorials and the orders are minimal and simple. It’s not until later into the 30-mission Classic Career that everything picks up and things become more difficult, and that’s where I became addicted. I loved that sense of rhythm and gratification of fulfilling 25 orders and getting a perfect score. Thankfully, that’s not where the game left off.
Written by Zach Price
@MyrishMartyr MyrishMartyr
5 7 21 PSTV 104 MB Publisher
kaxanmediagroup.com
@KaxanGames
Developer
kaxanmediagroup.com
@KaxanGames
Released
NA: December 8th EU: Not Released
28
The Vita Lounge Magazine
When I first saw Taco Master, I didn’t know what to think; I had seen PlayStation Prophet Greg Miller putting tons of attention on it, but I wasn’t sure if it was worthy of the praise he and many others were giving the game – it very much was worthy.
Taco Master has you taking on the role of a Mexican man who is learning to run the ultimate taco stand from the ultimate taquero. The game works like this: orders are served up to you, each with a time limit to fulfill it, and then you make the corresponding tacos. Sounds easy – it’s not. Using the Vita’s touchscreen, you put the appropriate ingredients on the taco and serve them up. Where it gets complex is when you have multiple ingredients on different tacos all while customers are breathing down your neck and more keep giving you their order. However, that’s what I loved so much about Taco Master; you develop a rhythm, a cadence, when playing the game, and you just get into a zone where you’re doing everything perfectly and have no errors – you become one with the game. And that’s just at the beginning.
After reaching certain benchmarks, you unlock several other modes, which is actually the meat of Taco Master. These modes are what made the game the most enjoyable; they add even more ingredients and elements like attacking zombies and crab that you must shoo away, both keeping you on your toes and adding to the insane pace you must keep. My favorite mode was Tropical Fury – the on with the crabs. All the additional modes add roughly 20 to 30 levels, and while they still maintain a tutorial in the early levels, it quickens the pace and starts giving you more orders than you’d usually tackle and crazier tacos to fulfill. My only complaint with the additional mode is the time attack mode, where you have to do so many orders trying to break your record. It stays with the simple career mode aesthetic; I really wanted the zombie or fish levels because they were more chaotic and challenging. On top of that, I wish it wasn’t just fulfilling an order for a single taco, but multiple orders for multiple items. The time attack mode makes it feel out of place from the rest of the game because of that single-taco order rhythm.
thevitalounge.net
I did find one major problem with Taco Master: the frame rate. As I mentioned, the fish and zombie levels were my favorite because there was so many thing going on at once: orders, ingredients, batting away pests, hard-to-read orders. However, what would end up happening is that my actions, like placing shrimp on a taco, would lag behind, resulting in the action never even occurring. This would often disrupt my concentration, and also could result in failed orders because everything would be delayed by that lag; have this happen a few times a round, and you end up failing solely because of that. For all intents and purposes, Taco Master is a rhythm game. Anything that takes away from that rhythm and pace, including technical difficulties, make the game very unenjoyable. I often found myself having to put down my Vita because of this – not because of the game’s difficulty – because it really isn’t.
music, while not as good as the visuals, is pretty good, and it sets a good mood for creating tacos when your first start. However, I quickly found it repetitive and muting the game’s audio.
All in all, Taco Master is great. It’s a game that you’ll be confused why others praise it when starting off, but once you put it down, you’ll clearly understand why: it’s fun. It isn’t bogged down with unnecessary stuff, like an attempt at a story to make it make sense, and despite its rather short length – only about 4 hours to Platinum – you’ll be satisfied. The game’s technical difficulties are unfortunate, however; they aren’t big enough that they make the game unplayable, but they are noticeable and do impede on progress most of the time. Simply, the lag is the only detractor. Taco Master is the game for anyone who wants to become a taquero, kill time, or just enjoys a very solid experience.
Besides that, I really enjoyed the game; so much that I even Platinumed it, and it’s a very easy and straightforward one. The game has a stunning visual palette, with many colors jumping out at you and just looking very nice on the OLED screen. The
VERDICT Taco Master is an extremely fun game. It does have some lag troubles, but despite what you may originally think of it and its apparent content, you'll find yourself finding a groove and having a blast making tacos.
@PSVitaMag
3.8 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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fun and chaotic. My only problem with it is the gyroscope, obviously something that is key to the game. I’ve always hated the gyroscope; it feels gimmicky and unreliable – when you have pixels coming from all over the spectrum and you need to be quick, you’ll find yourself messing up and blaming it, not your own ability. Because of that, I’m not sure I’d recommend Beat, not unless you are OK with gyroscope-centric gameplay.
