My thoughts on the PSP so far

[gmfuss]

OK, I have had my PSP for a week now and so far I am unimpressed. I have only played the three games I own: THUG2, MLB, and Lumines. All these are possibly the highest rated games thus far by the major game ratings places (IGN, EGM, and Gamespot), yet all leave me wanting something more.

Tony Hawk is the one I played the most so far, and the more I do, the more I get pissed off at it. I know this series is a little played out and boring, but one thing it always had going for it was spot-on tight controls. On the PSP it is anything but. The shitty GBA ports have better controls than this one. Simple things like reverts and manuals are a chore, and it moves too fast for the sloppy controls to make it almost unplayble. Everything just feels unresponsive and 1-2 seconds behind. There are also inexcusable glitches and incosistancies in this version too.

Lumines is good for the puzzle fix, but it too has control issues. It too seems slow to respond, and slowdown occurs way too much for such a simple game. The switching from one skin and song to the next just kills gameplay. Also, some of the skins make it way too hard to keep focused on the game itself. Overall, this is still a great game, but am I the only one to get really buggy-eyed after playing it for more than a few minutes. Even now as i type it is hard for me to focus.

MLB Baseball seems OK, but I have yet to put in a lot of gameplay. I have noticed tho that it too has that weird unresponiveness, but it didnt hurt much in the one or two full games i did play too much.

The system itself is solid, and the rantings so far seem unfounded. I got a second shipment US version (value pack w/o Spiderman2) and although it is definately not as solid as my GBASP, it is a good machine if you treat it like a grown up. I have only 1 dead pixel, and it isnt really dead, it just wont go black. It goes every other color, and is in the lower right corner, so there is no way you notice it during gameplay. The battery seems OK for my around the house play, but taking it on a trip might suck a little. I get over 4 hours on a charge, more that enough when it only takes 2 hrs to recharge comepletely. The load times do suck for a portable, but I have been playing a lot of Saturn stuff lately and I can be a little forgiving on excessive loading.

In all, i am still wanting more. I am hoping the game issues I have so far are just first gen stuff, and the problems will be taken care of in the newer games. I do see the potential here with this system, and maybe once my memory card and USB cable arrive I will have a different outlook on it when I can play videos too. I know it is a portable system and I may be wanting too much of a console feel, but I am happy with almost everything the GBA and NGPC already offer, so I dont think that is the case. I dont see it taking much time away from my GBA, at least not in the long run.

This is just my 2 cents, I felt like I need to rant a little. What do you guys think. Do you also feel the same way, or am i just retarded and dont get it.

 

[msu89dawgs]

I've bought a PSP almost a month ago; from a manufacturing and QA standpoint, I've been disappointed with it, seeing as I had to go through four systems with either stuck pixels or air bubbles and/or scratches on the screen cover, which were noticeable during gameplay. On my fifth and current PSP, which I've had for a week now, the screen has no stuck or dead pixels, and there are no other flaws that I've seen. This is unacceptable, and Sony needs to rectify this problem immediately. Many others have gone through similar experiences. For $250, you expect a certain level of product quality, especially when I haven't seen such problems with any of Nintendo's handhelds (and I've owned every permutation of the Gameboy from the original to the GBA SP, except the Gameboy Pocket, as well as having two DS's, one for each of my sons - I do play a little WarioWare Touched, and the occasional Metal Slug Advance).

Discounting the above mentioned problems, from a hardware standpoint I've been very impressed by the PSP. The picture quality is exceptional, easily the best I've seen in a handheld. The graphics capabilities are a big leap over any other handheld as well. The speakers need improvement, although with headphones this isn't an issue. The ergonomics of the size, shape and control layout of the PSP are better than any other handheld I've tried, although the shoulder buttons are a little less than ideal for my taste. It would be nice to have some built-in protection for the screen without having to get a third-party add-on. My biggest qualm is with the battery life, which needs to be improved. I also understand that the processors are currently throttled back, presumably to conserve on the already short battery charge life. This really needs to be improved with a longer charge life battery.

I have five games for the PSP so far: Ridge Racer, Darkstalkers Chronicles, Wipeout Pure, Tiger Woods Golf and MLB. MLB is getting most of my play right now, and I haven't noticed the control sluggishness you mention. It feels better than my PC MVP Baseball 2004, with which I use a Logitech Rumblepad 2 gamepad. The analog thumbstick does take some getting used to, but it feels more natural the more I use it. Overall, the control layout is as good as any handheld I've used.

