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[Pedigree Chum]

My local mom and pop place had tons of copies of all the launch games. Including Ridge Racers. So I got RR and TM today (along with GoW). Surprisingly I'm enjoying RR the most, TM is fun but I need to get that biotch online. So far so good, I alsmot picked up THUG2R, but I think I'm going to wait till it drops to $20. Next title to pick up? Mercury, WhenTH will it launch!

 

[drohne]

i just sold three crap old games to gamerush and walked out with metal gear acid and a couple bucks of leftover credit. the us psp launch is officially a good thing.

 

[mashoutposse]

i just sold three crap old games to gamerush and walked out with metal gear acid and a couple bucks of leftover credit. the us psp launch is officially a good thing.

What 3 games?

 

[Chrono]

I don't have a PSP but since this is the official launch thread I thought I'd ask here...

1) Would you guys say it's possible for the PSP to be $150 this holiday season? And will the 1GB memory sticks drop in price to, say $40?

2) I keep hearing about server problems with games like Twisted Metal -- are those problems guaranteed to be solved (like will Sony do something) or is it up to the developer?

3) I searched for 'online' in IGN’s review of TW and they don't mention it much. Will there ever be 'online stability' reviews for certain games? It'd suck to buy a game just for online only for it to have really bad servers. I mean I'd buy twisted metal just so I could get in an online game 10 minutes before class; if I get disconnected 3-4 times it wouldn't be worth it.

4) How sensitive is the screen? I can throw in an SP in my backpack and forget about it thanks to its design but I’m guessing I’d need a case for the PSP, correct?

 

[Unison]

Lyte was going ballistic on people bashing the Darkstalkers PSP controls so watch out.

Well, it's not unplayable, but I find myself using stock moves more often than when I play the DC or Saturn versions....

I don't really have an issue with the Ape Escape controls, at least thus far, it'd be nice to have the dual analog stick control, but it was never a real big deal to me.

hrrm... I guess I could see how you could adjust, but it's a huge step down from the console versions. When you swing your net or baton, it goes straight out. On the consoles, you could swing it around you in an arc. I don't know that you can do that here (though maybe I'm just not doing it right).

I think it will only become more of an issue as I get farther in the game too... The monkeys move faster and the gadgets become more analog-dependent.

We'll see, I guess...

 

[jiggle]

I don't have a PSP but since this is the official launch thread I thought I'd ask here...

1) Would you guys say it's possible for the PSP to be $150 this holiday season? And will the 1GB memory sticks drop in price to, say $40?

If there is a price drop for the value pack, it's not gonna be by $100 that's for sure. Unless PSP completely bombs for months to come.

I don't see the price of a 1g MS drop by over 60% within 9 months either...

 

[truffleshuffle83]

is it me or do you play lumines in your head well after the game stops. i could sleep last night cause i was thinkin about it

 

[Mrbob]

I'll try to help you out the best I can Chrono. My responses are in bold.


1) Would you guys say it's possible for the PSP to be $150 this holiday season?

No

And will the 1GB memory sticks drop in price to, say $40? Hell no! :lol Maybe in 2007

2) I keep hearing about server problems with games like Twisted Metal -- are those problems guaranteed to be solved (like will Sony do something) or is it up to the developer? Up to the developer. Hopefully it gets fixed so I can snag this game. I'm wating on the server issues to get sorted out. Most online games have problems the first week or two online.

3) I searched for 'online' in IGN’s review of TW and they don't mention it much. Will there ever be 'online stability' reviews for certain games? It'd suck to buy a game just for online only for it to have really bad servers. I mean I'd buy twisted metal just so I could get in an online game 10 minutes before class; if I get disconnected 3-4 times it wouldn't be worth it.TW? Twisted Metal? Instability is the nature of the beast in online games sometimes. You need to give it a little time though and most things get sorted out. Unless it is an EA non Madden game!

4) How sensitive is the screen? I can throw in an SP in my backpack and forget about it thanks to its design but I’m guessing I’d need a case for the PSP, correct?You can throw your PSP in a backpack, but make sure to have it in a case! The screen is real high gloss with no extra protection. You throw it in your backpack without a case you'll scratch it to hell and back!

