German news site GameFront recently posted an interesting story regarding the listing of Suikoden VI for the PSP on a retailer's website. The story has been roughly translated on the NeoGAF forums. The retailer was in Japan and the entry has been removed -- but the rumors live on. Is Konami hard at work on Suikoden VI and moving the series onto the PSP? Or was it a clerical error and should have read PS3? Either way, until Konami makes a statement, we'll have to wait and see if anything comes up at E3 or the Tokyo Game Show.

If you haven't been reading PS3 Fanboy, then you might not know just how crazily Metal Gear Solid 4 fever has overcome our bodies and souls. We've been following GameTrailers' Metal Gear retrospective in anticipation of MGS4, and this time we're bringing some of that excitement to all of you PSP gamers. This time the retrospective takes a look back at something you might have played: MGS: Portable Ops and the game that it was based on, MGS3: Snake Eater.

Many of you may have played Portable Ops wanting to continue the story of Big Boss from Snake Eater. Others probably just wanted to get more Metal Gear into their systems after having played the Acid games. Whatever the reason, MGS fans alike were treated to seeing some familiar faces and having a bit of their stories fleshed out. If you haven't played the game, check out the retrospective to see what it's all about. It also looks like next week GameTrailers will be taking a look back at some of the other portable Metal Gear games, so look out for that.

Here's a surprisingly long clip of the beginning of Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel. At about 17 minutes you get to see snippets of the Tanker incident, the beginning of the Big Shell incident, and even some scenes that were never originally in MGS2.

The best part about the second digital comic in the series is that there's finally voice acting this time around. However, with rumors flying about the comic not going to PSP but to DVD, we might not get to enjoy this beautiful "game" on our handheld. If it doesn't come to PSP, that would be a shame. Well, at least we have this clip.

An ESRB rating for Suikoden has surfaced suggesting that the oft-revered RPG could become digital distribution content for the North American PSN. Re-rated as a PS3 and PSP title, it seems that there's something definitely in the works; however, as Siliconera points out, other Konami titles like Castlevania Chronicles have been rated in the past but have yet seen a release. It could be a long time (or never) before we see this classic on anything other than a PS1 disc.

Hopefully this does come into fruition. It was quite disappointing that the PSP pack Suikoden I + II didn't see release outside Japan. So, if the game does come out on the PSN, North American PSP gamers will finally be able to take Suikoden on the go.

If you're one of the few who have a PSP and do not have Castlevania: The Darcula X Chronicles, then we advise you to definitely avail of this bargain. Amazon lists the game at $18.99; back in January the price dropped down to $20 but steadily went back up. We're glad to see the deal return.

Anyway, this is a really good deal considering you're actually getting two games. The first game is a remake of the former Japan-only Rondo of Blood, and the second is a port of the uber-popular Symphony of the Night. Need more convincing? How about we sink our vampiric teeth into your neck. How 'bout that?

[Via CAG]

A couple months ago, Andrew said Silent Hill: Origins is one of the best-looking PSP titles he's seen so far, and this new trailer just released during Tokyo Game Show only confirms that. We still can't believe Konami has been able to create such an amazing looking game on the PSP.

The video shows Travis driving his rig when he's attacked with some pretty disturbing mental images causing him nearly to careen off the road. We're not exactly sure why the rest of the video is shown playing on a PSP, which makes anyone with less than 20/20 vision struggle to see it. Perhaps Konami really wanted you to know this amazing game is running on the PSP?

Either way, Silent Hill: Origins is shaping up to be a no-brainer for any PSP owner, and the song was a great choice, too!

Castlevania fans in the Los Angeles area, grab your trusty whip and holy water and get them signed by Koji Igarashi! Not too sure how you sign holy water, but Igarashi can figure that out. Konami is sending the Dracula X Chronicles producer to the Universal CityWalk EB Games this Wednesday, September 12 at 6:00PM. Check out this poster for more details.

[via Kotaku]

In a revealing interview with Koji Igarashi, 1UP's Sam Kennedy found out that the upcoming Dracula X Chronicles may be the first and last Castlevania game to grace the PSP platform. Why? "When I first started on this project, everyone around me strongly suggested that PSP could be the best platform for Castlevania. But unfortunately, PSP's market has been shrinking as of late, so I will have to watch the sales of the game." Considering Konami's significant support of the PSP through its Metal Gear series, we hope that they'll see sufficient reason to continue developing for our favorite handheld.

The next game Igarashi will work on will be on the DS.

Don't you love Castlevania? Konami's own Ken Ogasawara loves it more than you probably do -- he recently sat down to discuss the upcoming PSP title Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles as well as Konami's plans for bringing more titles back. Ogasawara thanks the online marketplaces like the PSN, Xbox Live, and Wii's Virtual Console for bringing back classic arcade titles, hoping the revival continues with fan favorite games like Rondo of Blood, a Castlevania title never before released in the US.

