In newly released artwork for the PlayStation 3 game, the Fat Princess cast is now playing with a full hand, each class sporting five fingers instead of the previous four. While not officially blamed for the game's release, a four-fingered hand is often linked to referencing yakuza culture, the Burakamin Japanese social minority group and the the numeral four as an unlucky number.

The old Fat Princess artwork for Japan, for comparison sake, is below.

Pocchari Princess [PlayStation.jp via Andriasang / Hatchimaki]

My favorite among the games listed is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which probably isn't surprising. What is yours? Anything we didn't review that you would suggest?

Remember, the games listed aren't all recommendations. Instead we're providing this as a quick reference guide to help you decide if a game is a good gift or not.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person hip-hop shooter
Subject Matter: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand tells the unintentionally(?) amusing tale of rapper 50 Cent as he struggles to reclaim his diamond encrusted skull from a Middle Eastern bad guy. He's assisted by his G Unit hangers on and some laughably outlandish moments.
Value: An adequately long adventure, made seemingly longer by endlessly looping 50 Cent songs. There are much better games to give this holiday season.
Buy it for: someone as a gag. Or a die hard 50 Cent fan fresh from a six month coma.
Read the Full Review

Assassin's Creed II

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Free-running platforming adventure game
Subject Matter: Assassinations and conspiracy spent mostly in 15th century Renaissance Italy.
Value: Lots more content than the first game had, probably lasting gamers at least double the time they spent with the first Assassin's Creed.
Buy it for: People who were let down by the first game, people who like history, beautiful scenery, dynamic platforming, solving mysteries and games that might be the Game of the Year.
Read the Full Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Price:$59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Join one of comic books' most iconic heroes on an adventure in Gotham City's insane asylum, where The Joker is on the loose.
Value: With character ability customization, bonus challenge maps and tons of riddles courtesy of The Riddler, Arkham Asylum offers at least three playthroughs' worth of fun.
Buy it for: Batman fans and anybody jonesing for a Mark Hamill voice over fix.
Read the full review

The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
Read the Full Review

Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on PlayStation Network or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
Read the Full Review

Brutal Legend

Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
Read the Full Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Price: $59.99 to $149.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person military shooter
Subject Matter: Lead a team of elite commandoes in Modern Warfare 2 as they try to prevent a Russian invasion and global thermonuclear war. Then take the action online, going head to head against other well-armed gamers. It's loud, violent and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Value: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player storyline may be short, but the package more than makes up for it with ample cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Near endless replayability will be stoked with future downloadable content.
Buy it for: the Michael Bay action movie fan who likes his shooters bombastic and nearly devoid of a comprehensible story, one who doesn't shy away from ultra-violent fare.
Read the Full Review

Critter Crunch

Price: $6.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Puzzle
Subject Matter: A puzzle game with bug eating, cute critters and sorta cut, sorta gross tecnicolor yarn.
Value: The good puzzle game mechanic is strong and addictive — add to that beautiful graphics, a lengthy adventure mode and super fun multiplayer and you have a good time. With barf.
Buy it for: Gamers with a strong like of puzzle titles and no fear of cute puke.
Read the Full Review

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
Read the Full Review

DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
Read the Full Review

Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $49.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
Read the Full Review

EyePet

Price: £20 game only, £35 with PlayStation Eye (game currently only available in PAL territories)
Rating: E
Genre: Virtual Pet Management
Subject Matter: Using the PlayStation Eye, "directly" interact with a digital pet on your TV screen.
Value: Smaller kids won't mind the game lacks any real direction, they'll be happy to play it every few days just to check on their pet.
Buy it for: Kids who think Tamagotchi is so 20th century.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 expansion involving missions with a high-powered fighting force.
Value: High because it extends the level cap to Fallout 3, changes the game's ending and allows the adventure to be played infinitely once the story has "ended"
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans who want to play more; essential for anyone getting any Fallout 3 downloadable content
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

