PSP Minis - Passed 1 Million Total Sales - 85 Total Minis

I've been playing the Sudoku game and it's pretty good. There were a few quirks I had to get used to at first that I wasn't expecting:

-Pencil Mode (lets you jot down multiple numbers in a box) is represented by a Pen icon and vice versa.
-Pencil mode only lets you enter one number at a time in a box, so if you need to put four numbers in there, you have to pick them one at a time rather than selecting all four at once. It's easier to just pick a number and then quickly move around the grid to all of the boxes that need it than do all four numbers for each box before moving to the next.

It has custom soundtrack support, which is great.
 
So far the minis have been kind of dead on arrival. I mean I thought they were supposed to be streamlining the dev\approval process to get them up quick and cheap. Now two weeks later and we still have the same 7 overpriced games from launch.
 
I took a look at the ESRB's site to see if there were new Minis on there and I saw quite a few that have yet to be released here, so it's a matter of the developers finally putting them out.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']I took a look at the ESRB's site to see if there were new Minis on there and I saw quite a few that have yet to be released here, so it's a matter of the developers finally putting them out.[/QUOTE]

Good good, been waiting for more Minis.

Interested to see what's to come.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Vempire's developer confirmed its release for today, though that's the only one that has announced a specific date so far.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='IMPRESSIONWARE']
October 1, 2009
VEMPIRE PSP is out!!!

imgs%5Cnews%5Cminis.gif

We are extremely happy to announce that from today VEMPIRE is available for PSP and PSPgo from the Sony minis channel.
So update your PSP with the latest firmware and log in to the Playstation Store, visit the new minis channel and get the game!
It is available worldwide from today except in the US where it will be released at the end of the month. [/QUOTE]

http://www.impressionware.com/2009/

today? is it out?
 
Those look pretty cool... but Sony should bundle them for a cheaper price!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Awesome. Shovelware avalanche is coming down the mountain.[/QUOTE]
Still waiting on that avalanche. :)
 
I picked up Vempire last night and played the first three levels. I like it so far for $5. Seems like there is plenty of content for the money, nice graphics and simple pick up and play gameplay.

So far both Minis I bought this and Fieldrunners are worth the money if you like these type of games.

The thing I like most about Fieldrunners is the save anywhere option something that is sorely missing in PJMD!
 
i also grabbed vempires not bad at all for 5 bucks. its like puzzle quest with a time limit, it gets pretty tough, alot of time im so close to beating the puzzle and i just run out of time. fun stuff though. the US store needs to release more games.
 
I'm looking forward to Zombie Tycoon but Vempire didn't do it for me. Puzzle Quest is better in every conceivable way and if I'm in the mood for a bejeweled style game I'll play that every time. I also suck at it so maybe that is adding to my dislike of the game...
 
Zombie Tycoon's out now, so you can buy it whenever.

I've been tempted to get Fieldrunners recently, though I keep holding out on seeing what's coming each the next week.
 
Has anyone heard a release window for that 3d racing mini that was shown off a little while ago?

I think that and the pinball mini are the two I am really holding out for.
 
From Australian developer Halfbrick comes Echoes, an action arcade game to be released on November 19th on the new PSPminis service on the PlayStation Network – ESRB rating E for EVERYONE. Players control Charlie, a girl transported to a dream world while studying art, and finds herself in a series of bizarre and surreal levels. To complete each level, the player must collect crystals and avoid the deadly Echoes which spawn and follow the player’s previous movements. Gameplay quickly becomes fast-paced strategic action as more complex paths are taken and the Echoes begin to close in!

- Arcade: Collect the specified number of crystals without dying and progress through each level. High score times are recorded.
- Jackpot: Obtain the highest score possible within 60 seconds.
- Survival: Obtain the highest score within the time limit; collecting crystals adds to the time and hitting Echoes loses time.
- Clockwork: Controls the flow of time, and therefore movement of Echoes with left and right shoulder buttons.
Echoes is packed with content in one small download, and will be released on November 19th on PlayStation Network at a price of $2.99, and you can view the trailer on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZHXaZQf3ys
Click to expand...
Halfbrick Echoes will be out next week for $2.99, which is a fantastic price from what I've played of the XBL Indie Game version. I hope it sells well to put the others to shame and force them to drop prices to compete.
 
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/11/coming-to-psn-this-week-bubble-trubble-psp-mini/

Bubble Trubble will be out this week for $4.99.

