Home Square is set to be like a scene from Call of the Wild after this week’s update, which sees a herd of new animal companions added to PlayStation Home.

Heavy Water is bringing a new range of virtual pets under the Heavy Pets brand Visit the PlayStation Home Mall where you can purchase companions, controllable in-apartment pets and furniture pieces to show off your collection. You can purchase individual peeps or bundles of three and ten from Home Stuff.

Heavy Water also provided the following message: “New pets and creatures will be made available in the near future – stay in the loop by going to www.heavy-pets.com to see what’s in development. Comments, ideas or requests? Drop us an email at communityinput@heavy-pets.com.

After the kittens from a couple of weeks ago, the Vstore has a full-sized Black Labrador Dog called ‘Binx’ that will follow you around, chase his tail and other animations, while in Home Stuff you can find an animated goat and cow to turn your apartment into a farmyard.

The final companion this week is death personified — the Li’l Reaper will stalk you from the shadows and strike out at you with the fabled scythe of the dead.

From a black scythe to White Lies, Universal is opening a new store in the shopping centre called Access All Areas where you can pick up merchandise from some of their biggest acts. Launching this week we have Florence + the Machine T-shirts; White Lies Drum Kits and Drum Parts; The Wanted Leather jacket, boots and chunky scarf; and Tinchy Strider hoodies and Jackets. We also have an array of ornamental instruments for your apartment.

Lockwood has provided the following for their update: “This week sees the Lockwood Catalogue taking on a very oriental feel for this latest collection of formal-wear. Exquisite embroidery gives a lush exotic touch to the men’s smart Chinese jacket and for women the silk Cheongsam dress is complemented by a decorative fan. If you like your clothes smart, fashionable and versatile these items will be a wonderful addition to your wardrobe. For the shopper under pressure you’ll be glad to know the full outfits are available in value packs.”

“For fans of the Lockwood Gift Machine a new and improved version is now available as a reward. So by entering Lockwood Publishing spaces like the Sodium Hub you will automatically find the new Gift Machine in your inventory as Reward Item. We’ve have also taken the time to adjust the Gift Machine workings making it even more efficient. Had a gift sent through to you but not been able to receive it? You’ll find the gift winging its way to you with the latest version of this wonderful machine.”

Elsewhere, The Funksters ’74 will be jiving their way into the nDream Store (which itself has undergone a makeover) with funky disco clothes for your avatar and 70′s furniture and shag carpet bundles for your apartment. Billabong is introducing some new surfer clothing for the guys and there are some Judge Dredd T-shirts in the Vstore.

PlayStation Home will update at the regular time on Thursday.

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Takashi Tokita is a name well respected among Square Enix fans, having helmed classic RPGs from Parasite Eve (newly resurrected for PSN) to Chrono Trigger. Now he’s overseeing the restoration of one of the earliest games of his career with Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection, coming to PSP on April 22nd.

On the cusp of Final Fantasy IV‘s 20-year anniversary, Tokita explained his goals for Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection. The basic expectations are well and truly met: You’ll get remastered high-res artwork that takes full advantage of the PSP‘s widescreen display, eye-catching new 3D special effects, an updated English translation, and two soundtrack options. Also, for the first time, FFIV will be presented in its pure, uncensored form, which will primarily translate to a few skimpier outfits and a handful of mature references omitted from previous releases.

The Complete Collection also includes a separate chapter called FFIV: The After Years that picks up a decade later with the protagonists’ son. Another new playable chapter, FFIV: Interlude, was created just for The Complete Collection. Weighing in at 15-odd hours of new gameplay and story, Interlude is set between FFIV and The After Years and ties up loose plot threads in both games.

While discussing his work with Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection, Tokita also touched on the biggest strength of the Japanese RPG genre (“It can be a story that the player is confined to, like a moving comic or animation type of experience in a game format”) and even voiced appreciation for BioShock and Dead Space (“I like games that surprise me”).

Sid Shuman, PlayStation.Blog: How are you taking advantage of the PSP for Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection?
Takashi Tokita, Director, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection: The PSP was an appealing platform because it’s a high-quality handheld, it has excellent sound quality, and the UMD format offers a lot of storage space. The extra storage space let us incorporate Final Fantasy IV and FFIV: The After Years, plus the new playable Interlude [that connects both games]. We were also able to include a video and concept art gallery with the game.

PSB: As an experienced developer, are you interested in working with NGP? Are you brainstorming things you might like to try with the Next Generation Portable?
TT: I think it’s a platform that will enable us to do new things, obviously. The current environment isn’t quite as favorable to packaged games, it’s become a little more difficult. In terms of distributing a story-based game, I think NGP will be something that users can embrace for a long period of time.

PSB: Why do you think Final Fantasy IV remains popular and respected 20 years after its release? Not many games experience that kind of longevity.
TT: In many ways, FFIV was a culmination of the preceding Final Fantasy games. It drew on the best aspects of those games and became a model for Final Fantasy games to follow. It appeals to all generations in that sense simply because it became the foundation of future Final Fantasy games.

PSB: While developing Final Fantasy IV, were you already thinking about the possibility of a potential sequel at some point in the future?
TT: When I was creating the original game, I didn’t have any ideas about creating a direct sequel. Much later, when I started development on Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, I thought that it might be good to create a story to connect FFIV and FFIV: The After Years, and that became FFIV: Interlude.

PSB: Why do you think FFIV’s story still resonates with players? Is it the murky morality or themes of redemption?
TT: I think redemption appeals to all generations. The idea of light and dark, and the confusion in that for the characters, is a theme that will never die. The sheer variety of characters is important as well because every player will find at least one character that they will develop an emotional attachment with.

