I'm dying to get my hands on Patapon. Just based on the little bit we've seen in various trailers the game looks like it's going to be one of those seriously fun/wacky/unique games that's gonna blow your mind.

If you're as interested in this game as I am you'll probably be excited to hear that GameStop is going to be offering a special deal for anyone who pre-orders Sony's new rythm based platformer. According to Sony's official PlayStation Blog folks doing a pre-order through GameStop will get a demo disk as well as a special bonus in game weapon the "Spear of Protection."

Don't rush out and pre-order yet though. As it turns out it'll be another week or two before the pre-order gift turns up in stores and I'm not sure whether they'll honor existing pre-orders. If you're keen on picking up the bonus demo and item keep your eyes here for more.

OK so I loved The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the XBox360.

But would I play it on the PSP?

Here's the thing - when it comes to handheld gaming I tend to like short bursts of gaming. 15- 30 minutes of bite sized gaming is what I'm looking for.  Generally you can't get much done in Oblivion in that short a time span.

That and it's been a long time since Oblivion came out and I've really played the heck out of it so far - to get it on the PSP I'd need some serious incentive.

Bethesda is tight lipped about the concept of Oblivion on the PSP but Amazon is offering pre-orders so it definitely seems like somethin's going on.

I'll be waiting to see what happens but if you're at all interested in the concept of an Elder Scrolls PSP game you might want to head over to Amazon and grab that pre-order discount - who knows, if there is no game you may even get a nice little consolation prize.

Echocrome looks like one of those games that's just got to be good.

I've seen a number of trailers as well as more than a few screenshots and I'm definitely looking forward to grabbing this game for the PSP. At this time the game is slated for a UMD release for the PSP and as a Playstation Store download for the PS3.

With a release date set for March 19th in Japan. While there's no word on pricing for the PS3 version the PSP UMD will be retailing for around $36 US dollars.

If you're not familiar with the title we've included a video after the jump.
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One of the first things I do on every PC I put together is install my Open Source Office. It's a collection of programs which include such favorites as GIMP, Firefox, NotePad++, Audacity and Skype (to name but a few.)

Having said that I have never once used Skype to do anything - I just love the idea of it.

For the past couple of days the Gaming Blogosphere has been abuzz with the news that Skype would be making it's way onto the PSP making it the first official PSP phone.

GameSpot today is spreading a little more news courtesy of Japanese outlet Nikkei.

The upshot?

Right now it looks like PSP Skype will be limited to PSP slim owners but will be available as a free download. The only expenses appear to be a microphone accessory as well as a dedicated Skype phone number. While PSP to PC and PSP to PSP calls will be free, according to Nikkei the Skype number will cost about2,250 yen ($20.70) in Japan and will cover about three months of service.

There's no word right now on what features would be included in the Skype PSP phone line so it could match existing Skype Rates or be something totally new - who knows.

One thing I'm curios to see is whether the console allows for calling during game sessions. It'd be an interesting way to add voice-chat functionality to many games but it's hard to say what kind of strain it would put on the PSP's architecture.

Hopefully we'll learn more next week at the start of CES.

I'm one of those gamers that absolutely loved LocoRoco. It's one of those games that becomes an instant favorite as soon as you start playing. When I first got a look at PataPon, mostly through the screenshots on some other game blogs, I got the feeling that I was going to like it as much - if not more - than LocoRoco.

Generally rythm games have to adopt a twist to really work and it looks like PataPon has found a good one. As the player you control the PataPon tribe through drumbeats. Using this unique system you have the ability to attack, command the tribe to march and even defend. Currently the game boasts 30 missions and a visual style that is very appealing - it actually reminds me a bit of Samuri Jack.

The trailer below speaks a lot towards what to expect in the game. It looks like a pretty decent platformer and appears to offer some pretty interesting options for customizing your tribe as the game develops. Currently PataPon is slated for an early 2008 release.
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