Persona 4 Arena Message Board

P4U: Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold is coming to Japanese PS3s in 2014, Atlus revealed during its NicoNico presentation. The game is a followup to Persona 4 Arena, the fighting game that combined Persona rosters for brawls last year.

Indulge me my current fascination with Persona figures, but each time I see one, the bar gets a little higher. Take this Elizabeth figure from Persona 3 (appearing here in her Persona 4 Arena guise).Read more...

This Persona figure, by Vertex, will probably cost you $120-130. Which is a lot for something that's only 1/7 scale (not much bigger than your standard action figure). Then again, your standard figure isn't of Persona 3's Mitsuru Kirijo. Depicted here in her combat gear from fighting game Persona 4: Arena, she comes with a removable jacket and plastic...eye...thing. She should be out later this year. Hit up your favourite import site to see if they'll stock it. 14日より案内開始！P4U「桐条美鶴」かんたんレビュー！[Vertex, via Plastikitty]

Earlier this week, Luke Plunkett celebrated the work of Atlus art director Shigenori Soejima, the man behind eye-catching style of the Persona series. He recommended Soejima's art book, available for shipping in 1-3 months from Amazon — just in time for the English release of Persona 4 Arena: Official Design Works from UDON. Let's take a peek inside. Atlus' Official Design Works series is a step above your average art book, a visual journey through the creation of dome of the most beloved role-playing games of the century. From concept art to cover art and everything in-between — character sketches, developer interviews, character bios. I've got the Persona 3 edition, and would love the Persona 4 version for my birthday next week, in case my relatives ever read my articles (they don't). And now Persona 4 Arena gets the same treatment, and I can't wait to wander through the creative process that birthed the fighting game offshoot of the Shin Megami Tensei side-series. I look forward to sighing wistfully at each of its 176 pages. Yes, even the ISBN info page. Persona 4 Arena: Official Design Works will be released in July. You can preorder it from Amazon right now. While we wait, check out the preview pages UDON passed along this morning (all images pending licensor approval).

Hello Persona fans and fighting game fans!

We’re excited to announce that Persona 4 Arena, which earned the honor of “Best Fighting Game” at the Spike Video Game Awards, is going to be available for digital purchase and download on the PlayStation Network tomorrow.

Some of you may not be familiar with Persona 4 Arena, or the Persona series. You may, however, be aware that ATLUS launched Persona 4 Golden for PS Vita last November to critical acclaim, and this title helped generate a great deal of interest for the Persona series. Yes, Persona 4 Arena is a fighting game — but who says fighting games can’t have a story? Fans that got a taste of the series through Persona 4 Golden can enjoy a whole new story arc in Persona 4 Arena.

The game takes place two months after the protagonist of Persona 4 Golden — given the name Yu Narukami — leaves the rural town of Inaba. Rumor of a fighting tournament TV show called “P-1 Grand Prix” spreads, raising concerns among the former Investigation Team members. Interested to know more about what happens to Yu, Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko? And how do the characters from Persona 3 get involved in all this? We could say more but, well, we’d rather have you to jump in to Persona 4 Arena to find out for yourself.

We hope you enjoy Persona 4 Arena on PSN!

#persona I don't own too many video game figures. Thanks to my newfound fascination with Persona, that may have to change. For example: I would gladly put this garage kit figure of Elizabeth and her persona Thanatos pretty much anywhere in my house. More »

#persona Aigis (née Aegis in Japan) from Persona is getting a new posable figure this December. It's for Persona 4 Arena, and if you don't like the color variation, sit tight. More »

We start with Tribes, ascend to Persona 4 Arena, and then plummet down to something else entirely.

#review I'd imagine the Venn diagram comparing fighting game players to Japanese role-playing game fans doesn't have much overlap. More »

PlayStation.Bloggites,

Persona 4 Arena, the freakishly gifted fighting progeny of ATLUS (makers of Persona and other fine JRPGs) and Arc System Works (makers of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue), is out now in North America for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

What exactly do you get when you marry Persona and its rich I-want-to-go-to-there universe of characters and mythology and some masterful fighting game design? Based on the fact that it’s Japan’s top arcade fighting game, Japan’s bestselling conventional console fighting game of the past four years, and one of North America’s most anticipated fighting games in recent memory, it would seem you get one heck of a mix of gaming DNA. It probably has a perfect SAT score and everything.

