Sony Playstation Portable ( PSP )

Review by M. B Cole:

When I saw that I had a package yesterday, I opened it up…and then nerd glee ran through my hands to my arms and then to my heart. Kratos had arrived.

I ran to my shop (actually I walked as fast as a grandma around a shopping mall) to open this tantalizing package of war. Screw work!! Actually I cant do that because I’m in Iraq and I have to get things done to help protect the troops. But once I was done with all the work for the day I popped the game in the PSP and hit the power button.

When I began to play, I couldnt believe the graphics. The PSP is seriously a PS2 in your hands. The game is just beautiful. The levels are nicely done. They even have the camera effect where it pulls out very far just to show you how small you really are compared to your surroundings. Your chains graphical effects look really good and even better as you upgrade them. Even the graphics for little things look great…for instance…when you open a chest under water, the chest begins to release thousands of tiny bubbles while you struggle to open it. I just thought that was a nice little touch.

The gameplay is incredible. Kratos is extremely easy to control. I’m just amazed at how fluid he moves. Bashing baddies…lifting them in the air…grappling them back onto the ground..and then finishing them off is nothing but a few well pressed buttons mashes. Not hard at all. And I’m not talking about the button sequence fighting either. Speaking of those, there are some really good ones in this game.

The sound is sharp and pleasing. The musical score can really put you in a mood to kill every living thing around…but then make you want to stop and smell the ashes of a burning hades. If you’ve played part 1 or 2, then you know what to expect with the sound effects, and it’s here also. Sound great in my Bose Earbuds.

I have only a COUPLE of gripes about the game. I’m not completely done with it, but I can tell the game is going to be short. That’s going to be a downer because I really like this game and just dont want it to end for at least 2 week..heh. Another gripe I have is that the game froze up on me once. Only once..so hopefully not again. Just make sure you save every time you get the chance.

Something that isnt a gripe, but a ‘Just so ya know’, playing on Normal is pretty dang easy. There are 4 modes…Easy, Normal, Hard, and God (which is greyed out at first). If you are pretty experienced with the game, I’d go with playing Hard.

Something parents should think about when pondering if they should get this game for their youngin. This game is based during when Rome was the hot spot. So when you see some of the female Gods, usually they are topless. Also there is a scene where Kratos frees two topless women and well…gets to have sex with them. You dont actually see it, but they show a vase or something rocking around while you hit a series of buttons to pleasure them both. Funny if you are older, but maybe not funny for parents with children.

All in all, I recommend this game completely for your PSP. It is definitely in my top 5 games for the PSP. That would include Ratchet and Clank, FF Tactics, Burnout Legends, and I dont have a 5th one yet..(it’ll probably be the new Final Fantasy).

UPDATE:

Well after beating the game about an hour after posting this review, I will say it’s definitely a short game. Also make sure you stay for after the credits. Well…you’ll have to because you cant skip cut scenes (which I LOATHE that you cant do it in any game).

Review by N. Durham:

God of War stands as one of Sony’s best original franchises, and now the vengeance-driven Kratos and his deadly chains have come to the PSP. Fans of the series will also be more than happy to know that God of War: Chains of Olympus stands as the best action title to hit Sony’s portable system yet, as it nearly flawlessly brings everything that has made the God of War series so good, and packs it into one small disc. Taking place before the events of the original God of War, Chains of Olympus finds Kratos as general serving the gods, and also finds him struggling with obeying his orders, or doing what he feels he should. Undoubtedly the best looking game to hit the PSP yet, God of War: Chains of Olympus retains the excellent production values, addictive combat, tight controls, solid puzzle elements, and unlockable extras that will keep you glued to the game. The only real downside to Chains of Olympus is that as a whole, the game is too short. This one flaw is acceptable though, as Chains of Olympus boasts a brilliant score, more fantastic voice acting, and some dynamic action sequences that are easily the best to be seen on the PSP yet. All in all, God of War: Chains of Olympus is a more than welcome debut of Kratos on the PSP, and is by far the best action game to hit the PSP yet. Needless to say, if you own a PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus is an absolute must own, and the definition of “killer app”.

Review by ehren m:

I picked up this game on release day 2 days ago. I’vd played the single player campaign, as well as the online muptiplayer, so i’ll comment on both.

