Im contemplating grabbing a handheld sometime in the near future, and from everything Im reading/hearing/seeing/whatever, the PSP is the wya to go.
But $300? And it doesnt even do HD...
Are there any 'killer' games that are gonna blow me away so that after I buy it I can immediately pop it in and avoid buyer's remorse? How fragile(or not) is it? Is this a 'drop-it-once-and-it's-toast' or is it built for the 'real world'? Memory cards: worth it or not? And please explain your answer.
Last but not least, anyone know where to pick this thing up cheaper than ~$250(~$300 with 1GB mem stick)? Id really feel much better about the whole thing if I could find this for ~$200.
Thanks!!
OR
cry in a corner that the world has come to a point where you have to pay for imaginary shit.
Be glad to try to help you, I just bought one late last week.
Killer games? I hear the Grand Theft Auto is pretty awesome, as well as Madden 2006 for it. Personally, for me, I am loving Hot Shots Golf, and I highly recommend it. For pick up and play fun, I bought Pinball Hall of Fame and it is quite fun.
Its fairly fragile, I wouldn't let your kids play it. Don't get me wrong, it is VERY well made, but with a screen that large, without a cover, there is a good chance that if you aren't careful every time, you could scratch it. Also, the door on the back where the games go in ejects with some force, so there is always the chance of wear affecting that, though I haven't heard of any problems. If you are like me, and anal about taking care of stuff, then you won't have problems. If you are the kind that tosses things around and hates keeping things clean, it may not be the system for you. Oh, another thing, get prepared to wipe the PSP off after every use, it is impossible to keep fingerprint free. It definitely requires much more care and maintenance than a DS would.
Ya gotta have a memory card, though it comes with a 32MB. Thats good for a couple of game saves, but no photos, music, or movies. I bought a 256MB yesterday and I can EASILY a 1 hour Battlestar Galactica episode on that, as well as all my game saves and some music. If you want more video, I recommend a 1GB card, which you can buy for 70 bucks at Wal-Mart, or a dollar or two cheaper from newegg.com.
Used would we the only way to buy it cheaper, but I would not go that route.
Hope I helped, be glad to answer any other questions you have.
I did the exact same thing a few weeks ago and decided the DS was the way to go - If they were similar price I may have gone PSP just because it has more "horsepower" but I'm extremely happy with my DS purchase. I think you'll be happy with either though, but I've seen lots of people who have said "I love the PSP but I rarely play it because of there are not many games I want for it". I don't see the same complaint for the DS.
Also DS games $30-$35 plus you can buy cheap GBA games.
PSP games $40
I would say if I had a gameboy SP (I had a regular GBA with the crappy backlighting (i.e. none)) I might have gone PSP because really besides the stylus and the "dual screen" thing the games are real similar so far to the GBA as far as graphics and gameplay. The Wi-Fi is real neat though too, especially in games like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart.
I would go with a DS. I think you've already decided on a PSP, but I'll still offer my opinion anyway.
The DS, aside from being cheaper($129) is a very slick system. The touch screen has led to some very neat games(WarioWare Touched and Pac-Pix to mention two) and the second screen is very useful as an additional view into the game. Sometimes it is an important part of gameplay, sometimes its simply useful as a map or alternate interface area.
There are already several great games for the DS- the two I mentioned above as well as Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Castlevania, and Kirby:Canvas Curse to mention a few.
For the cost, you can't go wrong- plus you can play all the Gameboy Advance games, in case you haven't played any of those.
Yeah, but try playing a game of football on the DS. Madden 06 on the PSP is amazing, as is NBA Live 06. If you're a sports gamer at all, the PSP is fantastic.
Burnout is a must-have. Wipeout Pure is a great arcade racer. Virtua Tennis is very good.
Metal Gear Solid is one of the best strategy games available for a handheld.
Platformers? Medieval and Death Jr are both good - Medieval being better, I think.
Lumines is a great game, if you're into the Tetris/puzzle type of games.