With a unique fighting engine that deftly incorporates the titular Personas and their breathtaking special powers; a roster of thirteen intricately balanced fighters, a majority of whom hail from the acclaimed Persona 4 (and a few from the equally beloved Persona 3); expertly rendered character sprites and backgrounds; a smorgasbord of features, modes, and content (including a Story mode that offers 30-40 hours of canonical goodness); and smooth-as-butter online play that lets users challenge anyone around the world, Persona 4 Arena is an irresistible fighting package. We even threw in the Japanese dub, which can be easily toggled to in the main menu… Probably because we love you.

Are you a fan of the Persona RPGs but not too keen on fighting games? P4 Arena has been designed with accessibility in mind. It’ll still take a bit of practice and commitment to master the game’s intricacies, but just about anyone can pick it up, play, and feel like a contender. Are you an Arc System Works fan who doesn’t know anything about Persona? You’re in luck, because Persona 3 and 4 offer some of gaming’s most memorable characters. Fully realized and sharply written, the roster of fighters in P4 Arena improve every game mode, bringing personality and humor to what is often a sterile experience in other genre entries.

Oh, and in case you really get into things (or you’re a huge Persona fan already), there’s a slate of launch day DLC waiting for you. The DLC varies from sets of glasses for every character — an iconic aesthetic element from Persona 4 — to additional Navigators for in-game commentary and quick tips. It’s all entirely cosmetic, meaning passionate fans can further customize their characters and play experiences without messing up that oh-so-important balance.

Race out (safely) and pick up a copy from a nearby retailer today. We’re confident you’ll be happy you did. Maybe we’ll fight you online!

A showdown in the music room.

People typically don't come to fighting games for the story. But then most fighting games aren't based on long-running role-playing franchises, either. Persona 4 Arena marries a competent fighting system from the folks at Arc System Works with the characters and storytelling prowess of Atlus' Persona franchise. It's a weird mixing of genres that might leave diehard fans on either side of the genre line wondering if they'd even be capable of fully enjoying the game. But it ends up working out reasonably well. If you don't care about the Persona universe, you get a fast-paced 2D fighter that feels like a slightly more accessible release than most of what Arc is known for these days. And if you care about the characters and happenings of Persona 4 (and, to some extent, Persona 3), you'll get to spend a bit more time with those characters and as you check back in and see what they've been up to now that the Inaba murder case has come to a close.

The story is set two months after the events of Persona 4, and the main character, now officially referred to as Yu Narukami, is heading back to town during the Golden Week holiday to visit the rest of the Investigation Team. That night, the Midnight Channel goes back on the air with an ad for a fighting tournament featuring the core players from Persona 4. Between that suspicious occurrence and the disappearance of a few of their members, the high-school students plunge back into the TV world to figure out what's going on. Inside they find a fighting tournament and a handful of strangers--key characters from Persona 3 and Labrys, an all-new character designed specifically for the game. As you might expect, much of the story is concerned with Labrys, who has direct connections to Aigis and other P3 characters. You'll also see her forge bonds with members of the P4 crew along the way. In short, it's a nifty bit of fan service that lets you check in on a few Persona 3 characters, who have grown up a bit, and the Persona 4 characters, who haven't really changed a whole lot, but again, only two months have passed since we last saw them in action.

You can opt to put the whole game in Japanese, if that's your thing.

The story mode has you select one character at a time, and you'll see the events unfold from that character's perspective. You'll rarely fight in the story mode, and the battles you do encounter there are one-round affairs that feel like they're set on an easier difficulty setting than the rest of the game, almost as if the developers expected that people who might not play a lot of fighting games would be spending most of their time there. Outside of these sparse fights, Persona 4 Arena's story mode is a straight-up visual novel. Page after page of unvoiced text comes your way, usually in the form of your character's inner monologue. When you encounter another character, some spoken lines of dialogue show up, but even then your character is spewing out tons of lines in his or her head.

