Friendly reminder: The deal is on through March 4th: purchase a one-year membership of PS Plus and get three bonus months free. Current members can stack this value on to their existing membership as well. Learn more about the offer here, or click the link below to go to the SEN online store.

Don’t have PlayStation Plus, or just want to add more time to your existing membership? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or PS Vita or click here to get access via the Sony Entertainment Network online store.

February 5th PlayStation Plus Update

Guardians of Middle Earth (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members (Original Price: $14.99)

Take up arms in the clash over Middle-earth with the most powerful heroes from the greatest fantasy epic of all time. Form alliances with and against friends and jump into the wildly popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) gameplay. With 20 iconic guardians from Middle-earth, and new guardians coming all the time, it’s the perfect time to get lost in the multiplayer fray in epic 5 versus 5 battles.

Karateka (PS3)

50% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.00)

A beautifully simple premise with a fun pick up and play fighting system, Karateka blends old school gameplay charm with fluid combat animations and gorgeous backdrops and music to provide an amazing adventure with a ton of replay value. Are you skilled enough to rescue Princess Mariko with the fighting finesse of her True Love? Or will you need the power of the burly brute to topple the opposition? For more on Karateka, check out PS.Blog’s post from Assistant Producer Heather d’Evelyn.

Big Sky Infinity (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99; PS Plus price: $5.99)

Big Sky Infinity is a lightning-fast, randomly-generated game that adapts to how you play; which means, it’s never the same game twice. You pilot a spaceship that’s flying straight into an alien armada. The further you progress, the harder it gets, with giant bosses, streams of enemies, and unique events that shift the gameplay to keep you on your toes. It’s Cross Buy enabled, so this purchase will get you a version to play on both your PS Vita and PS3. Check out more Big Sky Infinity from the game’s director James Whitehead.

Knytt Underground (PS3 and PS Vita – Cross Buy Enabled)

40% off for PS Plus members (Original price: $9.99 $14.99; PS Plus price: $5.00 $8.99)

Knytt Underground tells a quirky and strange tale that’s set in the future, hundreds of years after the humans disappeared from the planet. Sprites, fairies and various other lifeforms roam tunnels in the underground. With a curiousity about their origin and the meaning of life, they strike out to find those answers they try to understand the ones who had obviously figured it out: the humans. It’s a beautiful adventure with a vast environment to explore and story driven quests that will keep you hooked. Read more about Knytt Underground in the PS Blog’s post featuring the Creative Director Nicklas Nygren.

What’s your favorite content from this week’s PS Plus update?

Thanks for reading this week’s update. As usual, you can join the PlayStation community over on the PlayStation Community Forums in the PS Plus space to continue chatting about PS Plus, or find other PlayStation topics to discuss, or even start one yourself. See you in the comments!

I’m proud to announce the PlayStation Network release of Jordan Mechner’s classic martial arts sidescroller, Karateka! Thirty years later, the 8-bit karate classic returns with all-new graphics and a unique rhythm-based gameplay.

As a college freshman in 1982, Jordan Mechner started work on the original Karateka with nothing more than an Apple II computer and a burning desire to become a published game author. Now, 30 years later, Mechner is back for more karate action, teaming up with Liquid Entertainment for a modern remake of Karateka with beautiful animation and innovative gameplay.

What’s changed in the last 30 years of gaming? In the original game, you beat up a series of thugs to rescue the princess Mariko from the evil warlord Akuma. If you’re defeated, that’s it–game over. Alas, modern gamers aren’t used to the cruel realism of the one-life scenario, so we introduce three different suitors, all attempting to rescue the princess. If you die as the first one (the “True Love”), you continue as the second, then the third, allowing you to have more than one chance while maintaining that only James Bond can live twice. Mariko prefers the True Love, of course, so you’ll get the best ending for beating the game with only one life–so start practicing your karate chops!

You fight using a cool rhythm based combat. The musical score by Christopher Tin, using authentic Japanese instruments, reacts to your actions and reflects the progress of the battle. The number of musical chimes gives you cues for how many hits an enemy will make, letting you block and counterattack. The music reactively tells the story in a way the Apple II wished it could have.

Fight to rescue the lovely Mariko from the evil Akuma and reunite her with her True Love! Or, if you’re not that good, then pick her up and drag her away as the burly Brute.

Check out the game today on PSN for just $9.99 (U.S). Do you remember the old game? Have questions about the new game? Let us know in the comments.