I think this is actually a bad idea. If people spend money on this game they might pass on VF5FS later.

They should have held off on releasing this game until after FS.

PS3 only, the PS2 releases are incompatible with the PSP and Vita.

I'll pick this up even though I already have a physical copy.

I don't think it was a bad move... This had the best tutorial, plus it gives people a reason to at least try the game out to get a feel for it, especially those people who wanted to try it, but couldn't because they couldn't find the game to buy it in the first place or those who wanted to buy it, but actually liked T4 to play it continually instead.

It's just the right time. Those that wanna learn, or step their game up, they can do it effectively, without the fear of either:

1. Trying to play VF5 online and getting stomped by online pros who either don't help the new player at all, or criticize the new player for doing a very unsafe move after recovering from -20 on block (not everyone does that though).

2. Trying to play VF5 online and getting stomped by another noob who knows enough to whore tactics or use lag tactics, ultimately forcing the new player to quit the game altogether.

OR

3. Trying to play VF5 online and constantly going through the process of Search-->Player Not Found-->Search-->Player Not Found-->(repeat)...

It's one of PSN's "PS2 Classics", PS2 exclusive games get put up on there, like God Hand and such.

Hopefully it'll be available on the USA PSN soon.

Obviously you're not familiar with PS2 classics on PSN.

Sony can port any PS1 or PS2 game to play on PS3 via software emulation. (First gen PS3's can play any PS1 or PS2 game disc within their region by using hardware emulation).

Sony has been putting certain classic PS1 games on PSN for over two years now. They have just started placing PS2 games a few months ago.

Sega's only part with this was most likely giving Sony the consent for it to be available on PSN.

I bought it about two minutes ago, and just waiting for it to download now(all 1.8GBs of it). It will hopefully help me improve the technical side of my game, and give me more reason to actually learn the other characters.

I have still got a physical copy, but my PS2 joystick is a terrible mod I did with GC hori stick/PS2 pad, and I recently had to repair my original 60GB phat from playing VF4Evo after the 4.1 firmware. This time I reflowed the PS2 chips in it aswell as the RSX/Cell, and have been reluctant to use for non-PS3 games since I noticed those PS2 chips are passively cooled.

Looking forward to giving it a go later tonight, when the lounge TV is free.

Spoke to soon, this is very rope emulation in places. Downloaded the game, and fired it up on the slim, straight out the blocks forgot to create a PS2 memory card in the XMB, so tried to exit to the menu with my official PS3 Hori RAPV3-SA that works great now on the 60gb & physical copy. But the ps button doesn't work and I have to use a pad to access the feature to quit the game.

Next up I select 60hz, configure the buttons for the joystick and head to command mode with Akira to check the 720p/smoothing is working. I get as far a , before something feels wrong, simple move and yet for love nor money seems really really difficult to get the second to come out. Firstly I start thinking it is the joysticks button speeds are set wrong, so set them to position two(middle) of three(rather than default of position one) and the move comes out on the first attempt, but the hit causes significant slow down. next I turn off the upscaling and smoothing, and it did seem to help reduce the level of slow down.

Continuing on to the next moves and I manage to get most of them to come out easy, but the slow down is still really bad on the multi hit combos/reversals, and easy moves like +,,(that is slightly different from VF5) and (release before landing) require the joystick buttons set back to position one or they just won't come out(yet work fine on my 60GB with the retail disc and same joystick).

Thinking it might just me being crap and rusty at the game, I went through all his moves four times in a row and consistently got the same results, so I think this actually will need patched for a proper makeover to rewrite areas of the original game to use the PS3 architecture natively rather than emualtion.

I'll stick with it for a few weeks to see if it is fine in game, without the input and advice overlays, but so far, it is looking like it won't be great for Vf4Evo dojo after all.

My physical copy is pretty worn out, so I suppose I could keep this as backup.

Hiya - I was wondering if the emulation of the game has improved now since its like been 6 months or so since released on PSN - I was thinking of getting it but if its not up to scratch it seems a waste of time and money?