If you honestly care about the universe and its characters, you'll probably take what you can get in whatever format you can get your hands on, but at times this story feels like it'd be better suited for a short manga series than a video game. You'll occasionally get an opportunity to choose one of two responses, leading to some very light branching, and you'll have to play up to a moment just before the story's climax with a number of characters before unlocking the characters that will tell you the whole tale. You'll also see the same three or four cutscenes more than a couple of times as you play through with multiple characters. It could be better... but as someone who was already hooked on the idea of hearing more about the Persona 4 cast I quickly became enthralled with learning more about how the Persona 3 fighters fit into all this. Either way, the story leaves things in an especially interesting spot that could make for some cool Persona sequels down the line. But maybe you don't care about any of this.

Outside of that story mode, Persona 4 Arena behaves like a "normal" fighting game. It has a lesson mode that teaches you the basics of P4A's various systems and mechanics. A challenge mode gives you combos for each character and, unlike a lot of other fighting games with similar modes, it'll demonstrate the combos to you in order to help you learn the appropriate timing. It also has an arcade mode, which boils the story down to its bare minimum, a versus mode, training, a gallery to hear all the voicework and view unlocked story art, and so on. It also has online play with the requisite lobby battle option that lets up to eight players congregate and fight. There's also a neat title system that lets you piece together unlocked words into your own silly, descriptive phrase. I went with "Forbidden Honey-Roasted Romance."

Unit #031 and Unit #024 share a quiet moment.

P4A is a four-button game with special moves that are mostly easy to execute, even on a standard gamepad. It's heavily reliant on quarter-circle motions with only a few exceptions, and those are usually easy charge moves. There's even an auto-combo that comes out if you keep mashing the weak attack button, giving beginners some guaranteed damage if they can land it and giving more advanced players something to burst out of or avoid entirely. Though it's not quite as esoteric as some of Arc's other work, it's certainly more than just comboing crouching medium kicks into fireballs all day long. You can double jump, air dash, initiate mid-air turnarounds, and two of the attack buttons call out your character's Persona--just pretend I said "stand" or "weird spirit ghost" if you're not sure what that is.

The Persona comes out for some specials (Yukiko calls her Persona out to cast fire spells in your direction, Yosuke calls upon his for wind attacks, and so on) and can be batted away with normal attacks, which can lead to a "Persona break." It should suffice to say that it's more complicated and systems-heavy than the typical fighting game, but if you've gotten at all familiar with previous Arc games, you'll probably find it all to be at least somewhat self-explanatory. As a fighting game fan that tends to dodge games with a ton of various systems and mechanics, Persona 4 Arena is the most appealing and accessible game Arc has made in years--but then I can always fall back on the part of me that is still borderline obsessed with Persona 4 for comfort. Even after playing the heck out P4A and attempting to learn all the different systems I'm still finding myself getting absolutely eaten alive when playing online.

The netcode in P4A seems fine on the PlayStation 3 and decidedly less fine on the Xbox 360. You may have seen this coming, as reports from Japan indicated that this was already a problem over there, but on the 360, this appears to manifest itself as a consistently awful second round. After one round of proper, decent-feeling fighting, round two seems to run at two-thirds of the normal speed for a bit before snapping back into action and finishing clean. Atlus claims a patch is on the way, but if you're making a choice right now, choose PS3. The PS3 version also has an optional install to help you speed up load times.

So if it wasn't for the Persona hook, I doubt I'd stick with P4A... but it's a hell of a hook. Getting the opportunity to check in with these characters is a real treat, even if it comes as a wall of text. It's full of recognizable locations and familiar music from the Persona franchise, as well, which helps tie all the fan service together into a great little package. Alternately, if you're a fan of Arc's previous work, you'll probably have an enjoyable time with the fighting. But you should realize that these are pretty specific groups and this is a pretty specific recommendation. If you don't fall into one of those groups, you'll probably just find the whole thing confusing.

PS3 Full Games

Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 ($49.99)

Return to Gamindustri and help Nepgear free the captive Console Patron Units from the clutches of ASIC! Meet the other CPU Candidates from around the world and put a stop to Arfoire’s designs!

ESRB: M-Mature
File Size: 3.8 GB

The King of Fighters XIII ($29.99)

With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, The King of Fighters XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.