Written by Zach Price
@MyrishMartyr MyrishMartyr
8 6 10 PSTV 438 MB Publisher
arcsystemworksu.com @ArcSystemWorksU
Developer
totallychoice.com
@TotallyChoice
Released
NA: December 5th EU: December 5th
30
The Vita Lounge Magazine
The BIT.TRIP is a collection of the BIT. TRIP games, at least the first six, all under one title. Some of the games are fun or stellar, while other are lackluster and don’t have any substance to attract gamers. It’s difficult to review a collection of games, especially when you’ve never played them and can’t make a comparative note. Each game won’t have a score, however; the final score will reflect the overall package of The BIT.TRIP, making distinctions along the way for each title. The first game is Beat: a game which, for all intents and purposes, is a Pong replica, except you’re playing against yourself. To begin, the game uses the Vita’s gyroscope, calibrating it when you boot up Beat, and you must tilt the handheld to control the paddle. Pixels will enter the screen, along different trajectories and speeds, where you must line up the paddle to bounce them out the screen. The more pixels you miss, the higher your “Nether” meter will build up – a mechanic featured across the majority of the games – and you’ll have a small window to correct yourself before it’s game over. I actually enjoyed Beat; it’s fast,
Core, a game where you “laser” down pixels as they come flying in from four different directions, is next. The game is also very chaotic, yet fun; you have to keep up with which pixels came first in what direction in order to time it correctly. Core is one of the games that features the Nether system, which I really like. It gives you an opportunity to get a comeback and stay in the game without making you feel bad about, frankly, playing badly. The mode is hard, like extremely hard, and you’ll find yourself losing your temper quite often, but I found it to be one of the memorable – and more beautiful – games in the collection. Void is probably my favorite game in the collection. With three stages, each named after a part of the Freudian mind, you’ll be avoiding white pixels while building up your blob with black ones. The catch is that your blob can get too big, and you’ll need to pop it in order to better avoid the white pixels. Between its colorful display and awesome patterns, Void easily held my attention ‘til its end. It may not be long, totaling maybe two hours, but it was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s level designs are smartly constructed and I don’t think a single person should sleep on this title. thevitalounge.net
The next game, Runner, was surprising; I didn’t think I would like something like it as much as I ended up. Runner has you, well, running through different stages with various obstacles you must face – the running is automatic and you must control the runner’s reactions to those obstacles – and it’s your objective to collect as much goal as you possibly can. I originally thought it was going to be like most runners I played. However, since it has stages, more objective-based and has bosses, it felt refreshing. I did have some issued, though. When you pick up a power-up or gold, there is a blast of color on the screen. That blast can actually cover up the upcoming obstacle and ruin the groove you had established during that run. Also, there was a bit of a frame rate issue when too much was going on on-screen. Overall, Runner was great, and it may spur me to purchasing its sequel, which is already on Vita.
Fate is an on-rails twin stick shooter. You’ll have your path predetermined, but you can go forward and backward as you shoot the enemies. Just like every shooter, there are power-ups, and they are awesome; ranging from an
omnidirectional fire to giant blobs, they feel like power-ups and are well-designed. Sadly, Fate is easy – too easy. I often found myself holding down the right stick, the one that shoots, and getting by no problem. The only real challenge are the boss fights at the end of each level. Also well-designed, bosses make you come up with a strategy on the spot, and feel like a boss fight. However, some people may find the real challenge is getting through the boring level beforehand to just encounter them. The last game in the collection is Flux, which is just a rehash of Beat. The differences are fairly minor – in Flux the paddle is on the right, Beat’s is on the left – and it also utilizes the gyroscope, though it doesn’t seem more accurate and responsive than Beat’s. If I had to recommend one over the other, it would be Flux. The pixels and the “stage’s” design are more varied and interesting that you’ll sit and think, “That’s cool.” However, I’m just not a fan of the gyroscope and can’t tolerate using those controls for more than a 5- or 10-minute session.
VERDICT The BIT.TRIP almost certainly has something for you; however, it also almost certainly has a few games that aren't for you. If you take a look at the games and a few pique your interest, I'd say it's worth your time despite the two or three you won't enjoy.
@PSVitaMag
There are some qualities that range across every single game in The BIT.TRIP. Every game has a great soundtrack that’s responsive to what’s happening in the game, like jumping a hurdle in Runner, and it just makes the game seem so right. On top of that, the colors are psychedelic and pop out. They look great on the Vita’s OLED and aren’t too obnoxious.
The BIT.TRIP collection has some very solid games – Runner, Void and Core – while the other games aren’t as up-tosnuff as they could be. Again, it’s hard to recommend a collection of games when the titles in it are so varied and different from one another. However, I do think the collection is very open about what the games are and what they involve – you won’t buy it and be surprised, except for maybe Runner. In the end, I think The BIT. TRIP offers some good games for me, and I enjoyed my time. If you were to take a look and see that two or three games pique your interest, then that warrants a purchase – one where you won’t be disappointed.
3.5 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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challenging, and often overwhelming with the number of units you can choose and that are on screen. Thankfully, Desert Ashes never rubbed me that way.
Written by Zach Price
@MyrishMartyr MyrishMartyr
0 0 11 PSTV 62.7 MB
Desert Ashes is a somewhat freeto-play strategy game that has three episodic installments. The first is free, while the other two cost $2 each. This review goes up through Episode 2. I’m not new to strategy games, but it is important to note they aren’t my particular forte; I think of them as tedious, too
You take control of Winged Crusade and fight against the Landians, a warring neighbor who begins encroaching on your territory. There is a bit of story here that the game tries to offer up as background information. It’s there; it isn’t the most intriguing, but it doesn’t and won’t deter you from continuing on with the game – I actually did find myself wondering why they were fighting, and it was answered, thankfully. In Desert Ashes, there are three main structures you are vying for against the Landians in order to win the scenario. The first two, Headquarters and towers, give
Publisher
ninetalesdigital.com
Developer
ninetalesdigital.com
Released
NA: February 24th EU: Not Released
32
The Vita Lounge Magazine
thevitalounge.net
time after you and the Landians take a turn, the clock advances an hour. What this does is, once the time reaches about 2 a.m. until 5 a.m., the water freezes, giving you another option for movement. This changed my whole thining when playing. Instead of competing for control of a bridge so I could get into Landian territory and convert a tower and hut to start producing troops, I would create a stalemate on said bridge, just drawing The game’s first episode is rather easy; it’s a simple tutorial showing you how you out time until the water froze. Meanwhile, I was mounting faster troops on the play, what different units do, and getting you acquainted with the game’s cadence water’s edge, who would invade and easily take over their resources. Needless to say, – you can blow through that in roughly it felt rewarding, even though it tended to an hour and a half. The second episode is more of putting those teachings to use draw out many scenarios. and is where the fun really does start. However, be warned: this game is not for Even with the vast majority of scenarios strategy veterans. It is very simplistic. The being easy, I found myself being strategic at the same time and really enjoying what scenarios occur in small areas, and the difficulty is fairly easy, except for the very was happening in this skirmish. I had look at the enemies troops, their weaknesses, last battle in the second episode. Some my own troop’s weaknesses and decide of those scenarios had boring layouts and designs, others were interesting and how to proceed with my attacks and further troop selections – each troop made me think. has a strength and weakness against It does do some really interesting things, certain other troops. For me, I love when game’s evoke this type of thinking, again, though, that make it stand out. Desert even if it’s relatively easy. It fires off Ashes has a night-day system; every you currency to buy more troops. The last, huts, increase the number of troops you can have on the battlefield at once. You have to be strategic in your decisions; sometimes it’s wiser to take away their towers rather than cut down the Landians troop strength. It’s scenarios like this where I truly appreciate the strategy game.