 

[lunlunqq]

is it me or do you play lumines in your head well after the game stops. i could sleep last night cause i was thinkin about it

hehe, that happened to me, too. at the first night after i got my psp, i played lumines in bed. after i fell asleep, i dreamed it all night long.

 

[truffleshuffle83]

i was in a terminal today and after i got off the plane (i played lumines the whole time) i was analyzing the colored squares of the carpet. it is crack in umd form

 

[drohne]

What 3 games?

syberia, animal crossing, and namco museum gc (not crap, but made redundant by the psp version). they have a deal where you can get any new release for $30 with two trade-ins, and a deal where you get an extra $15 of credit with three trade-ins, and they're stackable.

 

[mrroboto]

i have now joined the psp club. i ebayed my nintendo ds and promptly put that money towards a spanking new psp value pack. can't wait to watch spidey on it and get some twisted metal going.

 

[Superbone]

I'm not a fan of techno, so that excludes most of the songs. I did like the jazz like song on there. The game is so awesome that soundtrack won't get in my way of liking the game.

I like the sound track quite a bit. The jazz tune really took me by surprise as I am a "jazzer" and well, you don't hear much jazz in video games...

 

[Seth C]

Does anyone know how the PSP handles 4:3 content? Do you get black bars, does it stretch, or do you have the option to do either of them?

 

[Argyle]

Does anyone know how the PSP handles 4:3 content? Do you get black bars, does it stretch, or do you have the option to do either of them?

It's up to you, it has the same normal/zoom/full screen modes that an HDTV has.

 

[mashoutposse]

syberia, animal crossing, and namco museum gc (not crap, but made redundant by the psp version). they have a deal where you can get any new release for $30 with two trade-ins, and a deal where you get an extra $15 of credit with three trade-ins, and they're stackable.

Damn, that's a nice deal...

 

[shpankey]

Lonestar sorry about your father dude... I will pray for him.

Got my PSP exchanged and this one has no dead pixels at all, whoohoo! PSP is awesome. It is so much more than I expected. I love it, all my friends and family are in awe of it (had it at my daughters b-day party today and let the kids all play it and everyone was going gaga over it lol).

Damn, Sony hit a home freaking RUN with thsi baby! Ridge Racer is soooooo awesome, and to think I almost didn't get it. Dang this baby rocks. Hope to get Wipeout soon and Hellboy movie soon also. Gonna pick up that Lumines (sp?) everyone is raving about for my wife, as she is a Tetris lover and that looks simliar.

Could not be any more happy with this thing!

 

[Alex]

Yay! 33,000 points in Lumines! Sure, it sucks, but it's GREAT for me. Up from 16,000.

Lumines is easily my favorite puzzle game ever. Shit, I don't even like the genre and I love it.

 

[TheOMan]

I've been playing the PSP since launch day and I like this little handheld much more than I thought I would. I've already watched all of Spiderman 2 on it and I can definitely see myself using this on plane trips to watch ripped dvds and listening to music.

I purchased Lumines and Ridge Racer and I must say these 2 games are so much fun. I think I'm finally getting the hang of Lumines, 4 skins so far, but I hate the fact that you have to start from the beginning to earn more skins. Anybody have some good pointers on playing Lumines "properly"?

Ridge Racer is just good old fashioned racing fun. The presentation is awesome, the soundtrack rocks, and the control is spot on with the analog nub.

Battery life has been a non issue - it lasts much longer than it should in my opinion (I use it with the medium brightness setting and about 75% volume setting) and my PSP has *never* gotten warm (maybe my hands are just too much warmer than the unit to tell). Hooked it up to my wireless network with ease (now I just need to get an infrastructure enabled game :lol or get XLink Kai up and running) Also, I lucked and this unit has no dead pixels.

Hopefully Sony releases a browser and some PDA type software for this thing soon - I won't need any other electronic handheld gadgets if they do this right. A camera, external mic, VoIP support, maybe even PSP TV/Radio . Perhaps the OS will get opened up as well to allow people to cook up some cool custom software.

