Comix Zone Wasn’t Very Good
Nostalgic gamers might rip me a new one for this, but since Sega's classic beat-em-up comic book adventure Comix Zone is hitting the PlayStation Network, it's time to address something we all need to accept: it wasn't a very good game. If you have PSN Plus, you'll be able to play the game for free this Tuesday and realize it yourself, but for now let's dig into the nostalgia fostered by decades of Genesis love and Sega's habit of including it in every anthology it releases to every console.
PSN Store Back Up, Welcome Back Content Now Available
It's taken a really long time, but Sony has finally gotten PSN back up, along with the PlayStation Store and its promised free content. Two games for the PS3, two games for the PSP (choose from a short list of both; my suggestions: Infamous and Wipeout HD for the PS3, ModNation Racers and Killzone Liberation for the PSP), and 30 free days of PSN Plus (which includes a handful of other free games that will stop being free when your subscription runes out). To access this content, just log on to PSN, access the PlayStation Store, then access the Welcome Back featured icon. You can get your free PSN Plus and download your four free games. Even if you don't have a PSP
Be prepared for some errors in the PlayStation Store, though. The service seems to be choked with users looking to get free stuff and catch up on a month of missing DLC, but if you keep trying to access the menu and your choice of game, you'll eventually get there. I accessed all four downloads and PSN Plus registration pretty quickly, despite the parade of error messages.
PSN’s Back Up! Sort of. Mostly.
At last, our long national nightmare is over. PS3
The PlayStation Store still doesn't work. Which means no downloading new games or DLC, no redeeming DLC content cards, like the one that comes with L.A. Noire
But hey, PlayStation Home works! So that's something. Kind of.
Sony Offers Identity Theft Insurance As Part of Ongoing PSN Mea Culpa
Welcome to the first bit of good news on the PSN hacking story. Sony has announced that it will be offering free identity theft insurance and protection services through AllClear ID to PSN and Qriocity users. This is on top of a free month of PSN Plus, and a far more important offering to users of the service that was hacked, compromising personal information and credit card numbers for millions.
With $1,000,000 identity theft insurance, the AllClear ID service offers a bit of reassurance for the various PSN users, including myself, worried that they're going to see their credit cards maxed out and their bank accounts drained after this. Sony will start sending out authorization codes to PSN users over the next few days. After you receive your code, you can set up the service at this web site.
Now, let's all get excited over the inevitable June announcement that AllClear ID's database was hacked and its user information was stolen.
Day 8: PSN Still Comatose, No End in Sight
At first, the PSN network crash was an inconvenience. Then it was a frustration. Then it was simply ridiculous. Now it's reached a mythical status. Most network shutdowns are resolved after a day. The PSN shutdown has lasted for 8 days. This is the Hannukah of hacking, a dropped service miracle that, like the oil in the story kept the Jews in light, has kept PS3 gamers in the dark for over a week. Instead of going blow-by-blow, here's a summary of what we know about the hack/crash (or, at least, what Sony is willing to admit):
Castle Crashers Combats Cancer With Pink Knight on PSN
Want to help fight breast cancer? Want to add some new content to Castle Crashers? Good news, you can do both at the same time! The Behemoth launches its newest DLC, the Pink Knight Pack, for Castle Crashers on PSN February 8. For just $1.99 it adds a new character, the Pink Knight, to the game's massive roster. More importantly, every cent of that $1.99 goes directly to breast cancer research charities. It's a pretty good deal all-around.
Dissidia 012[duodecim]: Final Fantasy Japanese Release Shows a Hopeful Trend
Normally, we don't report on Japanese release dates here at Aggrogate, because, hey, we're not in Japan. That being said, it's worth noting the release of Dissidia 012[duodecim]:Final Fantasy because of one interesting fact. Siliconera reports that the sequel to the PSP only game will be launching Japan on March 3rd and will be coupled with a typical Japanese limited edition PSP; this particular one will come with images of Chaos and Cosmos on it, though no pictures have been released yet. What's most interesting about this is the price: the PSP game will cost 6,090¥ (~$72) in stores, but will only cost 4,980¥ (~$60) on PSN. To my knowledge, most games on PSP have parity for the retail and the digital release and, on occasion, the digital release lags behind the retail, though this occurrence has lessened since the PSN moved to Tuesday releases. As a fan of the digital revolution and a rare lover of the PSPgo, I find this wholly encouraging.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1: Sonic’s Back, But He Hasn’t Learned Much
Sonic the Hedgehog hasn't had a great decade. After an excellent jump to 3D in 1998, Sega's blue mascot slide straight down the mountain and into a deep, deep chasm. The series got more and more characters and more and more gimmicks, until it eventually forgot that the original games' success came from the speed and flow of running through twisting, branching levels as Sonic the Hedgehog. Not as some tertiary character nobody cares about. Not as part of a team where each member has unique powers. Not as a hedgehog that becomes a monster, or swings a sword. As Sonic.
Sega has finally gotten back to basics with Sonic the Hedgehog 4. No other characters, no gimmicks, no third dimension, just running, jumping, and beating up a fat man in a futuristic Hoveround. It's been released on every home console, plus the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Did Sonic reach a new top speed, or did he run headfirst into some spikes? Find out after the break.
Hydrophobia: Splish, Splash, End (Review)
Hydrophobia is an interesting, divisive game. Some people like it, while others vocally hate it, and a PR disaster in the making isn't doing it any favors. This is a game that's been on my radar for quite some time and one I was very much looking forward to playing. So, was the long wait worth it?
Beyond Good & Evil HD Hitting PSN/XBLA
Who's ready for another HD remake? IGN broke the news that cult classic and critical darling Beyond Good & Evil is also on the docket for a 1080p overhaul. Ubisoft has the remake penciled in for a vague 2011 release, where it will be a download on PSN and XBLA. Second chance, guys! Please buy it this time? I'm afraid BG&E2 may hang in the balance.
Also, HD remakes are officially a trend now. Who needs backwards compatibility?
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