VERDICT Desert Ashes is a game for strategy game virgins and beginners. Even with some of it's simplistic scenarios, you will be acclimated to the genre easily, and it will leave you with a hunger that, sadly, it cannot fill due to its short length.
@PSVitaMag
some endorphins when you succeed in a strategy you laid out. Another thing I like was the game’s aesthetic. The colors are very bright and brings real life to the world – seriously, they are brilliant and I loved seeing them. Coupled with that is the brilliant sounds that are played when troops engage in combat with missiles going off. The music is also well done, and I found it put me in the mood to play, drawing me in even more.
Desert Ashes is a well-designed game. It isn’t going to be for hardcore strategy fans, because there simply isn’t that level of difficulty that they would expect. However, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into the series; it’s a very good starting point. The game isn’t long, and you won’t find yourself looking to play the story after you’ve finished, but it it could very well initiate you and draw you into strategy games. There are plenty of options afterward, like giving its multiplayer a shot so you have a higher difficulty, and I think that’s the thing Desert Ashes does best: it’s a good first strategy game.
3.4 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Written by
Brad Gruetzmacher @vongruetz vongruetz
1 9 16 PSTV 87 MB Publisher
mattmakesgames.com
@MattThorson
Developer sickhead.com
@Sickhead
Released
NA: December 12nd EU: Not Released
34
The Vita Lounge Magazine
TowerFall Ascension has been bringing multiplayer mayhem to gamers since it originally debuted on the indie console OUYA in 2013 (albeit with a wee bit shorter name). Since then the game has expanded, brought in some new single player content, but has retained at its core the local multiplayer fun that made it such a standout in the first place. Now this darling of the indie scene makes its arrival on the PlayStation Vita as a near-perfect port. It is local multiplayer at its finest, but it also shows that the game’s biggest strength also turns out to be its greatest weakness.
TowerFall Ascension is an arcade archery combat game in which players select from one of four different pixelated warriors to do battle in a single screen fight. As originally envisioned, up to four players enter a simple arena and utilize a variety of different methods to take out their opponents. Each fighter has only a limited number of arrows to fire, so you either need to be steady with your aim or quick to retrieve astray arrows stuck in walls (or corpses). Expanding on this multiplayer fun, the game also includes a single-player component as well as some fun co-op experiences. These
modes include the “Quest” in which one or two players can try to defeat several rounds of enemies and clear all the levels on the map. Or there’s the “Trials” mode which gives you a time limit to destroy five straw dummies scattered throughout the level. Throughout each stage, players get access to new arrow types (like drill or exploding arrows) and different upgrades such as wings to enable flight. And while the single-player aspects of the game are a fun distraction, the soul of this game is the multiplayer. It’s fast and chaotic. The limited supply of ammo means that things get tense very quickly. And the single screen mechanics (i.e. falling down the bottom of the screen makes you reappear at the top, Pac-Man style) makes it so that your need for situational awareness must always remain on high alert. There’s nothing worse than lining up your perfect shot only to have an opponent drop down on you unexpectedly when you weren’t paying attention to the bottom of the screen. I was rather amazed at how much fun I was having playing the multiplayer, a mode I usually choose to ignore. Part of the reason the game is so much fun to play is that it’s not only simple in its mechanics but also in its controls. New comers don’t have to worry about learning a dozen different button combos or figuring out which button does what. Aside from moving, you’re limited to jump/shoot/ dodge (with dodge also allowing you to catch arrows shot your way). This limited set of abilities helps to take your mind off the controls and back to the action on the screen. thevitalounge.net
Visually the game isn’t much to look The downside to everything is that the multiplayer in the game is local only. That at. The pixel art for the four different heroes all vary slightly, even if they all means that if you want to play against your friends, everyone needs their own Vita and a copy of the game. There is no online component in TowerFall Ascension. And while this kind of local multiplayer would be exciting if everyone in the world owned Vitas, sadly that is not the case. Most of this game will be lost to most people unless you have a local group of Vita-owning friends who are all looking for some chaotic arcade action. Actually where the game shines brightest is on the PlayStation TV. TowerFall is one of the few games that takes advantage of local multiplayer on the PSTV, and up to four players can all join in on the action. It works fluidly and fast. In fact, if you have a PSTV and a Vita, you can play an adhoc match with one person on the PSTV and one on the Vita (but if you want to have more than two players, everyone has to be on the PSTV).
play the same, but ultimately there’s so much happening on screen that it’s hard to take notice of the game’s graphics. They’re basic and functional. What’s more admirable is how smoothly everything flows. Even with some nice environmental effects, such as thunder storms or blackouts, the game performed remarkably solid. Sound-wise, things are just as solid and old school. The music is appropriately themed for a fantasy adventure of this sort and the sound effects do an admirable job of embracing the game’s 8-bit heritage. In the end, TowerFall Ascension is a fantastic multiplayer experience that is burdened by the fact that it is only a local multiplayer experience. Even the single-player Quest mode is better with a friend and extremely difficult without one. Players looking to go it alone will find it lacking, but for those with friends who own Vitas (or if you have a PlayStation TV) then it’s an amazing good time.
