PSP 2009: LittleBigPlanet, MotorStorm, Assassin's Creed, Rock Band

Sony shocks PSP owners by bringing PlayStation 3 classics to the handheld console.

At Sony's annual retail and publisher conference Destination PlayStation, the company announced a new software line-up for the PSP, as well as two new bundled entertainment packs.

The first is unexciting, but should open up the platform to more female gamers. It's a Hannah Montana bundle including a lilac PSP, Disney's Hannah Montana PSP game, which is described as "an exclusive dancing and rhythm action game for gamers to design the show and go on tour as the teen icon," a selection of Hannah Montana TV episodes, a 2GB Memory Stick, and stickers to customize the PSP. Ubisoft's Petz series will also make its debut on the PSP.

The second bundle consists of the Assassin's Creed pack, which will come with an exclusive instalment of Ubisoft's parkour game, a piano black PSP and other content to be announced soon. Both packs will retail at $199.99 in the US, with European announcements still to come.

As for the rest of the newly announced software, the following games are being brought to the PSP: MotorStorm Arctic Edge, LittleBigPlanet, and Rock Band.

The latter will see Harmonix releasing Rock Band Unplugged on the system, representing the first portable version of the game and utilising the PSP's Wi-Fi to connect to an in-game store.

LittleBigPlanet will meet the PSP in the autumn of 2009, being built from the ground up for the console in conjunction with the original developer Media Molecule. The same play, create, share features will be implemented, along with exclusive new levels and environments.

MotorStorm Arctic Edge is brought to the PSP by the team behind the Pursuit Force series. They will be taking Evolution's PlayStation 3 IP to Alaska, with the title to release on the PlayStation 2 also.

As soon as we hear more about the titles, we'll bring it straight to you.

[UPDATE] - Buzz is also coming back to the PSP in the UK, with the announcement of Buzz! Brain of the UK. Mark Hardy, European Marketing Director, had this to say about PSP's 2009 line-up:

"There are a lot of big claims in the gaming industry but we're confident when we say that 2009 is going to be an exciting year for PSP.

"Our fans have demanded big PSP titles and this year, we're going to deliver again and again. With Resistance: RetributionT, already on its way to stores, PSP gamers are going to get one big franchise after another."

Patrick Steen