There are some very good RPGs, LOTR: Tactics, Kingdom of Paradise, Legend of Heroes.
jament wrote:Yeah, but try playing a game of football on the DS. Madden 06 on the PSP is amazing, as is NBA Live 06. If you're a sports gamer at all, the PSP is fantastic.
Burnout is a must-have. Wipeout Pure is a great arcade racer. Virtua Tennis is very good.
Metal Gear Solid is one of the best strategy games available for a handheld.
Platformers? Medieval and Death Jr are both good - Medieval being better, I think.
Lumines is a great game, if you're into the Tetris/puzzle type of games.
There are some very good RPGs, LOTR: Tactics, Kingdom of Paradise, Legend of Heroes.
I agree with what jament said regarding sports games. If you're a sports/racing fan, then the PSP is the clear choice. If you're not a fan of these genres, seriously consider a DS or waiting on buying the PSP until more games arrive.
I have to respectfully disagree with jament on some of the titles he mentioned. Death Jr. is unplayable due to bad camera and controls. Metal Gear Acid is fun, but there's much better strategy options on the DS/SP, and you have to be a fan of the Metal Gear series to really get into it. Every review I've read of LOTR: Tactics and Legend of Heroes suggest that they are games to be avoided at all costs.
I love my PSP, but I use it almost exclusively as a media player right now. It's a great system, but the games haven't really lived up to the system's potential yet.
Eyeshield 21 looks awesome and that's a DS football game. Though, it's a weird manga sort of one that looks a little like Ouendan. Can't wait to import it.
Kingdom of Paradise is supposed to blow asschunks. Legend of Heroes I can't comment on, but it's getting a 71% on gamerankings. That's part of the reason I don't own a PSP anymore - not the lack of RPGs (because there are some out) but just how all of them stink.
I didn't like "babying" around my PSP when I owned one. It just didn't seem like a portable system. If I were going somewhere, I couldn't just lay it down somewhere, no, I had to protect it. Don't like that aspect. I suppose it's a sacrifice due to how great the screen looks.
Though, if you're a sports gamer, then I suppose a PSP is the way to go. Just watch out for those loading times.
Depward wrote:Eyeshield 21 looks awesome and that's a DS football game. Though, it's a weird manga sort of one that looks a little like Ouendan. Can't wait to import it.
Kingdom of Paradise is supposed to blow asschunks. Legend of Heroes I can't comment on, but it's getting a 71% on gamerankings. That's part of the reason I don't own a PSP anymore - not the lack of RPGs (because there are some out) but just how all of them stink.
I didn't like "babying" around my PSP when I owned one. It just didn't seem like a portable system. If I were going somewhere, I couldn't just lay it down somewhere, no, I had to protect it. Don't like that aspect. I suppose it's a sacrifice due to how great the screen looks.
Though, if you're a sports gamer, then I suppose a PSP is the way to go. Just watch out for those loading times.
The load times are a thing of the past, in fact, of the games I have, I don't notice any load issues whatsoever. I think they have definitely improved on this.
Depward wrote:Eyeshield 21 looks awesome and that's a DS football game. Though, it's a weird manga sort of one that looks a little like Ouendan. Can't wait to import it.
Kingdom of Paradise is supposed to blow asschunks. Legend of Heroes I can't comment on, but it's getting a 71% on gamerankings. That's part of the reason I don't own a PSP anymore - not the lack of RPGs (because there are some out) but just how all of them stink.
I didn't like "babying" around my PSP when I owned one. It just didn't seem like a portable system. If I were going somewhere, I couldn't just lay it down somewhere, no, I had to protect it. Don't like that aspect. I suppose it's a sacrifice due to how great the screen looks.
Though, if you're a sports gamer, then I suppose a PSP is the way to go. Just watch out for those loading times.
Kingdom of Paradise
Gamespot: 8.0
IGN 7.8
is anything rated Good to Great on other boards considered "asschunks" now?
just pointing out it's supposed to blow asschunks according to YOU, before anyone gets the idea that you're stating a well researched fact. according to me, it's rather fun (yes, i have played it) and most definitely does not blow asschunks.
