The Drop: Week of September 26th 2011 New Releases

This week, enter a world of enchantment and wonder when two highly acclaimed masterpieces return remastered in HD and 3D for PS3 with the ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. Also, a kaleidoscope of synchronized music and 3D visuals combine in the battle to save Project Lumi with Child of Eden – go even deeper down the rabbit hole with the help of your PlayStation Move.

The PlayStation Store is also surging with new releases, headlined by sidescrolling PSN exclusive Rochard. Other noteworthy releases include The Splinter Cell Trilogy and Resident Evil Code Veronica X, both available in HD for the first time on a console. Soccer fans will rejoice with the arrival of FIFA Soccer 12 on the PSP, PS2 and PS3, while Castlevania: Harmony of Despair comes to PSN.

Enjoy this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection (3D Support) — ICO, a mysterious boy, has been expelled from his village to an isolated castle. Within his confines, he begins to have eerie dreams of rescuing a young princess from the evil spirits that dwell within the fortress. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, ICO embarks on a quest to save the princess and, along the way, discovers his own cryptic fate.

Shadow of the Colossus is a majestic journey through ancient lands to seek out and destroy gigantic mythical beasts. With your trusty horse at your side, explore the spacious lands and unearth each Colossi. Armed with your wits, plus a sword and a bow, you’ll use cunning and strategy to topple each behemoth.

Child of Eden (PS Move and 3D Support) — Child of Eden is the “multi-sensory shooter” that will send players diving into a kaleidoscopic matrix of synchronized music and mind-blowing visuals, and will usher forth yet another landmark game experience from the mind of renowned game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Child of Eden thrusts you into the center of a battle to save Project Lumi, a mission to reproduce a human personality inside Eden, the archive of all human memories. As the project nears completion, the archive is invaded by an unknown virus. The player’s mission is to purify Eden of the virus in order to restore hope and peace.

Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy — Experience the first three of the original action-packed Splinter Cell franchise games, now digitally re-mastered in high definition and available on one Blu-ray Disc or as a PSN download bundle. Explore the conspiracy like never before with enhanced graphics that deliver a truly visceral action gaming experience. Included are Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

FIFA Soccer 12 (Also on PSP & PS2) — FIFA Soccer 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch.All-new Precision Dribbling delivers a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for attacking players, while Tactical Defending fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 — This year, Konami is determined to give global football fans a truly realistic, immersive and a delightfully playable take on the beautiful game. Creative Producer Shingo “Seabass” Takatsuka has been sourcing the desires of fans across the globe and working non-stop on marrying the digital game to the real life game so fans can get as close to the real thing. All elements have been examined – defense, offense, AI, penalties, officiating and of course, graphics!

Atelier Totori: The Adenture of Arland — The small fishing village of Alanyaon the Arland Republic’s southern border is home to the young alchemist-in-training Totooria Helmold. One day, she resolves to make the journey to Arland, become an adventurer, and explore the world beyond her hometown. She will make many friends along her journey of discovery —some new, some familiar. When her quest comes to a close, your actions over the course of the game will dictate whether she finds the answers to her questions, forge unbreakable bonds with friends, or take different paths entirely.

X-Men: Destiny — Players control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction. The branching storyline, penned by acclaimed Marvel writer Mike Carey, features a deep element of choice, allowing players to customize the path, powers and development of their character and to decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men franchise characters, such as Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit.

Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2012 — With the world as their playground, players will explore a vast expanse of mountains and valleys with unprecedented choices in direction never before seen in a Cabela’s hunting game. Players can climb an area to get a better angle for the shot but risk being spotted, or they can take a low elevation route with poor visibility but plenty of concealment. In order to bag the trophies, players will have to avoid detection through cunning, skill, and deception.

PlayStation Network

Rochard (PSN Exclusive // Demo Available) — Rochard follows the story of the humble astro-miner John Rochard, who accidentally discovers an ancient structure hidden deep in an asteroid, thus proving mankind isn’t alone in the universe. After John finds himself stranded on the asteroid, space pirates attack the mine, and John quickly realizes there are surprising and dangerous forces at work. Using only his wits, everyday mining tools and a healthy dose of sarcasm, John must fend off the pirates, save his team and solve the mystery behind his discovery.

Resident Evil: CODE Veronica X HD (PS Plus: 50% Off)– After narrowly surviving the horrific onslaught in Raccoon City, Claire Redfield now seeks clues in search of her missing brother, Chris. To her horror, she discovers Umbrella Corporation’s insidious activities are not isolated to the remote, mid-western city. No. Something much larger is going on here. Flesh-eating zombies and horrific beasts haunt Claire’s every move. Just how far does this twisted conspiracy extend? What is Umbrella Corporation really up to? And who is behind this biotech terror? The answer lies within.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 — For the first time in the history of this award-winning sports franchise, players are able to step onto the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, experience the rich history and tradition of the Masters Tournament and begin their own journey to capture the most sought-after prize in professional golf — the Green Jacket.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair — Featuring the classic fast paced 2D, side scrolling action the series is known for, fan favorite vampire hunters from across the series will join forces to return Dracula, the Lord of Darkness, to his eternal slumber. Designed by the legendary producer of the Castlevania series, Koji Igarashi, Castlevania Harmony of Despair allows up to six friends to play together via online co-op story mode or see who the best vampire hunter is in Survival Mode, which challenges players to fend off their friends while fighting for their very survival.

Mercury Hg (Demo Available) — The ‘Mercury Blob’ is still as mesmerizing as ever, moving uniquely under player control, changing color in order to progress through the level and dividing if cut by a protruding surface. While this dissection is important to solve puzzles, the real test of a player’s skill is the ability to navigate strategically through varying types of slippery objects and sticky tiles with the use of balance and momentum in order to get to the finish line with their blob fully intact. A scoring system with full online leaderboard support adds a competitive touch to an already engrossing single-player experience.

minis

• Jelly Pops
• Galcon Labs
• Revoltin’ Youth

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]