DualShock 3 clenched tightly in my sweaty hands, I powered through several of Mega Man Universe’s pre-generated levels, which are based on the fan-favorite Mega Man 2. I quickly discovered that some things never change: Mega Man Universe is freaking hard, even on the allegedly Easy mode. The levels were riddled with tricky moving platforms, brutal jumps, lethal spike pits, and the requisite homing-carrot-firing rabbit robots.

Of course, the difficulty level can vary wildly depending on the prowess of your custom Mega Man, which you upgrade by cobbling together spare parts from defeated bosses and iconic Capcom characters — Street Fighter’s Ryu and Ghosts ‘N Goblins Arthur were shown in the launch trailer, and more classic Capcom characters are sure to come.

In the early build I played, each custom Mega Man also featured eight Special Weapon slots, four Chip slots, and four Item Payload slots for further customization. These equipment choices affect not only your appearance and abilities, but your jumping height, movement speed, attack power, and more. The custom characters in the Tokyo Game Show build were pre-populated with a selection of Mega Men, everything from “Bad Box Art Mega Man” to variants called “Gust Man” and “Chop Man,” each with their own hodgepodge of strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities.

The cornerstone of Mega Man Universe, the level creator, isn’t yet playable. But if LittleBigPlanet is anything to go by, it’s sure to be the star of the show. Mega Man Universe is still early in its development cycle, and a PSN release date is still over the horizon. But stay tuned for a closer look at the level creation tools when they become available — we’ve got some plans for that bad boy.

While in Tokyo, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ueda-san about The Last Guardian and his upcoming PS3 compilation Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. I knew that getting a lot of firm details about a game as enigmatic and ambitious as The Last Guardian would be no easy task, so I decided to focus my questions on learning more about how the game plays, its core mechanics, and nuances I spotted in the trailer. Ueda-san’s replies provide a rare glimpse into one of 2011′s most intriguing games.

Sid Shuman: How would you describe The Last Guardian to somebody who had never seen it before?

Fumito Ueda, Director, The Last Guardian: It’s not a pet game, but there is a live animal in the game. I would describe it as an adventure game that you play with this animal.

SS: Will you control the boy, Trico, or both?

FU: You can only control the boy.

SS: What can you tell us about the boy? Does he have a name? Is he on a quest of some sort?

FU: The boy does not have a name…yet. The goal of the boy is to escape from the location you see in the trailer.

SS: Judging by the video, Trico appears to be be a powerful force in combat situations. Is there a combat element to The Last Guardian? How does it work?

FU: As you saw in the video, Trico is able to defeat an enemy with one swipe. So in that sense, he functions as a guardian of sorts. But the boy is unable to defeat the enemies on his own — that’s the gameplay element involved.

SS: What can you tell us about the enemies we’ve seen in The Last Guardian? In the trailer, they appear to almost fall apart like statues…

FU: I can’t give you any details about the enemies. But I will say that they are not acting fully out of their own intentions.

SS: Is Trico the only creature of that size in The Last Guardian’s world?

FU: Again, I can’t give you any specific details. But there may be something like that out there…

SS: Shadow of the Colossus was known for its unusual control scheme. Will The Last Guardian follow suit with its controls, or will the controls feel familiar to players?

FU: The actual method of controls and button layouts have not been decided yet, because it doesn’t take much time to change the control scheme. But because we’re using the theme of an animal for The Last Guardian, I also want people who are not serious game players to try out this game. So I want the controls to be simpler than before.

SS: Many game journalists — and even the entry on Wikipedia — have described Shadow of the Colossus as one of the best examples for video games being an art form. How does that make you feel? Do you agree?

FU: I’m happy about it, I’m flattered. But I wonder what part are they are referring to when they make that comment, that it’s art. What part are they looking at? Because I think it’s possible to make it even more artistic. But because it’s a video game, those possibilities have been subdued somewhat — it’s a game. So I’d be interested to know what part, exactly, they mean when they refer to it as art.

There are games out there that are much more artistic than Shadow of the Colossus. And personally I also believe that it would be possible to make it even more “arty,” so to speak.

SS: What other games do you think represent a good argument for games as art?

FU: I guess it depends on how you define art, of course. But in a Japanese conception of the term “art,” it’s thought that it might be something that’s difficult to understand, or complex. Or something unique or uncommon.

So given that definition of art, maybe it’s a little detrimental to actually name any titles.

SS: You were asking why so many people name Shadow of the Colossus as an example of art. I think many people would answer that it’s because players begin to sympathize with the Colossi…

FU: So it makes you think — I understand.

So while at the Tokyo Game Show, I jumped at the chance to speak with Hiroyuki Kotani, better known as the director of the Patapon series, to touch upon more details for his upcoming PSP rhythm-action game. I was particularly interested in how the new online multiplayer-centric gameplay would impact the game, as well as what new challenges the Patapons will face in their strange new surroundings.

