PSP: one year on

[Mu5]

For me the PSP has been a revelation. Wipeout Pure is easily my game of 2005. Played it constantly for 8 months (offline) - Loving it dearly

Lets remember the PSP is not 100% a gaming machine, its a portable multimedia device. If they want to release exclusive AAA titles like wipeout pure in with the bunch of PS2 ripoffs then fantastic

The emulation/Homebrew scene has been awesome also. Played with the SDK as well, tremendous.

Only started playing my DS again recently due to mario kart ds. Hating the screen now after playing the PSP so much. Make it bigger Ninty!!

[themanwithapc]

The 2 best games for me on the system were launch titles (RR and Lumines). Pretty much sums it up. Nothing has been able to 'wow' me since, so lets hope 2006 is better.

[vertigo]

I'm having trouble realising why any of you would think it 'wouldn't have just ps2 ports.?
its a portable playstation after all.

I'm pretty sure Kutaragi himself made it pretty clear that's what PSP would be and he was actively encouraging ports at one point. I think most recently he made a (misguided) point that nobody wants to play games on the go anyway. Twit.
But then he did also say that 60 frames per second is hard to watch. Sounds like a case of a genius (with regard to the PlayStation concept and execution at least, read Revolutionaries At Sony for details) who's seriously lost his way.

[Dogg Thang]

One of the things I'm hearing quite a bit here is 'I'd rather play games/watch movies on my telly'. That's fine, but misses the point of a handheld entirely (in spite of Kutaragi's idiocy).

I'd rather play Super Mario Bros over Mario Land but I bloody well enjoyed having the latter at hand on the Gameboy wherever I was.

[mid]

It's not so much "I'd rather play games on my TV", but that the PSP games I like the look of are all better suited to sitting down in front of the TV for a session, like WipEout, Toca and GTA. What I like about my Nintendo handhelds are the games that suit play on the go well, like Warioware's instant fun or Advance Wars' ability to stop and start at will without losing your position.

[Dogg Thang]

Like Warioware's blowing into the DS? Snowboard Kid's shouting? Feel the Magic's shouting and blowing? Double standard here I feel. Both systems suffer from having games less suited to playing on the go. Shouting is a no-go on my bus journey, I can't speak for where you live.

Also both systems have a perfectly good sleep mode for start and stop play.

[bingowings]

i am slightly concerned about the amount of dross that is on the shelves. out of the 4 games i have it's Star Soldier that gets the most play - in my opinion, a game perfectly suited for the PSP.

we all know that the initial lineup for a brand new machine, especially a console a company has never produced before, will have a glut of ****e games and ports along with a handful of standout titles - and developers playing it easy. for the first year i had my Xbox, i only ever owned 4 or 5 games at any one time. but i am looking forward to the next 12 months, with the PSP hitting it's stride with games such as Devil May Cry, Katamari etc. it can only get better, i suppose.

[Duddyroar]

Like Warioware's blowing into the DS? Snowboard Kid's shouting? Feel the Magic's shouting and blowing? Double standard here I feel. Both systems suffer from having games less suited to playing on the go. Shouting is a no-go on my bus journey, I can't speak for where you live.

True.

I really wanted to like Nintendogs but I simply couldn't play it - at work was a no-no, I looked a right fool talking to a handheld console, and at home I also felt like a complete prick talking to a virtual dog when I have a real dog that's after my attention.

Likewise the 'blowing on the screen' featured in games like Wario and Feel the Magic was totally off-putting for me.

Thankfully these 'features' are being used a little less now that developers have settled into the machine.

[Mr Ono]

Have to say that mine is gathering dust.

Really need a decent RPG.

[SuperDanX]

Personally speaking, i think the one of the thing the psp has got going for is what many people are finding off putting, the fact that its basicly a portable ps2 and the only handheld thats a viable replacement for a home console. Why would that be any good you may ask? Well i just dont have the time/cant justifiy hogging our tv for hours on end play games that my partners not intrested in and i should imagine if you have kids its worse. I intend to pick one up next year as a replacement for most of my home consoles which are mostly sitting in boxes unplayed the only thing i play these days is my gba. A gba, psp and my beloved ps1 seems to be the way forward for me, so watch out for a big clearout in the sales theads in 2006.

[Yoshimax]

^^ Very good point SuperDan that's where mine sees most of its use i.e she's watching Greys Anatomy or Hollyoaks or something I can fire it up for a blast. But almost all of that time is now spent on Mario Kart.

A quick glance at the upcoming releases of both machines is a sobering site (for PSP). GT on the go is too good to turn down or I'd have sold it by now !

[eastyy]

I just personally think games that are right for a home console may not be right for a handheld console

Of course some games do work.But having a epic rpg.Or a racing game that requires hours of play to get the rewards are not the thing i want

[Dogg Thang]

That is a big thing for me SuperDanX. For about the last three years, handhelds have been my connection to gaming - I just have much more game time on the move than by a tv. So, in spite of having an XBox, PS2 and GC since launch, I already have more PSP games and DS games than I have for any of those machines. I think - it's possible my PS2 games outnumber PSP games but not by much.

As for GBA games, well that's just ridiculous.

[Concept]

Have to say that mine is gathering dust.

Really need a decent RPG.

A jazzed up port of Final Fantasy VII is needed tbh.

[vertigo]

I just personally think games that are right for a home console may not be right for a handheld console

Of course some games do work.But having a epic rpg.Or a racing game that requires hours of play to get the rewards are not the thing i want

Yup, my thoughts entirely. It seems that the majority of DS's (and indeed GBA and GB) best games play up to the point of the console, i.e. on-the-go or convenient gaming that can be picked up and put down almost on a whim. Put this up against PSP's best. There's no doubt it's a pile of games absolutely worth owning, but most of them aren't playing up to the strengths of a portable console. It literally is a portable PS2 and the sales figures and general apathy towards it after this short period of time seem to point at the need for something a bit different. Admittedly, it's great to have a portable that's got the power of a console if your TV's not available. Depends how much time you have on the TV really and if you want the different experiences that you can only get on a handheld. If you're constantly coming second to X Factor and I'm a Celebrity though, you need to have a word with the missus about her dodgy taste in TV.
There's a small, but definitely apparent, irony that the coming wave of platform-exclusive games that are generating interest; Ghouls n Ghosts, Exit, Loco Roco, etc, are essentially 2D in the gameplay department.