Freedom Wars English Story Trailer and New Details

Today the PlayStation Blog released some brand new details on the upcoming action role-playing game, Freedom Wars - which is exclusive to the PS Vita. 

Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate Western Release Dates Announced

Good news for the Western "Musou" fans, Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate now has a official release date for North America and Europe. On September 2nd, American gamers will get the game exclusively on the PlayStation Network for $39.99 and Europe will get the game on Sept. 5th, no price or availability details have been announced as of now.

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is a enhanced version of  the 2012 release, Warriors Orochi 3. The enhanced version includes 145 playable characters composed of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors characters - it also includes characters from franchises such as Ninja Gaiden, Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive; improved visuals, a new storyline, and new modes such as One Warrior Against a Thousand, offline and online competitions, and a hybrid mode composed of team and card battles.

Check out the detailed list of the new and improved features below;

• One Warrior against a Thousand - Densely populated battlefields with up to 100 enemies on screen, each with progressive AI add to the exhilarating battle, amplified by new moves including Aerial Special attacks, Triple Rush (a system which allows the player the ability to switch between individual characters or unleash attacks as a party of 3) and True Musou Burst, the powerful finishing move executable by up to 6 characters.

• New and Crossover characters - The legion of warriors is larger than ever with 145 playable characters including the introduction of Tamamo and Yinglong, just 2 of 9 that are new to the series, cameos include Xu Shu from the Dynasty Warriors franchise and Kasumi from Dead or Alive 5 with more to be announced including the Atelier and Samurai Warriors series.

• Captivating Lands and Stages - Lands and battlefields are dramatically rendered drawing from the dark, sinister imagery in the Orochi series totaling 51 distinct stages with cross-over stages melding universes including Atelier, Dynasty Warriors, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Samurai Warriors, furthermore, Musou Battlefields allow for customization including character models and battle cries.

• The mythology of the Orochi universe expands - A new main storyline brings the heroes together again after the death of the Demon Snake as they are called upon by a mysterious stone to return to the chaotic din of battle. Additionally, new side stories provide a multitude of new scenarios and uncover secrets, the story extends with the ability to battle from a different point of view or even “what if” hypothetical stages that exist in a parallel world.

• Gameplay modes - Adding to both Online and Offline competition, new modes include Duel Mode, a fusion of team battles (up to 3 vs 3) and card battles, Craft Weapons function to alchemy even more powerful weapons, Officer Requesting and Summoning, Formation Skills and Dragon Portals that can be used to escape the battlefields, weaken enemies or recover party members Life Gauge.

• Cross-Play and Cross Save functionality - Co-op, data sharing and saving, and save data is now possible between PS3 system, PS4 system and PS Vita system versions, including save data importing of the original Warriors Orochi 3 on PlayStation 3.

New Releases For 7/01/2014

This week the PS Vita will only receive one game and that is Ubisoft's, Child of Light. I have been anxiously waiting for the PS Vita version for a while now - I have played the demo on PS4, it was fun from what I played and the graphics are beautiful.

Child of Light (Digital)
Envisioned as a “Playable Poem” by its creators, Child of Light is a modern reimagining of our childhood fairy tales. Set in the magical world of Lemuria, it takes us on the coming-of-age journey of Aurora, a young girl struggling to save a lost kingdom and her ailing father.

PS Vita Weekly Recap

For this week's releases, click here.
For this week's PlayStation Store update, click here.

For this week's PlayStation Store sales, click here

Winners for the Z-Run Giveaway:
- Bruin54 (US)
- XinYourWs (US)
- Umar Malik (EU)
- Daniel Evans (EU)

Reviews:
- Z-Run
- Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition
- Hatsune Miku Project Diva F

New gameplay trailers:
- Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus
- Farming Simulator 14 Launch Trailer PS Vita
- forma.8
- Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd
- Pavilion

Top 10 viewed articles of the week:
1. Z-Run Giveaway
2. The Girls Are Back, Bigger Than Ever In Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus!
3. What is #PSVitaDirect?
4. Review: Hatsune Miku Project Diva F
5. Kyle's Most Anticipated Vita Titles of 2014
6. Weekly PlayStation Store Update
7. Luka's Most Anticipated Vita Titles of 2014
8. Review: Z-Run
9. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 Release Date Confirmed & New Screenshots
10. Weekly PlayStation Store Sales

New Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited Screenshots

NIS America shared some brand new English Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited screenshots today. The screenshots show us some of the in-game dialogue between several characters.

