This week is like multiplatform game week. Pretty much everything that drops this week for both the handhelds and the home consoles are multiplatform: Wanted: Weapons of Fate, The Wheelman, Legends of WrestleMania... Looks like the only console to get some exclusives this week is the DS. But enough chitchat. Let's get right on to the release schedules!

Homebrew developer basfreak has released a new game for the PSP, EarthInvasion, where you let yourself be abducted by aliens, sans probing. This is his entry to the NEO Spring Coding Competition. Details after the link.

Download: EarthInvasion v1
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

Homebrew developer bWWd has released an awesome looking sidescrolling beat 'em up game set in the Marvel Universe. Well, set in a barren abandoned town infested with Aliens somewhere in the Marvel Universe. Details after the link.

Download: Marvel 2D sidescrolling fighter demo
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

Want to join the resistance for.. *ahem* some retribution? Sony Bend's upcoming game will be hitting retail very soon, but if you can't wait to trash some alien scum, why not do it homebrew style in a side-scrolling space shooter?

Download: Savior!
Visit: QJ.NET PSP development forums

You've seen every screenshot, watched every movie, pre-ordered and camped out to get a hold of the game on day one, frantically ripped off the wrapping, shoved it into your machine of choice and then... disappointmenton. Here's how we felt, what about you folks?

Homebrew developer Art has released an update to Laser Invaders, the homebrew which lets you hunt down aliens with a real laser blaster. The game makes use of the Go!Cam to detect laser movements to let you shoot down them nasty invaders. So what's new in this version? Changelog after the link.

Download: Laser Invaders v2
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Development Forums

Back when computer role-playing games in the west were considered to be for pimple-faced geeks that used to confine themselves in Dungeons & Dragons, Japan was crazy over Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and others that joined the bandwagon of the successful genre. America and Europe drooled over seductive elves and fought evil wizards for ages, while the land of the rising sun encountered bizarre creatures and embraced kids that eventually save the world.

Proving which of the two types is superior has been a hot topic for dedicated fans, making it interesting how what's enjoyable to some is simply odd to others. Only a few wouldn't favor one over the other, while the rest point at flaws apparent on both sides. Let's take a look at the elements that make western RPGs (WRPG) so different from Japanese RPGs (JRPG), and what strong points they have that leave gamers craving for more.

WRPG and JRPG girls face-off

Characters
Almost all WRPGs place players in the shoes of the main character. It's not an easy task (if not impossible) to name titles from renown developers like Black Isle Studios, Bethesda Softworks, and Bioware that don't offer aspiring adventurers the option to create their own characters. We've always seen humans, elves, dwarves, and other races take up various classes like fighters, clerics, wizards, and thieves.

Some argue that JRPGs aren't immersive because players are forced to play soon-to-be-heroes or warriors of light, but Japanese gamers seem to enjoy playing as someone else and are even able to relate with over-the-top personalities. Mute characters made to involve players in the story aren't enough to silence nitpickers, yet they seem to be effective as proven by Chrono Trigger and Pokemon. Instead of having cookie-cutter races and classes persistent in RPGs from the other side of the world, Japan had young boys fighting aliens and troubled esper girls escaping slavery.

We've only touched on the element of character here, so if you want to read the rest of this quick peek at the differences of WRPGs and JRPGs, then head on to the full article.

Last time, we brought you the Alien Syndrome developer diary for Wii controls straight from senior designer Jeff Kung. Recently, he sat down with Gamespot for a video to get us acquainted with the weapons.

Of course, how would you obliterate the gazillion aliens in Alien Syndrome if you didn't have the proper hardware? According to Kung, the weapons (20 total) will be introduced to players gradually. The weapons will get better and better as players progress through the game. He also mentioned how the proficiencies would work with weapons (think of them as skill trees) and how, throughout the game, players could upgrade their implements of death.

Sounds mighty interesting, doesn't it? Totally Games and Sega's alien-smashing adventure is set to hit the PSP and the Wii on July 10. To learn more, just click on the embed below.

When you're out to kill aliens, it goes without saying that you have to have a lot of alien-killing weapons at your disposal. Projectile weapons, explosives, weapons that burn your enemies until they're golden brown and beyond -- all of these and more are available to players in Sega's Alien Syndrome for the Sony PSP and the Nintendo Wii.

If you're looking for something to blow away aliens with, check out the abridged list of weapons available in Alien Syndrome below. You can check out more of these weapons by clicking on the "read" link.

Kruger & Thompson 10 Gauge Semi-Automatic High Powered Shotgun (Projectile) - It has limited range, but anything that gets close enough will definitely feel the Blastcannon's power. It fires out in a wide cone and is great for clearing massed enemies.

BlastCorp Ti-E Isotope Gravity Dispenser (Explosive) - This demolitions weapon fires like an artillery shell that detonates when it lands doing area of effect damage. The bomb launcher can shoot over obstacles and will be very useful when your enemies are hiding behind cover.

Kruger & Thompson 22mm Heavy Repeater Chaingun (Projectile) - The chain gun eats through ammo like crazy, but it also mows down hordes of enemies in the process. There's a short charge up period before it fires, but since it has long enough range, proper timing and accuracy on the part of the user make it a very effective suppression weapon.

PyroBlast Tech PB-4 Incendiary Geyser (Incendiary) - Remember when we mentioned burning enemies until they're golden brown and beyond? That's what the Flame Geyser is for. This is the most powerful of the flame weapons. It detonates at a medium range from the player and gouts of flame shoot up from the floor upon detonation, engulfing any aliens in its area of effect for massive amounts of damage. The detonation is a bit delayed, so it's not recommended for close quarters combat.

For more on the weapons in Alien Syndrome, click on the "read" link below.

We know that most games with the word alien on the title is bound to be have us annihilating aliens from here to the ends of the universe. Alien Syndrome from Totally Games promises to be just that, with the addition of role playing elements.

Alien Syndrome was given a makeover from the old Sega classic into a sci-fi action RPG shooter (try saying that very fast). Then think of the title's heroine - Earth Command Trooper Aileen Harding - as a fully customizable Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies. Players can choose to specialize in different styles of combat. She travels around alien infested ships and alien planets so you'll definitely need those specialties and skill upgrades.

It features a single player campaign and a co-op multiplayer mode of up to four players. To battle the hordes of 100 different aliens, players will be able to utilize 20 different weapons including everyone's favorite flamethrower, quad-barreled lasers, the infinitely fun to use nanobot swarms that "eat" enemies up and incendiary grenades. The arcade shooter gameplay is fast paced and engaging - maybe both for casual and hardcore gamers.

Here are the rest of the features:

• 100 enemies, 15 sub-bosses and five main bosses to fight, using 80 weapons and hundreds of armor types and bonus items.
• 15 intricate levels and take on multiple side quests – 20+ hours of action-packed adventure.
• Choose from several character classes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Upgrade your character stats as she grows in experience, accessing a host of new abilities and game features. Your loyal robot assistant also fights alongside you, exchanging and improving your weapons and armor at any time.

Alien Syndrome will blast to the shelves in May of this year. We'll keep you posted for more updates so stay tuned.