However, keeping this thing clean is an absolute nightmare and I don't have a screen protector yet. Definitely going to invest in one though.

I was considering picking up MGA and Darkstalkers, but I think I may hold off based on some of the opinions I've seen so far.

 

[Lonestar]

Thanks for the thoughts shpankey. He's not sure about Lumines, but he does like my copy of Tiger Woods. I'll probably trade that to him for Lumines (I'm getting better at it. Pretty fast paced).

 

[kaching]

I don't think I could be much happier with the three games I bought initially: Twisted Metal, Wipeout Pure and Lumines. I like that TMHO took a more lighthearted approach this time around and the warp minigames are a nice diversion from the main arena-style combat. Shame about the stability of online play right now, though. Wipeout is sublime and a more thoroughly immersive vision of a future time and place than many story and character driven games that try to do the same, thanks to the track design, physics and control. Lumines tweaks the basic block drop puzzle formula just right and layers it with audiovisual sensations that can both bombard you and put you in a zone. All three games present a fantastic aural experience on top of everything else. I love the menu screen music in TMHO.

Based on impressions around here, I went out and grabbed Untold Legends today. Little hard on the eyes due to the ghosting/trailing image on objects in motion but I actually like the simple, text-based approach to the storytelling and there's already more of it done more dynamically than in either of the CONs or BGDA. Everything else seems completely competent for a dungeon hack. I especially like the incorporation of the world map.

As for the PSP itself, the implementation of persistent, universal OS services and a sleep function that literally lets you stop the game anywhere and pick right back up from there are the kind of things I would have expected to see first on console hardware, not a handheld. Just hit the Home button and you've got instant access to the time and battery indicator. It's both very smart design for a handheld device and a major milestone for game hardware design in general.

 

[Yusaku]

My local Gamestop and EB had no PSPs. Circuit City tried to force me to buy Twisted Metal (no thanks), went with Toys R Us. Lumines was worth it alone, the most cerebral game I've ever played.

I really hope the 1GB Memory Sticks come into stock. I'm kind of impatient, but I really don't want to have to swap memory sticks.

 

[Meantime]

Lonestar sorry about your father dude... I will pray for him.

I second that. I'm in a somewhat similar situation myself. All the best to you and your family.

 

[Link]

is it me or do you play lumines in your head well after the game stops. i could sleep last night cause i was thinkin about it

Yes! Thank god it's not just me.

On another odd note, does anyone else almost feel like they're "offending" their PSP when you're playing it on the john?

 

[aoi tsuki]

Yes! Thank god it's not just me.

On another odd note, does anyone else almost feel like they're "offending" their PSP when you're playing it on the john?

i don't get the desire to do things in the bathroom not related to releasing waste. i go, and leave.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

hrrm... I guess I could see how you could adjust, but it's a huge step down from the console versions. When you swing your net or baton, it goes straight out. On the consoles, you could swing it around you in an arc. I don't know that you can do that here (though maybe I'm just not doing it right).

I think it will only become more of an issue as I get farther in the game too... The monkeys move faster and the gadgets become more analog-dependent.

I have the same problem with Ape Escape. Controls aren't terrible, but they're not very good, either. I've had a bit of fun everytime I've played it, but in the end it just makes me want to rebuy the PSX version.

Has there been any word on whether or not they're trying to fix the network problems with Twisted Metal, or if they're even fixable? I've only managed to play 3 games online, and if they don't get it workin' soon I'm gonna try and return it.

 

[Alex]

Do any of the MGA players have any tips? I keep hearing how some parts of the gameplay are unclear, and the tutorial is poor, so..

Also, can I get the gist of how to interpret the COST system? It wasn't really mentioned in any degree.

 

[duckroll]

Do any of the MGA players have any tips? I keep hearing how some parts of the gameplay are unclear, and the tutorial is poor, so..

Also, can I get the gist of how to interpret the COST system? It wasn't really mentioned in any degree.

