Mini Reviews…
1. PSP - Above and way beyond what I expected…screen is crystal clear. Well laid out design…except after 4 hours of playing it, my hand hurt…I think the analog stick could have been better placed because 99% of the games work better with it but require you to use the R and L buttons so your right hand is fully stretched the whole time…ouch.
2. Case - Sweet. Soft leather…soft inside. Holds a UMD…sort of, it’s a bit tight. Holds 2 MS Duo’s. Screws in to place so you can get to the UMD and open the front. Nice protection and not too much thicker then the PSP. I personally prefer using the case then just the PSP, it adds a bit of needed thickness.
3. Games - I am not a sports gamer, beyond baseball, so take with grain of salt.
Lumines - Intersting…a bit too complex IMO, when you do a 2x2 square (object of the game), it doesn’t dissapear right away, it sort of goes solid, then goes away. Sort of distracting. I guess I have to give it some time, supposed to be addicting. I would have much rather had tetris. :(
Ridge Racer - Amazing graphics…a bit too drifty…it’s like they went drift happy. If your not a fan of the RR series stay away, I am a hard-core race fanatic and the game gets on my nerves.
Need For Speed - Not a fan of the soundtrack…I liked the Underground soundtrack better. Graphics are smooth and sharp. The car’s handle very well…a better all around racer IMO then RR.
World Tour Soccer - Great graphics…really uses the widescreen well…you see a lot of the field at once. In game speech is limited to the person with the ball…for example ‘Ronaldo’ then when he passes it you hear ‘Erik’ (Ronaldo is the only one I remeber, I kept hearin his name)...then when you shoot you hear ‘Erik’...‘Erik’ with fluxuations in the voice depending on if you made the shot or not. The voice helps keep the game moving but is not distracting. The only other soccer game i’ve played recently is Fifa for PS2…I enjoyed Fifa more..but I am not sure if it’s because it was on the PS2 or because it was made by EA, this was made by Sony.
Wipeout - The game I almost didn’t buy - Everyone told me to get it, so I did. Glad I did. This game is identical to it’s console big brother. Graphics are stunning, gameplay is fast, but not too fast. Soooo much fun with 8 players in one room and connection over local WiFi was a sinch. A must buy IMO.
Ape Escape - Honestly, more difficult then I thought. I only played one level but it was interesting. You control yourself with the digital pad…the analog stick is for camera angles only. Essentially you need to trap loose monkeys (who run and kick you) and there are other little creatures that get in your way that you hit with a glowing stick (star wars esq). Not for me, but fun to try.
Gretzky - I played NHL hockey for the Genesis and Sega CD as well as for the PC (‘97ish) and the PS2 more recently. First, I found the load times on this title longer then any other…far longer. They offer different camera views…4 I think. Some provide close action (great graphics) but I could only play with the top-down view…I was having a hard time otherwise. Like soccer, I wasn’t happy with the gameplay. Again, I am not sure if it’s because it was on the PSP or because it was not an EA title.
That’s about it…any other questions, i’d be happy to help. I saw Spiderman on someone else’s PSP…very clear…nice looking. I’m still buying DVDs…lol.
Erik
) Interesting huh?
