One example of the fun and macabre art style of Zombie Tycoon.

Zombie Tycoon is the latest casual title for the PSP by Canadian software giant Frima Studio. Built on the Vicious Engine, this beautifully illustrated RTS definitely has its share of strengths and weaknesses.

Zombie Tycoon boasts ten unique levels, each with its own goals, puzzles, and rewards. To conquer the living inhabitants of each stage, the player must wield three customizable zombie units, each consisting of up to eight zombies.

There are also a variety of trophies associated with different goals, ranging from challenge-based tasks like finishing a level within two minutes, to collection-based tasks  like dressing zombies up in unique costumes.  You should expect to spend anywhere from five to ten hours on the title depending on how far you’re willing to go once you’ve completed the ten levels of the main story. (more…)

Today marks the release of the Sony PSP Go, the smaller, UMD-less version of the classic PlayStation Portable. The controversial handheld is supposed to usher in the media-less era of handheld gaming, forgoing the expensive and inelegantly mechanical UMD drive and physical discs for the magic of digital content delivery.

While this is a good system for PC games, and even certain console titles, does it really make sense for handhelds? More specifically, does it make sense for a PSP?

The reviews are out, and it’s not looking good. It’s rare that we can report a device as being “universally panned”, but this one looks like it’s heading that way.

Engadget says, “The debut of the Go has been marred by some pretty downtrodden decisions on Sony’s part, most notably the $250 price tag, an utter lack of compatibility with any previous PSP accessories, and no UMD conversion program.”

ArsTechnica’s Ben Kuchera was brutally honest. He states, “The entire point of the PSP Go hinges on the wireless, digital aspect of the hardware, so why is that hardware so outdated? Why is downloading a game made to be as annoying as possible?” regarding a variety of issues with downloading games, including their awkward decision to stick with 802.11b wireless hardware (in a $250 device? really?). He goes on to say, “Ultimately, this is the rare case where an old product gives you more freedom, more features, and at a better price. Of course, an older PSP won’t have Bluetooth, and the screen won’t slide to hide the controls, but existing customers can cry themselves to sleep on piles of cheaper games if they become upset.” (more…)

Seamless transition on Wasabi skins

During our visit to E3, we saw a variety of exhibitors whose sole business is to help you customize your portable devices.

With so many people buying handheld systems, the urge to customize and stand out from the crowd is trending upward. People want to skin their devices as a mark of pride, personal expression, or to make a statement.

We saw three standout customization exhibitors on the showfloor, and I’ll highlight all three here. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that we have affiliate programs for both GelaSkins and MusicSkins; if you purchase through our affiliate links, you will be helping support Icrontic. We don’t engage in affiliate programs for products we don’t personally recommend, and we believe that these products are pretty damned cool.

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