Items

NORMAL ITEMS

With the worlds of PlayStation colliding, it’s only natural that some of the various weapons and pick-ups from various games would come along for the ride. Normal items are the most common type of pick-ups that spawn randomly during a normal match. Each of these items bestows a unique attack or buff to the character that acquires them, usually leading to obtaining even more AP than usual. Items can come from anywhere in PlayStation history, so even worlds without an All-Star rep in the roster have had items pulled into the Battle Royale.

BAUMUSU’S AXE

Image	AP Gain	Ammo	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	10 per hit	10 hits	21AP of super armor during attack	Eject tornado (after 5 hits)	Medium

This battle-axe turns the All-Star who wields it to whirling dervish of terror. Pressing any attack button causes the character to spin 360-degrees, hitting any opponent with its radius. Mashing an attack button forces its wielder to continue spinning, and pressing or allows them to move while spinning. After five successive hits, the opponent is forced into an eject tornado state. Whoever wields Baumasu’s Axe also gains super armor while spinning, allowing them to soak up hits without stopping the whirlwind. But watch out! Mash for too long without hitting an opponent and your character is forced into a crumple state. Even the toughest of All-Stars can get dizzy spinning around like that!

BOOTS OF HERMES

Image	Duration	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	20 seconds	75% speed boost, enable Hermes Dash / +	—	Low

This Olympian relic gives its wearer a 75% speed boost for twenty seconds, which is an eternity in All-Star time. While under its effects you can also activate the Hermes Dash by pressing or + , causing your character to become invincible as they dash straight across the screen. You may also pick up other items with the boots equipped since they offer a simple speed buff. Slower characters, like Big Daddy or Sweet Tooth, get the most benefit out of the Boots of Hermes.

DOHVAT LASER DESIGNATOR

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Unique Controls	Hit Effect	Priority
	Medium	3	left stick: aim; attack button: air strike	Full launch	Medium

The Dohvat Laser Designator offers a unique way of draining AP from your foes, raining three missiles down from above with each use. Each missile strike forces an opponent to loose five percent of their total AP and launches them straight up into the air! However, its targeting system requires that your character stand still and isn’t interrupted while aiming.

To begin the missile barrage, press any attack button to enter targeting mode. Use the left stick to move the reticle around the screen, and press any attack button to fire. If you need to quickly get out of targeting mode, press or . The missiles explode when striking a character or the first platform they hit, so don’t count on this item to do you much good on multi-tiered levels where your opponents can easier escape using the environment.

FREEZE MISSILE

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	1	Butt-drop; opponent slowed to 25% normal speed	High

A staple of every single Twisted Metal competition to date, the Freeze Missile has been the bane of killer high-octane hot rods for decades. In its PlayStation All-Stars incarnation, the Freeze Missile item is guaranteed to ruin the day of whoever falls in its path. On impact, it causes a unique status effect that slows down every action of its victim to 25% of normal speed. This beefed up freeze effect applies to everything from air speed when in an eject state to dodge rolling, so opponents under the effects of a Freeze Missile impact can be juggled for what feels like an eternity.

If you manage to hit an opponent with the Freeze Missile, take some time to knock them around with your highest-AP value attacks. Due to their slowed movement speed, you should be able to score many hits before they’ve even had a chance to begin a recovery animation. When on the receiving end of a Freeze Missile impact, your best bet is 
to hold to block and pray the effects wear off soon.

HEDGEHOG GRENADE

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	1	Crumple, Super time-out	High

This Chimerian hand grenade likes to lay dormant when thrown, waiting for an unsuspecting All-Star to get within range before firing its deadly quills in all directions. Players caught by the Hedgehog Grenade’s quills are forced into a crumple state, and their ability to perform Super attacks is disabled for nearly eight seconds. The quills can pass through thin platforms as well, making dodges and hard cover your only methods of escape. The Hedgehog Grenade is a general all-purpose item, useful to every All-Star since it can be used to hinder your opponents’ ability to score while you rack up the kills.

LEECH BEAM

Image	AP Penalty	Duration	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	7.5 seconds	Drains 20AP per second from opponent	—	High

Living up to its name, the Leech Beam item from Wipeout established a link between your character and the nearest opponent. This link transfers 20AP per second from your opponent’s Super Meter to yours, hindering their progress in a match and increasing your energy advantage. The connection has a limited range, but if the link is severed a new one can be established with another opponent who is in-range. Like the Killer Bees, the Leech Beam is a consumable item and your character may grab other items while it is active.

