Click for high-resolution image.

Here’s a look at the North American box cover for Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2. Isn’t she a beauty? The boy in the red sweater does seem familiar though … where have we seen him before? Oh! That’s right, he looks like the kid version of the sleazy guy on the Out of Bounds box for the PS3. Son, what have you become. Anyway, the other characters are an interesting and eclectic bunch; there’s a samurai character and a granny, too. You can see them all in these ten new screenshots from our gallery below. Enjoy.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Many of us here at PSP Fanboy find the sexy red God of War PSP a worthy object to lust over. This faker called the PNP, on the other hand, is definitely not. While its emulation of the PSP’s likeness is sub-par, it is quite easy to be fooled at a quick glance. If you look closer, you’ll see a horizontal screen that’s much smaller than the PSP’s. This makes us believe that this little machine of copyright infringement can only go as far as playing Tetris.

If you see this anywhere, don’t bother with it. If you want a real red PSP, grab yourself the God of War one that’s out this June 3rd.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

When Agetec announced they were going to release Fading Shadows in the US, they invited us to their NYC offices to try the game. We spent a good deal of time with the game — over 10 levels — and thoroughly enjoyed this excellent addition to the PSP library.

Yes, one of the game’s leading charms is its story. To sum things up shortly, the player becomes a magical beam of light and must direct a girl who’s transformed into a magical orb through a series of puzzles. It’s strange, we know, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The nonsensical premise is what spurs a mellow, easy-to-understand puzzle adventure game, that’s oozing with style.

The interplay between the light and the orb is well constructed. The orb is attracted to the light, and cannot move without it. At first, the light is used simply to get the orb from point A to point B. However, the game becomes more complex. The orb can transform into a variety of elements: wood, glass and metal. In its metal form, it can jump when a strong beam of light is placed on it. Wood can float across water, and glass can traverse its depths. However, players must be careful: overexposure to strong light will burn wood, and shatter glass.

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Learning which orb to use and how is crucial to progressing through each of the game’s 50 levels. However, there are other puzzles as well, which take advantage of the light in new ways. For example, there may be mirrors, which can be used to deflect light to other areas. Players may need to burn certain obstacles, or focus the light in a way it won’t attract the orb. We’ve seen puzzles, which involve taking advantage of the orb’s weight (or lack thereof), and even a few puzzles where we had to navigate the orb carefully, Operation style.

For a puzzle game, this is an especially attractive title, with fantastic lighting effects that make the title come to life. The art may not be inspired, but it does a more than adequate job of conveying the mood of the story. The music is incredibly relaxed, and it will only take a level or two before your mind enters a trance-like state.

Fading Shadows won’t win any awards for innovation, but it is an incredibly solid addition to the PSP library. There are a number of good puzzle games that have gone without gamer attention (Crush, Downstream Panic!) … don’t let Fading Shadows join that ever-growing list.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Not too long ago, our Buzz! Master Quiz gallery got a nice update all thanks to Europe’s PlayStation Day. This week, we’ve got eight brand new shots based off the North American version of the game. Can you spot all the spelling differences between the British and American English? We guess you can make this into a mini-game of sorts, “spot the meticulous details,” while you wait for this game to come out sometime this Fall. A Summer release for Europe means that gamers over there won’t have to keep themselves busy analyzing screenshots for much longer. In the meantime North Americans, keep looking for those extra U’s, and S’s in place of Z’s (Zed). It’s going to be awhile.

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Time to get your Japanese skills back in action, as another downloadable Japanese demo is available for your enjoyment. Valhalla Knights 2 continues this PSP-exclusive RPG franchise. This demo should give you a small taste.

1. Download the demo zip file.
2. Extract the contents of the zip file.
3. Connect your PSP to your computer using a USB cable.
4. Go to the PSP/GAME folder.
5. Copy ULJS00138 folder into the GAME directory. Make sure there are no sub-directories in this folder.

Check out our demos site:
demos.pspfanboy.com

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

This week sees the release of UEFA Euro 2008 in North America. Unsurprisingly, Europe got the game about a month ahead us, hence the reason why Europe has no release this week. Unless you’re a fan of European football, then there isn’t really anything else for you at this time. If you are a rabid fan, then feel free to let out an “ole, ole, ole, ole!”

NA Games:

• UEFA Euro 2008

EU Games:

• No New Releases

Asian Games:

• Daisenryaku VII Exceed
• UEFA Euro 2008

Elsewhere in the world, they’re going to get a chance to play some tactical turn-based warfare in Daisenryaku VII Exceed. It sounds like fun, but it would be nice, you know, if it were in English so we could play it.

[Photo Credit: Brisbane Times — AFP]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Unfortunately, the incredibly innovative 2D/3D PSP-exclusive puzzle game Crush never met the sales it quite deserved. That’s a shame, because we really enjoyed the detailed graphics, the quirky story, the impeccable presentation … and most importantly, the gameplay.

Check out our review, and some videos of the game in action. If you haven’t checked out Crush yet, maybe this $15 deal on amazon.com will convince you to pick up one of the most original PSP exclusives ever.

[Via CAG]

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Wow, it’s really coming. Phantasy Star Portable is finally coming, after months of silence. Features like connectivity with previous PSU games is a plus, although the lack of Infrastructure gameplay has us a bit bummed. (Hopefully Sega will add that to the inevitable US release!) Here’s the intro movie from the game, which reminds us a lot of Persona. Man, wouldn’t it be great if there were a Persona game for PSP? …

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

A trailer for an unannounced PSP Bleach game was hidden away in the latest handheld brawler, Heat the Soul 5. As seen by the video, this chibi 2D game is a strong departure for the franchise. This teaser is admittedly short, but we’re pretty sure that Sony Japan will release more details shortly.

(And, when are we ever going to see a Bleach PSP game in the US? Please?)

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy

Japan sure does love their PSP. Week after week, PSP has been the top-selling console in Japan, and this week is no different. In fact, it more than easily bests the rest of the competition. It’s strange to see how different the American and Japanese markets are. To think: PSP is outselling the Wii? Insanity!

PSP - 89,884
Wii - 67,308
DS - 51,228
PS3- 8,054
PS2 - 7,464
Xbox 360 - 1,298

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Originally Syndicated via RSS from PSP Fanboy