I already feel like a kid at Christmas!
I got my PSP last week and I’m very happy with it! Regarding the screen issues that have been been discussed about the 3000 model, I would say don’t believe the hype. I can see the scan lines and distortions that people are talking about, but I really have to look for them to see them. Otherwise, the screen is gorgeous. It’s so clear that my eyes strain a bit because my brain thinks that I’m watching a PS2 game on a full-sized TV from a distance, rather than a small screen up close.
In the week I’ve had it, I’ve barely played any games on it. Neither the pack-ins (Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and the National Treasure 2 movie) really tickle my fancy, so I’m thinking of selling those off. ($10 each for anyone here who wants them!) I also had bought Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, but have only played an hour’s worth. So far, I’m agreeing with David Smith’s assessment of the battle system. Though I doubt it will hinder my enjoyment, being the lover of FFVII that I am.
What I’ve been doing instead is exploring all the nifty bells & whistles my new toy has. First squee: Free stuff! I’ve been downloading demos like crazy. What’s better is finding sites that host Japanese demos or older ones no longer available on PSN. The Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law demo was fun; filling a void left behind from the last “Ace Attorney” game. It’s difficult to accuse the Harvey Birdman game from ripping off AA, since they’re both made by Capcom. Loco Rocco is cute, but harder than I was expecting. I may end up passing on it. I’m all about some Echochrome and Extreme Space Invaders, though! I’ll be picking those up soon.
I was so excited to find that there’s a demo available for the upcoming Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero game, but my heart sank when I discovered that you can only get it through Japan’s PSN and if I were to download it, my entire American account and licenses would be voided. I’ll just have to wait until a demo or the full game is released stateside. Ah, well…
Speaking of PSN, I had to catch myself from making some hasty purchases when I’d first logged in. I nearly jumped at buying both Street Fighter Alpha and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but had to remind myself that I’d already planned on buying the UMDs for Street Fighter Alpha 3 (the pinnacle of the series) and Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (which contains an unlockable SotN). But for that moment, I was at a moral crossroad, since I’m one of the biggest advocates for tangible media. I will admit, I am warming up to digital distribution, but still only under the right conditions (price, title, user license, etc).
It will be a while before I start up a library of PSP games. I forbid myself to buying anything for myself during the entire month of December, pending the holidays. It’s just as well since I still have to finish Chrono Trigger and then dive into “Crisis Core”. Those two, along with the demos I’ve collected should keep me plenty occupied for the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime, I’m also figuring out which TV and anime series that I want to convert to watch on my PSP while I hit the gym. And since October, I am in need of hitting the gym! To test out my converting software and to help show off my new toy to Ashley, I installed this little gem onto the PSP. My software has a feature that I like where it adjusts the screen to match the PSP’s aspect ratio, but I’m worried that subtitles on some anime I have may be cropped out. But tinkering is part of the fun!