SINGLE PLAYER:

So far, the campaign as absolutely awesome! Story-wise, it takes place between Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. You play an ex-soldier came across his brother in a conversion center, and was forced to kill him before he converted to Chimera. All of this is explained to you in the Resistance: Fall of Man fashion. There is the same woman narrating (alot of people did not like how R2 scrapped this). The story is very well told to you, and really gets you involved.

GAMEPLAY/CONTROLS

Sony Bend did the best they could with the controls, especially for an over-the-shoulder 3rd person shooter. First, i absolutely love the aim-assist function. The PSP isn’t the easiest system for aiming since it lacks a second joystick, so in Retribution you have a wide yellow box, any time an enemy is in the box it will automatically aim at them. (you can turn this off in the options to make it more difficult) Second, the cover system is actually pretty cool. Its a Gears of War style of taking cover minus having to hit a button every time: if you walk up to a wall you will automatically take cover, if you pull the trigger you pop out and start shooting, let go of the trigger and you go back into cover. As for guns, there are alot Lots of old ones from R1 and R2, as well as a couple new ones.

ONLINE:

This is one of, if not the best, games for online play on the PSP. It is Resistance: Fall of Man sized down for the PSP. You have death match, ffa, team death match, etc., with up to 8 players (4 on 4). You can chose ranked or non ranked matches as well.

Overall, this is probably one of the best games out for the PSP, both for single and multiplayer. Its about time a developer came out with something like this, nothing has been close since God of War. DEFINITELY worth 40 bucks. Go out and buy!

Review by Aaron P. Harmon:

I am a big fan of shooters and love my PSP, but have found very few decent portable games in this genre. I took a chance on this game because it was produced by the same guys that made the “Syphon Filter” PSP games (If you are not familiar with them they are very well reviewed, wonderful games.) I am so glad that I did.

This game is fantastic. I will briefly list the pros and cons.

The Pros:

1) You can carry more than two weapons again. One of the things that made Resistance: The Fall of Man so good was the plethora of unique weapons always at your fingertips. Resistance: Retribution reintroduces this feature. The player is able to carry up to 12 weapons each with an alternate fire option giving you much creative freedom is solving the challenges that the levels through at you.

2) The controls are well thought out and easily customizable. They work very well in the default configuration

3) The story is easy to follow and compelling.

4) The graphics are cutting edge for a portable game. They are stunning and really have to be seen to be appreciated.

5) There are “Skill Points” and “Intel” documents to collect on each level which allow you to unlock new weapons and additional features. Re-playability is very high for this reason.

6) “Infected mode” is an added value for owners of Resistance 2.

7) The “infrastructure” multiplayer feature allows you to connect wirelessly (via the internet) with players all around the world for what is arguably the best multiplayer experience on any handheld to date.

Resistance: Retribution “Plus” mode allows you to use a PS3 controller for PSP.

9) The difficulty scales well. I have not been overly frustrated with any part of this game.

The Cons:

1) The only thing that I would like to see improved is that in “Plus” mode, you PSP is tethered to your PS3 through the USB cable. I don’t know if it is technically possible to do it any other way, but it certainly limits the portability of your PSP.

Conclusion: At the end of the day, Resistance: Retribution will be remembered as one of the games that defined this generation of handheld games. Any fan of the Resistance series, or of this genre for that matter, would be remiss in not picking this one up. It is an absolute must have.

Review by ps2 gamer:

If you’ve owned a PSP for a long time you’ve probably kept hearing that it doesn’t have any good games. Daxter proves otherwise. If you’ve been bored with all of the games the PSP has now, be bored no longer! Daxter is quite possibly the best PSP game out there, with awesome graphics, gameplay, story, and many more features.

If you’re a hardcore fan of the Jak and Daxter series like me, then you won’t be disappointed with this game. It does everything great. The story takes place between Jak 1 and Jak 2. If you rememeber, at the beginning of Jak 2 Jak arrives at haven city. He is then immediately captured by the Krimzon Guards, but Daxter escapes. Jak is put in prison, and then the game skips 2 years later and you see how Daxter saves Jak. The game’s storyline takes place in those 2 years, and you’ll learn how Daxter saves Jak and what he has done in that time. At the beginning of the game, Daxter is offered a job as a bug exterminator. He takes it, because he hopes that while he goes around exterminating bugs he’ll also find Jak along the way. By the way, these are metal head bugs, so they’ll put up a fight.