A Promise Revisited is an expanded and enhanced version of the fourth game in the Disgaea series, Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten, which was originally released on the PS3 in 2011, and features all the DLC from the PS3 version as well as new content exclusive to A Promise Revisited. The game will hit North America on August 12 and Europe on August 29 on PSVita, both in retail and digital format!


For more information about Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited, click here.

Kyle's Most Anticipated Vita Titles of 2014

Yesterday Luca posted his most anticipated PS Vita games of 2014, today I will be posting mine. There is so much games that I want this year - sadly I can not have them all. The list would have been quite big too if I added everything, I want to keep it short and sweet. Hopefully my or Luka's list will inform more people of the great games that are coming out later this year.

Tales of Heart R:
I have been waiting for the localisation of Tales of Heart R ever since it came out on the PS Vita in Japan. I have been a huge fan of the Tales of series and I have played quite a bit of them. Tales of Heart R looks to be another great addition to the series. It has the signature battle system that the series is known for, good looking graphics, and the story sounds like its going to be a good one. I hope this does well enough so Tales of Innocence R can be localised too!

Freedom Wars:
This game is honestly right up my alley. I love hunting games, such as Monster Hunter, Soul Sacrifice, and Ragnarok Odyssey. Freedom Wars is really fun and unique enough to stand on its own. I recently played the Japanese demo and I really enjoyed it. The game is fast and beautiful. The thorn whip makes the gameplay very fun (Reminds me of the anime, Attack on Titan.). I could not understand any of the story bits as I do not speak Japanese, but from what I heard, the story sounds like it could be very interesting take on the Sci-Fi genre.


Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair:
I was really excited whenever I got my hands on the first game in the series, Danganronpa: Happy Trigger Havoc. My friend was telling how he played the Japanese version of it and how great it was. With all that hype - I was not disappointed. The game has a fantastic style, the character development is exceptional, and the class trails were always riveting and kept me at the edge of my seat. I hope Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair improves on the mystery formula even further and that the characters are even more intriguing.

Helldivers:
This game looks really intense and very hard. I am excited for this game because I can always go for some great co-op experiences and I need to play something that is tough-as-nails once in a while - plus I will always be a fan of top-down shooters, for me they never get old.




Hohokum:
I am really interested in trying out new and unique experiences. I can not describe what Hohokum is, it just looks fun and interesting. Also that art style is great, it should be recognizable if you ever played the quirky Frobisher Says; which it is made by the same team and it is free, so you should probably try it out if you like games such as Warioware.

Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited:
I really like strategy-RPGs and have been a fan of them since Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation. I bought my first Disgaea game whenever the third game was remade for the PS Vita, I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was. The game was humorous, fun, and strategic, although I have not beat it yet as I am stuck. Nevertheless, I am still looking forward to this next entry in this humorous series and now I have to try to beat Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention before August.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2:
Rhythm have always gave me enjoyment throughout my life. I always like to hop on the dance pad for Dance Dance Revolution or "slappin da bass" in Rock Band. I really have a thing for music and tapping buttons in time to the rhythm. I was first skeptical of Hatsune Miku, although always interested in it at the same time. Once Hatsune Miku Project Diva F got localised I decided to buy it and give it a try. I ended up having fun with it and the music was so darn catchy. So I am eagerly awaiting the release of Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2, so I can even hear more catchy songs that I can not understand.

What titles are you looking forward to for the rest of the year? Let us know! If you have not checked out Luka's list yet, click here!

Z-Run Giveaway!

The folks over Beatshapers have sent over Z-Run download codes for some lucky PS Vita fans to win! Entering is easy: Just tell us in the comments section below why you bought a Vita and why you enjoy using it. We've got codes for both European and North American players, so be sure to tell us what region you're in!

The deadline is this Friday at 12AM EST, where winners will be randomly selected and announced in our Weekly Recap. Your comments could be used in an upcoming #PSVitaDirect article Kyle will be writing, so you're not only winning a free game, but you're also helping your fellow Vita fans!

I'll open us up - I bought a Vita for Toukiden and Soul Sacrifice. I enjoy using it because of the niche games I wouldn't be able to find elsewhere.

Entering is that easy. I'm really excited to see what everyone has to say! Good luck!

The Girls Are Back, Bigger Than Ever In Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus!