KILLER BEES

Image	AP Gain	Duration	Hit Effect	Priority
	5 per shot	15 seconds	—	Medium

Picking up the Killer Bees item creates two satellite lasers that orbit your character for fifteen seconds. These little guys fire a laser projectile every time an attack button is pressed, generating 5AP per hit. While a great source of extra AP, combo-focused characters should avoid grabbing the Killer Bees, since the laser blasts can force enemies out of your attack string. The Killer Bees count as a consumable item, so your character is free to grab and use other items while the satellites are active.

LR-3 RAILGUN

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	1	Crumple, Super time-out	High

The LR-3 Railgun fires a single shot, but if it hits that single shot is all you need. Like the Dohvat Laser Designator, pressing any attack button puts you in targeting mode. Use the left stick to aim the laser beam up or down, and when you’ve got your shot press any attack button to fire. Pressing or allows your character to exit targeting mode without firing the shot. The rail gun’s projectile passes through anything: platforms, Hazards, and characters. Anyone caught in its path crumples to the ground and their ability to perform Super attacks is disabled for nearly ten seconds.

MURDER OF CROWS

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	Light x4	1	Confusion	Low

“Dark wings, dark words” as the saying goes, and this relic from BioShock Infinite is definitely the harbinger of bad news for opponents caught in its path. Pressing any attack button unleashes a stream of crows from your hands, flying across the screen and passing through opponents until they hit a wall. Any enemies caught in the Murder’s path become confused, with their movement controls reversed and attack inputs mixed up. The crows continue to swarm their victim for the duration of the confusion effect, casing several light AP penalties over time. Because of its specific effect, the Murder of Crows is most useful when used against human opponents.

RAZOR CLAWS

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	Light (yellow); medium (red)	4	Powerful 3-hit combo, air dive attack	Ground attack: eject tornado; air attack: crumple, eject tornado (aerial foe)	Low

When Ratchet & Clank entered this fight, they sure did bring a lot of their toys with them! The Razor Claws give any character a three-hit combo, produced by simply pressing any attack button three times in a row. Landing four attacks within a short period of time causes the blades to turn from yellow to red, increasing the AP penalty from 3% to 5% of the opponent’s total AP. Attacking from the air forces your character to fly downward at a 45-degree angle, much like a dive kick, and causes any opponents caught in its path into a crumple state.

Each successfully combo reduces the available ammo by one, regardless if the entire combo connects with an opponent. With its poor AP generation and limited defensive options, the Razor Claws are rarely worth your time. Even the slowest of the slow characters have combo attacks that produce more AP energy faster than the Razor Claws ever could.

NANOTECH CRATE

Image	Ammo	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	Releases 100AP worth of AP Orbs	—	High

Who doesn’t love free AP? By attacking the crate or opening it with , the Nanotech Crate produces ten AP Orbs worth 10AP each. To ensure your enemies don’t run off your newly found energy source, trying manually opening it by pressing instead of using an attack so that your character comes in contact with all of the AP Orbs first.

RPG-7 ROCKET LAUNCHER

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	Heavy	3 shots	Eject tornado	Medium

Ah, the old reliable rocket launcher. This three-shot wonder can be fired up, down, left, or right by simply holding the left stick in the desired direction and pressing any attack button. It can also be fired downward in the air, or from a crouching position to catch smaller characters like Sackboy or PaRappa. The rocket fires in a straight line and any enemy unfortunate enough to get caught by the explosion loses a whopping 10% of their entire AP stash!

SACKBOT

Image	AP Penalty	Duration	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	Light x5	10 seconds	—	Slow; limited jump	High

This cute little guy from LittleBigPlanet is just looking for somebody to love. Press any attack button to send Sackbot in search for an opponent to snuggle. Once attached, the affected character looses three percent of their total AP per second, along with a significant reduction in movement speed and jump height. Once Sackbot has had its fill—usually about five- to seven-seconds of hugging, touching, and squeezing— Sackbot leaps off the opponent looking to spread the love to another All-Star.

Sackbots ability to move around on its own and seek out targets makes it an excellent item to annoy your foes. If you see Sackbot spawn, go for it immediately and throw it a soon as it’s in your character’s hands. Otherwise, it could be your character that ends up feeling the bad touch.

