Yeah...so I got a PSP

Anticrombie0909 · 04-28-2005, 06:30 PM

First thing's first.

FANBOYS OF ANY KIND, SIZE, SHAPE OR FLAVOR, GET OUT NOW.

*ahem*

So. PSP. I'm not gonna take a picture, because I'm too lazy to get out my digital camera, but I promise you it looks like every other picture of a PSP you've ever seen.

I've got to say, I'm quite impressed. I was worried that this would be more like a portable console than really a handheld, per se, but load times aren't very long at all- maybe ten seconds at most. The PSP also has this immensely useful "sleep" function. Simply hit the power switch and it'll go into "sleep" mode, which uses no power. The difference between sleep mode and off is that putting your PSP into sleep mode pauses the game/movie/slideshow, whatever you're doing, right there. Turn it back on, and you're right back where you left off. Very, very useful for when you're only playing in-between classes, because you don't have to wait for load times.

The battery...well, it's a PSP. It's not horrendous- I mean, it's long enough to last you through the day- but if you're going on a trip, I recommend getting an external battery pack. Alternating between Wipeout Pure and Untold Legends, I averaged around 5 hours. So, yeah, not great, not horrible. I played Spider Man 2 on it and the battery lasted long enough to play maybe an ~hour of games after that, but it was mostly drained.

The system is comfortable and extremely pleasing to the eye and to the hands. The analog knob takes a little bit of getting used to (it's very small and very sensitive), but after you get used to it you'll be too busy exalting the gaming gods for giving you analog control to notice. Seriously, analog control really is that nice. I mean, on games like Wipeout Pure it's kind of useless (I use the D pad anyway), but on Untold, it's absolute heaven to have 360 degree control. Excellent move by Sony.

UMDs are small and protected, very nice. They're like a mini disc you don't have to worry about smudging or scratching. As for the PSP itself...well, I'm sure you've heard the horror stories. This is not a system you want to drop. I suggest getting a screen protector at the very least, if for no other reason than to keep smudges off and keep your PSP looking nice and shiny (you can buy them for like, $4).

The screen...is GODLIKE. Seriously, it looks just as good as any other LCD I've used. You do get a tad bit of ghosting, but it has an excellent contrast ratio (16:9), so at least your blacks are nice and black. As for the dead pixels everyone's freaking out about? Totally not an issue at all. I had to download that dead pixel tester to even find any on my unit, and I ended up finding two. They're exceedingly small, and only show up when I have a pure black screen (which isn't often). So honestly? They're so not a big deal, I never notice them, quit you're bellyachin'.

So, games.

Untold Legends
Basically is Diablo in mini form. Good graphics, fun hack 'n slash gameplay, the works. Very fast paced and fun to do. The quests do tend to run along the lines of "Go to dungeon, kill boss, get item, come back for your next mission," but you won't really care. Why? Deep character building and customization. This game is for all you RPG nuts. Thousands of different items and configurations for your character- they adopted the Diablo item randomization, so items can have a quality level (worn, ragged, exquisite, etc.), as well as magical properties, all of which is randomized. Very neat. Oh, and a hint for you if you get this game- TURN OFF THE SOUND. RIGHT NOW. The music made my ears bleed. :<

Wipeout Pure
If you liked F-Zero, you'll love this. Same basic principle. Mind blowing graphics, groove to the beat techno tunes, and super fast paced gameplay. Dozens of maps for you to unlock, depending on how well you perform during your races. They modified the shield system a bit. Instead of going through pit stops to repair your ship, you now collect power-ups. You can either choose to use these power-ups (by firing/using them), or you can "absorb" them into your ship to heal some shielding. My one gripe is that the ships aren't customizable, and I kind of hate the default configurations. But, get good enough, you'll learn to live with them. Also, it does tend to ramp up the difficulty in the later levels, but what did you expect from a racing game?

They didn't have Metal Gear Ac!d, Lumines or Twisted Metal in stock where I went, so I'm getting MGA tomorrow, and the other two at *some point.* I'll write their respective reviews when they find their way in my lap.