Senran Kagura returns even BIGGER, I really have to emphasize bigger because gee willikers those are big - just watch the trailer you will see what I mean.

Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a 3D brawler that tells a story of the rivalry between four different factions that consist of busty female warriors. Players will take control of characters from each of these factions, experiencing the narrative through four different viewpoints. Shinovi Versus is the sequel the 3DS game, Senran Kagura Burst.

The trailer shows off some of the game's fast paced fights and throws some details into it. There will be more shinobi, more factions, and more ninja arts than its predecessor.

It'll be available as a digital download, and there will also be a limited run of physical retail copies appropriately named "Lets Get Physical Edition". The physical copy will include a soundtrack CD and a "Shinobi Syllabus" containing profiles of the characters, gameplay strategies, and illustrations. The game currently has a Fall 2014 release date.

Farming Simulator 14 Launch Trailer

Did you know the PS Vita version of Farming Simulator 14 came out into retail stores and the PlayStation Store yesterday? Well, there is a new launch trailer for the game showing some of its gameplay and a very happy family playing it together on their PS Vitas.

In Farming Simulator 14, you will face the challenges of a modern farmer, raising livestock, growing crops, selling produce, managing, and developing your own farming complex. As you progress in the game, you will unlock a vast array of new machinery and agricultural vehicles, reproduced from actual vehicles from major manufacturers, such as Case IH, Deutz-Fahr, Lamborghini, Kuhn, Amazone, Krone and others.

You will control new vehicles and machinery to develop your farm on a new map. Cultivate your fields, manage your livestock and sell your produce in a dynamic market to acquire new equipment, vehicles and fields, and to hire workers to help you in your daily tasks.

Source: PlayStation Blog

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 Release Date Confirmed & New Screenshots

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 is a remake of the first Hyperdimension Neptunia game that released years ago on the PS3. The PS Vita remake features an overhauled battle system, brand new conversations throughout the game, new scenario, and a new ending.

Luka's Most Anticipated Vita Titles of 2014

I don't know how regular of an occurrence this kind of article will be. I mean, it's very likely to change between now and the end of the year. There are still titles being announced in Japan and Western release dates are still flowing in for some games. Heck, Tecmo Koei (Koei Tecmo starting in July) just dropped that there is a chance to see Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star in the West for the Vita. Plenty of things are still up in the air.

I still want to get this short list out there though. A lot of PS Vita fans are feeling somewhat lost without much Sony support. Perhaps someone can find something new and interesting to keep their Vita going strong!


Natural Doctrine

Natural Doctrine is a tactical-roleplaying game developed by Kadokawa Games. You take control of Jeff (I can't get over how much I dislike this name here) and fight your enemies in what seems to be a difficult and sometimes ruthless setting. There will be single and multiplayer modes available.

Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus

There are three reasons I'm really excited for this game. One of which, yes, is the gratuitous fanservice. Another reason being that I very much enjoy owning limited print games (Get those pre-orders in!) and can't pass this up. The last is that Senran Kagura offers a surprising amount of depth in its hacking and slashing. Burst on the 3DS was extremely fun, so I'm really looking forward to this entry. 

Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed

This is one I was really apprehensive about, but as time goes on, I can't help but be drawn to Akiba's Trip more and more. It just reminds me of Yakuza, except with Vampires. That need you to undress to defeat. It looks one part hilarious, one part pure fun. XSEED is really showing the Vita a lot of love.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment

I'm not a fan of the SAO anime. It didn't resonate well with me, especially after Aincrad was cleared. Despite that, I'm still going to download this game first chance I get. Aside from being grateful we're getting it at all, it looks genuinely fun. It could very well be the bright and colorful hack and slash RPG that I've been craving.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1

Hyperdimension Neptunia is still relatively new to me. I just recently bought and played some of Victory. I wanted to go back and play the first, but heard it wasn't all that great. Luckily, Re;Birth 1 here is a complete overhaul of that title. Tons of updates and upgrades were used from Victory, so I think I'm going to have to hop on it.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

As I delve deeper and deeper into Trigger Happy Havoc (The first title in this series), a game I didn't expect to enjoy, I find myself warming up to the idea of Goodbye Despair more and more. The writing and characters are phenomenal. The debates are heart-pounding and I always want to know more. September is going to be a busy month for me.