Now, first of all, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. This game is kind of short, and you’ll be able to finish it in 10-13 hours. Also, some people might find it disappointing that haven city is smaller than it was in Jak 2, and there aren’t any people walking in the streets, even though they’re flying in zoomers. However, these are very minor problems, and they don’t affect the game in any very bad way.

Now on to the good things. This game’s graphics are absolutely phenomenal. They are the best graphics on any PSP game out now, and I daresay that they’re even better than the graphics of many PS2 games. I’m not exaggerating. They are absolutely gorgeous. There is an impressive amount of detail in all of the environments you’ll visit, and they all look very unique and great. Just take a look at Daxter himself (the character). His fur looks so realistic and cool, and all of the textures in the game are similar. The character designs are also cool and unique.

Speaking of characters, here they are. There’s Osmo, which is an old man who’s also Daxter’s boss at the exterminator shop, yet he’s very kind. There’s his son Ximon, who is a surfer kind of guy. There’s Osmo’s daughter Taryng, which is a Lara Croft-like gal with a British accent who gives Daxter all of his weapons. There’s Kaeden, some kind of creepy guy who really hates Daxter and his friends. And there are a few other characters, some of them from the other Jak games, like Errol and Count Vegar.

Another thing that the Jak series are greatly known for is their variety. Daxter delivers that too. There is a big variety of missions and things to do, and you’ll do things ranging from simply killing bugs, to chasing a Truck on your scooter while it shoots bombs at you, to shoot down a bug with a turret while you’re on a vehicle, and more. Also, there’s lots of action and platforming to be done in this game. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ll be fighting metal head bugs, and they’re all different and unqiue. You’ll get several weapons in the game: One being an electric flyswatter, which is basically a melee weapon, a sprayer which lets you stun enemies, a flamethrower(self explanatory), and a sonic blaster, which lets you shoot a bomb that creates a shockwave. You’ll also have to pick up floating green orbs to power up tour sprayer weapons. Other than that, you also get an upgrade that lets you temporarily fly in the air with your sprayer, and you’ll have to pick up green orbs mid-air in order to feul your sprayer and allow you to stay up a longer time. Jumping and flying around makes up this game’s platforming, and its really very fun.

Also there’s a bunch of other distractions that keep you busy and allow you to do things other than doing the main missions. You can roam around Haven city (by the way, you get a scooter to do it with) searching for secret areas and collectibles, you can go to levels that you’ve already played in order to pick up secrets you might have missed there, and perhaps most importantly, you can play mini-games called “dream sequences”. These are very fun, and in them, you make Daxter go to sleep on his bed, and he’ll have dreams in which he’s the hero, and his dreams take place in movies like lord of the rings, the matrix, braveheart and more. They’re basically just minigames in which you have to mash buttons according to what appears on screen, and they’re really fun. You can unlock different combos for your flyswatter and other cool secrets if you play them. However, you must first collect enough precursor orbs in order to unlock these dreams.

There is also a multiplayer option called bug combat. You can pick up special bugs in your main game and use them in this multiplayer option. Each bug has 3 attacks it can use, and it’s sort of a turn based rock-paper-scissors game with RPG elements. Claw attack beats Spit, Spit beats trap, and trap beats claw. You also get all kinds of unlockables for this from the main game, if you find them. You can get power ups that improve your bugs’ health, attack, and more. You also get tokens that you can use in the middle of the combat, and they’re things like shields that protect you from attacks, things that cancel your opponent’s move, things that let you switch your attack after you already picked one, etc.

Overall Daxter is the best PSP game that’s ever come out. I hope that other companies keep making games like this. If they do, the future looks very bright for the PSP. So if your a Jak and Daxter fan, or if you just own a PSP, you should definitely buy this game.

P.S. You can also connect your PSP to your PS2 via USB cable, and if you have Jak X: Combat Racing, you can unlock cool stuff for it from the Daxter game. These things inculde: Four different characters to drive as, and a car called the Daxtermobile.

Review by Adam Sugarman:

I was truly worried about the PSP for a while there; it scared me that I saw people in the streets using their glossy new gaming system solely as an MP3 player becasue of the lack of games. After Mega Man: Powered Up was sold out in my area (the game store clerk said that people are asking about new PSP games all the time, in the hopes for a killer app), I knew the system was truly in trouble. Thank god for Daxter. As the first truly orginal great PSP game, it sure was a long time coming.