PSB: Do you think that Japanese RPGs should evolve and change, or will there always be a place for classic JRPGs?
TT: I think that there are two types of JRPGs: ones that are character- and story-driven, versus the standard, classic JRPG. Final Fantasy IV combines elements of both, but leans more towards the classic style. In that sense, much like a song that can be covered by other musicians over and over again for years to come, I think the classic JRPG is a style that will continue to exist moving forward.

PSB: Many Final Fantasy came into the series long after FFIV’s original release. If you’re a fan of recent Final Fantasy games like FFXII or FFXIII, what will you appreciate in FFIV?
TT: New generations of Final Fantasy fans are created as new game platforms are introduced. Based on what I’ve seen, many of the more recent fans came into the series with Final Fantasy X on the PS2. By playing FFIV: The Complete Collection, these newer players will get a sense of the origin of Final Fantasy as well as the path the game took as it evolved into later incarnations.

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Fellow Patapon fans and fans-to-be,

It’s been a long wait, too long really… yet, let me assure you: The best is ALWAYS worth waiting for.

Additionally, the brand-new website is now live at www.patapon-game.com. Equipped with an all new mini-game, you can channel your inner drummer way ahead of getting the real deal, show off your creative side with the wallpaper creator and, to top it all off, get your hands on a unique in-game item which, once redeemed, will give you a special ability!

Come April, keep your eyes open for a PSP newsletter dedicated to Patapon 3 with more game information and another exclusive in-game item to redeem.

PATA-PATA-PATA-PON!

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Well hello there – here is your weekly comics update!

Neil Gaiman‘s renowned comic Sandman continues with issue #27. In this penultimate issue of the “Season of Mists” storyline, the decision concerning Hell’s new ownership falls to an unlikely heir while Morpheus attends to an unruly guest in his realm…

Before he claimed the throne, before he battled the dragon Fafnir, before he became worthy of mighty Mjolnir, our hero was simply one of many young sons of Asgard… Meet young Thor in Thor: Son of Asgard (2004), an epic coming of age story written by celebrated manga writer Akira Yoshida and beautifully illustrated by newcomer Greg Tocchini.

In the must-try, one of a kind series Kill Shakespeare, the celebrated author’s world is transported to comics with unexpected twists and surprises. As word of the Prodigals’ victory spreads a rebel army masses in Shrewsbury. Against this backdrop, Othello and Iago cross swords, Richard and Lady Macbeth lock horns and Hamlet and Juliet’s love blossoms…

Also available are new issues of inFAMOUS, Batman: Black & White, IDW’s Infestation and more:

• Baby Boomers #4 Markosia
• Batman Beyond Vol.2 #6 DC Comics
• Batman Black & White #2 DC Comics
• The Dreaming #20 TOKYOPOP
• Dual #5 DC Comics
• Ex Machina #35 DC Comics
• Fables #51 DC Comics
• Hero Squared #11-13 BOOM! Studios
• inFAMOUS #2 DC Comics
• Infestation: Star Trek #2 IDW Publishing
• JLA #43 DC Comics
• Justice League: Generation Lost #22 DC Comics
• Kill Shakespeare #8-9 IDW Publishing
• Legends of the DC Universe #9 DC Comics
• Powers (2004) #23-27 Icon
• Pray for Death #1 DC Comics
• The Puppet Makers #3 DC Comics
• Return to Labyrinth #9 TOKYOPOP
• Sandman #27 DC Comics
• Slaughterman’s Creed #4 Markosia
• Star Trek #1-2 Devil’s Due Digital
• Star Trek: The Manga #19 TOKYOPOP
• Superman/Batman #54 DC Comics
• Supernatural: Beginning’s End #6 DC Comics
• Thor: Son of Asgard (2004) #1-6 Marvel
• Tomorrow Stories #5 DC Comics
• Top 10 #5 DC Comics
• Undertown #12 TOKYOPOP
• Van Von Hunter #10 TOKYOPOP
• Wonder Woman Vol. 3 #26 DC Comics
• X-Factor (2005) #2 Marvel
• Y: The Last Man #33 DC Comics

Please visit www.playstationcomics.com for prices and to see the whole catalogue.

See ya next week!

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Dear Strong Bad,

How do you publish the Store with boxing gloves on your hands?

Sincerely,
Stupidhead, CA

I hope you’re all feeling cool and attractive today, since you’ll need all your awesomeness to help Strong Bad claim independence for Strong Badia! If you’ve never been to http://www.homestarrunner.com you should check it out after you’re done here – you have been missing out.

It’s a monster week as we see the launch of Dissidia 012 [duodecim] on Friday, but today we have Prologus for you, bundled with a free Aerith support character for use in the main game.

Old Josh Walker has asked me to mention that we now have a digital version of DC Universe available on the Store – so if you’ve been holding out on giving this one a try you can download it today – comes with a 30 day trial too.

ITCHY. TASTY. AWESOME. Finally, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut makes it to the EU PSN Store – this is easily the most requested PSone title you lot have ever asked for so please show it some love. Let’s hope Resident Evil 2 doesn’t take another three years to show up. (That was a joke, don’t panic).

Konami furnishes us with their side-scrolling blaster, Hard Corps: Uprising and a few nuggets of day one DLC to expand your character roster.

We’ve also got demos of the excellent Marvel Pinball and WWE AllStars for you guys to try before you buy.

Plenty of DLC too, including new costumes for LittleBigPlanet 2 and a bundle of three recently released NFS Hot Pursuit packs, so fill your collective boots.

I’m out guys, I’m gonna go buy the Cheat a trophy.

See you in the comments.
(more…)

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