Price: $10.00 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Still a post-apocalyptic RPG
Subject Matter: It's Fallout 3 in space!
Value: Mothership Zeta gives the Fallout 3 player an entire spaceship to explore and make their own, some futuristic new weapons, and tacks a good five hours onto the regular campaign, making it a relatively fair value for your money.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fallout 3: Point Lookout

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 in microcosm, set on a spooky island.
Value: Tons of content, and widely seen as the Fallout 3 downloadable content that best shares the strengths of the base game.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
Read the Full Review

Fat Princess

Price: $14.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: Capture the flag? No, capture the princess. And feed her cake, so she's fat and hard for enemies to cart her off.
Value: Single player weakness aside, the main draw here is multiplayer. That, and cake. Cake's always a draw. Always.
Buy it for: Gamers with a sweet tooth for multiplayer.
Read the Full Review

FIFA Soccer 2010

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Round-Ball Football
Subject Matter: The best football game on the market.
Value: Almost endless. There are so many leagues and cups, and such a deep singleplayer experience, that it can be played to death until FIFA 11 is released. And that's before we even get to the 10v10 multiplayer…
Buy it for: Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world game.
Read the Full Review

Fight Night Round 4

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Boxing
Subject Matter: Boxing
Value: Tons of fighters, good online options and no real competition.
Buy it for: Boxing fans or people looking for a fighting-based game that has longer-lasting fights.
Read the Full Review

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
Read the Full Review

Guitar Hero 5

Price: $59.99 for the game, $99.99 with a guitar controller included
Rating: Teen
Genre: Music/Rythym
Subject Matter: It's Guitar Hero. You play a quintet of color-coordinated "notes" as they scroll downscreen to a new selection of music.
Value: Guitar Hero 5 offers a great suite of single and multiplayer modes, the most robust options yet for the series. What it doesn't offer is the series' most attractive soundtrack, despite an 85 song strong line up. Good for the new Guitar Hero gamer, but that money may be better spent on downloadable songs.
Buy it for: for Guitar Hero noobs who have extremely eclectic taste in music.
Read the Full Review

inFamous

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Open-world action game
Subject Matter:Gritty adventures of an electricity-based super-hero from the makers of the Sly Cooper series.
Value:Designed to be played through twice to explore two distinct moral paths.
Buy it for: Super-hero fans and folks who like Grand-Theft-Auto style open-world games.
Read the Full Review

Katamari Forever

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Planet-building action
Subject Matter: Katamari Forever offers a greatest hits style package of the Katamari Damacy series' more memorable levels. Players will roll the titular sticky katamari over objects, building bigger and bigger piles of stuff to replace the universe's missing stars and planets and ultimately please the King of All Cosmos.
Value: At $49.99, Katamari Forever is the most expensive entry yet, a high price for a game that's largely rehashed content. But the content is vast and offers plenty to play. Sadly, there's no online component to help extend the experience.
Buy it for: the fan of quirky games who somehow missed every other Katamari Damacy game or the kid that longs to make snowballs in the summer time.
Read the Full Review

Killzone 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Single-person shooter
Subject Matter: Killzone 2 takes the fight to the Helghast, with an invading force landing on Helghan.
Value: Even though this game landed back in February, you would be remiss if you forgot to check it out. Next to Uncharted 2, this is one of the top games for the Playstation 3. The chunky single-player experience backed by 32-player multiplayer matches makes this a very good deal as well.
Buy it for: Anyone with a Playstation 3 who some how missed this title when it first hit.
Read the Full Review

The King of Fighters XII

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: SNK Playmore's latest entry in its King of Fighter series is a return to its roots with 2D fighting and hand-drawn graphics.
Value: The game feels largely unfinished — though, the parts which are done should please the hardcore fans.
Buy it for: Die-hard SNK fighting game fans.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
Read the Full Review

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: Tons of Marvel heroes take on tons of Marvel villains
Value: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 may not quite live up to the thrill of the original, but it is a more cohesive package overall, with a storyline ripped from Marvel's Civil War storyline and a good dozen hours of heroic fun for 1-4 players.
Read the Full Review