You pick up between Jak and Daxter and Jak and Daxter II. It takes place right in the middle (remember when Daxter bailed Jak out of jail? This game shows how that happened), and Daxter gets sidetracked by becoming an exterminator. Armed with an electronic fly-swatter of sorts, he goes up against the denizens of evil…er…the evil cockroaches and such of his world in the hopes of bailing his faithful buddy out. In truth, the story is purely functional. Don’t expect Final Fantasy VII or anything here.

The first thing you’ll notice is just how absolutely amazing the game looks on your little LCD screen. Bright and colorful (and high resolution to boot), I can safely say it is the best looking PSP game yet released. It is truly like having a PS2 in the palm of your hands. The one affliction of PSP gaming so far has been the terrible loading times, and thankfully Daxter all but eliminates it with its clever door system. Instead of breaking gameplay up with a loading screen, the game puts you in a small area, usually an elevator or something, while the game loads. There is some slowdown, too, but it is barely noticeable. Also, that Ottsel sure is animated well. Daxter wags his tiny tail back and forth, he has hair sprouting all over, and he looks just like an Ottsel should (if they existed, that is).

Once you’re done drooling all over your brand new PSP’s screen (and wiped off the saliva, hopefully), you’ll start realizing just how great the gameplay is. It hearkens back to classic 3D platforming. There are a few weapons to choose from, but combat takes a back seat to pure platforming fun. And platforming hasn’t been this fun since that little Italian stereotype hopped onto the scene. The level design is smart and interesting, never drab and thankfully corridor and warehouse free (it starts to scare me that even platforming games are starting to have corridors and warehouses). Despite the city setting, the developers have found interesting ways to get varied landscapes into play.

The voice-acting is pitch-perfect, too. The music is appropriate, and the sound effects are well done. You’ll swear you were there swinging around that little swatter, wagging your tail and climbing walls right along with Daxter.

Thank god for Naughy Dog. They have finally released the first true killer app for PSP.

Pros:

Incredible graphics

Fun gameplay

Varied levels

Great sound

Cons:

Slight slowdown at times

Review by Lisa Shea:

Talk about the ultimate mobile game for mature gamers who love the Sopranos and Godfather series. Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories is the perfect game for the PSP.

Let me say again – this is a MATURE game. There is sex, there is swearing, there is a LOT of violence. Anybody who buys this game for their 8 year old is making a grave mistake. It really bothers me a lot when people buy adult games for kids and say “Oh I didn’t know”. It clearly says right on the box. There are a TON of adult gamers out there, and we like mature games, just like we like R rated movies. These games aren’t meant for kids. They are made exactly the way us adults like them – full of adult situations.

That being taken care of, this is an *incredible* game. Let’s start with the gameplay. It’s hard to even imagine, looking at say a DS or GameBoy game, that any handheld could produce gameplay like this. You have a fully detailed, fully laid out cityscape. You can drive down any road, walk around amongst the people, watch the rain and sun and fog roll in. The storyline is great. The missions are great. Heck, even the sidegames are great. There are hidden packages to find, rankings to achieve, races to run, you name it. You could play this for months.

The graphics are spellbindingly beautiful. It’s hard to believe this is a handheld game. You get rain falling down around your car as it careens past easily identifiable stores on a road, while pedestrians stroll down the sidewalks. From shooting tasks, to driving races, to handling a number of other situations, the graphics draw you into this world.

Let’s talk about audio. There is a great selection of “radio stations” to listen to as you drive around. The voice acting really draws you into the story, to relate to the various characters involved. I’ve always loved the audio on the GTA games, and this is no exception.

Yes, this game requires a 2.0 update to run. The update is INCLUDED ON THE DISK. Anybody who has trouble finding it must be missing some basic computer skills. It’s right on the main disk menu when you put the disk into the system. It’s free, it’s included, it’s easy.