VERDICT TowerFall Ascension is multiplayer madness at its finest. The game's simple single screen, arcade combat allows for new and experienced players alike to quickly start up and let the fun begin. It's fast, fluid, and fun. The only downside is the game is predominantly focused on its local-only multiplayer mode, and while there is some single player content, it is not nearly as exciting. The game is a must-own for PlayStation TV owners looking for local gaming experiences, but otherwise it falls flat on the Vita. @PSVitaMag
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exclusively in controlling your mechanical messenger. While the bird automatically flies forward, you simply drag your finger across the screen and release to teleport the creature to a free space. There’s no limit to the amount of times you’re able to do this, or no restrictions on where you’re able to send the bird. Sounds almost too easy, right?
Written by
Kerry-Lee Copsey @Kezz182 Kezz182
2 2 5 PSTV 119 MB Publisher ifun4all.com
@iFun4all
Developer ifun4all.com
@iFun4all
Released
NA: January 19th EU: December 15th
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Red Game Without a Great Name isn’t exactly a title that immediately fills you with confidence. It tells very little about the content of the game, except for one important fact: it’s red, and there is a lot of it. For good and for bad, it’s a fitting colour to express my feelings towards iFun4all’s puzzler. Let’s start by piecing together the thin plot details: in this game’s post-apocalyptic setting, the only way to communicate in the hostile world is through long distance messaging. Of course, this requires a mechanical bird to navigate 2D levels, avoid hazards and deliver letters from one identical cage to the next. To spice things up, there are a multitude of traps in play, diabolical mechanics to wrap your head around, all while being tasked to locate three “gear” collectibles in each stage. Almost immediately after swooping into the first level, it’s abundantly clear that the game was developed with mobile devices in mind as you’re introduced to the swiping mechanic. The Vita’s touch screen is used
Wrong. It is built around a simple premise, but don’t let it fool you – it’s legitimately challenging to master. With 5-10-secondlong introductory levels, collectibles a mere swipe away and all the space a bird could ask for, you’re immediately lured into a false sense of security. Initially, you won’t think much of auto-scrolling camera; it’s easy to manage your bird’s location with a comfortable amount of space. However, the difficulty will soon blow you away when obstacles are thrown into the mix and the camera quite literally turns on you if you’re caught out of the screen’s view. Time and time again, you’ll fly right into a death trap and have to restart the level. From barbed wire, to deadly windmill blades, to sharp spikes – you’ll never be far from danger, but there will often be multiple paths to take in order to avoid these hazards. The game’s 60 levels are all well-designed in that regard. Despite being left with a few seconds between deciding where to teleport next, it always feels fair. With quick reflexes and a dash of level memorisation, any level is possible to perfect. The problem is, with such simple, repetitive gameplay, it’s easy for frustration to set in when faced with the game’s technical shortcomings, making long sessions of play impossible to endure. thevitalounge.net
The touch screen inputs don’t always work the way you’d expect. You could be in the middle of dragging a line between the bird and the other side of a wall blocking its way, and just when you think your swipe was accurate, the bird will fling straight into the wall rather than teleport to the destination you had pointed to. The lack of response is infuriating and far too frequent when one wrong swipe could spell a restart of the entire level. This isn’t the only instance of poor optimisation, as demonstrated by the iffy hit detection. There have been countless times where I’ve teleported the bird to what appeared to be a safe spot, or an opening in a moving obstacle’s pattern, but it’s died regardless. At times, it appears to react to dangerous pixels before reaching them, making it both frustrating and difficult to quickly weave between intricately designed hazards with precision.