All in all, I'm pretty impressed. Other than a shit marketing scheme (I DON'T WANT SPIDER MAN 2 THANK YOU VERY MUCH), Sony really pulled through on this one. Fun system, good lineup. Looks like they nailed it. I'll keep you guys updated.

jewpinthethird · 04-28-2005, 06:52 PM

I do eventually plan on purchasing a PSP...but I dont see that happening anytime soon. Good review though.

But dont waste your money on Twisted Metal. My friend has it, he got bored with it fairly fast, and the controls really arent all to great on the game (although it might just be because I am not use to them as you say). But really, if you have played one TM game, you've pretty much played them all. Just save up for GT4 (it should be coming out soon).

Anticrombie0909 · 04-28-2005, 07:24 PM

Well...to be honest, I'm not a *huge* racing buff, and if anything, I like arcadey racing physics more than I like hardcore racing sims. My brother has GT4 for PS2, and I never really got into it...I like to play games to just relax and have fun, I hate being all stressed out and getting into the game, that's all. So if I get another racing game, it'll probably be Ridge Racer.

jewpinthethird · 04-28-2005, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anticrombie0909

Well...to be honest, I'm not a *huge* racing buff, and if anything, I like arcadey racing physics more than I like hardcore racing sims. My brother has GT4 for PS2, and I never really got into it...I like to play games to just relax and have fun, I hate being all stressed out and getting into the game, that's all. So if I get another racing game, it'll probably be Ridge Racer.

Man...that's like saying "I'm not really big on computers, so if a get another one, it'll probably be an 5 year-old Emachine running Windows ME."

meat_wad · 05-4-2005, 05:02 AM

Damn I wanna get one now...My friend has already figured out some sick hacks with his...I was over there watching the new family guy episode on it yesterday and I was sold on getting one!

blargherness · 05-4-2005, 12:25 PM

Quote:

If you liked F-Zero, you'll love this.

does that go for F-Zero X too? cause if so, i LOVE that game :P thinking of getting a PSP, though probably not for a while...but it does seem cooler than i thought when it first came out.

Kenzya · 05-6-2005, 11:56 PM

As soon as emulation hits the PSP scene I'm sold. Heh, that'll either be a long time from now, or never. But..

This was a very good review. You've completely blasted away my PSP doubts. Which is cool because if the PSP wasn't worthy, I wouldn't be getting any new handheld.

I don't really get how watching an avi on your PSP is a "sick hack" though. XD Regardless, I bet it looked tingley sensationally good.

IAMTHEEVILBEAN · 05-7-2005, 04:50 AM

I'll probably be getting one of these sooner or later, I just wish it wasn't as expensive. It will be worth it to me when they start coming out with good RPG titles. Nice review though.

Anticrombie0909 · 05-7-2005, 06:32 AM

Yeah, it's total hackage to get videos on your psp. First, you need to plug it into your computer. Then, you need to drag and drop the video into your PSP/videos folder. SICK H4X MAN!

gardyloo · 05-7-2005, 07:36 AM

omg usb cables = haxxx0rzzz to00olz!!111 one
j00 s0 1337!!!

blargherness · 05-7-2005, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Then, you need to drag and drop the video into your PSP/videos folder.

lol, thats what you do to get game files onto graphing calculators.......i would know ^_^;

gardyloo · 05-7-2005, 10:04 AM

but the game files actually are 1337- somebody took a while to make the good ones

judagrmn · 05-7-2005, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenzya

As soon as emulation hits the PSP scene I'm sold. Heh, that'll either be a long time from now, or never. But..

This was a very good review. You've completely blasted away my PSP doubts. Which is cool because if the PSP wasn't worthy, I wouldn't be getting any new handheld.

I don't really get how watching an avi on your PSP is a "sick hack" though. XD Regardless, I bet it looked tingley sensationally good.

Well looks like it wont be very much longer...

Quote:

Software developers have figured out how to extract files from the Universal Media Discs used in Sony's new PlayStation Portable handheld video game device, though there is no way to play the games extracted from those discs.

Some details of the exploit were posted Wednesday night on the Web site PS2nfo.com, along with lists showing all the files pulled off the game discs for "Ridge Racers," "Wipeout Pure" and "Vampire Chronicles."

The games are not yet playable because there is no way to burn UMDs from scratch, and the PSP does not accommodate larger discs. However, the site said the ability to look through the games' file structures could still be instructive for developers.

A spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment of America was not immediately available for comment.

Sony released the PSP on March 24 in North America, and the device has sold well since. Movie studios are gearing up to release some of their films on the UMD format, though it was not immediately clear if the techniques used to extract the game files would also work for films.

http://news.com.com/Hackers+find+a+w...3-5697315.html

Kenzya · 05-7-2005, 11:52 AM

I wasn't talking about PSP emulation I was talking about emulation on PSP. SNES, Genesis, etc.. They would be absolutely stunning. But, not being sure on what the PSP actually runs on, I'm not sure if it would be possible.. Definately not for a while.

themanwithsauce · 05-11-2005, 10:19 AM

Do you have to get the psp in the really expensive pack or is there a way to get just the system without spiderman2 and all the other stuff. That's my problem with it is that the intitial cost of i think 300$ at my local stores is a bit steep and most of them charge 50$ a game. As good as the psp is, I'd rather spend that kind of money upgrading my computer or getting console games.

If anyone can tell me of any store chains that tend to sell for less or where I can get just the base unit, I'll buy it though.

suicidalmuskrat · 05-11-2005, 11:07 AM

if your store is charging 300 for the starter kit then you're getting ripped off. The startet kit should be 250...And I haven't seen just the PSP for sale, but only the first million were going to be shipped with spiderman 2...so eventually you will be able to find them for retail without spiderman 2....Knowing Sony, I doubt the price drops though.

Dancing_Monkey_9_2_ · 05-12-2005, 02:42 PM

I've got a nice collection of games so far (some thanks to my bro, i would have no interest in them). Lumines, Wipeout, Untold Legends, Ape Escape, Metal Gear. Lumines is the single best puzzle game ever. EVER. Wipeout is great, and the only game i'm sure to always have with me (would be shared with lumines, except it got a little repetitive since i started to lose right when it started Shake Ya Body). Untold Legends is ok, but it's not my kind of game, so don't base your purchase on that. I don't even like Diablo. Ape Escape is the same game, if you have the original don't bother with it. Metal Gear is ****ing weird. Don't get it unless you truly need to know what the card thing will be like. It's dumb and impossible to play with.

CAFK · 05-25-2005, 08:37 AM

you all suck who have psp's. i cant get one >:O

vashthestampede0987 · 05-25-2005, 11:48 AM

And you suck for bumping this topic. I don't get why.... :/

MolotovCat · 05-28-2005, 10:24 AM

I plan on selling my PSP. I love it..but I am currently jobless and could use the money. If I do sell I'll end up buying it again once I have the cash.

By the way, if you own a PSP, Lumines is a must have game.

