This week’s PSN update is Solid. Metal Gear Solid. BOOSH.

Downloadable Games: Because your Memory Stick is feeling lonely

Metal Gear Solid PSP Bundle ($29.99) – Includes Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, Super Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Turbo Edition, and Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel. All these are fairly hard to find nowadays, and at a SOLID bundle price, you’ll be crying out SNAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

Grab a friend and play some MGS: Portable Ops together!

DJ Max Fever ($19.99) – Beware if you play this game, your face may explode from the difficulty.

Valhalla Knights 2: Battle Stance ($29.99) – Did you play Valhalla Knights 2 and think “this game would be perfect if I could only have 4 party members instead of 6?” Your strange desires have been fulfilled.

PSP Minis: A smorgasboard of releases every week

El zilcho. That’s not a game, that’s what’s available this week. Nothing.

PSP Themes: Your PSP is beautiful, no matter what they say. Wait, why am I quoting Christina Aguilera? I’m gonna quote Megadeth instead. “PEACE SELLS, BUT WHO’S BUYING?!?!”

Liquid Metal 2 PSP Theme ($1.49)
File size: 606 KB

Dita Von Teese PSP Theme 3 ($1.49)
File size: 588 KB

Dita Von Teese PSP Theme 4 ($1.49)
File size: 556 KB

Banana Girl Hook-Ups PSP Theme ($1.99)
File size: 380 KB

Devil Vixen Hook-Ups PSP Theme ($1.99)
File size: 415 KB

School Girl Hook-Ups PSP Theme ($1.99)
File size: 367 KB

Videos: Like pictures, but a bunch of them in rapid succession

Pulse 1/21 Edition
File size: 50 MB

Army of Two: The 40th Day PSP Trailer
File size: 10 MB

Dante’s Inferno Game Trailer
File size: 25 MB

PSOne Classics: And we use the term loosely

Championship Bass ($5.99) – Because it wouldn’t be called Failure Bass.

Sony has seen some great releases this year on PSN. In fact, this week they’re tooting their own horn with a round-up of the best on the PSN updates this week. If you haven’t yet done these, DO THEM Don’t come whining to us if you neglect to do so. We warned you.

Downloadable Games:

-BUZZ! Quiz World ($19.99)- No boundaries? Okay, well it IS portable..

-Sega Rally Revo ($15.99)- I kid you not, a direct quote, “Don’t just rip up the track, tear it a new one.” Awesome.

-Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus ($9.99)- A standalone multiplayer addition.

-Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops ($14.99)- Follows the Snake Eater storyline.

-Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel ($9.99)- Comic books, Mmm..

-F1 2009 ($39.99)- Formula 1 racing. As opposed to Formula X or Einstein’s Formula.

-Ridge Racer ($14.99)- (in the tune of Speed Racer) “Go Ridge Racer. Go Ridge Racer. Go Ridge Racer, Go!”

Game Demos (free):

-Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Demo- There were four mission types in 1974? Whoa.

PSP minis:

-Heracles Chariot Racing ($4.99)

-Spot the Differences! ($2.99)

Game Videos (free):

-Tekken 6 PSP Trailer

-Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines Gameplay Sizzle Trailer

-Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines Launch Trailer

-Armored Core 3 Trailer

PSone Classics:

-Final Fantasy VIII ($9.99)- Heh heh. His name is Squall. I don’t know why that’s funny.

Today, December 16th, SCEA launched a new form of entertainment for the PSP: Comics. Not the playable kind that we’re used to (see Ninja Gaiden II), but the actual comic book type. Everything from Archie to GI Joe, Transformers to Spider-Man is available for download and consumption. A new tab will appear with your latest PSN update patch where the comics will be available. Some are free while some cost, so be sure to check into what you’re downloading before you do so. Also, a feature called Autoflow allows you to zoom in and out from frame to frame, giving it the feeling of reading an actual comic. Pretty sweet, huh? Here are some screen shots and a list of the available reading goodness available today. Check out for more info. Bon appetite!