And sadly, that’s not where my issues with the game end. I was left feeling confused by the inclusion of a death counter – a feature which feels nothing less than shoehorned in, presumably in an attempt to add challenge, when all it really manages to achieve is even more frustration. In order to complete a level with a “flawless” rating, you must reach the end having collected all three collectibles and without a single death. As the levels are short affairs designed around mobile play, there are no checkpoints. Should your bird get caught up in the camera, barbed wipe, or otherwise, you’ll be zipped straight back to the beginning with one death added to the level’s total. Not a problem however, as the slate can easily be wiped clean with a touch of the “restart” button and you’ll end up in the same position you were a few seconds earlier. There are no real repercussions for dying, no set amount of lives and no satisfaction in staying alive, making you question the feature entirely. It’s just more unnecessary frustration. To make matters more painful, there is an infuriating bug which frequents the beginning of all levels should you choose to manually restart. Upon releasing the bird from its starting cage and making your first swipe, there is a chance the mechanical creature will appear to get stuck mid-air and freeze for a split second, or choose to spontaneously combust before spawning
VERDICT It's all in the name: Red Game Without a Great Name lacks the ambition and creative flair to offer anything other than short bursts of distraction. Its shortcomings are too frequent and too detrimental to ignore, making any appeal in its simplistic gameplay impossible to stomach for too long. The amount of content for the price offers a great amount of value, but the consistency in quality just isn't there. @PSVitaMag
back at the start. This can happen up to four times in a row before the bird is able to take off freely – and it’s likely to occur with every single restart. Sure, it’s nothing game-breaking, but when coupled with an irritating death system, it’s completely detrimental to the experience, making the game feel like more of a tedious process than a challenge. For completionists like myself spamming the restart button upon failure, it’s a 10-second hindrance per attempt which is sure to haunt you throughout the duration of the game. If you’re crazy enough to attempt to flawlessly complete the entire game, you’ll be seeing a lot of red – and not because you can’t find that third collectible cleverly hidden away. Most of the levels are painted in a deep blood red, contrasting against the dark silhouettes, while the use of gradients creates a stunning amount of depth. The style is incredibly effective in helping differentiate between the background and the foreground, as well as nailing the steampunk vibe alongside its Victorian-era object design. The presentation is consistently brilliant; it never fails to look slick in action. It’s just a shame that the rest of game isn’t quite up to same standard. Ironically, Red Game Without a Great Name will be remembered the most for its tragic title, rather than the often dull, uninspired gameplay. Like many cheap mobile puzzlers before it, it offers little more than a simple distraction for long travel journeys. If you’re the patient sort willing to battle with the stressful camera and fiddly controls, as well as endure frustrating technical troubles, then there is certainly a great amount of value to be had from this budget game.
2.6 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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viewing and a trip to a strange land. That all sounds well and good in concept, but the problem is that none of these parts have any depth. Though the main points may be interesting in places, they fall flat because they don’t pull you in by getting you invested with real choices.
Written by
Kyle Wakeling
@teflontactics teflontactics
1 3 9 PSTV 1.3 GB Publisher
devolverdigital.com
@devolverdigital
Developer
mediatonicgames.com
@Mediatonic
Released
NA: December 2nd EU: December 2nd
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After coming out of Hatoful Boyfriend with a smile on my face, despite the fact that I was not in-fact a female, I was ready to take on another. I figured that if they could pull off an otome bird-dating game and have a guy enjoy the ride, then they could do anything. The announcement of Holiday Star had me a bit apprehensive again however, as the holiday theme tossed me for a loop. What were they thinking making something so niche even more niche? After thinking back to my experience with the first title though, I figured that my cynicism of their creativity was pretty unjustified. If they could pull off an otome bird-dating game, then they could probably do anything. I was giving them too much credit I suppose; but let’s rewind a bit.
Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a Christmas and New Years themed title under the Hatoful Boyfriend umbrella. It contains everybirdie we’ve come to know and love from the original game, and jams them lopsidedly into four “parts” that look to give you a slice of their lives during the holiday season. The four main parts involve a Christmas tree thief, a trip to Comiket, and a two-part ending involving an eclipse
While the original Vita title had multiple paths, endings, and scripted ways to your death (I got killed a few times before I even made it to a proper ending); this one is more towards pure visual novel on the scale of things. Here you can either mess up and end the game by accident or continue to the singular ending. There aren’t any real side paths, or distinctive good and bad paths here; just endings and screw ups. The linearity of it all definitely leaves something to be desired. That said, the first part’s introduction of two excitable new characters (Miru and Kaku), and the more drawn out and full-feeling story of the eclipse and the strange land were stand out stories – it’s just too bad they didn’t feel tied to me in any way. Moving past the main story (those four parts), there is more content to be had in Holiday Star – though it’s almost all just as flat plot-wise. The additional content includes six short episodes which fill in some seemingly inconsequential bits (and unlock as you beat the main four parts), and six radio shows which break the fourth wall and answer “questions from readers.” The short episodes are quick, devoid of choices, and generally pulled from pieces of the story. They don’t really add much other than maybe some character development, thevitalounge.net
though being that this story ignores the events of the first game completely it becomes a little too awkward to take seriously. As for the radio shows, they’re actually quite funny and interesting – especially with the added benefit of breaking the fourth wall easier. Aside from the main story’s two part ending they were my main source of enjoyment from the title, and the only bits I’ve run through twice before writing this review. Looking to the visuals, they’re pretty static – meaning that they’re both clean and have the ability to be shown in full resolution. All the images are well drawn, and over all this title actually appears to be a more detailed and eye-catching one than the first; especially when you reach the strange land near the end of the main story. The only true visual mess-up I noticed is the text framing in a few areas (like the one above). They could’ve paid a little more attention to that detail, but I digress.
The sound is also a step up from the original, giving you a soundtrack that doesn’t go wonky like the original did. It’s not overbearing, it plays through like it should, and all the sounds fit the story to a “t” – making for something that isn’t as obnoxious to the ear. This was much appreciated. One real problem I had with the game however, was the mess up with the Vita’s sixth additional story line (the Pigeon Shrine Visit one). While it seems to be present in the game (appearing selectable), no matter what you do you can’t choose from any of the eight available routes – or do anything at the selection screen save for back out.
Somebirdie hold me. :(
As of the writing of this review it’s still yet to be patched, though by having eight routes available – one for each side character – it’s the most interesting content-wise of the bunch from the outside. It’s a real shame that it didn’t work out of the gate, as the further we get from the holiday season and the initial play-through the less inclined I’ll be to go back and clean it up (or even enjoy it).
VERDICT Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a game that takes the universe of the original and runs it over with a steamroller; taking all the depth out of it, and starting at square one with an odd holiday theme. Unless you're channeling your inner Nikola Tesla in a land of eternal Christmas, I'd advise you look elsewhere for a good time.