Freedom Wars

The "big one". Freedom Wars is on a LOT of watch lists right now and mine is no exception. It seems Vita owners far and wide are eating up any information to come out of Japan. It looks to be a really solid title in the "hunting genre". Interesting visuals, interesting story, robot companions called "Accessories". Everything is just adding up to a unique Sci-Fi experience.


That's it for me (for now). What titles are you looking forward to for the rest of the year? Let us know!

Weekly PlayStation Store Update

United States:

PlayStation Plus Freebie:
Mutant Mudds Deluxe (37MB) - Free

PS Vita Games:
Atelier Rorona Plus with 3 DLCs - $39.99
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma - $39.99
Farming Simulator 14 (98MB) - $29.99
XBlaze Code: Embryo (1.4GB) - $33.99
Z-Run (145MB) - $8.99

PSP Games:
End of Serenity (30MB) - $14.99 (Compatible with PS Vita.)

Add-Ons:
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

• System Voice – All - $49.99
• System Voice – Set 1 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 10 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 11 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 12 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 2 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 3 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 4 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 5 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 6 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 7 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 8 - $8.99
• System Voice – Set 9 - $8.99
• Additional Character – Kagura - $2.49
• Additional Character – Kokonoe - $7.99
• Additional Character – Terumi - $7.99
• Additional Character Color 1 - Free
• Additional Character Color 2 - Free
• Additional Character Colors 1-A - $2.49
• Additional Character Colors 1-B - $2.49
• Additional Character Colors 1-C - $2.49
• Additional Character Colors 1-D - $2.49
• Additional Character Colors 1-E - $2.49
• All Unlimited Characters - $2.99
• Original Costume Noel - $2.99
• Stage Bgm Character Color Set 1 - $3.99
• Stage Bgm Set 2 - $3.99
• Stage Bgm Set 3 - $3.99
• Stage Bgm Set 4 - $3.99
• Stage Bgm Set 5 - $3.99
• Stage Bgm Set 6 - $3.99
• System Voice – Amane - $5.99
• System Voice – Arakune - $5.99
• System Voice – Azrael - $5.99
• System Voice – Bang - $5.99
• System Voice – Bullet - $5.99
• System Voice – Carl - $5.99
• System Voice – Celica - $5.99
• System Voice – Hazama - $5.99
• System Voice – Imperator - $5.99
• System Voice – Jin - $5.99
• System Voice – Jubei - $5.99
• System Voice – Kagura - $5.99
• System Voice – Kokonoe - $5.99
• System Voice – Litchi - $5.99
• System Voice – Makoto - $5.99
• System Voice – Noel - $5.99
• System Voice – Platinum - $5.99
• System Voice – Rachel - $5.99
• System Voice – Ragna - $5.99
• System Voice – Relius - $5.99
• System Voice – Tager - $5.99
• System Voice – Taokaka - $5.99
• System Voice – Tsubaki - $5.99
• System Voice – Valkenhayn - $5.99

DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition

• New Stage & BGM Pack 1 - $2.99
• New Stage & BGM Pack 2 - $2.99
• New Stage & BGM Pack 3 - $2.99
• New Stage & BGM Pack 4 - $2.99
• New Stage & BGM Pack 5 - $2.99
• New Stage 7 - $1.99
• New Stage 8 - $1.99
• Upgraded Audio Data - Free
• New Stage 6 - $1.99

MAGICAL BEAT (US Only)

• Guilty Gear Additional Music Pack - $1.99

PlaystationVita Pets

• Summer Costume - Free

Zen Pinball 2 PS Vita

• Deadpool - $2.99

Soul Sacrifice Delta

• Delta Japanese voice-over pack - 1.99

Atelier Rorona Plus with 3 DLCs

• BGM PACKAGE - FREE

Europe:

PS Vita Games:

Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition - £6.49/€7.99/$11.95

One Piece Unlimited World Red (available from 27th June, Not available in India, South Africa) - £29.99/€34.99/$47.95

Add-Ons:

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition

• New Stage & BGM Pack 1-5 - £2.49/€2.99/$4.55 each
• New Stage 6-8 - £1.69/€1.99/$2.95 each
• Upgraded Audio Data - Free

Playstation Vita Pets

• Summer Costume - Free

Soul Sacrifice Delta

• Japanese Voice Over Pack - £1.69/€1.99/$2.95

Zen Pinball 2

• Deadpool - £2.49/€2.99/$4.55

Playstation Mobile:

