 "All i can say is DUH!!!" | 2008-03-04 |
| - Reviewed By swilli50 |
| dude, you are lacking friends LMAO. you would be in another world you say the nintendo is better than the psp. OMG where are you on this planet earth? yea it has been out for many yrs the nin dc. but come on my bro has it and my psp EATS it. come on man. |
| |
 "Sony Does It Again" | 2008-02-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3MZ7OWG6433EK |
A powerhouse of a portable system, the PSP is the most capable of all portable handhelds to date. The Xross Media Bar is second-notch when it comes to organization, I prefer the Xbox 360 blade system personally.
Games: This is one of the few points where the PSP falls short. The selection of games is lackluster at best. There are a few good games (like GTA: Vice City Stories or Need for Speed), but the rest I'd probably find boring or not really all that interesting. The PSP is more capable in this regard (custom firmware), but a lot of the stuff that custom firmware used to have is now being dished out by Sony. With the custom firmware, you can emulate DS games, but prepare for it to slow down.
Photo: Pictures look absolutely stunning on this thing. HDR looks the best (understandably), but a bunch of stills and backgrounds I found on the internet look freaking amazing on this thing.
Music: Another thing that the PSP falls short on. I'm a picky person when it comes to this. The sound quality is decent when you plug this thing into a set of external speakers, but volume falls short. I don't use AVLS (the option that sets a limit on how high you can turn it up) and it still turns up quiet. The sound quality out of the little speakers is not good at all (they boosted the quality in the Slim model by moving the speakers responsible for treble near the top, but still).
Video: I haven't watched UMD movies on this thing, but by judging some home-made PSP tutorials that I watched, professional video would look amazing on this. Too bad the sounds not all that great, but I usually manage.
Networking: Here's where the PSP shines. Networking on this thing is amazing, with firmware updates you browse the internet, stream internet radio using Shoutcast, and even use Skype (with the newest firmware). You can check Sony's servers for updates through the "Network Update" function on the top of the Settings menu. Of course, you have to be in a WiFi zone, but those are popping up everywhere now. With some games, you can play multiplayer online (Socom comes to mind), and with all multiplayer games, you can link PSPs to smash the heck out of some n00bs, through Ad-Hoc mode.
All in all, a good portable developed by Sony. |
| |
 "So Much Potential..." | 2007-12-01 |
| - Reviewed By arlando909 |
Technology wise, the PSP is a wonder to behold. It's fantastic in that it can play movies, MP3s and go online, but for the hardcore gamer, this system misses the most important aspects: A great library of games. Is the PSP good? Certainly it is, but can it stack up for gamers in terms of what's important? That can be questionable.
Let's take a look at what the PSP can do, shall we? The most obvious thing, of course, is the screen itself. The horizontal layout works much better than the vertical layout in the handheld market. People with big hands have it easier with a horizontal layout than a vertical. In a way, it feels like holding a PS2 controller. The only major difference is there's a screen in the middle. The great thing about that screen is the quality is fantastic. Images show up clear and colorful. Not only do these images show up very well, but the screen is widescreen.
The Widescreen is perfect for viewing movies on your PSP. Say you don't want a portable DVD player, you can use your PSP instead, and it works just as well as a portable DVD player. Long road trip? You can view a UMD movie on the way.
Even better with the PSP's technology is how the games look. They're powerful. Almost like carrying around a PS2 in your pocket. It isn't quite as powerful as a PS2, but it is certainly more powerful than the Nintendo DS in that regard. You also don't have to keep your eye on two screens at a time, which some might find to be a plus for the PSP.
The PSP can also play MP3s. This is really nice for those who don't have an MP3 Player or an iPod or something like that. You can plug in your head phones and trump around with your PSP as if it were some kind of CD Player or iPod.
Yet, with all this stuff, the PSP is still not up to snub with the Nintendo DS. This shouldn't be. It's more technologically advanced than the DS! It's like carrying around an entire entertainment center in your pocket. Yet it's still got some of the same problems it's had for over a year.
For one thing--as so many have pointed out--to get started with the PSP cost a lot of money. First you've got to buy the system itself. Then you've got to get a decent memory stick and then you need a game to get started (50 dollars). This is speaking to the hardcore gamers, of course. To get things off the ground for your PSP it will cost you.