@PSVitaMag
Speaking of cleaning up, let’s get to the point; looking back at my Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star experience, I honestly can’t say it was a great one. While some of the stories provided were fairly enjoyable for their surface value, they felt shallow in comparison to the depth of choice and inclusion the first Vita title had. This was not the next step for Hatoful Boyfriend I was expecting, hoping for, or needing – and honestly I would’ve probably been better off without it.
2.8 The Vita Lounge Magazine
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Written by
deathskitten
@Kitty_has_Klaws Deathskitten
2 8 42 PSTV 2.5 GB Publisher
koeitecmoamerica.com
@KoeiTecmoUS
Developer
koeitecmoamerica.com
@KoeiTecmoUS
Released
NA: January 19th EU: January 18th
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The Vita Lounge Magazine
I’ve been a fan of the Atelier series since I played Atelier Iris on the PS2 but unfortunately I haven’t picked one up for a while. So I jumped at the chance to get back into this niche series! I was curious about whether the series has grown much since I last played it.
Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky is the second in the dusk trilogy, set a few years after the events of Atelier Ayesha. Don’t worry too much if you haven’t played the first game as you start with new characters and while there are some returning characters you don’t need to have played Atelier Ayesha to understand what’s happening. When you begin the game you can pick which protagonist to play, Escha or Logy. The story is pretty much the same regardless of who you pick but it’s nice to see things from a different character perspective. Escha Malier is a young alchemist who uses traditional techniques passed down from her mother; she’s energetic, sweet and charming and was raised in Colseit. Logy Ficsario has a more serious and reserved personality; he grew up in Central City and has recently quit his position in the city and made his way to the frontier region. Logy’s alchemic skills lie in more modern techniques and he needs different tools to Escha to perform alchemy.
Both Escha & Logy have joined the council in Colseit, a small outpost town famed for its apple orchards and surrounded by many ancient ruins including the ‘unexplored ruins’. So named because they float up in the sky and no one has been able to explore them due to the floating rubble and the extremely turbulent airstream which surrounds it. You’ll be working in the R&D department with the aim of helping to revitalise the Dusklands. Every four months you’ll be set a new assignment which you need to complete to improve the department’s ratings. Assignments will range from creating parts for a windmill to investigating why a nearby village is suffering from drought. Your main priority will always be to complete the major task but there are also 24 minor tasks as well. Completing all minor tasks will grant you bonuses such as increasing your hero’s stats or new alchemy recipes. Who knew that a career in the civil service could be so fun! Fans of the Atelier series will be familiar with the time management aspect of the game. You have a deadline to complete your tasks but many of the actions you can undertake will take time. Performing alchemy, travelling to areas outside of town and even gathering materials all takes time to do. Thankfully the game is fairly generous with the amount of time it gives you to complete things and it was only in the later assignments that I felt like I had to plan things a bit more efficiently to fit everything in. thevitalounge.net
The alchemy system starts off quite simply, you just need to have the right ingredients and the right alchemy level to successfully create things. Each ingredient has a cost called CP and once you have used up all of your CP adding more ingredients won’t add any additional stats to the final product. As you level up your alchemy level you’ll gain more CP meaning that you can play around with more expensive ingredients. The game gradually introduces more depth by introducing things like attributes and properties. By giving an item enough of an element, such as fire or earth, you will unlock new effects. There is also property inheritance to think about when selecting ingredients – if you’re creating a bomb then you’ll want to try to use ingredients that have useful properties such as ‘Destructive Power Up’. Certain properties can also combine to create new properties which are much stronger. You can easily get sucked into this metagame and spend hours just creating new items.
@PSVitaMag
The combat is much more elaborate than some of the previous entries in the series. It’s complex but at the same time it’s also fairly user-friendly. During combat you can take up to six characters into battle with you. Three will be on the front line and three in reserve, you can switch between them at any point in battle without using a turn. Characters in reserve will gradually heal HP & MP so it’s worth cycling in between characters to rest them. As you take actions during battle the support gauge will gradually increase – you can use this to either guard or chain attacks from different characters together. Chaining attacks will increase the damage rate percentage, once the damage rate reaches a certain amount you can use special support attacks which have unique effects for each character. There is a certain amount of strategy involved in this and you will have to consider whether you want to use all of the support gauge to chain attacks or if you should conserve some to defend
against incoming attacks. Later on in the game you will also unlock the ability to do special finishing attacks and link alchemy attacks together. The combat, like alchemy, is quite a detailed system but I like the way new aspects of it are introduced. Halfway through the game I was still being shown new tutorials to things. This stops it from feeling overwhelming and lets you gradually come to grips with each new aspect of the game. Like previous entries in the series it’s important to make trips outside of the safety of town in order to gather ingredients that can be used in alchemy but this isn’t the only way you can gain materials. The provisions department has lots of cute homunculi working in it and they will replicate some materials for you in exchange for sweets. This is really handy when you need some rare ingredients but are running out of time. Initially you only get limited use of them
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The interactions between your characters are what really drives this game and makes it great. Watching your characters grow over the four years you spend with Another aspect which can save you time is them is heart-warming. The interactions the ability to equip certain alchemy items are sometimes thoughtful, sometimes comic but always something to look such as bombs or healing items to your forward to. I loved coming back to town alchemists. You can only use the crafted after a week of exploring to see if there items a set number of times but when were any new interactions to watch. you go back to town they are instantly restocked. This really encourages you to actually use the items you create and not Visually, the colour palette seems to be mainly autumnal yellows and browns and just save them up for boss fights. can look a little bland – especially in town but there are some interesting looking Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky is much more of a character dungeons to explore and of course some brightly coloured and cute outfits to dress driven game than a story driven one. Escha and Logy in. The music in the game The game talks briefly about things in is also good, it reuses some tunes from the past era, that the people were more technologically advanced and knew more previous games but it is quite varied and does a great job at setting the scene. If about alchemy then the people today and that farm production across the land any of the tunes are not to your taste then you do have the ability to go to the is declining but surprisingly the game doesn’t seem to focus on this as much as atelier and change the music for each you’d expect. While Escha & Logy do show area. some curiosity about why these things are happening they seem much more interested in raising their departments’ ratings. but as your department’s ratings improve you can get more homunculi assigned to you.