SPEAR OF DESTINY

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	Medium + 10AP to attacker; light (foes caught by explosion)	3 hits	Lift, then eject tornado	Low

Another item from the Gods, the Spear of Destiny gives your character two attack options. On the ground, the Spear of Destiny force an opponent to lift up off the ground before the Olympian energy stored within explodes, sending the enemy flying in an eject tornado state. Any opponents caught in the explosion suffer a light AP penalty, too.

In the air, the Spear of Destiny fires an invisible projectile downwards at a 45-degree angle with the same devastating results. Any opponents caught in the secondary explosion are sent flying, making the Spear of Destiny a good item for clearing out clusters of opponents. However, much like the Razor Claws, this item gives your character limited offensive options and your best bet is to most likely stick with your basic attacks.

SONIC RIFT

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	—	1	Shock	Medium

Pulled from the arsenal of the ModNation Racer universe, the Sonic Rift item bounces across the level producing miniature sonic booms that shock any All-Star caught in its path. This item is great for putting a stop to all of your opponents at once, or setting up a free kill by locking a nearby opponent in place so you can line up a Super attack.

STURGEON

Image	AP Gain	Ammo	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	50; heavy AP Penalty on contact with foe	3 hits	31AP of super armor during wind-up	Eject tornado	Low

This big fish packs one heck of a punch! Holding any attack button causes your character to wind up like a major league hitter, swinging for the rafters the moment you release the button. Should the helpless victim come into contact with another opponent, both characters suffer a heavy AP penalty. The fish bestows super armor on your character while winding up, allowing your character to absorb 31AP worth of attacks before getting knocked out of the wind-up animation.

If you’re going for the big hits, watch out for enemies getting close to your position. Should they go for a normal attack, release the button and watch them fly into the cheap seats. However, should an opponent attempt to throw your character then you’re plum out of luck: the fish won’t connect in time to avoid the grapple.

EPIC ITEMS

Epic items are some of the most powerful relics from their respective PlayStation universes, spawning very rarely and almost always towards the end of a match. These items are called “epic” for a reason, as most of them cause unbelievable AP penalties, cover large areas of the map, or cause strong status effects that leave your opponents exposed. Needless to say, when you see the telltale purple glow of an epic item preparing to spawn, drop whatever you’re doing and make it your top priority to grab it before your opponents.

FUSION BOMB

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Hit Effect	Priority
	Heavy; light (bomblettes)	1	Full launch	Highest

Once released, the Fusion Bomb creates a powerful explosion that releases thirteen bomblettes that bounce around the entire level. The bomblettes can pass up through thin platforms, but bounce off of them from above.

There is no escape for any opponent on the map, and everyone (except you, of course) should expect to suffer some loss of AP. While your enemies are being juggled around in the air by the bomblettes, scoop up all the AP Orbs they drop on the ground and hit them with a Super attack just as they fall back to earth!

GRAVITY SHIELD

Image	AP Penalty	Duration	Buffs	Priority
	—	10 seconds	Immune to 200AP of attacks, throws, or 1 Super hit	Highest

The Gravity Shield is the ultimate in high-tech protection. On pick-up, a yellow energy barrier surrounds your character instantly, protecting you from 200AP of attacks for a full ten seconds. This immunity extends beyond normal attacks and into unblockable territory, keeping you safe from throws, items, and even Super attacks! However, contact with an active Super attack causes the Gravity Shield to immediately disappear and force your character into an eject tornado state. A small price to pay for sparing your life, and your score!

GREAT MIGHTY SCYTHE

Image	AP Penalty	Ammo	Buffs	Hit Effect	Priority
	-30AP to opponent; +50AP ground hit; +30AP air hit	3 ground hits or 3 air attacks	31AP of super armor during slash	Random ground: float, slow, freeze, confusion; air: confusion	Highest

The Patapon’s may be small, but they’re fierce warriors who know their way around weapons. The Great Mighty Scythe is unique in that it forces your opponent to lose 30AP with every hit, as opposed to a fixed percentage, and causes one of four random status effects on hit. By purposefully missing a swing, you can guess what the next effect awaits your opponent by looking at the color of the energy that emanates from the blade. Green causes a float state, yellow a slow state, blue causes a freeze effect similar to the Freeze Missile, and purple results in confusion. When used in the air the Scythe creates a large tornado, covering about two-thirds of the screen. As the tornado travels across the level, it gently pulls opponents into the air and drops them back down to earth with confusion. The tornados cover almost 2/3rds of the vertical space in a stage, making it a great way to scoop up many adversaries at once.