As bubbles grow, on-screen space gets more and more crowded. If the bubbles don’t expand enough to pop, all that room gets filled and the game ends. However, if enough like-colored bubbles are combined, they burst with points, bonuses and much more on-screen space to keep on playing.

Bubble Trubble is a single-player game with two modes of gameplay:

  • Survival Mode allows players achieve the highest score by matching and popping the increasingly faster onslaught of colored bubble clusters.
  • Challenge Mode presents specific set tasks for players to enhance their skills, such as only popping certain colored bubbles or preventing bubbles from getting too big.
Click to expand...
 
Halfbrick Echoes looks very cool. I never played the XBL Indie version but I heard good things. I will probably pick this up for $3.
 
Looking at the ESRB's newly-rated games, here are the confirmed and unconfirmed PSP Minis I noticed:

Dracula - Undead Awakening - DSiWare/WiiWare game with a PSP version of some kind
Kahoots - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Let's Golf - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Fortix - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Stand O'Food - From the people behind Mahjong Artifacts.
Shepherd's Crossing - Possible Mini, though the PR doesn't specify.
D-Cube Planet - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Circles, Circles, Circles - Formerly called Circles elsewhere. Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Spot the Differences! - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Bloons - Confirmed Mini, so it could be out at any time.
Downtown Texas Hold'em - Was an EA Mobile game for phones, but is coming to DSiWare and could be a Mini, too.

So there's at least eight there that could be on the way at any point, so I'm hoping they're out soon since there's not much competition at the moment.
 
I don't think Shepherd's Crossing is a mini, if you do a search for it, it seems to be a port of the PS2 game of the same name (basically a Harvest Moon clone)

http://www.graffitientertainment.com/index.php/shepherds-crossing

See, has a mock up of a UMD case for it?

Most of those games rated by the ESRB have already been released in other territories (save I think Stand O Food, Poker and Dracula), so I think the hold up is SCEA...
 
This week's Minis offering:

Blast Off - $2.99 - 24 MB
Bloons - $3.99 - 8 MB
Fortix - $4.99 - 25 MB
Kahoots - $4.49 - 23 MB
Let's Golf - $6.99 - 45 MB
Pinball Fantasies - $6.99 - 5.5 MB
 
I picked up Pinball Fantasies and I have to say I think its better (for the price) than the Pinball Heroes set. The camera movement is better and the control scheme for portrait play seems to be a better fit. That said it is a bit more limited and some people may have trouble getting past the retro graphics and music. Also, at only 5.5MB the game downloaded and installed in less than 20 seconds on my home wireless connection.

Has anyone tried any of the other titles (particularly Let's Golf)? I am curious to hear what other CAGs think of these minis.
 
[quote name='Thomas96']damn! All I want is some Pac Man Championship Edition! Where is it?![/QUOTE]

Same.I hope Namco releases Pac-man C.E. soon.They released the mobile version in the Verizon store.:bomb:
 
Where's Minigore? All the talk about it in the iPhone/Touch thread peaked my interest, and then I see here they were supposed to have a Oct 2009 release?

I dunno, this whole PSP mini thing doesn't seem to be catching.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJziOHWLoc8

Pompom Games (AstroTripper on PSN and Mutant Storm series on XBLA) announced Alien Zombie Death, which will be out next month for $5 here.

Also, Tetris is on sale for $6.99 until tomorrow, probably, and the two newest Minis from last week's update:

Heracles Chariot Racing - $4.99 - 44 MB
Spot the Differences! - $2.99 - 76 MB

I'm not sure if there will be any with tomorrow's update.
 
There are a few minis that have been rated by the ESRB and have already been released in Europe (and a few that are rated but haven't). So we could see them tomorrow (or any time, really). Dracula, Dynogems, Beam 'Em Up for the former, for the latter Car Jack Streets, Texas Hold'em, Bowling, Monopoly, Karmastar, Worms Battle Island.

There are also some that were announced apparently sometimes with screenshots, but see to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, apparently in favor of iPhone (or sometimes WiiWare) versions. Minigore (as mentioned), Vector TD (not that the PSP needs more TD game), Stunt Cars (the one mini I really wanted other than Tetris), Pac-Man CE

Considering that this will be the last update for 2009, it doesn't look like they will meet the 50 minis by the end of the year they originally proclaimed.

So personally I'm a bit underwhelmed.