VERDICT Atelier Escha & Logy is a great blend of alchemy, combat and exploration. The story isn’t very complex but the characters are sweet and charming and you will end up wanting to see all character endings. There’s tons of things to do, items to create and places to explore.
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My main criticism of the game is that the balance is slightly uneven. Much of the game is fairly easy but there is a difficulty spike in Year 4, which if you haven’t been paying much attention to your equipment can hit you pretty hard. As the game is fairly generous with the amount of time it gives you this can, however, be rectified. Overall Atelier Escha & Logy fits perfectly on the PS Vita and the series has definitely changed for the better since I last played it. Being given the option to choose between two characters is a nice feature and definitely gives the game more replay value. The updated combat system adds real depth to fights and I’ve really enjoyed my time playing around with the alchemy system. Some slightly uneven game balance can mar your experience but there’s usually plenty of time to go back to the atelier and work on your equipment.
4.4 thevitalounge.net
The love for the Vita that some of our fans have is incredible, but the belief in us and this magazine that the following readers have shown is truly incredible. Thank you for your support guys! If you see them on your online adventures, please say hello!
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My PSN isn't related to Harry Potter, honest. 4 It was the5 name of my 6 first D&D character way back in 1976. I'd meant to use "muddledmind", but wrote it wrong (I was only 11, so that's my excuse). Vitawise, I play mine every day, usually travelling to and from work.
Cowlauncher
@Cowlauncher
Diehard Vita 8 supporter since day zero. Collector of every US physical copy. My top 3 Vita games are Uncharted, Gravity Rush, and Danganronpa. 7
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Curtis
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Adam Klarich
Jens Brinkmann
Holt Slack
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@2BFLiam SuperBestFriendsPlay.com
unknownwolf123 @ unknownwolf7
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@YourPSVita yourpsvita.com
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Also, a big thanks for all you who supported us and made this issue possible! Miguel, Wictor, Peit, Ryan, Ben O, Lei, Thomas, Dionicio, JWG, Senthujan, William, Nicholas, Skip, Dmitry, Judit, Seth, Mark, Ben C, Adrian, Jose, Liam, Brad, Juha, Britta, Juan, Jan-Hendrick, Erick, Andreas, Wilson, Daniel, Brian, GadgetGirlKylie, Richard, Chris, Steven, Gabe, Tom, Daniel S, Matt, Gary, Benjamin, 32BitPlayer, Reckoning, Chris, Jared, Ryan. @PSVitaMag
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#VoteVita
@VitaVote
Liam Allen-Miller
superbestfriendsplay.com @2BFLiam
LIAM ALLEN-MILLER IS A MONTREAL-BASED LET'S PLAYER/VITA FANBOY, WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT BIG GAME COMPANIES. HIS VITA LOVE LED HIM TO SET UP VOTE VITA SO WE WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE.
Hello Liam, thanks for taking the time to companies, just isn't enough interest. talk to us! Can you tell us a little bit about With #VoteVita, we can get the whole core your Vita history? community to evaluate these four games and end up with thousands of supporters I've always been a huge fan of handhelds, for each title, and thus give companies a so I was in on day one with a 4GB memory more compelling reason to choose Vita. card and a fistful of cartridges. I follow Vita news extremely closely and generally What do you hope to achieve with love the community, though there are a #VoteVita? few too many doom-and-gloomers for my tastes. I can't really blame them too much; The main goal with #VoteVita is to get it certainly has been a bumpy road. even a single one of these titles to release. I also want to generate more You have set up the #VoteVita initiative. clout via positive results in this campaign Can you explain a little bit about it? so we can do more ambitious campaigns in the future. Some of the questions also The #VoteVita campaign is designed to ask about specific genres, and I feel like present the Vita fanbase with a selection I'll be able to tailor future campaigns to of titles either not available in the West those genre gaps as the stats come in. or not available on the Vita, and then asks those fans to evaluate whether or Were these your original intentions or did not they would want to purchase those you have other other ideas before? titles if they were released. After that, the stats will be presented to representatives The original intention was more of each company (and released publicly), ambitious, with the prototype list so they can see the detailed demand containing titles even I knew were crazy. for their titles. Obviously, 4000 votes It included games like Demon's Souls, doesn't mean 4000 people will actually Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, and Street buy the game, but I hope most users are Fighter V, but as I spoke to publishers, it answering honestly. I personally believe became immediately evident that cold #VoteVita provides an alternative take calling companies would be a waste of on the concept #BuildingTheList was everyone's time and efforts. Ultimately, created for. I love how #BuildingTheList that's what led it to focus on titles that works, but I think it's a bit flawed. Via could actually have a shot. #BuildingTheList, you'll see 5000 games getting a handful of people who want to support each of them, which, for some 44
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How receptive have developers been to the initiative? Developer response has varied heavily. I think most people would expect indie developers to be the most gung-ho, but at the same time, indie developers have the least resources and are the most capable of confidently answering "no", since they have full understandings of their companies' goals and desires. For big companies, some of them I couldn't actually even get through to, but I did manage to contact a lot of the expected big publishers. Obviously I can't speak details, but some company representatives actually went so far as to pitch ports to their business development and marketing teams. They were all shot down though, unfortunately. I think people would freak out if they could hear some of the ports that got pitched during that time; if even half of them would have went through, it would have been a renaissance for Vita. So in summary, response has been very nice and honest, but realistic and generally negative. One thing that I think is tricky to understandfor people who haven't worked in the industry is that old games do not necessarily mean they'll be simple, quick, or cheap ports. Having a studio like M2, DotEmu or Code Mystics would make that the case, but that's not always a given, and getting a developer to open up a years-old project and rework it for a thevitalounge.net
new platform can be far more expensive and time consuming than it sounds, especially if the original staff is no longer around to work on it (Not even counting opportunity costs, which is to say that their time would most likely be FAR better spent on either an entire different project on almost any other game on any other platform than Vita). This is not to say I've been ignoring requests for these titles, but a lot of people seem confused that I wouldn't select older PC titles like WarCraft 2 or Dune 2000, and this is why.