04-28-2005, 06:30 PM	#1
Anticrombie0909 FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4,683	Yeah...so I got a PSP First thing's first. FANBOYS OF ANY KIND, SIZE, SHAPE OR FLAVOR, GET OUT NOW. ahem So. PSP. I'm not gonna take a picture, because I'm too lazy to get out my digital camera, but I promise you it looks like every other picture of a PSP you've ever seen. I've got to say, I'm quite impressed. I was worried that this would be more like a portable console than really a handheld, per se, but load times aren't very long at all- maybe ten seconds at most. The PSP also has this immensely useful "sleep" function. Simply hit the power switch and it'll go into "sleep" mode, which uses no power. The difference between sleep mode and off is that putting your PSP into sleep mode pauses the game/movie/slideshow, whatever you're doing, right there. Turn it back on, and you're right back where you left off. Very, very useful for when you're only playing in-between classes, because you don't have to wait for load times. The battery...well, it's a PSP. It's not horrendous- I mean, it's long enough to last you through the day- but if you're going on a trip, I recommend getting an external battery pack. Alternating between Wipeout Pure and Untold Legends, I averaged around 5 hours. So, yeah, not great, not horrible. I played Spider Man 2 on it and the battery lasted long enough to play maybe an ~hour of games after that, but it was mostly drained. The system is comfortable and extremely pleasing to the eye and to the hands. The analog knob takes a little bit of getting used to (it's very small and very sensitive), but after you get used to it you'll be too busy exalting the gaming gods for giving you analog control to notice. Seriously, analog control really is that nice. I mean, on games like Wipeout Pure it's kind of useless (I use the D pad anyway), but on Untold, it's absolute heaven to have 360 degree control. Excellent move by Sony. UMDs are small and protected, very nice. They're like a mini disc you don't have to worry about smudging or scratching. As for the PSP itself...well, I'm sure you've heard the horror stories. This is not a system you want to drop. I suggest getting a screen protector at the very least, if for no other reason than to keep smudges off and keep your PSP looking nice and shiny (you can buy them for like, $4). The screen...is GODLIKE. Seriously, it looks just as good as any other LCD I've used. You do get a tad bit of ghosting, but it has an excellent contrast ratio (16:9), so at least your blacks are nice and black. As for the dead pixels everyone's freaking out about? Totally not an issue at all. I had to download that dead pixel tester to even find any on my unit, and I ended up finding two. They're exceedingly small, and only show up when I have a pure black screen (which isn't often). So honestly? They're so not a big deal, I never notice them, quit you're bellyachin'. So, games. Untold Legends Basically is Diablo in mini form. Good graphics, fun hack 'n slash gameplay, the works. Very fast paced and fun to do. The quests do tend to run along the lines of "Go to dungeon, kill boss, get item, come back for your next mission," but you won't really care. Why? Deep character building and customization. This game is for all you RPG nuts. Thousands of different items and configurations for your character- they adopted the Diablo item randomization, so items can have a quality level (worn, ragged, exquisite, etc.), as well as magical properties, all of which is randomized. Very neat. Oh, and a hint for you if you get this game- TURN OFF THE SOUND. RIGHT NOW. The music made my ears bleed. :< Wipeout Pure If you liked F-Zero, you'll love this. Same basic principle. Mind blowing graphics, groove to the beat techno tunes, and super fast paced gameplay. Dozens of maps for you to unlock, depending on how well you perform during your races. They modified the shield system a bit. Instead of going through pit stops to repair your ship, you now collect power-ups. You can either choose to use these power-ups (by firing/using them), or you can "absorb" them into your ship to heal some shielding. My one gripe is that the ships aren't customizable, and I kind of hate the default configurations. But, get good enough, you'll learn to live with them. Also, it does tend to ramp up the difficulty in the later levels, but what did you expect from a racing game? They didn't have Metal Gear Ac!d, Lumines or Twisted Metal in stock where I went, so I'm getting MGA tomorrow, and the other two at some point. I'll write their respective reviews when they find their way in my lap. All in all, I'm pretty impressed. Other than a shit marketing scheme (I DON'T WANT SPIDER MAN 2 THANK YOU VERY MUCH), Sony really pulled through on this one. Fun system, good lineup. Looks like they nailed it. I'll keep you guys updated.

04-28-2005, 06:52 PM	#2
jewpinthethird (The Fat's Sabobah) Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Palm Springs, California Posts: 11,711	RE: Yeah...so I got a PSP I do eventually plan on purchasing a PSP...but I dont see that happening anytime soon. Good review though. But dont waste your money on Twisted Metal. My friend has it, he got bored with it fairly fast, and the controls really arent all to great on the game (although it might just be because I am not use to them as you say). But really, if you have played one TM game, you've pretty much played them all. Just save up for GT4 (it should be coming out soon).

04-28-2005, 07:24 PM	#3
Anticrombie0909 FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4,683	RE: Yeah...so I got a PSP Well...to be honest, I'm not a huge racing buff, and if anything, I like arcadey racing physics more than I like hardcore racing sims. My brother has GT4 for PS2, and I never really got into it...I like to play games to just relax and have fun, I hate being all stressed out and getting into the game, that's all. So if I get another racing game, it'll probably be Ridge Racer.

