KickBeat Hits Playstation 3, Vita In September

Unique fighting game KickBeat is headed to PlayStation consoles on September 3, arriving for both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita as a cross-buy download.

A wise, onion-shaped sensei once told me that “kick, punch, it’s all in the mind.” While the deeper meaning of Master Chop Chop’s words elude me to this day, what I took away from his colorful dojo in the PSX classic, Parappa the Rapper, is the fact that music and fisticuffs can be a match made in heaven.

That’s the same type of thinking driving Zen Studios’ latest offering, KickBeat, which is due to bring its unusual blend of rhythm and leg sweeps to PlayStation consoles early next month.

Zen Community Manager Bobby Loertscher dropped by the PlayStation Blog this morning to discuss all of the latest KickBeat details, including that Sept. 3 release date and the fact that the game will be available on both the Vita and PS3 for a single price.

Perhaps best known for its Zen Pinball series, Zen Studios occasionally takes a stroll away from the silver ball to offer something a little bit different. And a rhythm-based fighting game is certainly “different.”

Originally only planned to appear on the Vita, however, Loertscher said that the studio decided to work on a home console version of the game due to fan interest.

“We heard so many of you asking for KickBeat on PS3, so we put our heads down, guzzled gallons of energy drinks, and just made it happen,” she said. “Best of all, once you buy KickBeat on one platform, you get it free on the other. Two screens for the price of one.”