@PSVitaMag
What can Vita gamers do to help? The main things Vita fans can do to help would definitely be to fill out the survey, as the stats are the most important thing in this campaign, then to share the campaign with as many peers as possible. Finally, let the appropriate companies know you want these titles! @SEGA, @SquareEnix, @IntiCreatesEN an @ GalaxyTrail are the ones to message, and that kind of input is valuable to them. Also tagging people like @yosp, @ amboyes and @GioCorsi is a great thing
to do, since we're providing them with ammunition that they can't publicly ask for themselves. What are the expected outcomes for #VoteVita? Being the hopeful guy I am, I certainly hope at least one title will get released! If that happens, we'll definitely move forward into a second campaign once this wave of games is wrapped up. I hope we can continue doing this for as long as possible!
The Vita Lounge Magazine
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PSP Roundup
psp2roundup. blogspot.co.uk @psp2roundup
CHRIS KNIGHT IS THE MAN BEHIND PSP ROUNDUP, AND HE HAS BEEN COVERING SONY'S PORTABLE GAMES, APPS AND HARDWARE SINCE 2010. ON THESE PAGES HE TALKS ABOUT GETTING BACK INTO SOME OLDER VITA GEMS AND THINKS THAT YOU SHOULD TOO. GETTING BACK INTO OLDER VITA GAMES
Although the Western big-name releases may be drying up, there’s still plenty of life in the Vita. Thanks to Japan, smaller Western developers and Sony’s XDEV efforts, new games are thriving. But, if you want some of that big-brand feel then dipping back into the Vita’s launch and early catalogue still provides some stellar thrills. "Players gonna play", as someone famous and more attractive than us might have sung once, so with many of the Vita’s early games now available dirt cheap, languishing in your drawer or have been obtained on PlayStation Plus, now is the perfect time to revisit them. The Vita had what was considered a huge line up at launch and over its first year or two. Those games are now pretty cheap in stores or online, and due to the Vita’s power they haven’t aged, still provide plenty of challenge and most probably have an update or two if you gave up on them too quickly. How many of those games did you finish? What secrets still lie within? What easy trophies are there still to pick off? Here's a few that I got back in to!
POLISHING OFF WIPEOUT 2048 First on my list is WipEout 2048. I originally gave up on it, exasperated by the Sol track with its endless falls. Well, no longer, it took a few hours of solid practice, but I finally Elite ranked the combat race and passed the time trial. More important than that small dose of personal success, is how amazing it still looks. WipEout's speed and beauty, its lighting, the classy design, the music and intensity of action. Studio Liverpool knew their stuff and made it shine on the little Vita.
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The Vita Lounge Magazine
thevitalounge.net
THE FREEDOM OF FREEDOM WARS Freedom Wars was a tough game to get into and I’d given up or moved on by the time I hit level 6. Perhaps if I'd just waited for that upgrade to my quad-rocket launcher, things would have been so a bit easier back then. But now I'm happily romping through more solo missions and playing my part in multiplayer battles and monster splats thanks to the still vibrant online community. If you're starting from scratch with the PS+ edition, then it does take a little while to warm up. Or, if you're getting back into it, then there are now plenty of guides to help craft the best weapons to do some serious damage, no matter how nasty the Abductor. I can't talk about enjoying Freedom Wars without thanking GadgetGirlKylie and her many Freedom Wars videos!
ACING RAGNAROK ODYSSEY ACE There is no lack of monster hunting games on the Vita, and if you’re after something at the lighter end of the scale, GungHo’s Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is perfect for on-the-go monster mashing. I probably only played the first few levels of this originally but getting back into it, the more you play, the greater the reward. You can be on a quest in seconds, pummeling beasts around short, sharp levels with plenty of upgrades and weapons for each character class that you can easily swap between.
THE PAST IS BACK! With the Vita’s large early release library, it is well worth diving back into the older titles. Uncharted is still a brilliant romp, Gravity Rush is sublime, so expand your horizons and embrace the Vita’s past to enjoy some of its finest titles. Other launch-era games worth playing would include: Everybody's Golf (trying to master those crazy spin trophies), Ubisoft's sublime pair of Rayman and Lumines Electronic Symphony. The one I'd warn against trying is Ridge Racer, with ludicrous amounts of DLC to download to get the game into a playable state and an online community dominated by high-end players.
@PSVitaMag
The Vita Lounge Magazine
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