Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Minority
Genre: Puzzle/Adventure
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

When we play games, we don’t usually think too much about the story behind the story. There are plenty of games in which a writer’s personal experiences have been used as inspiration for their stories, but seldom have they been more prominent than in Papo y Yo, a colorful, evocative kids game with a very adult message.

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

I’ve always been a big fan of the end-of-the-world genre of mass entertainment. It’s fascinating to me to speculate about what I would do if I survived some sort of universal holocaust. So, in theory, Ubisoft’s survival horror opus I Am Alive should be right up my alley. But in all the years that I’ve been playing games, I can’t remember a darker, drearier and more depressing 12 hours spent in front of a TV screen.

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Publisher: Sony
Developer: Recoil Games
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: Teen
Release Date: Available now

One of these days, someone really ought to release a game called “Metroidvania” and retire on the never-ending residuals. That superlative; the Reese’s Peanut Butter cup-style fusion of two great things – in this case Super Metroid and Castlevania; is usually all an action-adventure fan needs to hear to know their money is well spent. Those titles certainly hit a sweet spot for people who hunger for games that reward methodical exploration with carefully doled out abilities that open new, exciting reaches of whatever castle or labyrinth they happen to be exploring. A few years ago, Chair Entertainment (a subsidiary of Epic) took the “Metroidvania” formula and married it to the spy genre; churning out one of the better titles that year, Shadow Conspiracy. And while the wait for that game’s sequel continues, we now have Recoil Games’ Rochard to scratch the itch as their PSN exclusive aims to send players scrambling through a variety of interstellar installations solving puzzles, chasing down new pathways and keeping the “Metroidvania” dream alive.

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Publisher: Majesco
Developer: WayForward
Genre: Action-Platformer
Rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

We can’t all be Lara Croft. That’s the hard lesson BloodRayne learned when she first debuted on the PlayStation 2. This vampire assassin was cut from the grindhouse mold, and despite starring in a handful of engaging action titles on that generation’s consoles, the feisty femme fatale couldn’t quite reach Lara’s level of celebrity. Instead, she seemed stuck in her B-movie-esque roots long before film director Uwe Boll grabbed hold of the property in his one man battle to drag gaming as far from art as possible. As a result, a promising property died well before it could find its stride. Enter WayForward, a talented team of developers who have performed some real-magic in the 2D platform space, with such notable titles as Shantae, A Boy and His Blob and Contra IV. With Bloodrayne: Betrayal in their mitts, hope was renewed that this vampire would rise once again.

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Publisher: Hothead Games
Developer: Hothead Games
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release Date: Available now

Humor in games is a tricky art. With comedy so dependent on timing, it can be a tough haul for a developer hoping their pixels execute that pratfall or nail the punch line every time. LucasArts, in its heyday, played host to masters of the form, with guys like Ron Gilbert and Tim Shafer producing some true comic classic adventure games. One of the nice perks to our shiny, new digital distribution age is the ability for these auteurs to find a whole new audience hungry for their particular brand of humor. While Shafer and his gang at DoubleFine have produced some bite-sized gems over the last few years (including Stacking and Trenched), Ron Gilbert joined forces with Hothead Games to unleash the clueless hero DeathSpank. Having overseen DeathSpank’s first two adventures, Hothead now presses forth – sending DeathSpank out on his first adventure, The Baconing, without Gilbert’s guidance. DeathSpank’s biggest task at hand is not how he’ll slice through the malevolent masses but rather will his sense of humor hold up now that someone else is pitching the jokes.

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Publisher: MonkeyPaw Games
Developer: MonkeyPaw Games
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Shooter
Release date: Available now

Microsoft may rule the console digital distribution space with their elegantly designed Xbox Live Marketplace, but Sony clearly trumps them when it comes to their back catalog. Their online store may be a bit disjointed (making it tougher to find your way around), but like some back alley boutique discovered while exploring a foreign land, the shelves are often stocked with treasures long-forgotten. In addition to the healthy line-up of PS One classics available for purchase, the PSN Store also plays host to a Japanese Import section – one that MonkeyPaw Games has used to showcase their latest find, the wacky shooter Kyuiin.