I can’t say enough good things about this game. Let me try to figure out some down sides. Hmmm, well it’s on a small screen. Heck, that’s the whole point, that it’s on a portable system. When I go on trips, I can bring it along with me. I think that’s fantastic, to have a GTA system to bring on the plane or bus. I *did* find the storyline in general to be on the annoying side, truth be told. I really liked the original GTA3 storyline where you were a valued employee moving up in the ranks due to your skill. I found it frustrating in this one to play in essence an “uppity jerk” who is constantly put down either by his own mob buddies or his mom or other people. It didn’t make the game nearly as enjoyable for me. This is my leisure time after all, to endulge in fun dreams. My fun dream isn’t of being berated and harassed. That being said, the mom in the Sopranos always drove me completely insane too. You have to give a writer the leeway to write his own story, and if that’s what he wants to write, you go with it.

This is a must-own game. It’s a game for ADULTS. But it’s a game with epic scope, great graphics, and great gameplay. Highly, highly recommended.

Review by :

“Liberty City Stories” continues rockstars succesful GTA sereis, this time on a handheld device. Dont let that scare you away though. GTA: LCS is the killer app the PSP has been waiting for.

- Liberty City is back from GTA III. Its the exact city.

- New story though. Completely new missions,mini missions, races, etc that will last you a while

- Over 70 vehciles, including classics like the Inferno, Cheetah, and more. Big rigs, motorcyles, boats, helicopters, and planes are included as well.

-Graphics rival PS2 versions of GTA, and with the PSP’s high res LCD screen, it will probably look better.

***A new element: Multiplayer. On the PS2/Xbox, you really couldnt have a multiplayer feature, because the game was played on one TV screen. On the PSP, up to 4 players can be thrown into the city all at once. Instead of buying weapons, you find and run over them, much like an FPS. You can grab cars, ram your friends, snipe/camp one area, etc. The possibilities are endless, and this type of multiplayer has never been seen before on ANY GTA game. This alone is worth purchasing the game.

Review by H Hobby:

I got this case for my husband’s psp. The psp fits great and the outer rubber shell of the case seems quite durable. However, if you look at the picture, you’ll see a carabiner looped through a little strap on the case. That strap is held in place by a large rivet that’s punched through the case and sits in the corner of the area the PSP should sit. This means that any time the PSP is in the case, that rivet is wearing on the PSP, potentially scratching, or otherwise ruining, the finish on the back of the system. If you buy this, be prepared to line the bottom with some heavy cloth or something to take the rivet out of the equation. That being said, this case is excellent for protecting and carrying a PSP. The designers just need to make an adjustment.

Review by Hadi Rahhal:

It can carry 2 UMD discs and the earphones with the remote wire including the PSP comfortably.

And the quality is excellent

Review by blackaciddevil:

First, Dragonball Z Shin Budokai. Then, Tekken: Dark Resurrection. Now, Mortal Kombat:Unchained. With each new fighter released, I’m more and more convinced that the Playstation Portable can give a deep console presentation but on a portable and mobile device. Take Mortal Kombat: Unchained, for instance, -basically a port of Mortal Kombat Deception for the PSP that includes every last thing in the console game. Two fatalities per character with new death traps, stage fatalities-Completely redesigned single player Konquest mode-Features multi-tiered interactive backgrounds-With a mix of your favorite fighters as well as many new ones. It’s the definitive portable Mortal Kombat experience every fan has waited for. I must say, I’m impressed. The loading times for the game are a smidgen long but doesn’t mar things overall. Other than that, Mortal Kombat: Unchained is ‘off the chain’. Seriously, you’ll love it.

Review by jjjjjjj:

This game rocks. I played it on PS2 and I loved it and finally as soon as I heard it was going to be on handheld for the first time ever i thought to myself “this is great! Much better than those other MKs on GBA and on black and white game boy because the graphics just don’t cut it as well and PSP does.” The 3-D is awesome and I have to say I knew it was gonna be great and I was proven right buy purchasing it and playing it to be impressed by it! So all you Mortal Kombat fans out there that own a PSP; GET THIS GAME NOW!!!!! You won’t be sorry!!! And it’s even better than PS2 because it has extra characters like Shao Kahn, Blaze and Goro!!!

Review by Superstar Reviewer:

Sonic Rivals pits Sonic the Hedgehog against some of his buddies that appeared late in the series. Knuckles, Silver, Black etc. I think about the time Sonic started having buddies was when the franchise became less fun. You rocket around 3d tracks with no time to react to what you encounter which means if you play online, someone will have cold memorized the track and will kick you silly. If you play in story mode, its very little fun unless you have the reflexes of a chipmunk on crack.

