News- Teslagrad Announced For Vita

Teslagrad, an indie puzzle-platformer has been announced for the playstation vita system. Teslagrad was originally released on PC where it was very well received. Following its debut on the PC, Rain (the developer) announced the game for PS3. Thanks to everyone commenting about why the game was not coming to Vita, Rain decided to also port the game to Vita. There is no release date announced quite yet. We will keep you updated on Teslagrad.

News- Cel Damage HD Coming To Vita

Cel Damage HD has been announced for the Playstation Vita, as well as the PS3 and PS4. The game originally released back on the PS2. Cel Damage is a destruction-derby racer. Currently the game has been said to have 12 levels with no mention of an multiplayer yet. We assume that multiplayer definitely will be coming soon enough. There was also no mention of price, release date, or if the game is cross buy across all three systems. We will keep you updated on any news that occurs.

News- Forma.8 Announced For Vita

MixedBag has announced today that their 2D exploration game Forma.8 will be released on the Playstation Vita, and PS4. The game is set on an alien planet where the player is stranded without a weapon, any items, or any clue of what to do or where to go. The player will  be able to explore the planet, and deal with its hostile inhabitants. The game is said to feature lots of enemies big and small, a huge world, exploration, puzzles, secrets to uncover, and a lot more. There has been no release date announced, nor has there been any detail on price or cross buy/play capability. We will keep you updated on any developing news.

News- March PS Plus Lineup Announced

The Playstation Plus lineup for March has officially been announced. The lineup includes third person level based shooter Unit 13. The Vita lineup also includes the playstation portable fighter Monster Hunter. These games will be released for free for Vita playstation plus throughout the month of march.

News- The Swapper Announced For Vita

For the last three weeks Curve Studios has been announcing a new game every Wednesday for the Playstation Vita. Today on the Playstation Blog they announced their new title The Swapper. The Swapper is decribed as a puzzle-platformer. The game is set on a damaged space station with extremely realistic graphics. There were not too many details released but they did say that the player will be able to create up to four clones of themselves. You will be able to swap between the clones to solve several different puzzles. The Swapper was announced for the Playstation Vita, as well as the PS3 and PS4. The swapper will be releasing sometime in May. Stay tuned to VitaBoys for details.

News- Papers Please Might Come To Vita

Papers Please might just be coming to the Vita. The developer of Papers Please says he definitley wants to see his title on the Vita, he just cannot decide who to allow to develop the game. He has been the only one to touch the asetts up until now and he is nervous about allowing anyone else to develop the game because he is somewhat of a perfectionist. I think it is safe to say that we will be seeing a release on the Vita sometime in the future. We will keep everyone updated on developing news.

News- Crackle Has Been Released For Vita

Crackle was released for the ps vita yesterday on the psn store during the weekly update. We had heard nothing about this app releasing, so it was a nice surprise for Vita owners. Crackle is a Netflix-esque service where you can watch various television shows and movies 100% free of charge and even without having to sign up. It truly is a great service with a couple of worthwhile titles.

We cannot wait to see what other apps sony has up their sleeves for the Vita. Stay tuned to VitaBoys for more details.

News- Ratchet and Clank: Into The Nexus has been rated for the Vita

Rachet And Clank: Into The Nexus has officially been rated by the ESRB. This most likely means that the game definitely will be coming to the Playstation Vita. Ratchet and Clank: Into The Nexus originally released on the PS3 last year to fair reviews. You can almost be certain the game will be coming to the vita because several other games have been leaked the same way. Such as The Sly Cooper Collection and God of War Collection which were recently announced for the vita. We will update everyone with any news.

Extra- Playstation Vita Second Anniversary Sale

The Playstation Vita's second anniversary has come on gone, but that will not stop Sony from giving us some amazing deals as always. Starting Feburary 25th and ending March 2nd. So get your wallet ready because Sony has some awesome deals lined up for us. Read on for a full list of deals.