On the other hand, a few companies seem to like the program. Gameshastra just announced 9 more (2 of which were just released in Europe). G5 just announced they will bring "Virtual City" over. Then again, these companies might have low expectations, being based in India and Russia.

Still, hopefully the PS3 thing will bring more developers over, and urge those developers of the announced games that never materialized to actually finish them.
 
[quote name='DiscoJer']
There are also some that were announced apparently sometimes with screenshots, but see to have disappeared off the face of the Earth, apparently in favor of iPhone (or sometimes WiiWare) versions. Minigore (as mentioned), Vector TD (not that the PSP needs more TD game), Stunt Cars (the one mini I really wanted other than Tetris), Pac-Man CE
[/QUOTE]

Im with you on Stunt Cars. I have been happy with the minis I have picked up, but that is the only title I was genuinely looking forward to.
 
And we got...Bowling 3D.

I hope 2010 is better for Minis than 2009 was. My only consolation in not getting a ipod Touch instead of a PSP-3000 is that I couldn't have afforded the former + gotten my old PSP-2000 repaired. At least I can play all my old UMD games...
 
Tetris is really good, though I'm not a huge fan of the way you have to unlock the different variants. I didn't have much trouble unlocking them until the one that requires clearing a certain amount of lines in one move and then there's the final one that requires beating them all, which requires doing them all at 15 speed. I like the nice details on the many moves and strategies that Tetris has along with learning that the blocks are called Tetrimino. This is actually the first Tetris game I've ever bought and owned, so it's nice to have this to play whenever I need to waste some time.

It's still on sale for $6.99 and probably will be until the first update of 2010.
 
A new Minis game was announced, called Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess!:
London-based development studio Mediatonic will release their first game for Sony’s PSP and PS3 as a downloadable “Minis” title called: “Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess!” (MPSMP), in February 2010.

The title is a brand-new, original IP for the company and will first be released exclusively for Sony’s Playstation Portable (PSP) and Playstation 3 (PS3) as a download from Sony’s Playstation Network (PSN) Store.

In the game, the player takes control of a massively powerful (and slightly unhinged) aristocratic demon known only as “The Duke” who is woken up by the sound of his princess being stolen from her heavily barricaded room in his castle. Without a single clue to go on, he can only assume that monsters were (probably) responsible, and sets out to track down his missing princess by beating up monsters largely at random in the hope that it will (somehow) reunite him with his beloved princess.

The game is an upwards-scrolling platformer in which the player must chase down giant fleeing monsters and subdue them by crashing into them three times. As the player touches platforms on the way up they will build up a combo, delighting the Duke and increasing his speed and power to enable him to unleash increasingly over-the-top finishing moves when he defeats the monsters.

MPSMP will take the form of an over-95MB download, making it one of the largest games currently available on the PSN Store and pushing close to the 100MB size limit on “Minis” games.

Mediatonic’s co-founder and creative director Paul Croft said: “There is a lot of room for growth in the Minis section of the Playstation Store and we truly hope that MPSMP will stand out as the fresh, original and fun title that it is. It’s a massively exciting game for us and we hope that our players will enjoy playing it as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it. We’ve had a lot of experience in developing browser-based and iPhone titles, but this is the most ambitious game we’ve attempted.”

Writer and designer Jim Griffiths said: “We’ve worked hard to integrate the story and game mechanic as deeply as we can to create the most fun and compelling experience for the player possible. We’ve also crammed as much genuine (if slightly dark) humour into the game as we could – we really want people to crack a grin when they play. That’s our aim.”

Both Croft and Griffiths have previously been featured in Develop Magazine’s “30 under 30” feature on rising developers in the UK videogame industry.

“Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess” is rated 12+ for “Violence”, “Sex” and “Bad Language” by the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI).

Game features summary:

• Full story mode with animated cut-scenes detailing the Duke’s story
• Six unique worlds and monsters to battle through
• 24 levels in total
• Fast-paced upwards-scrolling chase action
• Original platforming and combat gameplay mechanic
• Full original(ish) soundtrack
Click to expand...
You can find some screenshots here.
 
I just bought the latest mini, Dynogems. Sort of a combination of a match 4 game (have to match gems) and space invaders (the way it quickly descends on you).

Pretty fun, but really hard after the first few levels. No frills, either, like unlockables. But worth $3, I've played it for a couple hours already.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top