Gone are the days of using your intellect and mastery of the controls to get through the map. Now, you hang on and I guess if its summertime and you are 10, you play over and over to learn the map thoroughly. The best thing about the original Sonic on Genesis was the imagination inventing puzzles and bosses. Now, the levels are stunningly pretty, and you go fast, and the bosses suck and the control is not trustworthy. I won’t play anything where I can’t control the character because the system is too busy doing something else, which begs the question : It’s 2d, why is it so hard to

make a game that plays as well as the Genesis (I guess the PSP is 100X faster)?

Pick it up if you want to play with friends. The story mode is useless.

Review by sirrahs:

I haven’t played this game very much but I can say that my wife LOVES it. She gets so excited that I cannot talk to her at all when she is playing. She yells at the opposing characters and sometimes has a few choice words but I won’t go into that. If you like a fast action game without too much strategy, then this game is for you.

Review by John M Spangler:

Retro games are good, but when they are done right, they can be great. This is easily the greatest arcade compilation I’ve ever played. Not only can you play these classic arcade games in the palm of your hand, but you can enjoy the best collection of them all in one. 20 games, including “redone” games of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga and RallyX.

The quality of each classic is amazing and they play nearly exactly to the old arcade cabinets from the retro 80′s, graphics, music, sound FX and all. The bestest of the best is clearly Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, RallyX and DigDug. But it doesn’t stop there. There are 4 new Arrangement games of those 4 classics, I like to view them as remixes. They are are redone, upheavels in levels, gameplay, sound and graphics. The arranged Galaga is very addicting and you’ll be hooked instantly. Dig Dug remade is basically the same game with better graphics and new enemies. RallyX, which was a decent game in the 80′s, is redone and very fun to boot. These “arranged” games could have been sold seperately and probably most would have been pleased with them.

The originals are as fun as you remember them and just as challenging. Getting to that “key” in Pac-Man is still no easy task. But for novice gamers, never threat, you can continue from where you left off on many of the old games. Some of the other titles included like Grobada, Motos, Bosconian, DragonBuster and Galaxian are very obscure, but amazingly, they still do offer some fun factor. The rest you may not spent much time with in the past and most you might not play much, but you’ll be happy with it overall.

Some might be a bit “squinty” eyed playing some of the old games like Pac-Man, the ratio of the originals were made for horizontal screens, so it’s very small on the widescreen PSP, but thankfully they offered a “stretch” option for most of the titles. It looks a bit weird all stretched out, but it’s better than playing on the little playing field.

Overall, this is clearly the best PSP game to buy, especially if you like classic arcade gaming, this is how it all began, no quarters needed…

Review by Arion Acurantes:

The Namco Museum Battle Collection is living proof that the past will always catch up with today’s advances, adding fuel to the argument that it’s all in the gameplay. Namco Museum showcases the founding concepts of most modern gaming, but, in essence, the sum of these games is all about the numbers. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that all of today’s games can trace their DNA to any one of these titles.

And gameplay is what you get with this collection. The PSP has been virtually retrofitted to give you a healthy dose of all your favorites from the early days of gaming, beginning of course with the immortal Pac-Man, the always imitated Galaga/Galaxian, and right on through to some little known but nonetheless engaging titles such as Rolling Thunder, Bosconian, and Xevious.

The four “arranged” versions (Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, and Galaga) are sure to please a great many gamers with overhauled versions of their respective originals, but with a maximum six attainable levels in each of these games, sometimes the experience just seems a little short. The original versions, on the other hand, sometimes offer more challenge than their descendants, being impeded only by the fact that the only way to get the most of the PSP’s screen is to stretch the gameplay screen to fit and thus distort the original screen ratio.

If you’re the type of gamer who’s into the PSP mainly for its portability, Namco Museum could give you many hours of quick, satisfying casual gaming. Just pop it in and rack up those high scores.

However, if you have a PSP because you believe in its capability to equal its older brother and are on the lookout for seriously immersive, big-scale gaming, Namco Museum could do in a pinch, but it won’t rock your mind the way GTA:LCS, SOCOM, or any other hardware-maxing title is currently out there.

Namco Museum is seriously fun and worth a look. It may, on the whole, be old, but don’t dis this granddaddy just yet. There’s gold in them thar games.