Instant Dungeon! - £1.59/€1.99/$3.49

Subway Run - £0.79/€0.99/$1.75
COSMOS - £3.39/€4.29/$7.45
Nunnageddon - £0.79/€0.99/$1.75
Pop Bugs Zap - Free
Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones - £4.79/€5.99/$9.95
A Bad Opera-tunity - £0.40/€0.49/$0.90
Raina - £1.19/€1.49/$2.45
UNICORN SAVIOR - £2.99/€3.79/€6.45
Penguin Party - £0.79/€0.99/$1.75
Tileogo - £0.99/€1.29/$2.25
MUSYNC - £5.49/€6.99/$11.45
Frog Ninja - £0.79/€0.99/$1.75
FoLu - £0.65/€0.79/$1.45
THE PACKET QUEEN - £2.39/€2.99/$4.95
Rymdkapsel - £3.19/€3.99/$6.95
Fat Dragons - £0.79/€0.99/$1.75

Review: Z-Run

There are plenty of arcade runners available on the phone market, actually the phone market is oversaturated with these kind of games. Mostly the objectives of these games are to run as far as you can while dodging enemies and obstacles. Z-Run tries to bring this genre on the PS Vita, it is not the first on the PS Vita, though it is one of the few that are available on the device.

Most arcade runners are usually endless and Z-Run does have a endless mode called "Survival". Z-Run also has a adventure mode where there are levels to progress through. I would summarize the story for adventure mode right about now but I can not as there is no story at all. The adventure mode could be summarized as run through a city and beat the shit out of zombies. The game throws you into the levels as one of the two characters available, Alex and Claire. The ending of the game is simply beating the last level and the credits roll.

Ok, so there is no story to speak of, so does the game at least redeem itself with interesting level design? The answer would be no. Most of the levels look the same just with different routes to take and some with kinda different scenery, they are all located in a dark and drab city. There are literally levels that repeat other levels that you played before. You could be playing the same exact level that you played 10 minutes ago but with zombies in different places. Thankfully the adventure mode only lasts about 2 hours.

Graphically the game's textures and character models are decent, although the level design is boring and the animations are terrible. The animations make everything in the game seem like robots. The sound does not really help either. Everything sounds weak and the guns sound like peashooters, even the shotgun. The menu music and the music that plays throughout the levels does sound pretty good, the music is from a rock band from New York called The Spin Wire.

I will not lie, I did have a little fun with the game. The game's basic concept is dodging and killing zombies. The controls work as intended, the game does use the face-buttons and analog sticks on the PS Vita. There is a use for the touchscreen, it is gimmicky and terrible - more on that later.

You can slide, jump, glide (The game calls this the long jump, although the character literally glides in the air longer than it is humanly possible to.), sprint, melee, and use weapons, such as shotguns and katanas, that are scattered throughout the levels. Using any these actions besides walking will use up your energy bar and if you run out of energy before it regenerates, your character will start to stagger. This mechanic makes the game strategic and it makes you think when it is necessary to use these actions.

There is also a health gauge which it should be obvious what that one does. If you ever are close to running out of either of the two gauges, there are potions that you can pick up that will fill them up a bit.

Between levels you can upgrade your abilities with either of the available characters. You can upgrade your health, energy, how many weapons you can hold and etc.

Every time you kill a zombie it will splatter blood on the screen. This is where the touch-screen comes in. You have to wipe the blood off your screen, if you do not you can not see anything. This was god awful during the later levels where there are zombies flooding the screen. You have to move your fingers away from some of the most important buttons and there is a big chance that you will die from something you did not see because of the blood or your finger being in the way. 

After I beat the game, I played around in the options. There is a way to disable the blood effects, which disables that gameplay mechanic. I totally recommend turning off the blood as it makes the game a little better.

What also brings down the gameplay is the zombies themselves. The AI is all over the place. Some of them will attack you and miss, others will just stand there. Most of the zombies will jump and home in right at you if you do not dodge or slide. There is no way to predict if they will miss or hit you, even sometimes when you dodged and they obviously missed, you still can get hit. Sometimes there will be a zombie that will swing at you and miss, wrong, after you run pass it you will fall back to where the zombie swung at you and you will get hurt. I died plenty because of this terrible lag.