Marvel VS. Capcom 2

Price: $15.00
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: Marvel characters. Capcom characters. Fighting.
Value: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 contains one of the largest roster in fighting game history, with 56 Marvel and Capcom characters to choose from. The sheer amount of variety plus online multiplayer makes this one downloadable title well worth the price.
Read the Full Review

Mini Ninjas

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Juvenile Bush Disguise/Phantom Removal
Subject Matter: Play as one of a band of adorable child ninjas on a quest to kill a bad guy and free the adorable little forest animals.
Value: A somewhat short singleplayer game, but the ability to play as one of several ninjas means there's plenty of replay value.
Buy it for: Anyone. Everyone. Kids will love the straight-forward combat, adults will find there's a great stealth and combat system lurking under the hood.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo Faceplate

Price: $14.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This faceplate snaps onto your Playstation 3 controller.
Value: For $15 it's not bad, but not a great deal. Consider it a cheaper alternative to buying a new controller.
Buy it for: HUGE fans of Modern Warfare 2.
Read the Full Review

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Wireless Headset

Price: $39.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wireless headset gives weak lip-service to Modern Warfare 2.
Value: The painful design and static-filled connection makes this a bad deal.
Buy it for: Someone you hate.
Read the Full Review

NCAA Football 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
Read the Full Review

NBA 2K10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live 10

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
Read the Full Review

NHL 2K10

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.

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Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
Read the Full Review

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

Price: $59.99
Rating: E
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: Football title encompassing international and club tournaments, manager modes and online play.
Value: Pro Evo's "Master League", a time-devouring game mode incorporating RPG and strategy elements, is the one area fans remain devoted to this series ahead of its rival, EA Sports' FIFA.
Buy it for: Football fans who like to not only play a good game, but also roll up their sleeves and get lost in a sea of statistics and growth charts.
Read the Full Review

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
Price: $59.99
Rating: E10+
Genre: Third-person shooter (Ratchet sections); Third-person time-manipulation puzzle-platformer (Clank sections).
Subject Matter: The third PS3 Ratchet is still an action game, but has a stronger than normal narrative, as Ratchet discovers he's not the last of his species, while Clank discovers his origins.
Value: A bombastic single-player campaign full of spectacular cartoon visuals is designed to be replayed, with new content and missions available only after the first play-through is complete.
Buy it for: Jaded Ratchet fans who were waiting for the series to feel special again; fans of cartoon visuals who don't mind their entertainment feeling like a fun all-ages sci-fi adventure.
Read the Full Review

Resident Evil 5

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror meets third-person shooter
Subject Matter: The latest iteration in the famed survival horror game ditches a bit of the slow pacing and fear for a bit more of an action feel.
Value: A worthy addition to anyone's library, but perhaps not the sort of game you'll keep around after it's completed.
Buy it for: fans of Resident Evil and those interested in the premise of the franchise but not in the steady pacing of the gameplay.
Read the Full Review

Street Fighter IV

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: The next iteration in the storied and fabulous fighter brings with it a dynamic new look and a death grip on classic mechanics.
Value: Packed with playable characters both old and new and a mechanic that is timeless, the online play and in-room versus mode make this a great deal..
Buy it for: fighting fans, Street Fighter fans.
Read the Full Review

Tekken 6
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: Once you've mastered the moves of your favorite character, Tekken 6's 3D fights are all about timing and tactics.
Value: With 40 playable characters and a seemingly endless single-player campaign, Tekken 6 is a good deal for fans of the franchise willing to put up with some online issues.
Buy it for: fighting fans, Tekken fans, and maybe as a taste of something different for Street Fighter IV fans.
Read the Full Review

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action adventure third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: A well-crafted story and pithy dialogue is backed by solid third-person shooter action, stunning Himalayan backdrops and a smattering of puzzles to solve and things to climb.
Value: The story-driven campaign will only take up about eight hours of your time, but the plentiful and creative mulitplayer modes are sure to be a lasting time drain.
Buy it for: anyone with a Playstation 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is destined to be one of the best games of the year.
Read the Full Review