                                             
                                                 PS Plus Price        Sale Price              Original Price

Castlestorm (cross-buy) PS Vita	$4.89	$6.99	$9.99
Castlestorm (cross-buy) PS3	$4.89	$6.99	$9.99
CastleStorm Complete Edition	$6.99	$9.99	$14.99
Escape Plan PS Vita (cross-buy)	$7.34	$10.49	$14.99
Escape Plan PS4 (cross-buy)	$7.34	$10.49	$14.99
flOw PS Vita (cross-buy)	$2.79	$3.99	$5.99
flOw PS3 (cross-buy)	$2.79	$3.99	$5.99
flOw PS4 (cross-buy)	$2.79	$3.99	$5.99
Flower PS Vita (cross-buy)	$3.49	$4.99	$6.99
Flower PS3 (cross-buy)	$3.49	$4.99	$6.99
Flower PS4 (cross-buy)	$3.49	$4.99	$6.99
Hotline Miami (cross-buy)	$2.50	$4.99	$9.99
Killzone Mercenary	$17.49	$24.99	$35.99
Machinarium	$1.75	$3.49	$6.99
Malicious Rebirth	$7.34	$10.49	$14.99
Open Me!	$4.89	$6.99	$9.99
Orgarhythm	$4.89	$6.99	$9.99
Proteus (cross-buy)	$4.19	$6.99	$13.99
Ragnarok Odyssey	$14.69	$20.99	$29.99
Stick it to the Man (cross buy)	$6.29	$8.99	$12.99
Sumioni: Demon Arts	$4.89	$6.99	$9.99
Valhalla Knights 3	$14.69	$20.99	$29.99
Velocity Ultra	$2.09	$3.49	$7.49

News- Free Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z DLC

According to the official Dragon Ball Z Battle of Z Facebook page. That is all that was announced, the Facebook post said to stay tuned for details. We will update you on any new announcement from Namco Bandai.

What Kind of DLC do you want to see, let us know in the comments below. On a related note we do know that Namco Bandai will be bringing DLC to the game for Japanes VoiceOver, for people that are into that kind of thing. There has been no details on the price for that DLC.

Extra- Time To Give Up On Bioshock Vita

Opinion: Time To Give Up On Bioshock Vita

Everyone knows what happened in 2011 at E3.  Ken Levine came out on stage, looked out at the crowd and said I have found a new device that I want to bring Bioshock to, as he held up his Vita. This may not have been an official announcement in any way, but the Vita community surely took it as one.

Well it has been two years since that announcement and we have not seen Bioshock at all. Ken Levine came out and even said that development had not even begun. Furthermore, now Irrational Games has officially shut its doors, leaving us to believe we will never see a Bioshock game on the Vita. When we attempted to contact 2K for any news we were told there was no update on Bioshock for Vita. Possibly meaning they still hadn't even started development before Irrational closed up shop.

If we ever do see an exclusive Bioshock for Vita we can expect it to be at least three years from now, at least. Our biggest hope for Bioshock Vita would be in the hands of a port, otherwise we probably won't play Bioshock on the Vita. 

This is sad, but I think even if Irrational had not closed it's doors we still would have never seen Bioshock Vita. Ken Levine attempted to get funding and to start breaking ground on Bioshock for two years and he just couldn't get results. 

I believe it is time we move on. Let's start asking for Infamous Vita, or GTA Vita, because lets face it Bioshock Vita is a lost cause. I do believe we will see a port bundle of a few of the early Bioshock titles, but nothing more. So I am truly sorry to say just give up on Bioshock Vita.

News- Deception IV Blood Ties Launches March 25th

  Tecmo Koei has announced a release date for Deception IV Blood Ties for the PS Vita. The Deception games have been around for a while and offer a completely new experience not seen in many other games. The point of the game is to set traps for other players to run into. The game even allows for you to set up many traps in order to create combos. I have personally never played any of the Deception games, but I truly look forward to playing this on my vita. I can only imagine that the multiplayer will be quite good. Deception IV launches on March 25th for the Playstation Vita and PS3. No info on Cross Buy or Cross Play as of now. We will keep you posted on any news that develops between now and Deception's release date.

                                                                                         

Full Review- CastleStorm

 

Full Review- CastleStorm

The tower defense genre has been around for a while, and I have never enjoyed it. I have felt that the genre has never changed. It seems as if each entry into the genre offers absolutely no variety. Some gamers love the tower defense genre but if you play one you have played them all. CastleStorm has changed all of that and is officially the only exception to my hatred of tower defense games. CastleStorm takes a very unique approach to the genre that had been deemed as repetitive and boring. Zen Studios has created a game that might just reinvent the tower defense genre forever.

Unique Tower Defense Gameplay- 10/10

CastleStorm has you using a ballista to protect your castle from enemy vikings who want to destroy your home. The mechanics are similar to that of Angry Birds where you will be launching several weapons at your enemies and their neighboring castles. The weapons range from simple spears that are only good for killing troops, to destructive sheep that explode on contact. But CastleStorm's gameplay separates itself from normal tower defense games by allowing players to send troops into battle using the resources they have earned, and even allowing them to pick up a sword and enter into the battle themselves whenever they feel like the job needs to be done correctly. Of course there is a time limit before players will be teleported back to the castle to continue battling with the ballista. There are several different types of fighters the player can send into battle. The game starts with simple soldiers that wield swords or spears, but soon you can send many different troops and animals. CastleStorm borrows elements from several different games that when pieced together in such a harmonious fashion create an absolute masterpiece. I truly can say I have never had an experience

quite like CastleStorm.