I may put MP3's on a memory stick at some point; right now, I am just using it for gaming. I don't know what percentage of people who have one will use it as anything other than a gaming machine. I can't see too many cases where I would sit through an entire UMD movie; I have a nice home theater setup in my house, I have a Clarion in-dash DVD player with a 10.2" Clarion LCD screen in our main travelling vehicle, and I have a notebook PC with a 12" LCD and a DVD-ROM drive, so I don't see the need to invest in any UMD movies.

Overall, I am very happy with the PSP. I don't see quantity of game development support being a problem; whether the type of games that are released for the PSP suits your taste is an individual issue, so I won't comment on that. There are a number of games announced for it that I am interested in, and I hope it can coexist with Nintendo, who I expect will maintain their leadership in the handheld arena for the foreseeable future.

 

[gmw]

Tony Hawk is the one I played the most so far, and the more I do, the more I get pissed off at it. I know this series is a little played out and boring, but one thing it always had going for it was spot-on tight controls. On the PSP it is anything but. The shitty GBA ports have better controls than this one. Simple things like reverts and manuals are a chore, and it moves too fast for the sloppy controls to make it almost unplayble. Everything just feels unresponsive and 1-2 seconds behind. There are also inexcusable glitches and incosistancies in this version too.

It took me a while to adjust to playing THUG on the PSP, but now that I'm fixed on the controls, I'm not having any problems. Flicking the analog stick for focus mode is done well, and everything from manual tricks on down seems easy to me now. If there's one thing I agree with you on, it's that the game does move slightly too fast for the PSP. Still all problems aside, I was pretty blown away by THUG2 - the graphic quality is INSANE for a handheld, the frame rate is amazing, and the play (although it does take getting used to the control and feel) is pretty much spot on.

I understand some of your other thoughts on the system generally, but maybe you were expecting too much of it.

I bought a PSP thinking that I'd try it out, probably wouldn't like it and then sell it on - instead I was knocked out by Ridge Racers and Lumines, by the ability to load full movies onto my memory stick, etc.

Give it some time, try some other games out. Especially Ridge Racers - it's just amazing, brilliant software.

 

[msu89dawgs]

I bought a PSP thinking that I'd try it out, probably wouldn't like it and then sell it on - instead I was knocked out by Ridge Racers and Lumines, by the ability to load full movies onto my memory stick, etc.

That was my story, too. I debated for several days over whether to get one. I didn't figure I'd play it enough to justify the cost. But I wanted to try it out, and don't know anyone else that has one. I finally gave in and got one, along with RR and Darkstalkers. Ridge Racer is really what got me hooked on it. MLB and Tiger Woods have only reinforced my decision to keep it.

 

[gmfuss]

I understand some of your other thoughts on the system generally, but maybe you were expecting too much of it.

I bought a PSP thinking that I'd try it out, probably wouldn't like it and then sell it on - instead I was knocked out by Ridge Racers and Lumines, by the ability to load full movies onto my memory stick, etc.

Give it some time, try some other games out. Especially Ridge Racers - it's just amazing, brilliant software.

I agree, maybe I was expecting too much. The grafix are amazing for a handheld, and I am not giving up on it yet. The ability to play movies, both UMD and from the memory card really intrigue me, even if I too probly wont have much time or need to sit thru full movies on it. It has potential, and I will keep it for a long time to come.

 

[iamyagami22]

At first i hated the psp and i kept dissing it, even after i played it a little... so one boring saturday afternoon i went to the bank took out some money and got one.. i was very happy with it, i got darkstalkers which is awesome, then i put some music on it, then i got wipeout pure which is feckin sweet, and a few days ago i picked up metal gear ac!d which is probably my favorite psp game now. With the announcement of coded arms, death jr., Advent shadow, gekido , infected and a few others, this system is looking really good IMO, also i am certain that sony will release a bigger battery later on and most likely have to drop the bundle and sell the system bare for 200$, if they do this i am positive that the DS is sunk unless Castlevania DS is the best Castlevania ever.

All in all i love system, i have no dead pixels or problems, i take it out of the house everyday, ride my bike with it in my pocket, let my friends play it and walk around school with it in my pocket, and still have no problems, people make it out to be this fragile pos but actually it's pretty durable(5 or 6 drops and no problems yet).

