7 May 2007
Ferry

New PS3 downloadable games this summer: Nucleus, Super Stardust HD, Snakeball and Midway classics

It’s always confusing if you’re supposed to call these PlayStation Network, e-Distribution or PS3 Store games, but they are simply games you download for your PS3, so let’s leave it at that. Since Calling All Cars keeps getting delayed, here some new titles for mid-2007. There are some cool features like Super Stardust HD having co-op, and Snakeball using the PlayStation Eye camera, let’s take a closer look:

Nucleus isn’t entirely dissimilar to Blast Factor, in that it uses the same control system – but it’s a lot more elaborate and sophisticated. You pilot a tiny jellyfish-type thing called a “remote unit” with which you squirt, shoot, and deploy protein bombs (once enough protein has been collected) as well as using a tractor beam of sorts to push and drag cells that can be linked together to form a shield. To gain more protein, players need to shoot cells that release it.

The game takes place in a human-body environment (made to look as though it’s seen through a microscope). Again, you must take out bacteria, viruses, super-viruses and so on, either by clearing screens or surviving for a certain amount of time. Power-ups greatly increase your firepower and you can hide behind protein cells. Surprisingly hard, intriguing visually, and with a soundtrack by Rephlex’s Bogdan Raczynski. It has a release date of June 1st, 2007.

Super Stardust HD is a reinvigorated, High Definition version of the asteroid-blasting format that’s been a classic since the early days of video arcade games. It has a release date of June 15th, 2007.

Carve asteroids into chunks, smash them into tiny pieces, punch holes through them – just destroy them any way you can while avoiding the flying debris that results. Hordes of enemies, led by the evil Professor Schaumund, are on your tail – you’ll need to clear these bad guys off the map as well.

Delivered in full High Definition at 1080p with a seriously catchy soundtrack, Super Stardust HD will keep your trigger finger occupied for hours at a time. Three game modes, including 2-player cooperative in which you can team up with a friend to make short work of the asteroid menace – and there are global online rankings to determine who’s the ace of outer space at this addictive game.

Snakeball is simply the funkiest online sport ever created. The game should get released in summer 2007.

Glide across an outlandishly dazzling disco floor on a bizarre hoversnake, snapping up coloured balls to score points, while other snakeballers attempt to knock you off the top spot with flicks from their multicoloured tails or blasts from their weapons.

Choose from a variety of Snakeball riders – and if you want something more personal, you can map your own face onto a rider with the next-generation PlayStation Eye USB camera.

Three game modes: feed the snake to make it grow as long as possible in one-player mode; take on the fiendish defences of each arena in Challenge Mode; or battle up to eight other Snakeballers from around the world in Online Mode.

In Rampart you defend your land from invading armies by building walls and arming cannons in this next-gen remake of a classic.

Rampart is one of the six downloadable titles Sony licensed from Midway to release as downloads for PS3, but with added online multiplayer! Already released in the USA are Mortal Kombat II and Gauntlet II. Still coming in Q2 2007 are: Joust, Rampage World Tour, Rampart and Championship Sprint.

Let’s not forget Capcom’s Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Remix is also announced for Q2 2007. — For more pictures of the Sony games visit PlayStation blog Threespeech.