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The PSP - this generation's Gamecube
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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:29:13
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I didn't get a chance to weigh in on the discussion that was going on last week about the PSP in GG Weekly but I wanted to throw down a few things on the subject.  I for one was about against the PSP as a person could be due to my half justified and half ridiculous hatred for Sony (goes back to customer service issues with the PS2), and I swore up and down that I'd never pick up the PSP.  And 2 months ago I became a dirty liar and went ahead and got a used one.   It was probably one of the best purchases I've ever made.

The PSP is a hobo gamer's delight.  Over the past 5 years a very strong library of exclusive games has been put out and these days most of them are $20 or less. Sure there's always some debate on the system's identity crisis - does it want to be a handheld system or just a portable PS2?  Ultimately I'd ask does it really matter when the games are that good and that cheap?  Pricewise it's very similiar to the position the Gamecube was in 5 years ago. Right around $100 and the back library is cheap but good.

But it's not just about the old cheap games. There's lot of new stuff that looks to be nothing short of excellent.  2010 will likely be the system's final year of real support and they're going out with a bang.  Here's the highlights for most of the year:

Mimana Iyar Chronicles (RPG developed by the makers of Lunar and Tales of Destiny 2)

Persona 3 Portable

Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley

God Eater (Monster Hunter styled game that blew up to be huge in Japan)

And the REALLY big games for 2010

Valkyria Chronicles 2

MGS: Peace Walker

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Edited: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:31:16
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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:42:12
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And just to throw it out, here's a quick rundown of some of the exclusives that can be found for the system at the low prices I mentioned earlier:

God of War: Chains of Olympus
Jeanne d'Arc
Core Crisis: FFVII
Patapon
MGS: Portable Ops
Daxter
LocoRoco 1 & 2
Half Minute Hero (one of the most underrated games of all time if I may say)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Me and My Katamari
Metal Gear Acid 1 & 2
N+
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Crush

And there are of course plenty more, but you get the idea.

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:25:22
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PSP is my Monster Hunter machine at the moment, until Tri gets here. The rest are filler games to me, not worth the full price charged, but I guess worth it if you can find them cheap. Which you can't, here. I did get Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for just 20 off PSN though, during some special. Great value that. Other than that I enjoyed Metal Gear Portable Ops (can't wait for Peace Walker) and the first Tekken back then. I also made some shitty no value purchases like Soul Calibur Broken Destiny which is great in theory but has no replay value whatsoever outside 2p. But yeah, why would I buy Jeanne D'ark instead of Fire Emblem, why Chains of Olympus instead of the other God of War games which are quite a bit longer, yet still short, etc. It feels like it gets filler side games instead of main entries that stand on their own, though yes, over the years it has accumulated plenty great titles depending on your tastes.
Edited: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:31:01
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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:40:29
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i agree that it has lots of great games, most of which are exclusive which make the system worth owning.  

sadly alongside my DS, ps3 and the wii my psp gets rather neglected but i'm still glad to have it

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:56:21
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My problem with the PSP is the same problem I have with the PS3: There's only one or two exclusive games that appeal to me on the entire platform.

PSP:
  1. Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
  2. Gran Tursimo PSP

PS3:
  1. Gran Turismo 5
  2. Q*Bert

Sadly, it has always been this way with Sony consoles. Sad

Edited: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:57:07

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:02:49
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Agnates said:
why would I buy Jeanne D'ark instead of Fire Emblem

In the case of Jeanne, I'd argue that it's a far superior game.  Maybe that's a little unfair since ultimately it is personal preference, so maybe it's better to say that it's a very different kind of strategy game.   The way you asked would be like asking "Why should I play God of War 3 instead of Batman: Arkham Asylum?" Sure they're in the same genre, but there aren't too many more similarities.  Compared to the Fire Emblem games I've played Jeanne has a much more engrossing story.  The game also has a lot of classic Level 5 elements in it. Customizeable abilities for characters, mixing pots, etc. whereas Fire Emblems (from what I've played - admittedly I never played the most recent one for the Wii) are quite a bit more straight forward regarding the characters.  

Agnates said:
why Chains of Olympus instead of the other God of War games which are quite a bit longer, yet still short, etc.

To this I'd argue that the PSP version is probably accurately described as filler and more of the same.  But if that's something you like, then that's not necessarily a bad thing. Hence the significantly lower price in some cases.  If I were forced to choose a console version over Chains of Olympus sure I'd take the console version.  But if I wanted more God of War goodness, why not get Chains?  It goes for $10 new on Amazon.com.  For a fan of the series, surely a chapter of the story is worth $10.

