SCEA is planning a massive assault of PlayStation Network downloadable games this Spring. The "Spring Fever" campaign begins this week with Flower. It will continue every week after that with one (or more!) new games available on the PlayStation Store. Next week's entry: Noby Noby Boy (video above).

Other PSN-exclusive games to come in the next few weeks include No Gravity (PSP), Wheel of Fortune, Burn Zombie Burn, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and The Punisher: No Mercy. Multi-platform digital releases will include Bomberman Ultra, Celfactor Ignition, Flock, Texas Cheat-em, Diner Dash, Comet Crash, Hammer Fall, Underfire, Watchmen, Worms, Zen Pimball (sic) and "many more."

Get ready, because it seems your e-wallet is about to be set on fire.

Yeah, we know MLB 09 The Show looks good on the PS3. But how does it look on the other PlayStation platforms? Sony's first-party baseball game boasts some strong visuals on both the PSP (pictured) and PS2. The PS2 version is particularly impressive, especially considering the age of the platform.

Which version will you be picking up? PS3? PS2? PSP?

We've known for a year now that EA has had the rights to toy favorites G.I. Joe, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that they'll be rolling out their take on the license alongside this summer's tent pole film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. EA's not talking gameplay at this point but we know (1) you'll get control of 12 different Joes (2) single-screen co-op and (3) it's basically coming to every platform.

The game's story will apparently pick up at the end of the movie's (it's going to have a story?) and allow you to "re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line". From that last bit, we can only assume there's going to be a level where the Joes dry hump giant Barbie dolls and get their faces melted after lying under skyscraper-sized radiators.

PSP-PS3 connectivity is back! Namco Bandai's upcoming Idol Master SP for PSP will reward players with new items to use in PlayStation Home. No other details have been revealed, but we're hoping this is just the beginning for PSP-Home connectivity.

Namco Bandai will be promoting the upcoming PSP release through the release of various Idol Master items in Home. The "Namco Bandai Carrot Lounge" will also be updated with Idol Master themes.

[Via PlayStation Lifestyle; IGN]

The upcoming PSP version of Persona is not quite a full remake, but it's not really a port either. The debut trailer revealed new anime cutscenes for the game, but that's not all that's changed.

Siliconera reports that the PSP version of Persona will also add a new rearranged soundtrack by Shoji Meguro. Persona 3's Yumi Kawamura will perform the vocal tracks in this new soundtrack. Dungeons from the Sebek Chapter and Snow Queen Chapter have been expanded, and gameplay has been tweaked throughout. There are multiple levels of difficulty, and battles will go by much faster than in the original game.

Extra save points have been added in addition to a "quick save" feature to make the experience more palatable for on-the-go play. Finally, the city map has been revised to make things easier.

We're not exactly sure why SCEA is taking so long in bringing these PSP games over to America. A new fact sheet for the game revealed a "release date" of sorts for the upcoming sequel: Spring/Summer. The game, which has been available in Japan since late last year, more than doubles the amount of content to play with. New multiplayer modes add even more depth to the game.

SCEA has released brand new screenshots and the official box art (above). Considering how good the original Patapon was, we're sure the wait for the sequel will be worth it.

Like most upcoming games in Japan, Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3 (Disaster Report PSP) is coming equipped with an ad hoc multiplayer mode. The latest trailer for the survival game (found after the break) reveals that a maximum of four players can band together to brave a host of natural calamities.

The video also shows a good chunk of the single-player gameplay, which involves a lot of crawling, busting down doors and pulling people out of wreckage. You can try it out for yourself in the demo that's currently available on the Japanese PlayStation Store.

[Thanks David B!]

It seems as though nothing can stop the PSP in Japan. The top two releases in Japan last week are both PSP titles. Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2, Namco Bandai's PSP-exclusive fan service RPG, takes the top spot with over 212,000 units sold in one week. The PSP version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 also made a strong debut in the second spot, with over 109,000 units sold.