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Publisher: Open Emotion Studios
Developer: Open Emotion Studios
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

One of the cool things Sony has going for it, is the existence of the PS Minis (which can be found in their online store). Essentially, these are small downloadable diversions that can be played on either your PS3 or PSP. So for those die hard Sony fanboys who grab every piece of tech the company puts out, it’s a nice perk to take one of these pieces of casual fare on the go. Is Mad Blocker Ultra – Revenge of the Fluzzles a remedy for those tired of those pesky Angry Birds? Read on and find out.

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Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Super X Studios
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

Paintball is a fast-paced and incredibly difficult live-action sport. It requires skill, accuracy, teamwork, and the right equipment to win. It’s something that seems like it would find itself at home in the first-person shooter genre. Super X Studios thought the same thing when they developed Greg Hastings Paintball 2, now available on the PSN.

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Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Seed Studios
Genre: Real-time Strategy
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

Every once in a while, the RTS genre, which enjoys vast popularity on the PC, makes its way to a game console. The console RTS is a rare breed, often marred by watered down gameplay options and a poor control scheme. Seed Studios took a chance and developed Under Siege, a medieval fantasy-based RTS available now on the PlayStation Network.

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Publisher: Digital Leisure
Developer: Digital Leisure
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Sometimes, you can be pretty good at a game and still finish it. Most games allow a little leeway in terms of player skill, making it so that even if you screw up occasionally, you can still complete the game. Dragon’s Lair is not most games. It demands perfection from its players. Dragon’s Lair II, recently released on the PSN, cannot be beaten without precise control and exact movements. Or, in my case, infinite lives and a whole lotta time.

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Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Zen Studios

Originally published in July 2009, reprinted for additional content.

Few things in my life actually bring back childhood memories. Lemons, “The Goonies” and pinball. The lemons is a long story. “The Goonies” is obvious. But pinball? Yes, it was nothing short of magical to go to the arcade with my father and beat that shiny marble ball around inside those exotic tables of gaming goodness. So when I was given the chance to play Zen Pinball on the Playstation 3, I knew I’d be rehashing those fond memories.

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Publisher: Zen Studios
Developer: Zen Studios

Originally published in June 2010, reprinted for additional content

Those of you who love mini-golf, but suffer from some condition that prevents you from actually playing the game, rejoice! Zen Studios has brought Planet MiniGolf to the Playstation Network.  For only $9.99 (plus tax), you too can avoid enduring summer weather and even the mildest form of exercise.

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Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
Developer: Zombie Studios
Genre: FPS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available Now

By the title alone, you’d think that Blacklight: Tango Down was a Spanish-language dancing game. This could not be further from the truth, and in confidence, I’m relieved by that fact. No, the only “tangos” you engage in this competitive multiplayer shooter are sighting you from a dark corner and using any of a number of weapon combinations and skill-enhancing weapon tags to make your death as personal as they can while playing from halfway across the globe.

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Publisher: Team17
Developer: Team17
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now
Review by: Remy Ransom

You can see a trend in the PlayStation Network that almost follows that of Hollywood: taking an old idea and doing what many fanboys call a “reboot.” We saw it with Batman, and it worked well; it most certainly must work well for games. A guilty pleasure here is Bionic Commando, and now Team17 does it’s very own reboot of Alien Breed, its classic game for the Amiga. Alien Breed: Impact is a new chapter for publisher Team17, and based on its success it should have follow-ups almost like those of a comic book.

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Publisher: The Bearded Ladies Consulting
Developer: The Bearded Ladies Consulting
Genre: Helicopter Sim
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

The Bearded Ladies Consulting is probably not a name you are familiar with. According to their website, they are a video game studio located in Sweden and they currently consist of five ironically beardless guys. They recently released their first game in the form of Landit Bandit for the PlayStation 3. The game features helicopter physics and high-flying taxiing, but is it worth the fare?

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