• 2000AD Prog
• Aleister Arcane
• The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2003)
• Annihilation (2006)
• Archie & Friends
• Astonishing X-Men (2004)
• Astro Boy: Movie Adaptation
• Astro Boy: Underground: Movie Prequel
• Atomic Robo
• The Beagle Boys
• Burke & Hare
• Cages
• Captain America (2004)
• Captain America Comics (1941)
• Clive Barker’s The Thief Of Always
• Daisy Duck
• Daredevil: Yellow (2001)
• Donald Duck
• Donald Duck Agent Qu-Qu 7
• Durham Red: Empty Suns
• Durham Red: Scarlet Cantos
• Durham Red: Vermin Stars
• Dynamo 5
• Eternals (2006)
• Fantastic Four (2003)
• FX
• G.I. Joe
• G.I. Joe: Classics
• G.I. Joe: Official Movie Prequel
• G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra: Official Movie Adaptation
• Gladstone Gander
• Gyro Gearloose
• House of M (2005)
• The Immortal Iron Fist (2006)
• The Invincible Iron Man (1996)
• The Invincible Iron Man (1998)
• Invincible Iron Man (2008)
• Iron Man (2004)
• Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2004)
• Judge Dredd: Mandroid
• Judge Dredd: Total War
• Kingdom
• Leviathan
• Magica De Spell
• Marvel Knights (2000)
• Marvels (1994)
• Mickey Mouse
• Neozoic
• New X-Men: Academy X (2004)
• Rogue Trooper: The Future Of War
• Runaways (2003)
• Scrooge McDuck
• Shakara
• Sláine: Book of Invasions
• Star Trek: Alien Spotlight
• Star Trek: Archives – The Best of Peter David
• Star Trek: Assignment Earth
• Star Trek: Mirror Images
• Star Trek: Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment
• Super Human Resources
• Superduck
• Transformers: All Hail Megatron
• Transformers: Classics
• Transformers Official Movie Adaptation
• Transformers Movie Prequel
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Prequel Alliance
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Prequel Defiance
• Transformers Spotlight
• Wallace & Gromit
• The Warriors
• White Picket Fences
• Wizards of Mickey
• World War Hulk (2007)
• X-23 (2005)
• X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005)
• X-Mickey
• Young Salem
• Zombies vs Robots

Who doesn’t love the Fat Princess? Today, Sony announces the release of Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake for the PSP. So now, portable gamers get to take the Princess with them where ever they go. And, other than reducing the boredom at the DMV, what do gamers get out of this portable version? Well, on top of 6 new battlefields in addition to the originals, there are 5 character classes, customizable avatars, 4 vs. 4 multiplayer gaming, extended single player and more.

The premise? Teamwork. Teams must rescue the Princess from the castle she’s trapped in. Unfortunately, she’s been fed cake: a LOT of cake. So she’s put on a few pounds, and teams must work together to carry her to safety. This peach of a game (see how I did that? Princess Peach? Get it? Wait, that’s another system…) has yet to have a release date announced, so you’ll have to wait some more for your cake.

"Man, these frat-holes can NOT hold their liquor!"

A little bit of this and that.

PS1 Classics for PSP

Resident Evil 2 ($5.99) - Nothing wrong with this!

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ($5.99) - Nothing wrong with that.

PSP Games

Assassins Creed: Bloodlines ($39.99) – Can’t we get a dollar or two off if we download it?  Jeesh.

PSP minis for PSP

D-Cube Planet ($3.99) - I guess ‘geometry based games’ is this week’s PSP minis theme.

Echoes ($2.99) - Or maybe not.

Circles ($3.99) - Ok, yes it is.

Rock Band Unplugged songs -

• “California Über Allies”— Dead Kennedys ($1.99)
• “You’re No Rock ‘n’ Roll Fun”— Sleater-Kinney ($1.99)

Found this on the PlayStation.Blog today, and thought we’d share. We were pretty excited to play some ad hoc games with our staff, who span the globe. Color us sad pandas when we figured out (by downloading the software and trying it out) that this is only for PS3 consoles with a wired connection to the internet. Sorry, all you wifi users. Come on Sony! Apparently, if you connect to the internet via a wireless connection, this is not going to work for you. Or us. Dang.

Anyway, here’s how it will work if you still use wires.

They tried to keep us down. They tried their hardest. But we stood strong, and like Bill and Lance from Contra, Rob and Carter are here to kick some butt.

Intro, who we are?

• Rob LeFebvre – Executive Editor, The Games Are Evil Network, all-around macho hombre
• Carter Dotson – Managing Editor, The Portable Gamer, not a doody-head

Mophie Rap

Rob and Carter discuss their shiny new Mophie Juice Pack Air battery cases. No actual rapping occurred. You can thank us later.

Leave us a Voice Mail:
646-402-5686 x 82437

Or send us an email (the Voice Memo app on your iPhone or iPod touch is awesome):
tpg@theportablegamer.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Hope you like Pinball.

PS1 Classics for PSP

Command & Conquer: Red Alert ($5.99) - For all of you who missed it before or are not Korean.

PSP Games

Pinball Heroes – High Velocity Bowling ($3.99) – Virtual pinball game based on High Velocity Bowling.

Pinball Heroes – Hot Shots Golf ($3.99) - Ditto. But based on Hot Shots Golf.

Pinball Heroes – PAIN ($3.99) - See a pattern here?

Pinball Heroes – Uncharted($3.99) - I’ll give you 3 guesses and the first 2 don’t count.

PSP minis for PSP

Bubble Trubble ($4.99) - Does not contain pinball.