These numbers impress, and continue to reflect the startling difference between the Japanese and American PSP markets. What kind of game would make American gamers go wild for the PSP, in the same way Monster Hunter has?

This week, retail is celebrating Friday the 13th with lots of scares. We've got the Fear 2 girl, plus giant, hairy, creepy, crawling Deadly Creatures, and, of course, House of the Dead's ... dead, who are joined by Onechanbara's take on zombies -- and bikini samurai (scary enough, in their own right). There's also NASCAR Kart Racing, which is frightening on a completely different level.

Valentine's lovers fear not. You haven't been forgotten. Flower buds on PSN this week, as well.

Atari's insanely difficult ninja-themed platformer, N+, will finally see release in Europe. Although available in the US since August, the PSP and DS versions of the game will be available this Spring. The PSP version will arrive in March, while the DS version will arrive in April.

Both versions of the game were highly regarded by PSP and DS Fanboy. Regardless of platform, European gamers should be thrilled at this new opportunity to throw their systems in frustration.

[Image Source]

What? Another Bleach game? Sony is beating Madden by making this fighting game a more-than-annual affair. Granted, Heat the Soul is quite possibly the best looking and best playing iteration of the popular anime series on any console. Let's hope Sony isn't tiring the fanbase out a bit too quickly with the number of Bleach games they've created.

Maybe SCEA (or Sega?) can help bring one of these games to the States? Please?

Resistance Retribution continues to impress. Bend's upcoming prequel to Resistance 2 will be one of the best looking games on PSP when it releases next month. You should be familiar with our glowing praise of the game's standard third-person combat. The team has really nailed PSP controls perfectly. However, at Comic Con, we were able to try another section of the game. Here, players will get a chance to ride a giant mech. It's a fairly straightforward segment which gives players access to a chaingun and giant explosive missiles. The destructive power on display is rather impressive, but there are some tactics to consider.

You can't spam your weapons. Players will want to keep a close eye on the bottom right side of the screen to see when their missiles are ready. When there are flying enemies, for example, it's best to aim at the floor below and let the splash damage take out a large handful of enemies. Even with regenerating armor it's pretty rough.

Check out screens of this new mode in our gallery:

From the looks of this new trailer, Persona is more a remake than a simple port to PSP. The classic PS1 game is being revived on Sony's handheld with new visuals and brand new anime cutscenes. It looks impressive, to be sure, but we're wondering if the somewhat archaic gameplay of the original game will be updated in any way to make it more accessible for the masses.

Let's face the truth: new PSP exclusive games are far and few. We were surprised to hear that Dark Horse Comics was going to announce a brand new game for the PSP at New York Comic Con. Even more surprising is the game's unique distribution model: it is a brand new game that will be available exclusively on the PlayStation Store for PSP.

This brawler is planned to release simultaneously with a brand new satirical comic series. You play as Rick Ajax and Lori Machete, two fighters on a journey to meet "The Maker." Rick Ajax suspects that he's trapped in a comic book, and he's trying to fight his way out. Unfortunately, "The Maker" will make things won't make it easy, drawing in new challenges and enemies in the panels Rick travels across.

Loco Roco 2 has a lot to live up to. Announced last June, we didn't see anything from the game until Tokyo Game Show in October. As a result, there's been no slow drip-feeding of information, which means the only expectations we had were based on the original. Thankfully, this sequel makes its predecessor look like a prototype.

If you're expecting gameplay that differs dramatically from the original you're probably in for a shock. Instead, Loco Roco 2 expands on the gameplay of the first in almost every direction, with a large variety of minigames and new gameplay features. The graphics have largely remained unchanged, but the world is now much larger, with plenty more stuff to do, see and collect in each level.

Environments are now more varied with many more types of enemies and friends to interact with. Controls haven't changed either -- the L and R shoulder buttons still tilt the world, while pressing them simultaneously will make your Loco Roco jump. Simplicity at its best.