Because of our extensive coverage of this game already, hands-on and all, we've nothing new to say from a gameplay standpoint (though it bears mentioning again that all the Symphony of the Night voice-overs were re-recorded to sound less cheesy/campy), but we would like to point out Ogasawara's open-mindedness to bring further classic titles back into the spotlight -- not as remakes, but released over the PSN or Xbox Live. Hopefully these will be downloadable to our PSP's. We'd love to try our hand at Castlevania III again. We got angry and busted up our NES cartridge because we always took the very, very difficult paths.

The Metal Gear collection is a hot item for hardcore Metal Gear fans. It includes nearly every game ever created in the Metal Gear franchise: the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and the PSP Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops. In addition, documentary DVDs will also be included. In Japan, the package ran a very affordable 6250 yen -- about the same cost of one modern retail game.

So, will this collection make its way over to the States? At Comic Con, Kotaku's Michael McWhertor spoke to Konami's marketing VP, Anthony Kraus about the issue. He confirmed that Konami was "considering" the package, but they had to talk to retailers about interest in such a collection. If the collection comes to America, it might not be the exact same collection. It will, however, be "very similar."

[Thanks, Random!]

File Size: 356 MB
Price: $9.99
Developed By: Konami
Published By: Konami
Original Release Date: October 2, 1997

Short Review
Recommended.
One of the most frequently requested PS1 titles finally hits the PlayStation Store, with Konami releasing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The title holds its age remarkably well and clearly shows why it is considered one of the finest titles of the original PlayStation era. The graphics look surprisingly sharp and colorful on the PSP and hold up nicely even when displayed on a 52" HD TV via the PS3. The gameplay is the real selling point here though, as you romp through a fairly non-linear castle, with a full RPG-like leveling system, magic, special moves and colorful monsters, the lengthy campaign is well worth paying the higher-than-normal cost of this retro title. Overall, Castlevania: SotN is a fantastic addition to the PlayStation Store's lineup and should not be miss by any Castlevania or 2D platformer fans.

Old Snake??? SNAKE?????!!!

We were surprised by Konami's sudden announcement of a brand-new Metal Gear Solid game for PSP. We're not complaining, of course. This revamped Portable Ops includes a plethora of new modes, including Old Snake. Will this reveal secrets of the MGS lore that we've been patiently waiting for? We hope so.

Silent Hill Origins is supernaturally beautiful. Simply analyze the picture above and note its fantastic lighting and shadows. Note the reflection in the mirror, and then be awed that this happening in real-time ... on the PSP. Silent Hill Origins is shaping up to be the best looking PSP title to date, with its great character designs, atmospheric special effects, and (as noted) the impeccable lighting.

Although the Silent Hill franchise has never really strayed far from the consoles, this handheld version is shaping up to be just as good as any other iteration of the series. Travis must navigate some beautifully creepy worlds, and fight some truly terrifying creatures. He can pick up weapons and items in the environment and use them against the ghastly denizens of Silent Hill. Controls in the game were intuitive and solid. Travis moved easily through the environment, although we found ourselves having a bit of trouble exploring the level as thoroughly as possible, trying to find all the clues.

Battle is a relatively simple affair, as Travis can easily target enemies with R. His attacks, and most importantly, finishing moves, vary greatly, depending on the weapon he's holding. Players must be resilient, though: if enemies get too close, Travis will have to do a series of button presses to escape close quarters combat. Also, Travis will want to keep a close eye on his weapons, as they degrade (quite quickly) over time. All weapons will break eventually, and Travis will want to make sure th

In celebration of Metal Gear's 20th anniversary, Konami is planning to release every PlayStation Metal Gear Solid title in presumably new, special packaging, IGN reports. Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation will be priced 1500 yen, Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty for PS2 will be 1800 yen, Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater for PS2 will be 2800 yen, and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops for PSP will be 2800 yen. A package containing all of these hits will also be available for 6900 yen.

Unless these re-releases come with some significant additions, we find it unlikely that even hardcore Kojima fans will be throwing down their cash. Hopefully, this isn't the end of the 20th Anniversary announcements ... we're hoping for a Portable Ops sequel (and some more info on the ever-elusive Metal Gear Solid 4 would be nice too).

[Update: IGN reports that a limited edition DVD will be packaged with the MGS bundle. Also, a new soundtrack CD will be made available. Check for details on the new official website.]

In an effort to keep up with the high school theme of Brooktown High, Konami has set up MySpace pages for some of the characters. Maybe Konami should have just had the character's pictures feature close-ups on their eyes, be blurry, or shot from a very long distance, because these guys and gals are still as ugly as a gargoyle.

On her MySpace page, Elektra the goth says "The Sun is Evil". Asia the prep is quoted saying, "The Elderly and Fashion DO NOT MIX!" Oh ho ho, how stereotypes make me laugh. Could it be that gamer's will be lucky enough to have the characters as two dimensional, as they are unattractive? My Ouija board points to yes.

I'll happily avoid adding these peeps to my MySpace.