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:03:30
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Ravenprose said:
My problem with the PSP is the same problem I have with the PS3: There's only one or two exclusive games that appeal to me on the entire platform.

PSP:
  1. Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
  2. Gran Tursimo PSP

PS3:
  1. Gran Turismo 5
  2. Q*Bert

Sadly, it has always been this way with Sony consoles. Sad

You'll like all Sony consoles in another 20 to 25 years. They're still too new for you.

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:08:11
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bugsonglass said:

i agree that it has lots of great games, most of which are exclusive which make the system worth owning.  

sadly alongside my DS, ps3 and the wii my psp gets rather neglected but i'm still glad to have it

A year ago, I never would have gotten it myself.  But as I spend more and more time away from a couch and a TV, console gaming just gets harder for me to devote any time to.  The DS is still my first choice on any given day (or rather it would be if it wasn't broken by the little demon), but now the PSP is offering me a few more options. Plus I get to once more go back to the old PSOne library which I've sorely missed over the years after my second PS2 died on me.

Edited: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:11:14
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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:09:34
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Ravenprose said:
My problem with the PSP is the same problem I have with the PS3: There's only one or two exclusive games that appeal to me on the entire platform.

PSP:
  1. Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
  2. Gran Tursimo PSP

PS3:
  1. Gran Turismo 5
  2. Q*Bert

Sadly, it has always been this way with Sony consoles. Sad

 well if it's any consolation gran turismo psp is not too good so you don't have to worry about that one.  on the other hand it is definitely worth having a psp for ultimate ghosts n goblins alone

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:57:18

Agnates said:
... But yeah, why would I buy Jeanne D'ark instead of Fire Emblem, why Chains of Olympus instead of the other God of War games which are quite a bit longer, yet still short, etc. ...

 Why choose between them? If you have enough time you get both and enjoy them.

And Robio, you made a stronger argument than I did for the system, I'm glad you are enjoying it. 

There are some excellent RPGs for the system (which really is where hand-helds shine, along with puzzle and sports games).

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:44:35
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Sad

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:01:57

Foolz said:
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Sad

Why the sad face?  Because it's not going to be on the PS3?  I think based on its sales we're lucky its even getting a sequel.

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:34:59

robio said:

Why the sad face?  Because it's not going to be on the PS3?  I think based on its sales we're lucky its even getting a sequel.

Correct on both accounts.

Still a shame it's not on PS3 as I will probably never end up with a PSP.

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:17:20

Foolz said:

robio said:

Why the sad face?  Because it's not going to be on the PS3?  I think based on its sales we're lucky its even getting a sequel.

Correct on both accounts.

Still a shame it's not on PS3 as I will probably never end up with a PSP.

I wouldn't be too sad. I suspect once the PSP's lifespan is completely done, Sony will go back and put the library of games on PSN to be playable on the PS3. So some point around the end of 2011, they're all going to be available.  

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:37:48

robio said:

I wouldn't be too sad. I suspect once the PSP's lifespan is completely done, Sony will go back and put the library of games on PSN to be playable on the PS3. So some point around the end of 2011, they're all going to be available.  

Here's hoping!

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:09:55

There wasn't really a debate in GGweekly, just Vader bitching about MGS on PSP as usual Nyaa

Y

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:33:33

robio said:

I didn't get a chance to weigh in on the discussion Vader whining like a little bitch with a skinned knee that was going on last week about the PSP in GG Weekly but I wanted to throw down a few things on the subject.  

Fixed.

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:45:56
LOL Better.

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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:39:16
Sure its has plenty of good very cheap games to have, all games that could have been made for the PS2 but because this thing exists they decide to make you pay more to play these PS2 games. I don't want a portable gaming machine, if I got a PSP I would just hook it up to my TV... hey just like a PS2. It's paying the $180 or whatever it costs just to play these games when they can all be ported or I am sure they can find a way to make this run on PS3. This is not like a DS, it doesn't try to do anything that can't be done on a console. It's games aren't different in anyway they are just like PS2 games.

Yes I want to play the games on it but I don't care for the portable aspect of it. Those that love gaming on the go I am sure love this system as it is very well done and has a good library. If I buy a portable machine I expect it to be very different from the console counterparts, the PSP is not different.
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Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:36:26

vader all of what you're saying is true, and hopefully what robio said about every game being available via psn to play on the ps3 as a download will become a reality to facilitate more people.

it's true that most games were on it, and not the ps2 just because it was the new thing, not because it has any special features that they utilised (except for the portability of course which matters to some people at least)

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