One of the biggest annual events for the Playstation 2 console is about to take place in London. PlayStation Experience, 28th-31st August at Earl's Court, will offer gamers the chance to experience a variety of PS2 games long before they see the shelves of retail stores. Amidst the various events, promotional presentations and general gaming havoc, publishers will try to capture the spotlight with their newest wares.
Some of the biggest names in the industry have already announced what those wares will be.
Sega
The Japanese gaming giants will introduce some of their best loved characters to Sony's console. Making his PS2 debut, Sonic the Hedgehog will star in Sonic Heroes,/b> a title boasting simultaneous control of 3 characters and huge worlds.
Another well loved series will also appear on PS2 at PSEx, Team 17's Worms will make it into 3D and expect exploding sheep and tons of innovative weapons.
Finally Sega will try to promote its 2K4 instalments of Sega Sports' NBA, NFL and NHL titles, games, which the company will try to convince us, are worthy opponents to EA's dominant respective sports titles.
Infogrames took a step back in time and decided to become Atari, their flagship title at PSEx asks the player to do the same in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. The official game of this summer's movie sequel, is on track for a simultaneous worldwide release with the DVD, but PlayStation Experience attendees can get a look at it long before its release.
T3 sees you playing as the original Terminator; it's the first time that Arnie has lent his likeness to a videogame project. It's essentially a first person shooter, but the action switches to a side-on, beat 'em up style perspective during key fights with the beautiful but deadly T-X. As with Enter The Matrix, Atari's other whopping movie licence, T3 includes footage shot exclusively for the game, and promises to shed further light on the origins of the Terminator.
Beyblade, the only PS one game on show, is based on the massively popular animated TV show of the same name. Beyblade is a game of high performance battling spinning tops. You begin by pulling the ripcord to start your Beyblade spinning then engaging your opponent in combat.
Atari is also showing DragonBall Z Budokai 2. Details of the game were recently announced by Megagames.
Kya: Dark Lineage will also be making its first public appearance. Incorporating a mish-mash of gameplay styles (including adventure, RPG and platforming), Kya: Dark Lineage follows the trials and tribulations of Kya (the game's heroine), as she struggles to save her brother and defeat the Fortress of Brazul.
Unlimited SaGa will also be appearing at PSEx. The game is the work of RPG masters Square, but will be published by Atari in Europe. The most significant addition to the SaGa formula is the much-touted Free Scenario System, which allows for the most open-ended adventure possible.
Atari's prolific portfolio will also feature the return of Roman-bashing cartoon legend Asterix in Asterix 5.
As you'd expect from a company with such a broad and rich gaming heritage, Konami is relying on new iterations of some of its strongest franchises to wow the crowds at PlayStation Experience. Standing at the forefront of an extremely impressive array of potential classics is Hideo Kojima's third foray into the world of tactical espionage action, the unusually titled Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. All information about the game, until now, has focused on the 12-minute trailer form at this year's E3. This time PSEx visitors will get a lot more.
Snake's latest adventure finds him deep and alone in a gorgeous, dense jungle environment fighting for survival. While the prospect of acting stealthily in an organic environment without so much as a perpendicular corner to hide behind is certainly an exciting one, we're actually keener to learn more about Snake's interesting eating habits. Yes, it appears that Snake Eater refers to the fact that you're now also responsible for ensuring that your character has a full stomach.
Another Konami threequel is the popular hardcore soccer simulation Pro Evolution Soccer. Do not expect a major gameplay overhaul (barring a few minor tweaks here and there to tighten things up a little), since if it ain't broke Konami will not fix it. Early details point to reworked player animation, more realistic ball physics, smarter AI and a fourth division for the popular Master League.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence maks the return of Konami producer Koji Igarashi - who created the series and has only worked on its 2D instalments.
Lament of Innocence promises top offer a mix of action, platforming and horror, with a few RPG-light elements thrown in for good measure.
Konami wrap-up an impressive lineup with 3 more titles.
Dancing Stage Fever, which now features music videos for licensed artists and should hopefully improve on the disappointingly limited Megamix. Karaoke Revolution is developed by Amplitude creators Harmonix and challenges you to sing into your USB headset in a bid to impress the virtual judges with your pitch and rhythm - definitely not one for the inhibited gamer. Finally, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a scrolling, cel-shaded beat'em up featuring the recently revived heroes in a half shell that should hopefully capture the magic of Konami's legendary TMNT coin-op from the early '90s.