Earlier this year, we unveiled one of the newest additions to the PSN line-up, Gravity Crash for PS3, and were thrilled with all the positive responses it received. So, you can only imagine how excited we were to make the announcement during GamesCom in Cologne that we will be releasing this retro-chic title on the PSP as well!

Please take a look at a brand new Blog post from Stewart from JAW — developers of Gravity Crash — for a closer look at how both titles came about and what you can expect to see in both versions of Gravity Crash.

Hi folks.

This is Stewart at JAW, developers of PSN and PSP super-retro title Gravity Crash. The guys at SCEE asked me kindly to write a post about the game, so here it is.

Back in 07, myself and Dave Parsons (project lead) were sat in a coffee shop and a long conversation ensued on all the things we loved about gaming in the 80s.

Pixel perfect collision detection, that sense of tactile movement, simple controls, the richness of things to do but with less buttons needed to do it, memorable and distinctive musical scores. During the conversation Dave showed me something he’d been working on. A vector-based old-skool shooter that takes me back to days of Jetpac, Asteroids, Defender and my favourate features from many other classics, all refined and rolled into one.

I instantly fell in love with it and we began building it into what you now see as Gravity Crash. Think of Gravity Crash as our love letter to 80s classic shooter gaming and you’ll have a rough idea of what we’re building.

In aim of displaying a modern day vision of our retro love, we decided that since we’re on PS3, we should probably tap into its ‘flash stuff’ powers.

As a result of this, we have the game running at 1080p and 60 frames a second. You’ll also notice very subtle visual FX using FX Shaders to give us the object glow, and other such effects throughout the game.

An original Gravity Crash screenshot

The same level today

We’ve also got a full-featured level builder and editor as part of the package and you’ll be happy to know all the game’s levels were built using this tool, so there’s (almost) nothing we’ve built that you can’t build yourself.

There are A LOT more surprises coming that we’re yet to announce, but for now, that’s your lot. We’re very happy with how the game is shaping up and the press have been quite warm and flattering in their reception of it thus far.

We’re approaching the end of development and we can’t wait to get the game in your hands. Till the next update, enjoy the screens and no doubt as we get closer to release we’ll be back with more riveting conversation ;-)

ANNOUNCED FEATURES LIST (more details to come)

PS3:

• 40 Single player levels (Inc secret ones)
• 5 Major Boss Battles
• 4 Special weapons
• 3 weapon upgrades
• 3 Multiplayer modes (details to come)
• 12 Multiplayer maps
• Build and share levels over PSN, using our level editor.

Soundtrack by CoLD SToRAGE, famed for his work on Wipeout/Lemmings etc.

PSP:

• 40 Single player levels (Inc secret ones)
• 5 Major Boss Battles
• 4 Special weapons
• 3 weapon upgrades
• Extra single player modes – TBA
• And other surprises – TBA

Make sure you continue to check back here for more updates on both Gravity Crash for the PS3 and Gravity Crash PSP. Talk to you soon!

Go pre-order your copy now and I’ll see you online come February 27th!

Cheers,
Mike

Another video from developer Guerrilla Games sheds light on the multiplayer mode called “Warzone,” a mode that rotates through different gametypes until the match ends.

Head on back early next week for a special inside look at Guerrilla Games.

Also, preview coverage of the game has started to hit the internet. Check out some of the following links to get some impressions of the game so far.

• 1UP
• Cheat Code Central
• G4TV.com
• GamePro
• GameSpot
• GameSpot
• GameSpy
• GamesRadar
• Gameinformer.com
• IGN

How about an early Happy Holidays from the team at Guerrilla, Sony and G4. Killzone 2 will be the featured game on G4TV’s X-Play this coming Thursday at 8pm (PST). We’ll have some new stuff to show you from the game, including new single player footage, some multiplayer mayhem, and interviews with our own semi-famous Kyle Shubel throughout the course of the show. And yes, before you ask, Kyle does seem to work on everything.

And if you pay careful attention, you might even catch a glimpse of a certain blog poster driving the controls while Kyle talks. So don’t blame him if the driving is terrible.

So set your DVRs and TVs to G4 and X-play on Thursday, December 4th at 8pm to catch a sneak peak of some new Killzone 2 goodness. We’ll think you’ll like what you see. Oh, and rumor has it we’ll tell you exactly when Killzone 2 will be hitting the shelves in February. Tune in to find out.

Happy Holidays!

The Online Beta for Killzone 2 is in full swing, and the floodgates have been opened for the press with their Online impressions. It’s been getting really good coverage so far, but there’s something very cool we’re happy to bring to you today. Later this afternoon, on GameSpot.com’s “On the Spot” show, the hosts will be showcasing the latest Online Beta code live via Webcast. So if you haven’t had a chance to see a good impression of it yet, this is a great opportunity to go and check it out.

It’ll happen at 4pm (PST) this afternoon, so be sure to go catch it at http://www.gamespot.com/shows/on-the-spot/ if you get the chance. If you’ve got access to the beta, log on and take on GameSpot.

We’re extremely happy with the way Killzone 2 is coming together, and looking forward to showing you more in the future.

Cheers,
Mike

So. Get your DVR’s ready. Tonight on G4, during X-Play starting at 8pm, we will have the world television premiere of the brand new Killzone 2 Helghan trailer. Yes we know this was already posted to the web a little early, but who wouldn’t want to see it on a much bigger screen with a better sound system? Seriously, it deserves that kind of attention, because it’s just that cool. So tune in, crank it up and enjoy all the explosive goodness. We think you’ll like it.

For those that followed E3 this year, and I’m pretty sure that’s most of you here, Xam’d: Lost Memories premiered exclusively last week at the launch of the new video service on the PlayStation Network. For those of you not familiar with BONES studio, they are the creators of the great anime series Full Metal Alchemist and Eureka SeveN as well as many others. For anime fans, you know who you are, the name should already be recognizable. For those who haven’t seen their work yet, do yourself a favor and take a look at the new trailer we’ve got on the PLAYSTATION Store!

We are extremely excited to be working with BONES Studio and Sony’s Japan Studio on bringing this showpiece exclusively to the PlayStation Network. This truly is an original piece, by masters of their art, and it’s only available to you PlayStation 3 and PSP fans!

So gear up for the full two season, 26 episode run. Episodes will be releasing weekly, so enjoy the ride. I will be back here soon with a Q&A from BONES studio, so keep your eyes peeled.

Be sure to keep an eye out on 1up.com between now and E3 for teasers, interviews, gameplay videos and other KZ2 content. We will have a new screenshot teaser up on 1up soon, just to whet your appetite a little. Then as we get closer to E3, you’ll start to see more Killzone 2 goodness popping up, so keep your eyes peeled.