Because review scores from major gamesites mean everything
does this mean we should only trust you for reviews from now on? you should probably post your home phone number so we can call you for these. there's a whole bunch of games coming up shortly and we need your reviews!
Depward wrote:Because review scores from major gamesites mean everything
8.0 is great eh? 8.0. It might be on the "great" scale, but come on now.
Why don't you go out and buy that "asschunk" game and tell me how it is?
Are you refuting that 8 is a darn good score? As someone that used to review games for the predecessor of this site, I can tell you that when I rated a game at the equivilent of an "8" level, it was a more than positive review and meant that was a pretty damn good game.
You know, I feel the need to respond to both of your really well-written responses which are full of wit, intellect, and trustworthiness (thanks hep - I'll make sure to exchange phone numbers with you later).
But I won't. Because I see the same crap that always seems to going on (such as this "oh, can we only trust reviews from you?!" and jblank asking if I'm refuting that 8 is a good score when obviously a 5th grader could read what I wrote and see that's not what I meant at all) at this forum. It's not even worth the time.
Have fun with your PSP gungho. Listen to these guys on what games you should or shouldn't buy because their opinion obviously counts more than mine.
Depward wrote:
Have fun with your PSP gungho. Listen to these guys on what games you should or shouldn't buy because their opinion obviously counts more than mine.
TheTakeOutBandit: You're not missing much. KoP is really, really shit from the get-go.
Starfire: I like Legend of Heroes better in all honesty, but that was mainly because it was more my type of game even if it didn't try to innovate as much as KoP does, and even that I felt like I've played a thousand times before.
Kung Fu Jedi: I was hoping for something special, and got something very average.
Member of the GG UT2k4 9000 Frag Club Member of the GG UT2k4 Triple Digit Suicide Club TheMissingLink on PSN
Depward wrote:You know, I feel the need to respond to both of your really well-written responses which are full of wit, intellect, and trustworthiness (thanks hep - I'll make sure to exchange phone numbers with you later).
But I won't. Because I see the same crap that always seems to going on (such as this "oh, can we only trust reviews from you?!" and jblank asking if I'm refuting that 8 is a good score when obviously a 5th grader could read what I wrote and see that's not what I meant at all) at this forum. It's not even worth the time.
Have fun with your PSP gungho. Listen to these guys on what games you should or shouldn't buy because their opinion obviously counts more than mine.
Why are you so sensitve and hard to talk to? All I did was ask you a valid question and all Hepcat did was convey his very relevant personal experience with the game and you come back with an overreactive reply. CALM DOWN, sheesh.
If "the way the forum is" bothers you, why come here?
I'm just saying, opinions really vary for pretty much any game out there. Asschunks to one person may be pure bliss to another. The best way to find out if a game is really for you is to research it - that's all. Wasn't "correcting" you, just merely playing the devil's advocate and showing there's as much dislike as there is like.
I recommend Lumines - that's a fun game right there.
Member of the GG UT2k4 9000 Frag Club Member of the GG UT2k4 Triple Digit Suicide Club TheMissingLink on PSN
TheMissingLink wrote:I'm just saying, opinions really vary for pretty much any game out there. Asschunks to one person may be pure bliss to another. The best way to find out if a game is really for you is to research it - that's all. Wasn't "correcting" you, just merely playing the devil's advocate and showing there's as much dislike as there is like.
I recommend Lumines - that's a fun game right there.
Not to step in the middle of this debate, but from what I've read Kingodm of Paradise is a relatively solid title, but takes hits for not having much of a story and being somewhat shallow.
and i totally agree, the best judge of a game's "funability factor" is to just play it yourself first. rent it, if you can. borrow from a friend for a few days (like i did). if it's fun for you, that's all that matters.
TheMissingLink wrote:I'm just saying, opinions really vary for pretty much any game out there. Asschunks to one person may be pure bliss to another. The best way to find out if a game is really for you is to research it - that's all. Wasn't "correcting" you, just merely playing the devil's advocate and showing there's as much dislike as there is like.
