One of the most exciting features of the PSP, for me atleast, is the ability to play some great, clasic PS1 games on it. The downside is that you need a large memory stick (can't really get around that), as well as a PS3. That is the real killer. A $1000AU purchase just to play old games on a great handheld. Another thing is that only select games are available, and need to be downloaded. Why is this? Why not, since you need a PS3 anyway, allow users to put their legal PS1 games into the system and allow them to be copied to the PSP. Or, give a discount to the download prices for having the original. I don't know why, when I have an original PS1 game infront of me that I have to pay for it again, just to play on my new system.
Sony, I love your systems, please treat them, and their users, properly. We are your customers, without us there would be now PSP or PS3. If you don't fix this, there may not be a PS4.
Showing posts with label PSP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PSP. Show all posts
Friday, February 9, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Archer Maclean's Mercury Review
This review is written from the point of view of the author, with no intent to persuade readers to or away from buying a particular game. This is intended as a guide only.
One of the release games for PSP (in Australia at least), this game has plenty of great moments. A challenging puzzler with an inventive idea (not surprising, considering Archer Maclean's past efforts). You control a 3D world, which you can rotate by using the analogue nub. A blob of mercury rolls around, with the aim to get a portion the blob from the start to the finish. There are six worlds, each with twelve levels, which makes for quite abit of a challenge. There is also a bonus world (with only 6 levels), which is quite harder than the normal worlds. Even unlocking them is a real challenge. There are five level types, with a mix of them on each world. Race, percentage and task levels are the main ones (three of each for each world), with combo (two) and boss (one) also making an appearance, so there is a variety to keep you from getting bored. There is also a bonus level for each world, which can only be unlocked by getting the high score on every level on that world, quite a challege.
Being a blob, and not a solid object, the mercury can be split up into smaller pieces, squished and stretched. The downside is that small bits of mercury may fall off the platform, resulting in a lower score. There is a minimum amount to mercury needed to activate the finish line, so trying to get the best score is a balancing act between best time and most mercury left. There are objects that the blob can interect with, both good and bad. They can change your colour, transport you to a new area, or squish you to remove some of your precious metal.
All in all, this game takes quite a bit to finish. For the completest there is a high score table, which is exceedingly difficult to top in the later worlds.
Now for the things I would've liked in this game. The high score table, while good, is different for every user. That means going between profiles to compare best scores on levels. This isn't overly bad, just something I would have liked to see implemented (similar to Lumines, with one score table for the game, so you can easily prove your dominance, or lack of). As all PSP owners know, the analogue nub also leaves room for improvement. This is a fault with the system, not the game, but it deserves a mention, especially when it can mean the difference between top score and no score.
Overall, this is an inventive game that makes good use of the PSP's widescreen and portable nature, with just a few niggles to drag it back. Mainly aimed at the puzzler crowd, this will be overlooked by many as a simple, childs game. It is so much more.
7.5/10
One of the release games for PSP (in Australia at least), this game has plenty of great moments. A challenging puzzler with an inventive idea (not surprising, considering Archer Maclean's past efforts). You control a 3D world, which you can rotate by using the analogue nub. A blob of mercury rolls around, with the aim to get a portion the blob from the start to the finish. There are six worlds, each with twelve levels, which makes for quite abit of a challenge. There is also a bonus world (with only 6 levels), which is quite harder than the normal worlds. Even unlocking them is a real challenge. There are five level types, with a mix of them on each world. Race, percentage and task levels are the main ones (three of each for each world), with combo (two) and boss (one) also making an appearance, so there is a variety to keep you from getting bored. There is also a bonus level for each world, which can only be unlocked by getting the high score on every level on that world, quite a challege.
Being a blob, and not a solid object, the mercury can be split up into smaller pieces, squished and stretched. The downside is that small bits of mercury may fall off the platform, resulting in a lower score. There is a minimum amount to mercury needed to activate the finish line, so trying to get the best score is a balancing act between best time and most mercury left. There are objects that the blob can interect with, both good and bad. They can change your colour, transport you to a new area, or squish you to remove some of your precious metal.