The PSP's UMD format isn't as fantastic as a DVD either. It's sad to say, but it isn't. UMD's don't sell very well anyway, and most major studios are considering putting a halt to producing for the UMD format. They just don't sell as well as DVD's. This might actually be because people also want special features which a UMD doesn't have. UMD's also cost more money. You might find a DVD on sale... but a UMD? Almost always thirty dollars when you go to the video store. No discount because the movie is a bestseller. Even worse, the PSP battery doesn't last that long anyway. So even if you take it on a road trip, you'll need a car charger in order to keep watching your movie (if it's a long movie). A decent portable DVD player actually cost less than the PSP itself.
As much as I like the ability for the system to play MP3s, I've already got an MP3 player, and I don't want to go through the hassle of transfering all my music. Not only that, but the PSP doesn't play songs while you play your game. If the PSP did that, I might be a little more excited about it's MP3 player capabilities. Also, you can't organize it the way you want. The MP3 player doesn't sort the music by artist, album, song or anything like that.
What hurts the PSP the most, however, is it's mediocre library of games. Any self-respecting gamer will buy a PSP more for the games than the bells and whistles. Gaming is all about the games, no matter what anyone says. If you've been gaming since before they became entertainment centers, it doesn't have to be said. The PSP strikes out in the gaming department. Most of its games are either on the PS2 (Tomb Raider Legends) or they're ports and re-releases (Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X). There are few good original titles (Daxter comes to mind), and even some of the original titles might not hold up entirely. GTA: Liberty City stories, for example, was ported to the PS2. If anyone were to try and convince you to get a PSP, they certainly wouldn't be able to do it if they're in it for the games. Most of the games on the PSP also have horrible load times. The games look really good, but there just aren't enough to go around. I'd rather play a good quality game than one that just "looks cool."
When I buy a system, I'm not concerned about the bells and whistles. I don't travel a lot, I've already got 10 DVD players (if you include my gaming systems and computers), and music up the wazoo. So my reason for getting a PSP was only for the games. Yet the library is severely limited.
The PSP is a brilliant system, yet for what it's worth, it's lack of games will make your average gamer want to wait a while. Until then, I wouldn't suggest a PSP just yet. The system is fantastic, but at the moment: still not worthwhile. |
| |
| "Great Handheld" | 2007-11-27 |
| - Reviewed By jwcmcc |
| I have had my PSP for 4 months now and play it for 2-3 hours daily. Great syatem with very few if any problems. Only one recomendation, buy a protective cover for the screen or the entire system. The system is very durable but some scratches can not be prevented without a protective cover. They are cheap ($15) Buy one, you will not be dissapointed. |
| |
| "Doesn't live up to the hype" | 2007-10-12 |
| - Reviewed By i1iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii |
Playstation Portable.
INTRODUCTION:
Sony's Playstation line of video game home consoles is arguably the world's finest. The Playstation 1, 2, and 3 have all taken the world by storm. So it's not surprising Sony wanted to try their hand at the portabl gaming market which Nintendo has had a stronghold on since they released the original Game Boy. In 2005 the Playstation Portable hit American shores.
OVERVIEW:
Sony released the Playstation Portable in America in early 2005. It features a number of games, as well as UMD format movies, plus the capabilities to hold music and movie files.
REVIEW:
When you try to take on Nintendo's stronghold on the handheld gaming market, you inevitably fail. The Playstation Portable is no exception. Sega and SNK learned this lesson the hard way, and Sony is in the process of learning it now. While this system has definitely had more of a fighting chance than any other non-Nintendo handheld on the American market, it just falls flat. Two years after launch, we're still talking about POTENTIAL. Here's the pros and cons of Sony's ill-fated portable system.
-THE GOOD:
-EXTREMELY POWERFUL GRAPHICALLY FOR A HANDHELD. Graphic-wise, this puts any other handheld on the market to shame. The wide, backlit screen looks great, and the graphics are definitely on par with those of some consular games.