I recommend Lumines - that's a fun game right there.
Good advice for anyone there.
Where?
Member of the GG UT2k4 9000 Frag Club Member of the GG UT2k4 Triple Digit Suicide Club TheMissingLink on PSN
Depward wrote:
Have fun with your PSP gungho. Listen to these guys on what games you should or shouldn't buy because their opinion obviously counts more than mine.
It's not so much that Ive made up my mind b/c of what ppl here have to say, it's mostly b/c, as far as Im concerned, Nintendo hasnt put out anything worth owning since the N64. I havent been even a little bit interested in owning anything theyve made in nearly a decade, and I guess I just find it hard to believe that that's all changed with the DS.
Ill be sure to give it a closer look though. Thanks for the heads up.
OR
cry in a corner that the world has come to a point where you have to pay for imaginary shit.
Depward wrote:
Have fun with your PSP gungho. Listen to these guys on what games you should or shouldn't buy because their opinion obviously counts more than mine.
It's not so much that Ive made up my mind b/c of what ppl here have to say, it's mostly b/c, as far as Im concerned, Nintendo hasnt put out anything worth owning since the N64. I havent been even a little bit interested in owning anything theyve made in nearly a decade, and I guess I just find it hard to believe that that's all changed with the DS.
Ill be sure to give it a closer look though. Thanks for the heads up.
The DS is great, no doubt about it, and at this point, I probably like it a bit more than my PSP. Its got its limitations though.
GungHo wrote:
It's not so much that Ive made up my mind b/c of what ppl here have to say, it's mostly b/c, as far as Im concerned, Nintendo hasnt put out anything worth owning since the N64. I havent been even a little bit interested in owning anything theyve made in nearly a decade, and I guess I just find it hard to believe that that's all changed with the DS.
Ill be sure to give it a closer look though. Thanks for the heads up.
I think the DS is best system out right now. Better than ps2 and better than xbox 360. The psp is not even close.
However, I think it is great because I like the games. If the games aren't doing it for you there is no reason to get the thing. I play animal crossing every day. I was just playing around in someone else's town using wifi. Castlevania is another game I play every day. It looks good and there is a ton to do. Then there is jump superstars which I only play at home because I need a damn translation guide for the game, but it is truly a great fighting game.
Then there are lots of games I haven't played that I want like metroid pinball, advance wars ds, metroid hunters, resident evil, the mario games, and a ton of SP games.
Lots of people are going to think those games suck so there is no reason to get a ds if that is the case. If I were you I'd get which ever had the most games I wanted to play.
OK, lets try and interject some perspective here. I have both systems at the house. To be perfectly honest I haven't played the PSP much lately (primarily because of WoW) but I have some games on reserve I'm really looking forward to (Metal Gear Acid 2, Exit, and Me and My Katamari).
The strength of the PSP is also its weakness in a sense. Graphically PSP blows the DS away. Case closed. There's no question. But, the only "hook" it has going for it (in terms of gaming) is that it has those pretty graphics in a portable package (I'm ignoring the whole notion of homebrew here).
As such, there are a number of good, even really good games for PSP, but none that I would truly call Great. Does that make sense? Yes, I love Hot Shots, but how can you call that great unless the portability means that much to you given that there are a number of versions available on other consoles?
The game that might come closest is Lumines, which is pretty darned unique but didn't truly grab me as much as another game by the same producer/developer (Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Q Entertainment) which happened to be developed for DS (that being Meteos). Lumines is a game that also could have easily been made on a diifferent console, which is something you can't say about Meteos.
At that brings us to the advantage the DS has. It has a true gimmick, the touchscreen/dualscreens. Much like the PSP this is both its strength and weakness. The screen setup allows for some truly innovative gameplay, and the games that really understand this and use it well are superior games to anything found on the PSP, IMO. On the downside, DS is a bad, bad, bad console on which to purchase conversions/ports from other consoles because trying to retrofit games onto the system and its unique features leads to tragedy (I'm talking stuff like NFS Most Wanted, King Kong, etc...Some thing like Resident Evil: Deadly Silence where they pretty much redid the game from scratch is kind of a different story, hopefully).