All in all, this game takes quite a bit to finish. For the completest there is a high score table, which is exceedingly difficult to top in the later worlds.
Now for the things I would've liked in this game. The high score table, while good, is different for every user. That means going between profiles to compare best scores on levels. This isn't overly bad, just something I would have liked to see implemented (similar to Lumines, with one score table for the game, so you can easily prove your dominance, or lack of). As all PSP owners know, the analogue nub also leaves room for improvement. This is a fault with the system, not the game, but it deserves a mention, especially when it can mean the difference between top score and no score.
Overall, this is an inventive game that makes good use of the PSP's widescreen and portable nature, with just a few niggles to drag it back. Mainly aimed at the puzzler crowd, this will be overlooked by many as a simple, childs game. It is so much more.
7.5/10
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Lumines score.
I've done it. A new high score along with two new skins. The new score to beat (among anyone trying to compete with me) is 125,751. I know there are probably many people who can beat that, but it's a start. I'm the best that I know of, can any of YOU beat me?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The PSP
Since I have had a PSP (Playstation Portable) since they were released here in Australia (1st September 2005), I have seen some of the best and worst of Sony's first venture into the handheld gaming market, one long considered to be solely Nintendo's domain. The release of the PSP has taken some of that market from Nintendo, however it is only in the western countries, Japan is still wary of leaving Nintendo behind.
The PSP is more than just a games machine, it is a portable media device, with the capacity to view photos, listen to music and watch movies. This may seem like alot, but you can also surf the internet on it (provided you have firmware 2.00 or higher). Lets not forget games, the little handheld can play games of a graphical quality on par with some better PS2 games, and often better than most. The quality of the games is dependant upon the developers however, with some classics already being released, while some failures that should never have made it on shelf. This is like every console just after release, when the range of titles is still growing.
One of the best thing I have seen in the time of the PSP has been inventive, original games. The most obvious example is Loco Roco, however Lumines and Mercury. Loco Roco, despite seeming simple and 2D, was highly addictive and challenging, not to reach the end, but to collect every hidden item, to ensure bragging rights over friends and relatives. This is the same for Lumines, since learning the game may only take a few rounds, but mastering the game and unlocking every skin takes intense consentration and pleanty of practice (My high score is just over 100,000 at time of writing). As for Mercury, the difficulty of that game is without question, while trying to unlock all the bonus stages is near impossible, even for the most skilled gamer (Even you Ian).
The worst things about my beloved handheld include shameless PS2 ports, and UMD movies being released at such a ridiculous price point. Most titles were the same price, sometimes more, as their DVD equivalent, without any bonus features or the ability to play on anything but the PSP. Thus, without allowing the PSP to connect video output to the TV, I believe Sony killed the UMD movie market before it was even released. Lets just hope they do better with Blu-Ray.
Other games, although not completely original, are still released solely for the PSP are just as playable. Take Me and My Katamari. This was released as the third in the series, the first two being released on the PS2, not in Australia however. This unique, enjoyable game was lucky enough to get a release on PSP in Australia. Tekken:Dark Resurrection was another great game to be released, developed solely for the PSP. We need more games like this, with which the PSP will really come into its own as a handheld console, which it deserves to do. The PSP is a quality piece of kit and deserves quality games like the ones I have mentioned above (and those were only examples, not a complete list by any means). So snap to it developers, the fruit is ripe for the picking.
The PSP is more than just a games machine, it is a portable media device, with the capacity to view photos, listen to music and watch movies. This may seem like alot, but you can also surf the internet on it (provided you have firmware 2.00 or higher). Lets not forget games, the little handheld can play games of a graphical quality on par with some better PS2 games, and often better than most. The quality of the games is dependant upon the developers however, with some classics already being released, while some failures that should never have made it on shelf. This is like every console just after release, when the range of titles is still growing.