05-4-2005, 05:02 AM	#5
meat_wad FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 22	RE: Re: RE: Yeah...so I got a PSP Damn I wanna get one now...My friend has already figured out some sick hacks with his...I was over there watching the new family guy episode on it yesterday and I was sold on getting one! __________________

05-6-2005, 11:56 PM	#7
Kenzya FFR Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Illicorn Posts: 3,411	As soon as emulation hits the PSP scene I'm sold. Heh, that'll either be a long time from now, or never. But.. This was a very good review. You've completely blasted away my PSP doubts. Which is cool because if the PSP wasn't worthy, I wouldn't be getting any new handheld. I don't really get how watching an avi on your PSP is a "sick hack" though. XD Regardless, I bet it looked tingley sensationally good. __________________ One Time I Sucked Six in a Row (Locust Toybox Remix) Write to me Stick Stickly p.o. box 963 New York City New York State 10108 I'm Still Alive

05-7-2005, 04:50 AM	#8
IAMTHEEVILBEAN FFR Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,078	I'll probably be getting one of these sooner or later, I just wish it wasn't as expensive. It will be worth it to me when they start coming out with good RPG titles. Nice review though.

05-7-2005, 06:32 AM	#9
Anticrombie0909 FFR Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4,683	Yeah, it's total hackage to get videos on your psp. First, you need to plug it into your computer. Then, you need to drag and drop the video into your PSP/videos folder. SICK H4X MAN!

05-7-2005, 07:36 AM	#10
gardyloo FFR Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: hell Posts: 580	omg usb cables = haxxx0rzzz to00olz!!111 one j00 s0 1337!!! __________________ bye

05-7-2005, 10:04 AM	#12
gardyloo FFR Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: hell Posts: 580	but the game files actually are 1337- somebody took a while to make the good ones __________________ bye

05-7-2005, 11:52 AM	#14
Kenzya FFR Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Illicorn Posts: 3,411	I wasn't talking about PSP emulation I was talking about emulation on PSP. SNES, Genesis, etc.. They would be absolutely stunning. But, not being sure on what the PSP actually runs on, I'm not sure if it would be possible.. Definately not for a while. __________________ One Time I Sucked Six in a Row (Locust Toybox Remix) Write to me Stick Stickly p.o. box 963 New York City New York State 10108 I'm Still Alive

05-11-2005, 10:19 AM	#15
themanwithsauce FFR Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: I'm not lost, just taking the long way Posts: 107	Do you have to get the psp in the really expensive pack or is there a way to get just the system without spiderman2 and all the other stuff. That's my problem with it is that the intitial cost of i think 300$ at my local stores is a bit steep and most of them charge 50$ a game. As good as the psp is, I'd rather spend that kind of money upgrading my computer or getting console games. If anyone can tell me of any store chains that tend to sell for less or where I can get just the base unit, I'll buy it though. __________________ visit my friends site or he starves- s4.invisionfree.com/maxxnintendo/index.php

05-11-2005, 11:07 AM	#16
suicidalmuskrat FFR Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Muskegon Posts: 739	if your store is charging 300 for the starter kit then you're getting ripped off. The startet kit should be 250...And I haven't seen just the PSP for sale, but only the first million were going to be shipped with spiderman 2...so eventually you will be able to find them for retail without spiderman 2....Knowing Sony, I doubt the price drops though. __________________ I'll trade you this delicious doorstop for your crummy old danish. Done, and done.

05-12-2005, 02:42 PM	#17
Dancing_Monkey_9_2_ FFR Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 24	I've got a nice collection of games so far (some thanks to my bro, i would have no interest in them). Lumines, Wipeout, Untold Legends, Ape Escape, Metal Gear. Lumines is the single best puzzle game ever. EVER. Wipeout is great, and the only game i'm sure to always have with me (would be shared with lumines, except it got a little repetitive since i started to lose right when it started Shake Ya Body). Untold Legends is ok, but it's not my kind of game, so don't base your purchase on that. I don't even like Diablo. Ape Escape is the same game, if you have the original don't bother with it. Metal Gear is ****ing weird. Don't get it unless you truly need to know what the card thing will be like. It's dumb and impossible to play with.

05-25-2005, 08:37 AM	#18
CAFK FFR Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: vidchat Age: 34 Posts: 186	you all suck who have psp's. i cant get one >:O __________________ The Ultimate Reward Is Honor, Not Awards. Do you like...dragons? http://www.twitch.tv/aeliathes

05-28-2005, 10:24 AM	#20
MolotovCat FFR Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 10	I plan on selling my PSP. I love it..but I am currently jobless and could use the money. If I do sell I'll end up buying it again once I have the cash. By the way, if you own a PSP, Lumines is a must have game.

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