If you want the console experience complete with gorgeous visuals on the go, then the PSP is your game handheld. The fact that GTA is considered the best game on the platform highlights this really well. If you are looking for new, fun gameplay experiences and are willing to let the graphics take a bit of a backseat, then right now, the DS has some better, more innovative games to offer.
excellent post, misguided! i like my PSP, but i feel that right now the game selection is its weakest point. with the DS getting games like Disciples, Age of Empires, and Europa Universalis i have to admit i'm a little jealous. but there are some good ones coming down the pike for the PSP. plus, the homebrew stuff out there is fantastic if you're into tweakin' your system.
PSP has plenty of decent games. The problem is that none of them really, truly stand out.
If you are into puzzle games at all, check out Exit, which I really have high hopes for.
Oh, I forgot to mention in reference to Legend of Heroes: this is a title I have heard great things about. It is a total old school type of rpg experience from what I understand, and if you look at the reviews that slammed it, I think you'll see that those reviewers were looking for a different kind of game. They didn't review the game, they reviewed what they wanted the game to be. If you want a turn-based old-school rpg, I think you'll probably be quite happy with either LoH or PopoLocrois.
My boss played and enjoyed both LoH and Kingdom of Paradise, but he ran into a game-breaking bug with KoP that caused him to put it down.
I've decided to get a PSP so I've read this thread with some interest (arguing excepted). Wipeout Pure remains the biggest draw for me, but Burnout, Hot Shots Golf, Virtua Tennis, and a few others are also appealing. I think I will be able to wait until E3 and see if there's a pricedrop / release of the white version (to match the DS Lite, of course!). I have a DS and enjoy it quite a bit but think they will be complementary.
To add to the thread - liksang.com has the Japanese barebones PSP pack for $220. If you don't care about the cheap case/headphones/(snigger)wrist strap, plan to get a bigger mem stick anyway AND never plan on buying a US UMD movie, that's an option since games are not region controlled.
I appreciate the alternating opinions on the games mentioned - it's true, some will like the RPGs available and some won't. I happen to love the combat system on LOTR: Tactics but others hate it.
As far as the having to baby the PSP, though - I don't think that's the case. Make sure you get a $5 screen protector and one of the Logitech cases (which you can mod with your own inserts - which is very cool). I have those and my PSP gets tossed around in the bottom of my bag. It has no scratches and is as pretty as the day it was born.
Load times are issues with some games but like any platform, as the developers get better programming it's gotten better.
The PSP is just so versatile. My family's taking a flight next week - my 5 year old daughter will play Lumines, Tokobot and watch her Walking with the Dinosaurs videos all on that little unit. Great stuff.
jament wrote:I appreciate the alternating opinions on the games mentioned - it's true, some will like the RPGs available and some won't. I happen to love the combat system on LOTR: Tactics but others hate it.
As far as the having to baby the PSP, though - I don't think that's the case. Make sure you get a $5 screen protector and one of the Logitech cases (which you can mod with your own inserts - which is very cool). I have those and my PSP gets tossed around in the bottom of my bag. It has no scratches and is as pretty as the day it was born.
Load times are issues with some games but like any platform, as the developers get better programming it's gotten better.
The PSP is just so versatile. My family's taking a flight next week - my 5 year old daughter will play Lumines, Tokobot and watch her Walking with the Dinosaurs videos all on that little unit. Great stuff.
I was talking about "babying" in the sense that it is a much more fragile unit than the DS is. Its obviously well made, thats a given, but its shell is prone to getting dirty VERY easily and its game loading and unloading mechanism could be a trouble spot down the line. Lets not give him the wrong impression here, you definitely do need to be more careful with a PSP than you do with any other portable.