Z-Run is rushed and it just seems like a quick way to make cash on the zombie and the arcade runner epidemic going on right now. The game had potential to be better than the average runner. Everything like the environments, reused levels, animations, sounds, wonky AI, and the zombie's hit-detection lag bring down its potential. Z-Run could have been fun and fresh take on the genre but with all of its problems, I can not even recommend this to the fans of the genre.

*This game was given to us by the Publisher.

What is #PSVitaDirect?

E3 2014 ended not too long ago and while some couldn't be happier with the results from all the attending companies, Sony's PS Vita fans were left struggling yet again. It seems a chain of events set off poor reactions from a large portion of the Vita community. Several Twitter hashtag movements sprung up like wildfires, but I'm here to quickly talk to you about one in particular: #PSVitaDirect

What is #PSVitaDirect?
#PSVitaDirect is a Vita fan initiative taking place on Twitter. It is calling for Sony's attention, Vita owner's attention and the attention of anyone else who can help the stagnating Vita.

What are its goals?
To garner more marketing from Sony, who seems to be completely willing to sideline this powerful machine as nothing more than an expensive PS4 peripheral. #PSVitaDirect would like to see videos regularly reporting on the Vita, it's games and capabilities. This idea was inspired of Nintendo's largely successful Nintendo Direct.

#PSVitaDirect would like to see Sony reach out to more third-party publishers to ensure the system gets a healthy flow of games. We would like to also see Sony supporting its device with more advertising and first-party titles.

Remember, #PSVitaDirect is about positive feedback and to support #PSVita. Show respect for @yosp and @shahidkamal! http://t.co/cNjr0TQ5ns
— PSVita Direct (@PSVita_Direct) June 24, 2014

Why is it needed?
The Vita is a powerful machine that has floundered for some time now. Many owners purchased it as a dedicated gaming machine, not as a touchscreen controller. Many owners would like to see the Vita continue to be that gaming machine. #PSVitaDirect believes that Sony is moving away from a massive portion of Vita owners.

As it stands, the Vita seems to be supported solely by several very dedicated developers and publishers rather than the company who should be doing it - Sony.

What brought this movement into existence?
#PSVitaDirect seems to be a culmination of several years of poor first-party support and advertising. It all came together after E3 2014 in which the Vita had hardly any screen time focusing on its powerful hardware and upcoming retail games, but rather a quick montage of indie games. Add to that the Type-0 confusion, the Vita TV replaced by the PlayStation TV (Sony seems to be outright scared of the Vita name), the articles with Sony executives stating they wanted to move away from the Vita receiving first-party games support and #PSVitaDirect was born.

What do we expect?
I don't believe anyone in #PSVitaDirect expects anything at all. I think there is a lot of hope going around, but no expectations. Vita owners are not refusing to buy anymore games for the Vita. This is not a boycott. This is a collection of fans who love the Vita and will do what they can to help it out.

Is it just "whining"?
Many will argue that this is just whining. Quite frankly, I believe passion is regularly confused with such. Many do not understand the purpose. Many who buy the Vita as a PS4 peripheral will think an initiative like this is out of place and will just do harm. I don't believe this is the case. I believe this initiative shows only the burning passion Vita owners feel for this extremely capable machine. Many of us think the Vita having such deep functions with the PS4 would be nothing but good, so long as the Vita received support in the form of decent advertising and games straight from Sony.

What about taking matters into our own hands?
This is actually something that has been discussed in various places. Many fans wouldn't mind putting together their own Vita Direct videos. That's something that needs to be discussed and planned out more. Putting together resources and reliable help can take some time. Until then, it seems we keep on the same path: Tell Sony we're here and we care about their product. Tell Sony that we'd enjoy the same treatment from their side.

What has #PSVitaDirect done for the Vita community so far?
#PSVitaDirect has brought a large portion of the community together in a peaceful celebration of the system and its current library. Between sharing pictures of collections, helping each other out with how to import titles and what to keep an eye out for, we have bonded. It has brought a bit of hope and direction to many fans who felt like the Vita was absolutely dead in the water with no chance of revival.

#PSVitaDirect #PSVita Love my Vita collection and so many great games to come! pic.twitter.com/dKHFkQSd1s

— Gadgetgirlkylie (@Gadgetgirlkylie) June 19, 2014

To help spread #PSVitaDirect show us your #PSVita collection, with the message in it! Here's mine. @PSVita_Direct pic.twitter.com/Y6Y92CLzwo

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@PSVita_Direct Here's my #PSVita game collection so far, plus 40+ Downloads #PSVitaDirect pic.twitter.com/qckfLJ3RMI

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How can you help?
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about #PSVitaDirect. You've already done a lot for us with that small action.