Bottom line: the system actually lived up to the hype this time around.

 

[TonK]

At first i hated the psp and i kept dissing it, even after i played it a little... so one boring saturday afternoon i went to the bank took out some money and got one.. i was very happy with it, i got darkstalkers which is awesome, then i put some music on it, then i got wipeout pure which is feckin sweet, and a few days ago i picked up metal gear ac!d which is probably my favorite psp game now. With the announcement of coded arms, death jr., Advent shadow, gekido , infected and a few others, this system is looking really good IMO, also i am certain that sony will release a bigger battery later on and most likely have to drop the bundle and sell the system bare for 200$, if they do this i am positive that the DS is sunk unless Castlevania DS is the best Castlevania ever.

All in all i love system, i have no dead pixels or problems, i take it out of the house everyday, ride my bike with it in my pocket, let my friends play it and walk around school with it in my pocket, and still have no problems, people make it out to be this fragile pos but actually it's pretty durable(5 or 6 drops and no problems yet).

Bottom line: the system actually lived up to the hype this time around.

No facts, just opinions.

You present the worst arguments.

 

[C.A.R25]

It may not ever match Nintendo's quality sturdiness...

... but the PSP has made me respect the handheld genre again. The GBA was OK as a piece of hardware (Nintendo should have included backlighting!) but the only real reason I got it was for the SNES quality games, not because it had "Nintendo" on it.


Same goes for the PSP, I got it for the DC/PS2 quality games shrunken down on the go... I missed out on DC and PS2 days, I only have owned my DC for around 1 1/2years... and I only ever play PS2 at a demo station.


Right now, I have little to no worries about the PSP's ability to withstand a hit, because I have never dropped any of my stuff, and I have a 1year warranty thing from EB that lets you replace a unite even from negligence.

IMHO the PSP is something that should have came out 5years ago, instead it was another handheld from a well-known monopoly.

 

[iamyagami22]

No facts, just opinions.

uh yeah... thats the entire point of this discussion MY OPINION of the psp. nobody said that this the law of the land and everybody needs to get a psp.

 

[Liquid Snake]

PSP is just another show-piece console in my collection

I love to hear the "WOW" sound when I show it to my friends........

 

[msu89dawgs]

PSP is just another show-piece console in my collection

I love to hear the "WOW" sound when I show it to my friends........

That's pretty much the universal reaction I've gotten from the people I've shown mine to, both when they saw the games and the Spider-Man 2 movie, and when I told them the price (although the tones they used were different). I don't consider mine a show-piece by any stretch, though; I am playing it as much or more than any other game system I have right now.

 

[Teela]

Is there a side by side stat comparison for the PSP and the Caveman handheld made by Tandy / Tomy?

Not sure I want to buy one, unless it can stack up to the raw power of the CAVEMAN!

http://www.miniarcade.com/miniarcade.htm

 

[Orpheus]

You present the worst arguments.

No facts, just hype.......or drama, whichever one you feel free to use.

 

[Electroman]

Mercury- Easily my favorite amongst this batch of games I got to play this weekend. It is SO my type of game; prob b/c I find mercury itself intriguing. And Chips Challenge for Lynx was just absolute mad fun so is this.

MLB- Very impressive. I don't like baseball but I was very impressed with this title! Excellent use of graphics. I can only imagine how good a football game could be on it.

UTL- Its ok, didn't get to play it much. I like the static art graphics, and you can't go wrong with dungeon hacks. I imagine it be real fun with MP.

NFS- Sucks. The analog pad is too sensitive; should have lograthmic response. I kept bouncing my car left and right. Many others who tried it thought the same. Gfx are nice though, but a driver with poor control is nothing more than pong to me.

And the hardware itself is so sexy to sin. Easily one of the sweetest pieces of hardware I have ever held/seen in my life.

 

[BIG]

I'm loving mine. The PSP has met and surpassed,every and all of my expectations!

Here are a few of my favorite games at the moment:

Ridge Racer - Hands-down,the most fun I've had playing a racing game in quite sometime. Top-notch.

Wipe-Out Pure - A close second. Great presentation,tight controls and very addicting.

Minna no Golf - Basically a pocket-sized,updated version of NTM. Yes,it's that good!

Soukyu no Fafner - Japanese Mech game. Features anime-style cut scenes and fully-voiced spoken dialogues. A good showcase title.

Lumines - Modern-day Tetris,'nuff said.

B-