ESRB: T-Teen
File Size: 2.18 GB

PSN Games

Sound Shapes ($14.99)

Equal parts instrument and game, Sound Shapes gives everyone the ability to make music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer. Create your own unique musical levels with all of the campaign content and share with the world. Sound Shapes creates an ever-changing musical community for everyone to enjoy at home or on the go. Purchase the PS3 version of Sound Shapes and receive the PS Vita version at no additional cost!

ESRB: E-Everyone
File Size: 1.03 GB

PS Vita Games

Sound Shapes ($14.99)

Equal parts instrument and game, Sound Shapes gives everyone the ability to make music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer. Create your own unique musical levels with all of the campaign content and share with the world. Sound Shapes creates an ever-changing musical community for everyone to enjoy at home or on the go. Purchase the PS3 version of Sound Shapes and receive the PS Vita version at no additional cost!

ESRB: E-Everyone
File Size: 969 MB

PS Minis

Farm Frenzy 3 Minis ($4.99)

Manage five farms around the world and try your hand at penguin breeding and jewelry making in Farm Frenzy 3! Features 95 outrageously fun levels, 30 wacky animals and more upgrades than there are ears in a field of corn!

ESRB: E-Everyone
File Size: 32 MB

Bundles

Payday: The Heist Wolfpack Bundle (Game And Wolfpack DLC Bundle) ($24.99)

PAYDAY The Heist is an action filled FPS game for the PlayStation Network that lets players take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score”. Load out with an array of weaponry and equipment. Navigate six high-stake heists with three other live or A.I. Co-Op partners in crime. Time for a PAYDAY – Cash in Before you Cash Out!

ESRB: M-Mature
File Size: 2.37 GB

PlayStation Store Highlights

After blasting off with the launch of Expendables 2, PSN PLAY continues to bring the heat with the PlayStation exclusive Sound Shapes! Coming bundled with both PS3 and PS Vita versions for one price, you won’t want to miss out on this unique platformer that combines awesome beats with clean 2D visuals. It’s available now and is 20% off for PlayStation Plus subscribers.

Also a part of PSN PLAY, this week marks the window to pre-order Papo & Yo! Plus members receive an exclusive theme as well as a 20% discount.

This week PlayStation Plus delivers an update to the Instant Game Collection with the first two episodes of Telltale’s The Walking Dead free for Plus members! This acclaimed series delivers breakthrough storytelling and engaging choices that really matter. If you’re already a Walking Dead Season Pass holder, your purchase is still well worth it as you’ll be among the first to experience the later episodes as they release.

For those of you who never got the chance to play PAYDAY: The Heist, now is an excellent time to jump in — a great bundle is now available, which includes the newly released Wolfpack Add-On. The core game is all about planning and executing the perfect heist across a handful of campaigns, and Wolfpack adds a ton more content, skill tree expansions, and also raises the level cap.

If you caught EVO 2012 this year, you know that The King of Fighters XIII made quite an impression in the fighting game community. If you’ve yet to get your hands on a KOF game, KOFXIII is a great place to start and is available now in the PS3 Full Game section. Download it today and see how refined a fighting game can be.

Lastly, don’t forget to hop back into UNCHARTED 3 to check out Version 1.13 of the legendary game. It’s Naughty Dog‘s biggest patch ever and features a new tournament mode, tons of new items, and more. You can find the tournament tickets in the Add-Ons section of the PlayStation Store which grant you special in-game weapons or items based on how well you’ve played in tournaments.

There’s more great content to review below including getting set for next week’s retail release of Darksiders II by grabbing the Darksiders II Season Pass. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next week.

PlayStation Plus

Click here to learn more and purchase online or go to the PlayStation Store to activate instantly.

Free Content The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day
The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Discounts PSN Play – Week 3 – Papo & Yo – Pre-Order (20% Off) – PS Plus Price: $11.99
Sound Shapes – PS3 Game w/ Vita copy (20% off) – PS Plus Price $11.99
Sound Shapes- Vita Game w/ PS3 Copy (20% off) – PS Plus Price $11.99 Last Chance (Leaving Plus This Week) Mad Riders (10% Discount) – PS Plus Price $8.99
Mad Riders Game The Daredevil Map Pack (Free)
Choplifter HD (FREE PSN GAME)
Sideway: New York (FREE PSN GAME)
Papo & Yo – Pre-Order (20% off) – PS Plus Price $11.99
Sound Shapes – PS3 Game w/ Vita copy (20% off) – PS Plus Price $11.99
Sound Shapes- Vita Game w/ PS3 Copy (20% off) – PS Plus Price $11.99
International Track and Field (Free PS one Classic)
Hot Shots Golf 2 (Free PS one Classic)