WET
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person acrobatic shooter.
Subject Matter: Rubi Malone is a leather-pants wearing, wall-running, pole-spinning death machine. She can shoot two shotguns while flipping through the air, slide under tables to hamstring and gut with her sword, and regains health by swigging liquor.
Value: The single-player only game has a sizable campaign, fantastic music and troubled controls and camera work. It's sort of a mixed bag.
Buy it for: fans of Kill Bill and fast-paced action noire games.
Read the Full Review

Wolfenstein

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
Read the Full Review

WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010
Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Pro wrestling
Subject Matter: WWE wrestling, with deep customization options allowing players to create and share their own characters, moves and — the big new addition — storylines.
Value: High value for those who will take advantage of the online play and content creation/sharing.
Buy it for: WWE fans, even those who don't like current WWE programming, since those disgruntled fans can create the WWE of their own liking using the game's deep editors.
Read the Full Review

Some on the Japanese internet are suggesting that the reason for the delay is that the game's cute cartoon characters have four fingers — "four" is the equivalent of "13" in Japanese, a highly unlucky number that can reference death. Also, when yakuza chop off fingers to apologize for mistakes, they are left with four digits.

However, Mickey Mouse has four fingers in Japan, so not sure if I entirely buy that reason. However, the cover art for Left4Dead ran into censorship issues in Japan regarding missing fingers...

The release date for Fat Princess in Japan is TBA.

PlayStation.com(Japan) | お知らせ | PlayStation®3専用ソフトウェア『ぽっちゃり☆プリンセス』（PlayStation®Storeダウンロード専用タイトル）発売日延期のご案内 [Sony via はちま起稿]

Even better, both of these things are free. So you too can get in on the choke points, silly hats and magic cake madness.

Here's what developer Titan Studios has to say about the patch:

After playing innumerable games, reading the forums and piles of email, and reviewing all the great feedback we received from you, the fans, we have made a variety of tweaks to the gameplay balance and systems to ensure the game stays fair, fresh and as fun as ever.

Here is a full breakdown of all the changes that can be found in the upcoming patch:

New Map

* A brand new awesome city map has been added called New Pork…and it's free!

Game System Tweaks

* The host's ability to kick and ban players has been removed.
* The ability for players to switch teams post-game is now restricted so that sides cannot be unbalanced by more than 2 players.
* A new switching team system has been implemented during matches:

* If there is a deficit of 2 players between teams, the weaker team will drop a team colored ball on the death of a player.
* Picking up the colored ball switches a player's team and rewards them with a 300 point bonus.
* So…get the ball.
* The 10 game average ranking system has been removed.
* A new ranking system has been implemented, which adds rank points for every game based on the player's score.
* Awarded ranking titles will now never go down once earned.
* Online leaderboards have been increased to display all players not just the top 1000.
* All online leaderboards are to be reset shortly after patch 1.03 is released, but all unlocked customizations and trophies will remain unlocked. You will not lose them.

Main Bug Fixes

* The Princess disappearing bug has been fixed.
* The issue with statistics and trophies not saving correctly has been fixed.

Character Balancing

* The Dark Priest's lock-on range has been reduced.
* The Dark Priest's drain ability has been slightly reduced.
* The Ranger now has larger movement penalty when locked on and charging attacks.
* The Adv. Ranger has a smaller shot dispersion and increased damage per shot.
* The Warrior's attack damage has been increased slightly.
* The Warrior's movement speed has been increased slightly when locked on and charging attacks.
* The Warrior's 360 degree protect when his shield is raised has been increased from 20% to 40%
* Warrior's Lock on range increased to match Ranger to stop class being hit from behind when retreating
* Warriors weapon collision box increased in size to aid with hit detection
* Adv Warrior speed increased slightly when locked on and charging to match his normal movement speed
* Adv Warrior damage increased
* Adv Worker's bomb knockback force removed
* Princess calorie burn decreased slightly in weight state 3 and 4

Control Tweaks

* Two new control schemes have been implemented to allow players to use the R1 button to attack and to free the player's right hand for target switching. This is AWESOME.