Rock Band Unplugged songs -

• “Excuse Me Mister”— No Doubt ($1.99)
• “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”— Dropkick Murphys ($1.99)

It’s not even been out here a whole week and the major retailers in the UK are  lopping £25 off the price of the PSP Go. 

The handheld is now available online from GAME,  HMV,  Amazon and Play at £199.99

Sony has stated to GamesIndustry.biz that overall PSP sales have jumped 120% with the jump being fuelled by the PSP Go. The release of FIFA 10 and Gran Turismo PSP have also contributed to the sales increase though.

Retailers all over the world have expressed an attitude of disdain for Sony’s adveturous little  hand held with some Austrailan chains refusing to stock it all together.

Having had a chance to play around with the PSP Go handset it is a very intersting and sexy piece of kit. With Bluetooth functionality added to the already impressive features of the PSP-3000, it does have a decent amount of poke inside it’s slinky little package. Sadly they have dropped the microphone which means that it loses immediate Skype compatibility that might draw many users. As a media player it is very impressive, with all the features that you’d expect from a handheld it’s size and it adds all the gaming power of the PSP making it much more attractive to gamers than the iPod Touch especially if you have a PS3. Even at £199.99  it’s price will probably turn off most people from making the jump.

The jury is still out on this one folks. As usual we’ll keep you informed.

If like us, you never thought it would finally get here, you’ll be pleased to see that the weekend has finally arrived!

The Autumn months are here with the nights getting longer and the temperature getting steadily lower but never fear, we’re gamers, we don’t need outdoor activities! We’ve got games!

This weekend gamers around the world have Gran Turismo on the PSP (and of course the PSP Go to play it on), Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Risen on the PC.

Gamers in North America can finally enjoy Dead Space Extraction and Motorstorm Arctic Edge. While our neighbours across the ocean in Europe can enjoy the delights of Fifa 10 and Disney Pixar’s Up.

You know what’s coming, here’s what we at ThePortableGamer and sister site GamesAreEvil intend to be doing this weekend!

Davey: This weekend I fully intend to annoy the hell out of the wife by playing Fifa 10 at every opportunity. As a self-confessed Fifa fanatic it’s something that’ll no doubt take over my life for the next few weeks until Forza 3 comes out. In the downtimes when the wife manages to rip the controller out of my hands, I’ll be playing both Cate West and Mini Ninjas on the Nintendo DS for review purposes.

Karl: FIFA 10 and I may even try and polish a few achievements off on some of my other games on xbox360.

Melody: I will be playing some games for review on the iPhone, as well as Scribblenauts and the new Left4Dead downloadable content. w00t!

Sam: I’m going to be saving the world one fusion at a time with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Warning: may contain traces of boredom.

Scott: This weekend will be spent with my friends Katamari Damacy Forever, probably some more Madworld, and trying to get through a couple games i have up for review (The Warriors: Street Brawl as well as 5spots Party for Wiiware). I may even visit my enemy… Leisure Suit Larry again… sigh.

Carter: Well, I’m going to be playing a bunch of new games on my brand spanking new, totally revolutionary, PSP Go, which will totally revitalize and bring new gamers to the platform! Oh wait, I was off in bizarro land again. I figure this weekend’s a good time to finally hammer down and crush the skull of Shadow Complex, which has kind of been sitting dormant for a while for me. And I just got Dissidia for my PSP, so I plan on giving that game a good spanking.

Gabriel: This weekend I plan on having a walk down memory lane by replaying Crash Bandicoot 2 for about the 50th time. I’ll be stomping 25 lives out of a cute polar bear, of course! Besides that, perhaps a bit of Twisted Metal : Head On is in order.

Dana: I’m also digging into my backlog of games. I’ll be working on Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay and then Assault on Dark Athena.

Blake: I’m going to spend a good portion of my weekend hammering through some on-rails Wii action with Dead Space: Extraction for review. In other games, I will totally be buying both Gran Turismo PSP and Motorstorm Arctic Edge via digital download so I can get my fill of high octane racing. Times like now make me finally glad to be a PSP owner!…Oh damn, I almost forgot about SoulCalibur for PSP… I may end up kicking MotorStorm to the curb in favor of that!

Jon: I’ll be doing up some Guitar Hero: Metallica on Wii (just for me) and spending some more time with Dirt 2 on DS for review. All the house parties I’ve been to in the last few weeks been Beatles Rock Band parties so if I’m out there will probably be a little of that too.

Dave: I will be playing more City Of Heroes when not doing chores. Oh and just a weird shout out to myself, I finally got a character to level 50 (without using short cuts) on my 36th Birthday. Console wise I may go back into the Shadow Complex.

Have a great weekend all and check back Monday for more GamesAreEvil goodness!