Preorders

Papo & Yo Preorder Offer (Static Theme Gift With Purchase) ($14.99)

Pre-Order Papo & Yo Today and receive a Free Theme! Papo & Yo is a Puzzle-Platforming Adventure that follows the tale of a young boy named Quico and his best friend Monster, a huge beast with razor-sharp teeth and an addiction to poisonous frogs. When the minute Monster eats a frog, he goes into a violent rage that’s bad news for everyone around. And yet, Quico isn’t afraid to make a dangerous journey through a magical, constantly-changing world to find a cure for his best friend. This is their story…

ESRB: E10+

Sales

Normaltanks – PS mini (now $0.99, original price $3.99)
Payday: The Heist – PSN Game (now $13.99, original price $19.99)
Super Stardust HD Game Bundle (now: $7.99 old price: $14.99)
Super Stardust HD Solo Add-on Pack (now: $3.19 old price: $4.99)
Super Stardust HD Team Add-on Pack (now: $3.19 old price: $4.99)
Super Stardust HD Solo Pack (In Game Purchase version) (now: $3.19 (old price: $4.99)
Super Stardust HD Team Pack (In Game Purchase) (now: $3.19 old price: $4.99)
Two Worlds II Velvet Game Of The Year Edition – PS3 Full Game (now $9.99, original price $34.99)

Price Change

LittleBigPlanet 2 – PS3 Full Game (now $19.99, original price $39.99)

PS3 Add-ons

UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception

Tournament Tickets (10 for $4.49, 20 for $7.49, 50 for $15.99, 200 for $50.99) – The brand new UNCHARTED 3: Among Thieves multiplayer Tournament System ushers in a points-based competition that has three reward tiers which grant you special in-game weapons or items based on how well you’ve played. Once you unlock a weapon or item it’s yours to use until the next tournament period. You can buy into a tournament using tournament tickets. You’ll always carry a balance of ten tickets per tournament period but you will be able to purchase more via the PS Store. A tournament leaderboard will be added to the leaderboards section so you can track your skill level among your friends!

Inversion

Map “VERGE” ($1.99) – VERGE features two distinct bases as players jump between vectors, and sneak through multiple paths to gain the upper hand. Battle and master the multiple planes in this intense and frantic map.
Map “RIOT” ($1.99) – RIOT features a dark deserted urban landscape. Fight in multiple buildings, several levels, and an intense sniper’s paradise. Master your Gravlink to pull campers from their cover, throw objects, and gain the upper ground for control of the map.

Darksiders II

Season Pass ($19.99) – Season Pass provides a discount on the Maker Armor Set (available now), The Abyssal Forge (available soon), and The Demon Lord Belial (available soon). Please note Season Pass does not include any content other than the three items listed above. Season Pass content should be accessed and downloaded in-game, or you may be charged twice. Visit darksiders.com for more details.

Adidas miCoach

Rugby Pack ($4.99) – A full rugby training programme to add to your miCoach living room experience – train with the best! Train in the comfort of your own home with an all-star rugby training team – Ma’a Nonu and Will Genia. It’s your exercise world, perfectly synced from your PlayStation 3 system, via the web or via your smartphone.

PAYDAY The Heist

Wolfpack ($9.99) – PAYDAY The Heist Wolfpack is the first DLC for this action filled FPS. Features: New Weapons: STRYK full auto pistol, AK Automatic Rifle, Grenade Launcher and deployable sentry gun. 2 New Heists: Undercover (transfer money to your account from the IRS) and Counterfeit (secret operation in Florida). Hosting Ability: Invite friends to play in the new DLC maps even if they do not own the DLC themselves. New Skilltree: Raise your level cap to 192.

Mass Effect 3

Firefight Pack ($1.99) – Unleash hell with the Firefight Pack! Firefight adds seven weapons for use in the single-player campaign: the Indra and Krysae sniper rifles, Reegar Carbine, Harrier battle rifle, Geth SMG, plus the all-new Blood Pack Punisher SMG and Adas Anti-Synthetic rifle!