Scoring Updates

* New switching team bonus added of 300 points.
* Princess rescue score increased to 300 points.
* Princess rescue assistance bonus increased to 150 points.
* Princess escort bonus increased to 75 points.
* Win game scoring reduced to 150 points.
* Match completion bonus added of 75 points.
* Average Rank bonus award removed for games won under 3 minutes.
* Bonus score for winning games in under 3 minutes removed.

Additional Tweaks

* Candy confetti added as a special effect when blood is turned off. Check this out – it is really cool.
* All loading screens now in color.
* Loading screens now allow players to scroll to next and previous tips during the load.

We look forward to slaughtering you – ahem, seeing you – on the battlefield!

So red blood might be changed to green blood and the ability to kill innocent people might be cut out all together.

The blood-free Tokyo Game Show trailer for the Japanese version of Fat Princess made it appear as the title was the latest victim of Japanese censors. Kotaku contacted Sony Computer Entertainment, who told the site: "There was just no blood in the TGS version per show regulations. The Japanese version of Fat Princess will have blood."

It will also have cake and fat chicks. And cute little warriors.

The game, retitled Pocchari Princess ("Cubby Princess") for The Land of the Rising Sun, is getting a domestic Japanese release on the PSN and the PSP later this November. The trailer Sony is running on the title's official site is entirely blood-free. Pocchari Princess does carry a warning about violence — but, the actually blood letting appears to be censored as it often is for Japanese titles.

We are following up with Sony Computer Entertainment.

ぽっちゃり☆プリンセス [Official Site Thanks, Neer'mo!]

Called "New Pork", it's an urban map, with a sewer system running underneath and plenty of rooftops overhead. No idea on when it will be out, but Titan promise it's "just the beginning of additional content for Fat Princess", so hopefully the finer details on New Pork will be joined by some other announcements.

No details and no teasing words. Just a simple image popping up on Titan's website. Subtle. Classy. Pirates. Ninjas. New job classes for the game, or does someone over there just really love pirates and ninjas? The world may never know.

Oh of course we'll know, eventually.

Avast! [Titan Studios - Thanks David!]

It'll go live tonight in the US, with patches for other regions to follow "as soon as possible". Along with (hopefully) an improvement in online performance comes a range of tweaks to the classes and point balances.

So, yeah, jump on later tonight, try it out, see if it helps any!

Fat Princess: Multiplayer Connections Improved [Sony]

Most of the "strategies" might seem simplistic and better suited to newcomers. But there's some good-to-know stuff here, like this tidbit about the mini-map revealing alternate routes around choke points:

Stay Out of the Grinder

Most maps have choke points where massive, bloody, chaos ensues. These meat grinders eat up your team's resources and never yield any progress towards your ultimate goals (unless you're playing deathmatch). Instead of throwing yourselves to the wolves, next time you respawn, check your mini-map first by pressing "Select." The mini-map will show you the road less traveled and help you to time your attacks. Knowledge is power. Yes, we're mixing metaphors and over using clichés. It's our strategy guide, we can do that here.

Titan Studios promises to add more soon, including strategies discovered by players rather than designed by the developer.

Titan Studios Dev Blog [via GameSetWatch]

Developed by Titan Studios, the emphasis is team-based multiplayer — something that seems perfect fodder for a downloadable title like Fat Princess. There are five classes (mage, warrior, worker, archer and priest), and, ideally, players work together for the good of the group as they play through the game's various online modes in 16 vs. 16 matches. While the game even offers extras like a gladiator mode where players slay a stream of enemies in an arena, the core mechanic is capturing the princess. The twist is that players can feed the princess cake to make her fat and difficult to carry. And who doesn't love cake?

But is Fat Princess a delectable desert or just empty calories?

