WELCOME TO PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE!

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

From PaRappa the Rapper’s quest to win the heart of Sunny Funny to Nathan Drake’s globetrotting exploits in search of legendary treasure, the PlayStation system and its successors have been the focal point of countless adventures and thrilling experiences for more than 15 years.

Now, a mysterious force is assembling All-Stars from PlayStation past, present, and future in an epic battle that spans across space and time. But just who or what is responsible for rallying the best and brightest in a contest of skill is a question that the characters must solve for themselves—one kick, punch, chop, and block at a time.

DESIGNED BY FIGHTING GAME ALL-STARS

The lead designers at SuperBot, developers of PlayStation All-Stars , know their fighting games. Much of the core team responsible for the combat system are, or have been, national-level fighting game tournament players. With years of expertise in the fighting genre, the team approached the design of the combat system with the difficult goal of removing the execution barrier of traditional 2D fighters for greater accessibility, while maintaining the depth and creativity that hardcore fighting game enthusiasts crave. Sony Santa Monica’s external team Lead Designer—and fighting game community legend—Seth Killian broke down this philosophy best in an interview with the official PlayStation BlogCast posted online September 20th, 2012:

“One of the things I love about this game is that the controls are not the obstacle. So anybody can do all the moves in the game ‘cause it’s just a button or a button plus a direction, and from there, it’s just being smart about your movement and controlling your techniques. And, you know, there’s going to be some complicated techniques that the best players will [use] to pull off some interesting things, but you’re never going to struggle to do the moves, and I feel that it opens up fighting games to an audience that just hadn’t really thought about it as potentially being for them before[...].

The game really is super open to everybody. I think what usually stops people from enjoying fighting games is: one, they look like a really complicated mess. And then two, you’re like: “Well how do I do this move? That looks awesome!” “Oh, well you have to wave the controller around in a 980-degree arc, and then you hit these eight buttons in this order,” and then you’re like, “Eh, forget it. I’m just going to play something I like.” So this [game] takes all that out of the way so you can just focus on the strategy.”

Professional care, combined with tournament-level expertise and drive for perfectionism, has enabled SuperBot to achieve this delicate balance in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale . The result is a play style that may appear simple and easy to learn on the surface, but also contains a rich combat 
system more in line with traditional fighting games for arcade stick-wielding warriors to explore.

“THE THINGS I’LL TEACH YA IS SURE TO BEAT YA…”

The goal of this guide is to help you become a better brawler by removing the next layer of that accessibility barrier and opening a path to experience the full breadth of PlayStation All-Stars ’ combat system. Each chapter serves a focus for different aspects of the game, organized in a way that allows you to progress at your own pace as you work your way up the online leaderboards.

The Basics chapter focuses on the various control options available to you, along with an explanation of the various menu options found throughout the game. It next dives into the Ranking Points system, explaining how to unlock various rewards as you progress through the game. Finally, a comprehensive glossary explains the essential terminology used throughout the guide to build 
a solid foundation for success.

Next, the Gameplay chapter introduces you to the rules and mechanics of PlayStation All-Stars . From the basics of moving and attacking to an in-depth analysis of the game’s more advanced concepts and hidden gameplay rules, this chapter is an essential component of mastering your overall approach to each and every battle that awaits you.

Characters, and how they work, are the most crucial element of any fighting game. Inside this chapter, you can find an in-depth analysis of all 20 All-Stars, including breakdowns of their individual styles, unique mechanics, suggested strategies, combos, and detailed data for each of their attacks.

While sharing common elements, each level in the game is its own entity with unique platform layouts, Hazards, and mash-up events that can affect how you handle your character. The Levels section breaks down each level to its core elements, explaining the timeline of events that occurs in a typical match and highlighting strategic hot spots to take advantage of.

The Items section explains the best methods for using each pick-up in the game, giving you the knowledge to judge their effectiveness for your chosen All-Star.

Next are the Arcade Mode and Combat Trials chapters, covering the core of the single-player offerings in the game. Arcade Mode offers match-up strategies for each character’s rivalry battle, along with a walkthrough of the mysterious final boss—if you don’t want to spoil the identity of the mysterious force behind this clash of heroes, then you might want to avoid looking at this chapter right away. Combat Trials breaks down the info for each of the 400+ challenges that await you, with strategies to help you defeat them on the hardest setting.

Finally, the Goals, Rewards, and Trophy Guide chapters walk you through all of the unlockable content in PlayStation All-Stars . Completing the requirements outlined in these areas can get you that coveted Platinum Trophy in no time, while at the same time rewarding you with a cornucopia of costumes, Taunts, Icons, Backings, and more items to show off your personal style both online and offline.

Keep this guide handy as you explore the many hours of entertaining battles that PlayStation All-Stars has to offer. Chances are if you’re stuck learning a particular character or concept, the answer is only a few pages away. Now, what are you waiting for? Pick up that DualShock 3, and get ready for a battle of epic PlayStation proportions!