I recently got a PSP, and figured I'd do a write up about my thoughts on it so far. I got the Piano Black PSP Core System, 5 games, 2.0G Memory Card, and a USB cable. The games I got are:
- Patapon
- God of War: Chains of Olympus
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Jeanne D'Arc
After opening the PSP. my first task was to setup the Wi-Fi connections for use with my router. This proved to take longer then expected, but in the end it was all my fault. I was entering the wrong password for the past hour. :/ Once it was all setup, I updated the Firmware to 3.80 and did some browsing on the Internet to see how well the browser functioned. A bit of a side note: I have a PS3, so the browser and XMB are familiar to me. Here are a few things one should note about the browser:
- The system used for typing is sort of like a phone, and it can be frustrating and time consuming.
- Most pages don't display well, if at all. Even with the various resizing features.
- The Wi-Fi operates on 802.11b. So if your router doesn't support that, take note.
- As it operates on 802.11b, speeds are quite slow.
- The only real use for the browser is preforming searches or checking email. There is not much else to do with it.
Anyways, after all this I decided to play a game. I first played GTA: Liberty City Stores. One thing that became apparent very quickly for me was the difficulty I had using the analog control stick. Luckily, GTA: LCS has the option to switch do D-pad controls. This helped, but I know that not all games support this and I need to get used to using the analog control. Another thing I noticed was that when driving in a car, my eyes started to hurt. The fast moving picture didn't bode well with my eyes. I think it may have something to do with the FPS decrease when driving. Moving the screen further away helped, but didn't completely fix the situation.
After about an hour of play, my thumbs started to hurt. I was expecting this to happen. The PSP is a well designed system. It was designed to maximize screen resolution and fit everything in a neat and tidy package. If you have large hands, you know that portable systems are going to feel odd. (Except maybe the DS, with it's pen system.) The only remedy for this is to play in short sessions; about an hour to an hour and a half. Carpal tunnel syndrome is definitely something you want to avoid. I've played a bit more GTA over the past few days, and have come to the following conclusions:
- It's a good game. Especially if you liked GTA 3. (Who didn't?)
- If you're used to playing GTA, you won't have much trouble knowing what to do. However, if you are new to the PSP and aren't used to it's controls, you are going to have some trouble.
- Aiming, Driving (especially drive-bys) and Combat are difficult with the PSP's control scheme.
- It's still a good game.
After resting my hands a bit, I decided to play Patapon. This is a great game. It's essentially a rhythm game, but it also has RPG elements. Here is a rundown:
- It's awesome.
- The art style is great.
- The music is equally great.
- The music can get on your nerves after a while. (Especially since you have to play the same beat over and over to move your army, make them attack, defend and so on)
- If you're into RPGs and gear collecting then you will really appreciate those elements.
- No multiplayer.
Elaborating on the last point, I'm not a big fan of multiplayer. (outside of MMOs) Normally, I could care less if a game includes it. However, I feel this game would really benefit from it. It would be a lot of fun raising a huge army and pitting it against another player. It's a shame they didn't include any MP, it really would have added some replay value and another excuse to keep playing after you've completed the story to gear up your army.
The next day, I played Jeanne D'Arc. Now, let me first state that I LOVE Level 5. Everything they make is pure gold. (Except Dragon Quest VIII. I didn't care for it....) So my opinion may be a bit biased. This game is awesome though. The first thing I really loved was the art style. Sure, the Anime cutscenes are great, but the in-game art is equally well done. Here are a few points to take note of:
- Go buy it now.
- It rocks.
- The Anime cutscenes really help tell the story, and add an extra dimension to the characters and world.
- The battle system may seem like a traditional RPG's turn based system, but Jeanne's transformation ability makes it unique.
- The voice acting is...ok. They are going for a French accent here, I know. But...I don't know. Maybe actual French actors would have been better.
- It's a real time thief. I've caught myself playing for hours on end without even noticing.
So far, these are the only games I've had time to play. Between GTA, Jeanne D'Arc, Patapon and WoW, time is limited. I look forward to playing the other games, especially God Of War, as I've heard good things about it. But until there are more hours added to the day, or I finish one of the other games they will have to wait. I also have Field Commander, Monster Hunter Freedom and Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions rented from GameFly. So....yeah....I have a lot of games to play.