Loved
Delicious Presentation: Fat Princess is pure, delicious eye candy. The cute character design is adorable — something that is only heightened when blood and bodies splatter about. And the basic concept of capturing a flag that can be fattened up with cake? Love it.

So Filling: Five classes (with upgrades) does offer deep gameplay. The classes are job specific, but those jobs — most notably the worker who can throw bombs — offer some satisfying upgrades. Class specific jobs do, at the game's best, promote team work, and there is something satisfying about that. There are some balance issues. For example, it is hard sometimes to get everyone working for the good of the team, but when Fat Princess works, it's great.

Hated
Single player For a game that attempts to offer so much with multiplayer and has the lofty hopes of 16 players working together as a team, the single player did nothing but leave a bad taste in our mouths. Your teammate bots are often useless, and you find yourself not playing as a team, but trying to sneak past your rival bots to capture the princess. Some of the single player chapters are prone to gridlock, and the games can drag on for nearly an hour. It's clear that much attention was paid to the game's visual style; however, that same attention doesn't seem like it was showered on the single player experience. Each episode (or chapter) begins with a cute storybook story — which then often has little or no connection to the gameplay that follows it. (I thought we were supposed to sneak under the cover of darkness? That's what the story said. Why is it daytime now?)

Fat Princess is an ambitious PSN title that's attempting to revamp capture the flag gameplay in a new and inventive package. But, you can't help wondering if Titan Studios' eyes were bigger than its stomach. Do we really need all these extra gameplay modes and even all these maps? You've got to admire the developer for trying to deliver value-for-money, even if the end result sometimes lacks focus and even discipline.

We'd love to dine with Fat Princess again. Though, instead of a million different appetizers, we'd rather have a meal that sticks — even if it's a slice of cake.

Fat Princess was developed by Titan Studios, released on July 30 for the PlayStation Network. Retails for US$15. Played single player and multiplayer for between 8 and 10 hours.

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Developers Titan Studios hear your pain, however, and promise a fix is on the way. The cause of the issue is the game's matchmaking, which is accidentally pairing players with abnormally high pings. Hence the poor performance.

"Rest assured," they say on the company blog, "we're working on it, and think we have it largely addressed." Hopefully so! It would be a shame if this kind of thing stood in the way of people buying/playing one of the most enjoyable PSN games currently available.

Update from Titan: Fixes Coming [Titan]

The eagerly-awaited multiplayer game of fantasy combat and cake eating is coming with this week's PlayStation Store update on the 30th, priced to move at $15.00. For those of you unfamiliar with the title, it's a cartoonish action game in which the player wears different hats to change their classes, feeding the opposing team's princess in order to make it harder to rescue her. It's a deceptively deep game, allowing for a great deal of showboating and did-you-see-what-I-just-did moments. It's definitely worth the price of admission.

Along with this glorious news comes a video in which Titan's Chris Millar and Craig Leigh answer PlayStation Blog readers' questions about the game, which we've embedded below for the sake of convenience. Go convenience!

Developer Titan Studios plans to answer a selection of fan-submitted questions in a PlayStation Eye conference next week. You can submit your own question here, after scrolling past three new screen shots of the game.

So far, the 150-odd question submission comment thread has been dominated by release date queries. You may recall the game was pushed back from its June release to a nebulous worldwide release date "at some point this summer." Then Titan went and announced a PSP spin-off around E3 time, which raises some uncomfortable questions about distribution of development resources. Is it worth asking whether they'll push back the release all the way until A Fist Full of Cake comes out?

If you think so, hit up the PlayStation Blog and see if your question is chosen for next week's developer Q&A.

Fat Princess: Her Majesty Awaits… [PlayStation Blog]

Instead, it will now be out "at some point this summer". So sometime in July or August, then. Shame, but if it gives them extra time to make it extra delicious, we're all for it.

Incidentally, the release will be a worldwide one, which is a rare treat for Europeans accustomed to long delays on the PlayStation Network.

[via Euro PS Blog, thanks Justin!]