Sid Shuman: Patapon 3’s visual style looks more sophisticated, how have you evolved the art style?

Hiroyuki Kotani, Director, Patapon 3: Along with the more epic theme, we changed the graphical style not only for the Superhero Patapon, but also for the backgrounds. The backgrounds in the previous games looked more flat and two-dimensional. But now in Patapon 3 you can feel much more atmosphere — it’s both more fantastic and more realistic.

The Patapon 3 environments (left) look more dynamic and three dimensional compared to Patapon 2’s flatter, simpler backgrounds (right).

SS: How are the enemies different? Are they bigger? Do they have any new ways to attack your Patapons?

HK: The monsters from the original game have some tricky new actions that are not nice to the Patapons. There will be many more different types of monsters in the game, though details can’t yet be released.

SS: How has multiplayer been expanded and improved for Patapon 3?

HK: The multiplayer part of Patapon 3 is what the team has worked on the most! For Patapon 2, we only offered ad-hoc Wifi connection, but we’re adding infrastructure Wifi play so you’ll be able to play with more people together — eight at once in Patapon 3.

But the biggest evolution for multiplayer is probably opening up the multiplayer stages. Patapon 2’s multiplayer was really limited, but in Patapon 3 you can play on almost all of the stages in multiplayer. That’s one of the biggest improvements.

SS: Will Patapon 3 implement a clan system or buddy system for keeping friends organized in the multiplayer modes?

HK: Unfortunately, I cannot say everything regarding all these details. But there will be a clan feature called “Team.” There will be single-player, of course, and cooperative play, and competitive play as well. The play styles will practically be infinite! This part of the game is still being worked on.

Patapon 3 will offer many more options for character customization, especially for the powerful Super Hero Patapons. All told, expect to see approximately twice the Patapon types.

SS: How will character customization be different in Patapon 3, and will that tie into multiplayer in any way?

HK: How you develop your characters is totally different from the previous games. I can’t say the exact number, but there will be more than double the Patapon types. So now you can be what you want to be! Also, in Patapon 3, you can earn experience points to level up your characters with new skills and abilities. Depending on what kind of skills you acquire, your final performance and effectiveness will be very different.

SS: Does Patapon 3 have more a narrative focus than past Patapon games?

HK: If they played the E3 demo, I can see how users would think that Patapon 3 is different. Patapon 3 will be different from the previous Patapon games, and it will be more dramatic because you are the playing as a hero, the Super Hero Patapon. Players can get more into the game for this reason — it will be a far more epic game.

Playing Dead Space: Extraction on PlayStation Move makes for a fine demonstration of the motion controller’s precision and versatility. Aiming is quick and accurate with virtually no discernible lag: small, subtle movements of your wrists translate precisely on-screen, giving you the feeling of aiming with a computer mouse. One nice touch is how you twist your wrist 90 degrees to the left or right to flip your Plasma Cutter’s firing plane from horizontal to vertical, which can help you find the ideal angle for snipping off arms, legs, tentacles, and other protrusions of the vile Necromorphs. There are other weapons, of course, including a Rivet Gun and a Force Gun. The “wrist twist” will activate these alternate fire modes as well.

Using the PlayStation Move, you fire your current weapon with the T button (aka the trigger). Pressing the Move button activates a quick Telekinesis blast, which you can use to pick up ammo and items hidden throughout the environments — or use to hurl objects at the marauding Necromorphs. It’s your choice! Melee attacks are gesture based: you press and hold Circle, then rapidly slash back and forth to fend off nearby Necromorphs. Melee isn’t much use for inflicting damage, so think of it more as a way to dissuade nearby enemies.

Dead Space: Extraction running on the PS3 looked extra sharp in HD, with moody dynamic-lighting effects and a rock-solid framerate. This build of Dead Space: Extraction primarily showed off the Challenge mode, a survival-type arena where players can battle ever-toughening hordes of Necromorph grotesqueries. Dead Space veterans already know that strategically dismembering the Necromorphs is a valuable tactic, and this is doubly true in the Challenge mode if you want to beat your partner’s score. If you don’t have a PlayStation Move, Dead Space: Extraction will be compatible with the DualShock 3 controller (for you old-school types) and will also feature optional support for the PlayStation Move navigation controller, though it’s not required.

Dead Space: Extraction will ship on the Dead Space 2: Limited Edition Blu-ray disc on January 25th, and will be available separately as a PSN download. Once we land back in the States, we’ll sync up with the Visceral Games team to get a deeper look at Dead Space: Extraction on the PS3. Including, hopefully, some luscious new video. Stay tuned!