COST is how long you have to wait before that character's next turn. If you simply discard 2 cards instead of using any, or if you used a 4 cost movement card and then a 0 cost card that reduces your cost by 4, you'll notice that even if you end the turn you'll get the next turn really quickly, as opposed to blowing your load on a 10 cost card and a 9 cost one resulting in you waiting several more cycles before your next turn and giving the enemy more moves to carry out. Hope that explains some.

 

[dark10x]

hrrm... I guess I could see how you could adjust, but it's a huge step down from the console versions. When you swing your net or baton, it goes straight out. On the consoles, you could swing it around you in an arc. I don't know that you can do that here (though maybe I'm just not doing it right).

Hmm, that all sounds kinda problematic...

I really do not understand why they ported Ape Escape, though. Surely they could have either created a new game (unlikely) or ported a more PSP friendly title. I mean, if there is ANY platformer that really needed dual analog, this is obviously it.

I still might pick it up eventually, though, as the game itself is quite good. How does it compare to the PSX version visually?

 

[Alex]

I didn't really play long enough to check for such details, I'll give some bigger impressions when I buy it monday if anyone wants. Anyway, visually it's good, not great. Healthy step above the PSX game. Never played the sequel so can't compare.

As for people on the fence about MGA, the positive set of reviews are pretty much on the mark. It's niche due to genre alone, but if you like strategy titles and Metal Gear, it is a serious no brainer. It's a very inspired, well made spin off. Doesn't deserve any of the flak it's getting from the idiots.

By the way, it does Duckroll. Thanks much.

 

[Yusaku]

Oh, I have THREE stuck pixels, one dead-center, too.

Sony's little disclaimer in the manual is bullshit. LCD monitors list in the warranty a number of acceptable dead pixels before they'll take it back--usually 4-8. And thats on a 1280x1024 display. Compared to the small size of a PSP screen what's an acceptable number of dead pixels? 2? Sony wont say.

 

[gunstarhero]

I finally got around to downloading pspware 1.5 for my Mac - syncing photos, itunes and movies works PERFECTLY (backups saves too). Easily worth the 10 bucks.

I hope they expand on this - like syncing my Address book and bookmarks (when someone releases a browser ) Now just need to find a 1gb stick at a decent price.


All in all - the PSP is everything and a bag of chips -

Picked up Lumines, MGA and Ridge Racer - all AAA titles imo. I'm especially hooked on Lumines right now.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

I think this is one of the best gaming launches ever here in the US. When I was playing Ridge Racer again, I had a smile on my face of satisfaction, something I never had when I got the DS. Not to drag in the competition but I am just wowed by just about everything the PSP does.

But I'm still having a lot of fun with it.

Good. I just ordered it and after reading the reviews, I was hoping it would be good but it seems like it is. I just hope Capcom puts a Vs collection or a Street Fighter Alpha collection since PSP is more than capable for the job. Get cracking, Capcom!

I still might pick it up eventually, though, as the game itself is quite good

I think Ape Escape sounds like a good bargain bin title. Worth playing but not at full price. I think the same is going to be for Need For Speed and NFL Street.

 

[pcostabel]

Anyone knows of a place in LA that still has PSPs available? I've been in eight different stores in the west side and they are all sold out...

 

[gofreak]

I cannot say the the image quality is not affected at all. But as long as you apply it right, the difference is hardly noticable. And my current protector is just a cheap one, you can always get a better "super-clean" protector as i plan to do.

Can anyone comment on how the image is affected by the exim protectors?

Also, if I get a PCI wireless card for xkai, can i also use it for regular wireless online play? And (really dumb question here): if I get a normal wireless router, does my PC need to be turned on to play online?

Many thanks..

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Also, if I get a PCI wireless card for xkai, can i also use it for regular wireless online play? And (really dumb question here): if I get a normal wireless router, does my PC need to be turned on to play online?

Many thanks..

I don't see why not

and

no, just the router and modem.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I haven't gotten my large memory card yet so I've been holding back on trying video ripping, etc. I'm also interested in getting some of my eBooks on this and a few comics/manga, etc.

That said, has anyone found what looks like the best site for keeping links to utilities, faqs, etc.? I know all that information exists on GAF in various threads but I'd like to find a PSP dedicated site that tries to collect all the latest info and utilities for ease of use.