Dragon’s Dogma

Notice Board Quests – The Savvy ($2.99) – After completing “Reward and Responsibility,” an extra 8 exclusive quests become available at notice boards everywhere.
From a Different Sky – Bundle Pack ($6.99) – All of the ‘From a Different Sky’ quests in one handy bundle. Can you complete all 100? Check the Pawn Guild to begin!

Record of Agarest War 2

Right to the Blacksmith Pack 9 ($0.00) – Here is some good news for those too spineless or too lethargic to Convert! Take the following items and get your bad self to Gordon’s place! Shining Blade x 1, Ring of Light x 1, Mysterious Jewel x 1, Genbu’s Bowl x 1, Seiryuu’s Eye x 1, Byakko’s Crest x 1, Suzaku’s Wing x 1, Generation Crystal x 2, Whispered Dream x 2.
Bonus Point Pack 7 ($5.99) – Thank you once again for your profligate spending habits. Today we have prepared a heaping helping of party points just for you. Included points: 3,000PP. These points can be shared amongst your entire party. Spread the wealth, create a single superhero, or shower them upon a beloved character; it’s entirely up to you.
Frensberge Specialty Pack 5 ($1.99) – At these prices, you might as well be stealing all of this stuff! Now, the fifth set of Fresnberge-themed goods for your buying pleasure! Keep spending; the town needs the cash! Langguth Sword x 1, S. V. Rouge x 1, Injector Maximus x 1, Lollipop Stick x 1, DESHIMARU x 1, Training Wear x 1.
Right to the Blacksmith Pack 10 ($0.00) Listen up, all you lazy, cowardly oatmeal warts who can’t be bothered to Convert things on your own! Take the following stuff to Gordon and let him work his magic. ATK Element Ω x2, DEF Element Ω x2, MAG Element Ω x2, RST Element Ω x2, STR Element Ω x2, VIT. Element Ω x2, INT Element Ω x2, MND Element Ω x2, AGI Element Ω x2, DEX Element Ω x2.
Bonus Point Pack 8 ($6.99) – Thank you once again for your profligate spending habits. Today we have prepared a heaping helping of party points just for you. Included points: 6,500PP. These points can be shared amongst your entire party. Spread the wealth, create a single superhero, or shower them upon a beloved character; it’s entirely up to you.
Extra Costumes 2 ($2.99) – Here is something for one of the lovely ladies in your life to bathe in! Why not get one of them to put it on now?!
3rd Extra Character ($2.49) – Hark! Allies that will share in your joys and sorrows have come in droves! Now, it is time to overcome adversity together!