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Even if we never get Sony to budge on something like this, we are at least undertaking the task of banding the Vita community together. With your help, maybe we achieve our own PS Vita Direct someday.

Review: Hatsune Miku Project Diva F

Hatsune Miku has been pretty big in Japan for a while now. Heck, Hatsune Miku is so big that she has her own live concerts around the world. If you do not know who Hatsune Miku is, she is a fictional singer that uses japanese vocals created by a vocaloid program. While Hatsune Miku has plenty of games in Japan, Hatsune Miku Project Diva F is her first video game debut in Western soil.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva F is rhythm game that has you pressing the PS Vita's face buttons and d-pad, as their respective icons fly onto the screen, the icons will play along in time to the music. There are also sections within the songs that require you to swipe the touch-screen in time to the music, which those icons appear as stars. The game's mechanics are a little bit more simple than others in the same genre.

Dependending on when you tap the buttons you will get different point values. There is awful, bad, safe, good, and cool. There is a Song Energy Gauge, that increases with every good and cool you get. If you do not keep up with the rhythm and get a bunch of awful and bad, the gauge will decrease and you will fail the song. Thankfully everything is perfectly responsive, which is a definite for games in this genre that relies so much on rhythm and skill.

This game will definitely put your rhythm skills to the test, some of the songs on the "Standard" difficulty can be tough. The game includes a "Beginner", "Standard", "Hard", and "Extreme" modes - the latter will make grown men cry. To make the game even more challenging you can enable special "Challenge Items" which let you earn more points. For example one of the most difficult challenges is called Perfectionist which will make you lose song energy if you get anything other than cool, ouch.

The game includes over 30 music tracks that each have their own music video. I have not mentioned this yet, though there is more than just Hatsune Miku. There are 6 different singers that appear in their own music videos, there are even some duets. These characters include,

• Hatsune Miku
• Kagamine Rin
• Kagamine Len
• Megurine Luka
• Kaito
• Meiko

All of the songs are pretty darn catchy. After I would go through one of the many songs it would get stuck in my head and I could not stop humming it. There is a song in particular that all of you guys should know that is in the game, that song is Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya! 

I mentioned that each song has their own music video, all of these videos are really well made and visually pleasing. Unfortunately the first time around you will not really be able to pay attention to the video since you have to keep all of your focus on the incoming button prompts. Luckily after you complete a song, you can the watch song's music video with no distractions in the "Watch Video" mode.

Outside of the "Rhythm Game" mode there are plenty of other modes to play around with. Some pointless and some enjoyable. The some enjoyable modes include "Edit", "Diva Room", and "Shop".

The "Edit" mode is surprisingly deep, it lets you create your own music videos, button prompts, and dances to any of the songs in the game or you can even use your own .MP3 collection. You can customize the background, choose any of the six characters and customize their dances and even their facial expression during every second of the song.

The "Diva Room" and "Shop" go hand in hand with each other. In the "Diva Room" you can visit each of the singers apartment rooms and interact with the characters. You can become each singers friend by buying them gifts, playing Rock-Paper-Scissors, or petting them - the latter is strange, although that is not the reason I am recommending this mode.

In the shop you can buy items with "Diva Points" that you earn by playing the game. You can purchase items that customize all six of the characters and their rooms. You can buy a bunch of different accessories and clothing, some cool and some goofy. The characters will even wear the clothing during the music videos and they will walk around in their apartment with the clothing on. You can buy a T.V. and a photo album for the apartments, which let you view and make playlists of the songs in the game and view photos that you unlocked.

The pointless modes include the "AR" modes that let you have AR concerts and take AR pictures. Some people might be into this kind of stuff, though I was not too impressed with them. I was also not impressed with the load times, they appear with everything you press on the main menu. They are not terribly long but annoying.

Hatsune Miku Project Diva F is a great game that most fans of the rhythm genre could enjoy. The gameplay might be too simplistic for experts of the genre, as it is pretty basic compared to other games. For people that are interested in a basic rhythm game there are plenty of songs to play which all of them are fun to play, challenging, catchy to listen to, and fun to watch. The game will give you plenty of replay value with the multiple difficulties to master and all of the other extras that the game has.