PlayStation have pioneered console gaming over the years, leaving a path for others to follow.

They were the first to make the move from side scrolling platformers that we had become used to in the 90’s to 3D free roam adventures.

Then there was augmented reality with EyeToy, EyePet still being one of my faves.

Now we have the only home console that offers VR Gaming and now, Playlink.

Playlink allows PS gamers to instantly and effortlessly connect their smartphone to their PlayStation 4 making your iOS or Android device a crucial part of the gameplay.

Two years ago, when the Next Gen version of Singstar released, was our first introduction to Playlink. Downloading a Singstar App turned your phone into a wireless microphone for you to belt out ballads to your overly impressed (or frightened) friends and family (and pets).

In the last few weeks, PlayStation have really hit home the smart device connectivity with a slew of Playlink releases.

Planet of the Apes – Playlink

The first one of this year was That’s You!. A multiplayer trivia game where when played with friends, you are tasked with working out who knows you best.

A series of trivia questions and hand drawings about eachother results in at least one of the players scoring a result that makes them your true best friend… or stalker as they know alot about you.

Now there’s Planet of the Apes.

In this one your mobile device syncs to your console and becomes a controller.

In Planet of the Apes Playlink title it is a story based game, produced by Andy Serkis (actor from Planet of the Apes films) and it tells an untold story in the films’ timeline.

You are presented with a series of choices in which you need to choose the decision for the characters. Ultimately this will affect the outcome of the game. With most having only two decisions to choose from, there are two at least endings.

Singstar has risen again, this time in the way of Singstar Celebration. A handful of recent songs for you to do a hearty rendition to are included and as with the previous PlayStation 4 Singstar, your smartphone becomes the microphone.

Hidden Agenda – Playlink

Hidden Agenda again sees you pair up your mobile phone with the Playlink App and it’s your choice within gameplay to Solve or Sabotage.

Up to five smartphone equipped friends can play with each player having their own set objectives in this suspenseful title. What makes this a killer game is that you will not know if the other players are working with you or against you…

Remember Buzz!?

Well… Knowledge is Power is very very similar. With this title you can pit your general knowledge and speedy response times off against Playlink equipped pals in a race to the Pyramid of Knowledge.

All questions are themed and you can add your own selfie in to the game aswell as choose anyone of the 8 playable characters. Use your smartphone to answer the Questions as quick as you can.

Knowledge is Power – Playlink

Playlink is most definitely a holiday season gig worth treating yourself to. As mentioned your device will connect up to your PlayStation 4. Download the free App that corresponds to the Playlink game that you are playing and then start the game. Once the game is loaded, tapping the games’ App will scan for your PlayStation 4 (you need to be on the same WiFi Home Network) and magic, it will find your console and you connect… and it’s game on.

With it’s simplistic ease of use and even more Playlink titles on their way, PlayStation are setting a new standard for how we play games, all over again.

This season it’s a PlayStation Party at yours… just remind your friends to charge their phones before they arrive.

The post PlayStation Playlink Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Yup, get your vocal cords ready and lubricated for the Ultimate Party, at your place with SingStar: Ultimate Party! Wahoo!

The game disc features 30 extremely diverse tracks, from country to blues, RnB to Pop of yesteryear and today. Even New Zealand’s very own Lorde has a spot with… yup, Royals.

Swedish House Mafia Feat. John Martin to Pet Shop Boys, Lady Gaga to Avicii and more.

You will be belting out your best performances to bewildered friends, family and pets with songs; ‘I Love it’ through to ‘No Scrubs’. ‘Call Me Maybe’ and ‘Happy’. The list does indeed go on.

However it does not stop there. Jump into the Store and there you will find everything and anything that has ever been on a SingStar disc in the past decade, and then some.

From singles through to song packs. Artists to genres. Decades to one hit wonders. YOU will indeed have the Party Started…

In what is becoming a trend in console gaming, you do not need the specific peripherals anymore.

In the past there was a Blue and a Red microphone. These plugged into your console and you held onto them with white knuckles, nervous twitches and baited breath waiting for the lyrics to be ready to shriek and shrill at.

Now you can use a virtual mic via your smartphone. An app is available from both the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android.

This gives you a fully responsive microphone on your, er phone. Smart.

What’s more, there is no need for an audience, everyone can connect their phones to the game via WIFI with their apps and join you in harmony to duets, sing-a-longs or song battles.

The scoring hasn’t changed much though.

You still have the lyric bars which correlate to the track that you are singing to and you must hit the right note to get them to light up. The gold bars are there too for bonus points.

Scoring is tallied up at the end of each track / game session and you get a title from that, more often than not ‘Newcomer’ or ‘Hopeful’, to the more expert monikers.

If you have a PlayStation Camera it will also record video or snaps from your stellar living room performances for you to share or hide, depending on how you rate your own musical ability.

SingStar has always been the party winner. I’ve lost count as to how many drink fueled sessions with friends I’ve partaken in (alot of the time reluctantly).

With SingStar: Ultimate Party on PS4 and PS3 it’s more intuitive, easier than ever to navigate around the tiled menus and get straight into a song.

Celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary (yup, I couldn’t believe it’s been 10 years either) SingStar has re-cemented itself as the Ultimate Party.

Must have. Need to own.

The post SingStar: Ultimate Party – Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.