Persona 4 Arena

Additional Colors Pack #1 ($1.99) – Additional colors for Yu, Yukiko, Teddie, and their Personas. Each character will have 8 new colors, 2 of which can only be used offline.
Additional Colors Pack #2 ($1.99) – Additional colors for Chie, Naoto, Akihiko, and their Personas. Each character will have 8 new colors, 2 of which can only be used offline.
Additional Colors Pack #3 ($1.99) – Additional colors for Yosuke, Aigis, Labrys, and their Personas. Each character will have 8 new colors, 2 of which can only be used offline.
Additional Colors Pack #4 ($1.99) – Additional colors for Kanji, Mitsuru, Elizabeth, Shadow Labrys, and their Personas. Each character will have 8 new colors, 2 of which can only be used offline.
Additional Colors Full Pack ($5.99) – Additional colors for all the characters. Each character will have 8 new colors, 2 of which can only be used offline.
Glasses Pack #1 ($1.99) – Glasses for Yu, Yukiko and Teddie. When selected, the corresponding character will wear glasses during battle. NOTE: Additional glasses colors will be available if you also purchased the corresponding characters’ additional colors.
Glasses Pack #2 ($1.99) – Glasses for Chie, Naoto and Akihiko. When selected, the corresponding character will wear glasses during battle. NOTE: Additional glasses colors will be available if you also purchased the corresponding characters’ additional colors.
Glasses Pack #3 ($1.99) – Glasses for Yosuke, Aigis and Labrys. When selected, the corresponding character will wear glasses during battle. NOTE: Additional glasses colors will be available if you also purchased the corresponding characters’ additional colors.
Glasses Pack #4 ($1.99) – Glasses for Kanji, Mitsuru, Elizabeth and Shadow Labrys. When selected, the corresponding character will wear glasses during battle. NOTE: Additional glasses colors will be available if you also purchased the corresponding characters’ additional colors.
Glasses Full Pack ($5.99) – Glasses for all the characters. When selected, the corresponding character will wear glasses during battle. NOTE: Additional glasses colors will be available if you also purchased the corresponding characters’ additional colors.
Navigation #1 (Teddie) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Teddie (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.
Navigation #2 (Yosuke) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Yosuke (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.
Navigation #3 (Mitsuru) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Mitsuru (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.
Navigation #4 (Aigis) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Aigis (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.
Navigation #5 (Fuuka) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Fuuka (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.
Navigation #6 (Nanako) ($2.99) – Battle navigation voice for Nanako (selectable in Versus Mode and Network Mode). NOTE: Skilled players can unlock this content by playing the game.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Color Palette Add-On 6 ($0.00) – The 6th color pack (4-color set) for character color customization. Note: This add-on is exclusive content for STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN.
SF Boost Gem Pack 9 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Street Fighter characters. Perform a technical action to activate the effects for these Gems. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
SF Boost Gem Pack 10 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Street Fighter characters. Includes Gems for fighting against Pandora as well as Gems for instantaneous vitality recovery. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
TK Boost Gem Pack 9 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Tekken characters. Perform a technical action to activate the effects for these Gems. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
TK Boost Gem Pack 10 ($0.99) – 10 Boost Gems exclusively for Tekken characters. These Harmonize Gems activate upon various differing conditions. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.
Boost Gem Trial Pack 4 ($0.00) – A total of 3 Boost Gems that all characters can use. Note: If you would like to see the effects of the Gems individually before purchase, please use the Store from the game’s Main Menu. The effects of the Gems may be subject to change.

Rock Band 3

Build your Rock Band library by purchasing song game tracks. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

• (I Just) Died in Your Arms ($1.99) – Cutting Crew
• Crawling in the Dark ($1.99) – Hoobastank
• Still of the Night ($1.99) – Whitesnake

Rock Band Network – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing song game tracks made available through Rock Band Network

• Anything ($0.99) – An Endless Sporadic. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.
• (I’m the One That’s) Cool ($0.99) – The Guild feat. Felicia Day. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.
• From the Blue/Point of No Return ($0.99) – An Endless Sporadic. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.
• Romancing the Ordinary ($0.99) – Rose of Jericho. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.
• The Ravenous ($1.99) – I, Omega. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.

Available In-Game Only (Not on PlayStation Store)

Adidas miCoach

Manuel Neuer ($4.99) – Add soccer superstar Manuel Neuer to your miCoach football training team – train with the best!Train in the comfort of your own home with an additional soccer star for your all-star soccer training team. It’s your exercise world, perfectly synced from your PlayStation 3 system, via the web or via your smartphone.

Rock Band 3

(I Just) Died in Your Arms ($1.99) – Pro Guitar (In Game Only) ($0.99) – Cutting Crew

Avatars

Magic 2013 Avatar Pack ($1.99)
Rainbow Moon Avatar – Demon Warrior ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Avatar – Living Gun ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Avatar – Savant ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Zelorus Avatar ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Avatar – Zombie ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Dazed Stare Avatar ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Demon Mage Avatar ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Merchant Avatar ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Serena Avatar ($0.49)
Rainbow Moon Lofi Guard Avatar ($0.49)

Game Videos (Free)

Battlefield 3 Armored Kill Gameplay Premiere Trailer
Dyad Launch Trailer
Sound Shapes Introduces Beck & Pyramid Attack

PS3 Themes

Anne-Dynamic Pirate Theme 3 ($2.99)
Dynamic America City NYC Skyline Theme ($2.99)
Vampires – Bloodletting Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Vampires – Eternal Blood Spell Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Vampires – The Deadly Departed Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Vampires – The Turning Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Vampires – What Lies Beneath Dynamic Theme ($2.99)

Wallpapers

Papo & Yo – Wallpaper 1 ($0.00)
Payday: The Heist Masked Man Wallpaper ($0.00)
Payday: The Heist New Features Wallpaper ($0.00)
Payday: The Heist New Heist Wallpaper ($0.00)
Test Drive Ferrari Racing Legends Wallpaper ($0.00)

#speakuponkotaku In today's episode of Speak Up on TAYtaku, because folks are spending more time there than in Speak Up, commenter MrGlider explains how the fear of new versions of new fighting games has him frozen in fear. More »

Jeff and Vinny go back in the TV, but this time Ryan and Aram from Atlus are there to help them endure.