 

Easy Control Scheme- 9/10

The controls are very simple in CastleStorm. Most of the attack methods are mapped to a single button. It is very simple to swap from firing a ballista, to sending troops into battle, to jumping into battle yourself. The controls are very easy to learn and definatley will not stress out even the least experienced gamer. The ballista however does take a little while to get used to. I found myself missing my intended targets several times because I would accidently put a little too much pressure on the joystick. This is a little annoying at first but is easily overcome with a little practice.

Amazing Multiplayer- 10/10

CastleStorm's gameplay is amazing and absolutley worth the purchase, and Zen Studios has one upped other games of the similar genre by adding addicting multiplayer that keeps players coming back. CastleStorm offers three multiplayer modes to choose from that include 1v1 split screen, Survival co-op, and Last Stand co-op. 1v1 mode is pretty obvious, players will be matched up against another opponent in a fight to the death showdown. Players will need to destroy their opponents castle before theirs is destroyed first. 1v1 is a very fun mode and great for those with a competitive spirit like myself, but for those who enjoy teamwork, CastleStorm has its co-op modes. In survival co-op, two players must fight off several waves of enemies together, with one controlling the ballista and the other controlling the ground forces. This mode is just as addictive as it sounds. The final multiplayer mode is last stand co-op, in which both players will control a hero and fight off endless waves of enemies together. This mode could have practically been made into another $15 game in itself. Each multiplayer mode makes CastleStorm an even greater purchase. I have experienced absolutley no lag online and have never had a rage quitter, CastleStorm's multiplayer is truly flawless.

 

 Good Story- 8/10

CastleStorm is a story driven game, definitley not something that usually occurs in a game of its genre. However I think I am done making comparisons to other tower defense games, clearly CastleStorm is something completley different and unique. For this reason and the fact that the rest of the stellar game gave me high expectations I have to rate CastleStorm's story an 8. You see, I expected an amazing story after such  amazing gameplay but I feel as if we got a fairly normal storyline with no real deviation from similar stories we have all seen and heard. Don't get me wrong the story is good, and you will enjoy it but I feel like it could have been done a little better. The story is about Sir Gareth who must lead his troops into battle to take back the gem that was stolen by the vikings, in order to bring order back to the land. The story is simple and seems a tad recycled, however what is great about the story is not the story itself but the way it is told.

A Lovely Artstyle- 10/10

When it comes to rating art styles I think it definitely comes down to opinions, but with CastleStorm there is no denying this game is gorgeous. It is a cutesy fun art style that really matches the gameplay and story perfectly. It is truly the art style that makes this game fun for all ages, and all types of gamers, hardcore or not. I don't know what Zen Studios target audience was when they created CastleStorm, but the finished product should definitely appeal to anyone and everyone. The colors are so vivid and crisp and truly look astounding on the Vita's OLED screen. The characters and maps are very well designed and add an element of humor to CastleStorm.

Extras/Dlc 10/10

When is the last time you have played a game that offered DLC that basically doubled the length of the game. CastleStorm offers two DLC packs for $2.99 each, and you will never see such a great deal in gaming. I played each DLC pack and they basically were a game on their own.For example one DLC pack, The Warrior Queen, offers 20 new battles, many additions to the weapons arsenal, and a pretty great story. This is possibly one of the best buys you could make on the ps vita, when it comes to dlc. Another extra Zen Studios threw in, was the ability to create your own castles. Thats right you can create your own castles, building them too nice can deplete your resources that are neccessary for battle. This is just another added bonus to an already great game. I suggest you go ahead and buy the DLC when you purchase CastleStorm.


CastleStorm is overall an amazing game that completley has changed what tower defense games should look like from now on. I can't say I have seen anything similar to CastleStorm. The gameplay is outstanding, the multiplayer is flawless, and the artstyle should appeal to everyone. I recommend that anyone and everyone go and buy CastleStorm for your PS Vita. While you are at it buy the DLC too, you will not regret it.


Gameplay- 10/10
Controls- 9/10
Multiplayer- 10/10
Story- 8/10
Artstyle- 10/10
Extras/DLC- 10/10
Overall- 9/10
                                                                                             




Reviewer- TheAuburnMan
Special Thanks To Zen Studios, for the press code and DLC.