-MORE THAN JUST A GAME SYSTEM. In addition to the steadily growing library of games, you can also purchase UMD movies for the system, as well as use it for music and movies file. It's more than just a game unit, it's also a decent piece of multimedia hardware.
-THE BAD:
-SEVERE LACK OF QUALITY GAMES. Despite a few gems in the rough, for the most part the PSP library is lackluster. It seems like the number of extremely good games is limited, and the few that are great are usually ports/reworkings of PS2 games.
-HORRIBLE CONTROL DESIGN. Just holding the system is uncomfortable. This isn't as bad on the newer-style units, but it's still an issue. Because of the poorly-designed d-pad and analog stick, fighting games just plain DO NOT WORK on this system.
-PISS-POOR BATTERY LIFE. Your battery on this thing will die faster than you'd think. On average I can't even play for more than two hours before it dies! Compared to the extremely long battery life on Nintendo's portable systems, this stands as one of Sony's system's greatest weaknesses. Sony claims that the newer, lighter versions of the system have better battery life, but I haven't seen an improvement. The actual battery wears out fast, too, meaning you'll have to buy a replacement within a year or two, most likely.
-UMD VIDEO SUCKS. You get DVD picture quality, but the UMDs are SEVERELY OVERPRICED. You play the same price for them you'd pay for an actual DVD, and the UMD'S NEVER HAVE ANY BONUS MATERIAL FEATURED ON THE DVDS! Sony seems to be phasing out this aspect of the system, which is a wise move, but just the same, DID SONY LEARN NOTHING FROM THE FAILURE OF GAME BOY ADVANCE VIDEO!?
-SONY CLEARLY PUT MORE THOUGHT INTO THE MULTIMEDIA ASPECT THAN THE GAMING ASPECT. This can be seen through the mediocre games available on the systems, and the poor design of the unit itself.
-REQUIRED SOFTWARE UPDATES. Whenever you buy a new game for your PSP, more likely than not, you will be prompted to update the system. These are REQUIRED. This is EXTREMELY annoying, and to make things worse, you can't even do the update if your battery is low. Did you just get home from the game store and want to play your new game? TOO BAD. You've got to install the update first, and if your battery is low, you're out of luck. This is just plain poor planning on Sony's part.
OVERALL:
Don't bother buying a PSP, get a Nintendo DS instead. Not only does Nintendo's system have a far bigger library that also includes all Game Boy Advance titles, but that system actually has a large number of good games! All competitors of Nintendo in the handheld market are doomed to fail and this is no exception. It doesn't live up to the hype.
Thumbs down.
EDITION NOTES:
The PSP is available in both its original size, and the lighter, more compact version. In Fall of 2007 bundles of the new version of the console were released, including a game. Get one of those if you plan to get the system. |
| |
| "Birthday Boy" | 2007-08-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1NPSEE8YB5PVY |
| This was a tad slow being delivered, but it was exactly as represented, and was a very good value. My son is very happy and doesn't know it wasn't new! |
| |
| "The 21th century entertainment tool!!" | 2007-08-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3HANAPALIOLMW |
This product has been such an exelent solution for maintaining my passion for videogames, because I have almost all day (and everyday) away from home because of my job's requirements.
This machine has saved me from the rush-hours-traffic-stress, helped me with my anger management, and it's been such a good company in my bathroom breaks.
Technically speaking, this portable console is amazing!! in graphics, gameplay, internet conectivity, mp3, movies, and so on...
The Psp is a great machine, not only for kids, but for adult people too, specially for those who are looking for a small quality entertainment space in their lives!! |
| |
 "ATV Offroad" | 2007-07-23 |
| - Reviewed By clocke43 |
| HELLO!!!! We didn't get the game OR the movie that was supposed to be included with this PSP. I must say, we are extraordinarily disappointed. |
| |
| "?" | 2007-06-26 |
| - Reviewed By ondie1969 |
| It is a good thing that I know about computers because my son would have never been able to hook this up to the computer by himself.Also the game selection is horrible. Very few items to choose from |
| |
| "works too good" | 2007-06-19 |
| - Reviewed By User: A9DAN4YPYXNNG |
| all good!!!! if theres a problem... it's that it's toooo fun.. |
| |
Expedited Available