One of the best thing I have seen in the time of the PSP has been inventive, original games. The most obvious example is Loco Roco, however Lumines and Mercury. Loco Roco, despite seeming simple and 2D, was highly addictive and challenging, not to reach the end, but to collect every hidden item, to ensure bragging rights over friends and relatives. This is the same for Lumines, since learning the game may only take a few rounds, but mastering the game and unlocking every skin takes intense consentration and pleanty of practice (My high score is just over 100,000 at time of writing). As for Mercury, the difficulty of that game is without question, while trying to unlock all the bonus stages is near impossible, even for the most skilled gamer (Even you Ian).
The worst things about my beloved handheld include shameless PS2 ports, and UMD movies being released at such a ridiculous price point. Most titles were the same price, sometimes more, as their DVD equivalent, without any bonus features or the ability to play on anything but the PSP. Thus, without allowing the PSP to connect video output to the TV, I believe Sony killed the UMD movie market before it was even released. Lets just hope they do better with Blu-Ray.
Other games, although not completely original, are still released solely for the PSP are just as playable. Take Me and My Katamari. This was released as the third in the series, the first two being released on the PS2, not in Australia however. This unique, enjoyable game was lucky enough to get a release on PSP in Australia. Tekken:Dark Resurrection was another great game to be released, developed solely for the PSP. We need more games like this, with which the PSP will really come into its own as a handheld console, which it deserves to do. The PSP is a quality piece of kit and deserves quality games like the ones I have mentioned above (and those were only examples, not a complete list by any means). So snap to it developers, the fruit is ripe for the picking.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
First Post
Well, this be the first post of this here new (and first) blog of mine... what to say, what to say. Hmm... Maybe a little about myself to let everyone know what I'm interested in and could, probably will, post about in the future.
First off, I am a gamer, a long time gamer, longer than prehaps my age would suggest.
I am 21 year old and I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. The earliest memory I have of a video game was playing the atari 2600 that my big brother had. That made a few trips around but eventually came back to our family, and is still with it today. Early on we got a Sega Mega Drive II, from memory. That, too, is floating around my brothers house somewhere. The first game on the PC I remember really getting into was Half-Life. This was when I was in early high-school, about 14 from memory. There were games before that, but that was the first one that really, and I mean REALLY, grabbed my attention and made me say, "HELLO WORLD, I AM A GAMER." Despite the horror from most of my friends, I am currently digging World of Warcraft, and at this stage, just 7 days from the release of the expansion (The Burning Crusade), I have almost got a level 60, but more on that later.
As far as consoles go, I am a fan of Sony and Nintendo, not so much Microsoft. I currently own a PS2, GameCube and a PSP. I have a range of games of each of these, with the GameCube being mostly party games for great multi-player action.
I also really enjoy movies and television, having a large collection of legally aquired DVD's of both. Another interest I have is wrestling, so expect all that to be mentioned here in this blog.
Anyway, I also attend University, 3/5 of the way through a Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Science. I am majoring in Computer Systems/Computer Science.
First off, I am a gamer, a long time gamer, longer than prehaps my age would suggest.
I am 21 year old and I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. The earliest memory I have of a video game was playing the atari 2600 that my big brother had. That made a few trips around but eventually came back to our family, and is still with it today. Early on we got a Sega Mega Drive II, from memory. That, too, is floating around my brothers house somewhere. The first game on the PC I remember really getting into was Half-Life. This was when I was in early high-school, about 14 from memory. There were games before that, but that was the first one that really, and I mean REALLY, grabbed my attention and made me say, "HELLO WORLD, I AM A GAMER." Despite the horror from most of my friends, I am currently digging World of Warcraft, and at this stage, just 7 days from the release of the expansion (The Burning Crusade), I have almost got a level 60, but more on that later.
As far as consoles go, I am a fan of Sony and Nintendo, not so much Microsoft. I currently own a PS2, GameCube and a PSP. I have a range of games of each of these, with the GameCube being mostly party games for great multi-player action.
I also really enjoy movies and television, having a large collection of legally aquired DVD's of both. Another interest I have is wrestling, so expect all that to be mentioned here in this blog.
Anyway, I also attend University, 3/5 of the way through a Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Science. I am majoring in Computer Systems/Computer Science.
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