Any suggestions?

 

[MetalAlien]

I cannot say the the image quality is not affected at all. But as long as you apply it right, the difference is hardly noticable. And my current protector is just a cheap one, you can always get a better "super-clean" protector as i plan to do.

The image difference was too much for me, I removed mine.

 

[calder]

Finally tooled around on my brothers PSP yesterday. Nothing to say about the screen or unit itself that hasn't been said - screen is fucking amazing, unit feels sturdy and very comfortable (except the flimsy feeling cover over the mem card slot, but how often are you going to be using that).

Considering I was expecting hot sex from the screen what did really impress me was the menus, really slick looking and the way it gives you a background and DVD like menu animation when you have SpiderMan2 in is a neat little touch. My brothers unit had no pixel problems at all and his square button was fine - his only thing was the L1 button sticking if you push it fairly hard (a fair bit harder than I would ever be clicking it). I played 15 minutes of TM without noticing and he admited it never sticks during normal gameplay unless you hit the trigger harder than normal but he might return it anyway just in case it gets worse.

So now I want one and I don't know if I"m going to be able to wait for a month or 2 like I had planned.

 

[gofreak]

I don't see why not

and

no, just the router and modem.

Cheers for the reply! Hmmm..I guess if your modem is USB powered, you'd still need the PC to be on? Or is it possible to get a router with a usb port so that my modem will then only be indirectly connected to the PC? My modem doesn't have an ethernet port

 

[Defensor]

Anyone knows of a place in LA that still has PSPs available? I've been in eight different stores in the west side and they are all sold out...

Did you try Target Stores?

 

[Cloudy]

Finally got music, movies and manga going on the psp. Good times

 

[Dilbert]

Me: "So I picked up that new gadget before I left for my trip...do you want to see it?"
Her: "Sure, I guess. What does it do? Is it a videogame thing?"
Me: [putting in Spiderman 2 since GF loves comic books] "Well, it plays movies too."
(long pause while movie plays for a minute)
Me: "What do you think?"
Her: "It certainly looks like a movie."
Me: ......................

Me: [putting in Lumines] "Did you like to play Tetris when that was popular?"
Her: "Yeah."
Me: "Well, you might like this game...it's similar to Tetris."
(short keeping-it-simple explanation of how to play Lumines, followed by a short game)
Me: "What do you think? Do the rules make sense?"
Her: "Yeah."
Me: "Would you like to play?"
Her: "No."
Me: ......................

I SO wanted to fire back, "You do know that the cute security guard at LAX who saw this on Thursday practically gave me her number, right?"

 

[Drinky Crow]

Haha.

My wife, who doesn't really dig any games save Magical Drop 3 and Diablo 2, wants her OWN PSP for movies and Untold Legends.

The trick is to not encourage 'em.

Her: "what ARE you doing. You're just STARING at your new little toy."
Me: "watchin' a movie. Quiet."
Her: "what? What are you watching?"
Me: "uh, Spider-Man 2"
Her: "You didn't want to buy that movie on DVD when we were at Suncoast"
Me: "came free with the system."
Her: "can I watch?"
Me: "I thought you didn't like my toys."
Her: "Gimme that."
Me: <leaves, plays Phantom Dust uninterrupted for two hours>

 

[Alex]

The internet assured me the womenfolk in my life would flock to my hobby if I presented them with puzzle games and overly niche fluff, but you know what? THE INTERNET LIED.

 

[evilromero]

Untold Legends seems attractive to me, but the reviews are mixed. I'll wait a while before I pick up the system. I'm hoping something similar to that game emerges in the not-too-distant future.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

Ridge Racer is soooooo awesome, and to think I almost didn't get it.

Same here. Thank god I just closed my eyes and got it, this is probably my favorite launch title, even over Lumines. I now wish I had imported it 2 months ago...WTF was a I thinking almost passing this up.

 

[fse]

Anyone know if a PSP can play movies that are in .wmv files?

 

[Belfast]

Anyone know if a PSP can play movies that are in .wmv files?

No, you have to convert them.

 

[fse]