5.06.2008

I'm No Longer Exclusively Loyal to Nintendo


As foretold last time, I purchased a PSP. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. Although Japan has several exclusive colors, I just couldn't see myself sporting an Easter green, pink, or blue PSP. So I ended up choosing the classic 'Piano Black' version. Long story short, I love it. It's a really beautiful piece of gaming hardware, and I'm glad the games are finally there to support my purchase.

Speaking of games, at this point I have only one. I bought Locoroco here in Japan, and am very happy with it. I try to limit Japanese game purchases to those that don't rely on a high level of Japanese ability, and in that regard, Locoroco fits the bill perfectly. It's a very cute and charming game, and there's not much out there like it. Plus, after my time in Japan, I totally understand how very 'Japanese' this game is. It's very kawaii, as they say. You control this cute little gelatinous blob, the Locoroco, and use the L and R triggers to rotate the playing field, which then slides your Locoroco in the appropriate direction. And...that's it. Very simple, but fun in small doses.

Now, just because I only have 1 game, doesn't mean I don't have plans to get several more. After all, I've only had the PSP for 1 day. I just received an email that my order with Play-Asia has shipped. I ordered the U.S. versions of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and Patapon, and to be honest, I can't decide which I'm more excited about. I downloaded and tested a Patapon demo immediately after opening my PSP, and it's a wonderfully charming and addicting rhythm game. I'm really looking forward to investing some time in that game.

Other than playing Locoroco and ordering PSP games, I've also been exploring the PlayStation store, and have downloaded several game demos and trailers. Of the demos, God of War: Chains of Olympus and Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow were both incredibly fun and intense for the short amount of time I was allowed to spend with them. They're both on my must-buy list. I also enjoyed the puzzle-styled atmosphere of the Echochrome demo, and will probably purchase it from the store at some point.

I'm very pleased with my decision to purchase a PSP. It's very different from the DS Lite in many ways, some good and some bad. I'll post more about those two handhelds next time. In the meanwhile, does anyone have any experience with the PSP version of flOw. It seems like most of the pieces I've read have covered the PS3 version. I really like the look of it, and at just $8, will probably buy it. Any impressions?

2 comments:

Michael Abbott said...

Congratulations on your PSP acquisition! You were wise to wait until now, in my opinion. I bought mine shortly after it was released, played it for awhile, then put it down for nearly a year with only infrequent play. But lately, so many interesting games have emerged that I find myself picking up my PSP all the time. The Skype feature is also pretty cool.

I'm sorry I can't speak about FlOw, which I enjoyed on the PS3, but I feel certain you'll get a kick out of Patapon, which is a brilliant little game that's full of clever ideas and addictive gameplay. It gets difficult, but not impossible, later in the game - sort of like other rhythm-based titles like Gitaroo Man.

Have fun!

Korey said...

I think it was a good decision too, both in terms of waiting and in picking one up finally. Thanks for your thoughts about the psp. And it reminded me that isn't Parappa on PSP too? That might be worth a purchase if it is.

I'm still patiently waiting on Crisis Core and Patapon to arrive. ugh...soon, I hope. There's a lot to like about the PSP, and I'll get into that soon in my next post.