Castle Crashers Tearing Up PSN

The Behemoth’s critically-acclaimed hyper-violent brawler Castle Crashers has finally made the jump to PSN. Featuring gorgeous hand-drawn HD artwork by Dan Paladin and a twisted sense of humor, it’s a great experience for one to four players.

But it’s a little late. It’s almost exactly two years since it originally released on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Is this game still relevant?

The Behemoth certainly seem to think so. And those gamers who only own a PS3 will finally get a chance to play one of the best brawlers around. Not only that, but their version includes two new trophies over the Xbox’s original set of Achievements, and a new game mode.

The PSN version also includes “Insane Mode”, which is unlocked after beating the game on its regular difficulty. This makes things much more difficult. But there’s a new item store in which players can equip themselves appropriately for the new challenges. One of the new trophies, named “You are Insane”, is highly likely to be awarded for beating Insane mode.

The new game mode on offer is multiplayer volleyball. This can feature optional AI opponents for up to 8-player matches. It’s a curious addition, but Castle Crashers has never really been about creating a realistic medieval experience.

It is good that this game is finally coming to PSN. It’s one of the most well-respected Xbox LIVE Arcade games out there. The visual presentation is immaculate. It’s genuinely amusing (and borderline tasteless at times). It has solid gameplay. And despite a few issues on its original release, online multiplayer is a solid experience, too.

Could this maybe mark the beginning of a number of Xbox LIVE Arcade exclusives making the jump to PSN? It’s not beyond the realm of possibility. PSN offers an alternative revenue stream for developers and publishers. Not everyone who owns a 360 also owns a PS3. And with recent news about the LIVE price increase, some gamers who do own both systems are seriously considering rethinking their “primary” console. Particularly when it comes to multiplayer games. If high-quality multiplayer games are available on the platform that lets people play multiplayer for free, why bother with LIVE? Of course, LIVE still has superior communication and community features. But are they worth the money?

What of those who have already played the game to death on 360? Is a new difficulty level and a volleyball mode going to be enough to tempt them back? Probably not. Unless they have PS3-owning friends who have never experienced the game and want to play multiplayer.

Regardless, Castle Crashers is a high-quality game. And a fine example of just how much $15 can really buy you.

Castle Crashers is available now for $14.99. Those who have never played it before could certainly do far worse than give it a shot.