 

 

                                                                           

Full Review- Earth Defense Force 2017

Full Review- Earth Defense Force 2017

Anyone with a Playstation Vita is most likely looking for one specific quality in a game. Does it have good multiplayer? Because anyone with a Playstation Vita knows that the device was meant to be played with friends. Well, Earth Defense Force 2017 portable understands that perfectly. Many aspects of this game are not that great or even good for that matter, but this game is definatley a hidden gem for the one reason that the multiplayer aspect is absolutley amazing. So before you read about all the games features and what have you understand this, if you are looking for the next game to play with your playstation vita clan, look no further.

Gameplay- 7/10 The gameplay in Earth Defense Force 2017 is not exactly top notch. I often found that the game was sometimes glitchy and would occasionally not register when I had pressed certain buttons. Now this did not happen that often and did not truly hinder gameplay, but it was very noticable and quite annoying. There was also occassions where my weapon would not show me that I was out of ammunition, and I wound up suffering the consequences. Other than these few annoyances the gameplay is actually very fun. You play over 50 different missions fighting everything from giant ants, to robots that stand over twenty feet tall. The fighting can get extremely chaotic, as the map will soon fill up with hundreds of enemies. This is what makes the game extremely fun. You will find yourself using any means neccessary to destroy the creepy crawlies as they converge on your position. Another fun feature in Earth Defense Force 2017 is that every single structure in the game is destructible. I learned this the hard way as I attempted to get the high ground against my enemies and a building collapsed as I fell to my death. This feature is fun for when buildings begin to get covered with enemies, then you can just make the building collapse atop the enemies, crushing many of them in the process. There is not many other features in the game, the premise is pretty simple shoot and kill as many enemies as possible. Overall the gameplay is very fun, mainly due to the chaotic nature of the game. However the gameplay does have its issues, but once you start playing you soon forget about them, or simply just overlook them. That is how fun this game can be. 


Story- 5/10 The story in Earth Defense Force 2017 is practically non-exsistent. You are a member of the Earth Defense Force (EDF) in the year 2017. Aliens have begun to invade planet earth, well actually more like giant insects and robots have invaded planet earth. The game never really explains where they came from and when the Earth Defense Force was formed. The story lacks any depth and is extremley dry. Of course the game is not about the story at all, it is all about the gameplay. However I feel like the creators could have put a little more umph into the story and really driven this game home. This in no way means you should not buy this game, because like I said it is all about chaotic gameplay and has no need for an amazing story.


Graphics- 7/10 You can easily see exactly what the graphics look like by these extremly large screenshots. As you can see these are not the prettiest graphics in the world. They get the job done though, and look dark and scary enough to resemble what it probably would look like if we ever did get invaded by enormous insects. There is not much to say about the games graphics, they stay the same throughout the game and never fluctuate in quality.
Multiplayer- 9/10 The game's bread and butter, the multiplayer. The multiplayer is only co-op and has its occasional lags and drops like any other game. However the multiplayer is one of the most fun experiences you will have with a friend on the Vita. Jumping into a match with a friend and blasting hundreds of enemies as they fill the map, there is just nothing like it. The game gets so chaotic and crazy, you and your friend must count on eachother just to stay alive. Every vita owner is looking for a completley different experience when it comes to multiplayer. I believe everyone is sick of fighters, so it is fun to have a third person shooter that is anything but orthdox. The multiplayer is the reason to but this game, every other issue and problem with earth defense force is easily overlooked when you jump into multiplayer


Controls- 8/10 Like I said earlier, the controls and gameplay are not perfect, but they are good enough to have an enjoyable experience. There are several occasions where input controls just did not register. It also felt like at times the controls were too sensitive and even though I would change the settings to make it less sensitive but it would wind up being set back to the old settings when I logged in next. Now this is quite annoying, so the best alternative is to just get used to the controls at their original settings. After you play for a while they become easier to use and the gameplay is enhanced. Overall the controls are good enough, the control schemes are fine and it is best just to adjust yourself to the control setup.


Extras/Dlc- 7/10 There are not many extras for this game, and that is fine. My problem is with the few extras that do exsist. There is a charge of 99 cents for DLC like extra weapons and such. This is not that big of a deal, but I feel like they could have been thrown in with the game at no extra charge. Of course most of them were offered as a pre-order deal, they just are not really worth the money for an extra gun.


Overall- 7/10
The best part of Earth Defense Force 2017 portable is the multiplayer. The multiplayer alone is absolutley worth the purchase. Which is good, because the rest of the game is fairly glitchy and has several issues. Many of the issues can be easily overlooked and many of them should be. This truly is somewhat of a hidden gem on the playstation vita.


Gameplay- 7/10
Story- 5/10
Graphics- 7/10
Multiplayer- 9/10
Controls- 8/10
Extras/DLC- 7/10
Reviewer-TheAuburnMan
Special Thanks to D3 Publishers of America for the review code and press assets.








 

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