With a video interview with devs on the new Devil May Cry, and a in-depth chat with The Last Guardian’s director and designer, Fumito Ueda — shot, captured and ready to edit. I ventured off on my next assignment — to capture our mammoth and most impressive showing at the Tokyo Game Show yet.

My Home Detailed

Gran Turismo 5 will include a big focus on social media functions and community interaction. The record of your playing experience, as well as your future objectives, are all organized on the “My Home” screen — a sort of “home base” for GT5 players. In addition to your PS3, My Home will also be viewable from your PC’s web browser starting on November 2nd, GT5’s release date. Kazunori explained that while console gaming and web browser gaming are separate fields, GT5’s My Home function will help bridge this gap.

My Home is made up of three modes: GT LIFE, Profiles, and Community. Today, Polyphony Digital primarily touched upon the Community element. Kazunori explained that, while the major feature of the Community element is the ability to privately communicate with and race your PSN friends online, there are many other communication features built into GT5. Sharing photos and user-created courses, mail, and even a BBS bulletin board will all be included in the Community section of GT5. These functions will also be available for use in a web browser on Gran-Turismo.com as well as your PS3. You’ll also be able to “gift” cars or car parts to your PSN friends.

Inside Community is “My Lounge,” in which up to 16 friends can gather to hold online races. Lounge rules are up to you and can be changed from lounge to lounge: A Spec allows you to race from behind the wheel, while B Space allows you to give commands to an AI driver as a sort of “director’s mode.” The AI driver feature also allows you to “rent out” AI drivers, and they’ll gain experience as they race.

Remote Racing is a special mode in Commmunity that also ties into the AI drivers and web browser support. In Remote Racing, you can set up an AI driver as “public,” and he may race against one of your PSN friends while you’re away. When you return, he’ll have gained experience while you were away. In Remote Racing, you’ll be able to watch these races, but not give AI commands like you would in the standard B Spec mode.

New Cars and X1 Prototype Reveal

With over 1000 cars in the final game, Polyphony Digital showed off a selection of new cars, starting with the X1 Prototype Project, a dream car that was designed in a partnership between Red Bull Racing and Polyphony Digital. See the mysterious X1 Prototype in the new video below.

Kazunori explained that both teams were interested in building a car that “throws aside all rules and regulations,” and was built for maximum performance — “the fastest racing car on land.” The X1 Protoype will be playable in GT5. In addition to the X1 Prototype, Kazunori also introduced a selection of new cars that will make it into GT5 on November 2nd.

Isuzu 4200R ’89

Citroën GT by Citroën Race Car

Volkswagen typ2 (T1) Samba Bus ‘62

Volkswagen Kubelwagen typ82 ‘44

Volkswagen Schwimmwagen typ166 ‘42

Returning Legacy Tracks

Kazunori also confirmed that some popular legacy tracks from GT’s history have been rebuilt and remodeled for GT5. Check them out in the screens below.

Trial Mountain Circuit in Gran Turismo 5

Laguna Seca Raceway in Gran Turismo 5

Sarthe 2009 in Gran Turismo 5

Weather Change Effects

Finally, the Polyphony Digital team also confirmed that environmental changes due to rain and snow have been implemented — down to functional windshield wipers. Combined with other new visual effects such as day-and-night cycle, lightning and tire smoke, Kazunori explained that the weather effects will allow for more immersive racing experiences. Kazunori also confirmed that the weather effects wouldn’t be available on every course, but primarily courses focused on endurance racing.

For more details on Gran Turismo 5′s Tokyo Game Show announcements, visit Gran-Turismo.com.

Also, we’ve uploaded new screens of The Last Guardian; click on them to see more.

And check out first screenshots of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection below.

This new feature expands the PS3’s 3D capabilities – as you may recall, we added the ability to play stereoscopic 3D games with the 3.30 firmware update in April.

While support for Blu-ray 3D discs is the primary new feature within the 3.50 update, there will be a few additional features. We’ll post more details on the blog prior to the firmware’s release, so check back here on Monday.

If you’ve been following our Twitter, you know about Capcom’s biggest Tokyo Game Show announcement. Devil May Cry has been reborn as DmC in a soup-to-nuts re-imagining of the classic PS2 and PS3 action series. The results are undeniably striking, and are bound to trigger debate and discussion among series diehards for months to come. Judge for yourself — take a look at the debut video for DmC below.

In an international twist, British-based Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory is co-developing DmC with Capcom’s Japanese and US studios. The game is still shrouded in mystery, with few details relating to the setting (a strange urban environment with City 17 overtones a la Half Life 2), the combat mechanics (Dante’s sword appears to change shape at whim), the demonic enemies (marionette-like creatures not unlike those from the first game), or a release date.

That said, DmC brought a rousing round of applause from the crowd when it was unveiled at Capcom’s Tokyo Game Show event alongside Capcom’s other major announcement: Asura’s Wrath for PS3. What do you think?