I bought a DS for my Vegas lfight last week. So far I only have Mario Kart but it was fun for the few hours I logged on it. No multi yet but I guess I should power it up at home. It was a price thing for me, but also a perection that the PSP had load times and other quirks. It seemed to me that the DS would be the better system for just plopping down into an airplane seat and whipping it out for some gaming. (I don't know why, it's just my feeling on it... never having had played either system) That and the economy of it. Had I bought the PSP, I'd have to have a bigger card, protective case etc...
I look forward to checking out a bunch of other games for this thing. If you grab a PSP, please let us know what you think though.
Austin wrote:I bought a DS for my Vegas lfight last week. So far I only have Mario Kart but it was fun for the few hours I logged on it. No multi yet but I guess I should power it up at home. It was a price thing for me, but also a perection that the PSP had load times and other quirks. It seemed to me that the DS would be the better system for just plopping down into an airplane seat and whipping it out for some gaming. (I don't know why, it's just my feeling on it... never having had played either system) That and the economy of it. Had I bought the PSP, I'd have to have a bigger card, protective case etc...
I look forward to checking out a bunch of other games for this thing. If you grab a PSP, please let us know what you think though.
I guess that's why I make these posts and ask questions. Cause Im in the exact same boat as you Austin. Im going on a cruise in a couple of weeks, and Ive been told to expect some long wait times in boarding the boat, when we disembark, and when the cruise is over...not to mention the drive down to Galveston is on the order of 5 hours. So all Im really looking for is something to kill a couple of hours with; it's not like I plan on having a portable system replace either my XBOX or my PC. Not even close. And I really wont be using it for much more than a time-filler on flights and such.
Im still undecided though, cause that PSP does look good(and Im a graphics whore ).
OR
cry in a corner that the world has come to a point where you have to pay for imaginary shit.
GungHo wrote:I guess that's why I make these posts and ask questions. Cause Im in the exact same boat as you Austin. Im going on a cruise in a couple of weeks, and Ive been told to expect some long wait times in boarding the boat, when we disembark, and when the cruise is over...not to mention the drive down to Galveston is on the order of 5 hours. So all Im really looking for is something to kill a couple of hours with; it's not like I plan on having a portable system replace either my XBOX or my PC. Not even close. And I really wont be using it for much more than a time-filler on flights and such.
Im still undecided though, cause that PSP does look good(and Im a graphics whore ).
I have owned both but sold the PSP. It is a great system and it is a hackers paradise. With a big Duo stick you can get a lot of apps, games, etc. all running on homebrew. I played Sam & Max: Hit The Road on it and it was wonderful.
However in the end it wasn't very portable to me. It was bulkier, I felt more breakable, and the battery didn't last as long.
However as a self professed graphics whore you would be very dissapointed with the DS. It has inovation, unique games, but it is not nearly as pretty.
Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative the same night
Have you priced the used machines at your local EB or Gamestop? You might be able to snag a DS for around $100. They probably have used PSP's too.
I'm nuts about my DS - I think you'd like it if you tried it. Being able to play all the innovative DS titles + all the exisiting GBA games means my wallet has a bleeding hole and my face has a crazy grin.
But if you have your heart is set on the PSP then used might be the way to go for you. Just make sure they turn it on and check for dead pixels first.
If I ventured in the slipstream / between the viaducts of your dream
Meghan wrote:Have you priced the used machines at your local EB or Gamestop? You might be able to snag a DS for around $100. They probably have used PSP's too.
I'm nuts about my DS - I think you'd like it if you tried it. Being able to play all the innovative DS titles + all the exisiting GBA games means my wallet has a bleeding hole and my face has a crazy grin.
But if you have your heart is set on the PSP then used might be the way to go for you. Just make sure they turn it on and check for dead pixels first.
I hate to say it, but I couldn't disagree more.
The PSP is much more succeptable to damage through mishandling than say, a DS, or GBA would be. Its got more moving parts and is more high tech and sensitive, and I would never, EVER, buy a used PSP, unless you know the person is anal about taking care of stuff. Just my recommendation.
As someone that used to review games for the predecessor of this site, I can tell you that when I rated a game at the equivilent of an "8" level, it was a more than positive review and meant that was a pretty damn good game.
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