It's out pretty soon, so there probably isn't much else to do other than put copies on shelves.

#persona Many did a double-take when Atlus confirmed Persona 4 Arena is region-locked on the PlayStation 3—that means, only Japanese consoles may play the Japanese version; North American consoles can only play a North American version. It's the first time since the PS3's release in 2006 a game has featured complete region-locking. (The Xbox 360 version also will be region-locked.) More »

#persona The upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 release of fighting game Persona 4 Arena is, in North America at least, taking the rare and terrible move of being completely region-locked. More »

#persona Perhaps I constructed that headline incorrectly. What it should read is "Memorize the Fighting Moves of My Favorite Persona Character and Five Others", because no one could ever defeat Chie Satonaka. I guess that would have been too long. More »

#persona These sweet new screens of the Arcade Mode in Atlus' upcoming Persona fighter jogged my memory of the time two weeks ago I would have beat the publisher's PR master had he not surely cheated terribly. More »

Mitsuru Kirijo teaches you advanced techniques to handle your enemy in Persona 4 Arena.

They should let you change the name of the main character.

An auto-combo system, SP meters, and Persona attacks are just some of the features of this upcoming fighter.

Akihiko Sanada takes on Kanji Tatsumi in this match from Persona 4 Arena.

Take the battle to the arena in this 2D fighter featuring Persona 4's cast of characters.

Look, I’m just going to come out and say it: this summer, ATLUS is bringing Persona 4 Arena to a PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system near you (and if it’s near you we’re going to go ahead and assume you own it).

One of the most successful, highest-rated RPG franchises of the last few years is our very own Persona series. The two most recent games, Persona 3 and Persona 4, were hailed for their memorable casts of characters, plots that defied many established clichés, and mechanics and visual designs that stood apart from their competitors.

Collaborating with fighting genre masters Arc System Works (the folks who made a little series called BlazBlue), ATLUS is taking the Persona universe, complete with its added “summon your inner power” wrinkle, and transforming it into one of the most unique, visually stunning fighting games you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Or whatever part of your body you lay on things.

Persona 4 was all about a world inside the TV; those who were thrown in were featured on the mysterious Midnight Channel, with only days to live. Persona 4 Arena takes place just a short while after the Midnight Channel went off the air, only to find that a new program featuring a bizarre fighting tournament with deadly stakes has started up. You guessed it: that’s where you (and your friends) come in.

It’s not just the visuals that make Persona 4 Arena worth your time. Every one of the game’s 10 fighters (don’t react to that number yet, read on) can summon their Personas for special attacks. So… Not only do they each have their own highly specialized move set, but when you throw the fact that their Persona do as well, it’s like you’ll multiplying something to the power of something. Or something. Perhaps the most compelling part of all is WHO these ten fighters are: beloved characters like Chie Satonaka, Aigis, Mitsuru Kirijo, and Teddie. That’s right: Teddie.

Now, we’re only just announcing Persona 4 Arena today so we’re not quite ready to talk about EVERYTHING you can expect when the game releases in August, but we CAN confirm new console-exclusive Story and Online modes. For the Story mode—before you bombard us with questions— YES, we’re doing everything possible to retain the full English voice cast from Persona 3 and 4, and no, we’re not yet able to confirm or deny whether the original Japanese voice track will be included as well.

Ok, go back to playing on your shiny new PS Vitas, PS Blog friends. We’ll hit you up later with more details, screens, video(s), etc. STAY TUNED!

Today, publisher Atlus announced plans to bring Persona 4 Arena to the United States. Previously titled Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena, this 2D fighter was teased last week by Atlus. Persona 4 Arena features characters from both Persona 3 and Persona 4 -- popular Japanese role-playing games with an eccentric sense of style and even wilder narrative themes...