What Is It?
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake is a the PSP spin-off of Titan Studio's mid-summer-scheduled PlayStation Network game Fat Princess. The multiplayer-centric PS3 version puts players into one of two teams of cartoon medieval characters who can wear hats that turn them into archers, warriors, mages, builders and others. Those roles make it all the better to cross a symmetrical game map and storm the enemy's castle and steal their princess. To stop one's own princess from being stolen, the secret is to feed her lots of cake so she becomes hard to carry. The PSP game has all of that, Sony says, plus more game modes and more of a single-player story via some set challenges and cutscenes.

What We Saw
I played a few minutes' worth of a basic skrimish, with AI controlling the rest of my team and the enemies. Fat Princess has been at so many press events in PS3 form, that the best I can say is that the PSP version felt just like the console ones. (See screens of the PS3 Fat Princess if you want to know what this kind of thing looks like. Just imagine them being smaller.)

How Far Along Is It?
The game was very early. A Sony rep said that it was unusual for his company to show a game that's pre-alpha, but there was enough confidence in this Supervillain Studios-developed spin-off to do that.

What Needs Improvement?
Connecting With A Crowd: On the PS3 a game like this benefits from a lot of communication, as teams can grow to more than a dozen players apiece. Without being shown multiplayer, I can only guess how well it will be supported. I'm not sure how fun a game like this can be when played solo, as it would put hordes of teammates and all of the rival team all under the control of the computer, leaving the player to potentially feel insignificant.

What Should Stay The Same?
The Icing On The Top: The core PS3 game already has Deathmatch, Snatch, Invasion and Rescue modes which are all variations on capturing the princess and killing enemies. The PSP version will add a Grim Reaper mode which pits everyone against the Reaper player before he or she who kills the Reaper becomes the new one, a Demolition mode that involves snaking a "Trojan princess" into a castle, a Dilapidated Mode which starts a match with all hat-making buildings in need of repair, an an undescribed Jailbreak mode. That's plenty of content for a game that will likely be released after people have bought the game for their PS3.

A Bloody Cartoon: The PSP game retains the winning aesthetic of the original, which means we have cute cartoon characters killing themselves bloody as they try to steal the hefty princess. It's cute. It's vicious. Interesting combo.

Final Thoughts
Fat Princess: A Fistful of Cake was very early and I only got a glimpse of it. But as a proof of concept, it's looking good. The concept it proves? That an increasing number of PS3 downloadable games, like Flow and Super Stardust before it, will fit onto Sony's portable.

Day four, meanwhile, was slim pickings — although that Fat Princess trailer really had me laughing. The Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer was my favorite from day three without a doubt, although Final Fantasy XIII was pretty cool. Give me Yoshi in space over emo any day.

Anyone want to nominate a Best of E3 clip?

Day Three
Watch The PSP Go Sliding In Action
Ratchet & Clank Future E3 Developer Trailer
Gran Turismo 5 Trailer Has, Yes, Car Damage
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Screens And Trailer
A New Final Fantasy XIII Trailer For You To Watch
Heavy Rain Trailer Falls On E3
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles E3 Trailer
Assassin's Creed 2 Gameplay Glides In
Kratos Is In The New Soulcalibur
Whip It With This Castlevania: Lord of Shadow Trailer
Natasha Bedingfield Serenades A DSi

Day Four
You Ever Wonder What The Bottom Of An Avatar Shoe Looks Like?
Today's Most Relaxing Trailer? Echochrono
The Grinder E3 Trailer
Plus-Sized Fat Princess E3 Trailer
Taste Hot Monkey Vengeance!
This Is The Most Technically Impressive Thing I've Seen All Week

Of course, if they're out in Europe this month, they should be out everywhere else, too, but just so you know, this info comes from Sony's new European blog, so an American release for the month isn't quite confirmed.

But for Europeans and Australians, the quite excellent multiplayer game will be out in "late June", while the Ghostbusters demo will be out "soon after E3" on the PAL PSN.

[via PlayStation.Euro.Blog]