Review by Howard D. Fisher:

The idea for this game is fantastic. Take a bunch of classic arcade games we’ve all played a million times before and update them with newly improved, “evolved,” graphics. And they rock! The graphics are great, the sound effects are sufficiently retro without sounding silly, and the games retained their same heart. Overall, a really fun PSP game.

Having said that, however, there are two distinct problems. First, if you have XBox Live Arcade, you’ll recognize all these games as the same ports that have been trickling onto XBLA for the past year or so. This UMD is a much better deal, though, getting them all in one package instead of – each through XBLA. However, the PSP controls are just a little too wonky for the games that require more precision, such as Missile Command or Battlezone, especially when you compare them to the X360 controls (which, granted, weren’t that precise to begin with, but they are better).

Second, the game makes a big deal about containing over 50 Atari 2600 games available to be unlocked. However, instead of unlocking them a few at a time as you make incremental progress through the new-and-improved games, the developers decided to make them ALL unlockable once you achieve EVERY goal in EACH evolved game. So basically, the unlockable Atari 2600 games are an all-or-nothing deal. Stuck on the last achievement? Tough! You’ll NEVER play ANY of the 2600 games until you get that last achievement. And that makes getting any of the achievements that much less of an accomplishment than it should be.

If the unlockable games had NOT been included in this package, it would be a sweet deal all on its own. If you want to play these classic games, get this UMD. Just be prepared to be playing ONLY these 12 games until you unlock all 48 achievements.

Review by Mark:

I have the Atari collection for the Nintendo DS and boy, was that a disappointment. I wish I could have gotten my money back. This on the other hand is so much better (and cheaper) that I was not expecting it to be this good. The 11 games come in two versions, classic and Modern (evolved). The controls take getting used to since games like Millipede and Centipede had a control ball, this you have to use joystick or direction buttons. There is also unlockable versions of Atari 2600 games too, over 50 according to the box but I haven’t gotten there yet. Highly recommended games. Remember back in the 80s when these were top? An arcade game cost a few thousand and you get all these for with better graphics (but not better controls).

Review by Verified Purchases Only:

I pre-ordered Madden 10 for the PSP, and really enjoy playing it. I also bought a Light Magnifier for PSP (PlayStation Portable) just for the purpose of really seeing all the details while playing Madden 10. this game has almost everything that the PS3 version has, but has something special called the Superstar Challenge. Madden gives you a situation, for example New England is leading Miami by 10 with 2 minutes in the 4th quarter and you must make Ronnie Brown the Superstar to beat the Patriots. After you win that challenge, Madden 10 will give you the reverse situation of you being New England ahead by 10, while you must make Wes Welker the Superstar and having to maintain the lead. Usually, when I play Madden 10, I play the Superstar Challenge. MADDEN 10 FOR THE PSP DOESN’T DISAPPOINT!

Review by Stephen Gosselin:

This is the third madden game I’ve bought for the PSP and is by far my favorite. The biggest difference this year is the camera and ability to see all receivers and dbs on the field. It zooms in and out seamlessly (finally) and offers multiple presentation options. If you’ve been put off with madden games on psp in the past, give ’10 a shot.

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by Apprentice:

So this is the 3rd iteration for the Playstation Portable.

I’ve personally experienced the first 2, selling my original PSP Phat for the PSP Slim (2000).

I’ve done the same again and sold my slim and bought the 3000.

The improvements over the PSP 2000, are a improved LCD screen which I must say is pretty improved, and a built in Microphone. (Finally I can make use of the skype feature as well as chat online in psp games.)

So is this a justifiable upgrade? For the improvements not really.

But if you’re in the market for a PSP right now… The PSP 3000 is an ideal step into the PSP World.

Also following up the PSP 3000′s launch is the Firmware 5.00 which brings Playstation Store (found on PS3) to the PSP.

But this firmware will be hitting all iterations of PSP.

So…Great purchase for me…Hope all of you here on Amazon do the same

Review by Jeffrey Bergkamp:

The first thing I would like to say is that the scan lines are not nearly as big of an issue as others make them out to be. I have only noticed them slightly, and they are completely overlooked when comparing the overall quality of this new screen. It is brighter, has a higher contrast ratio to display more vivid colors, and ghosting is no more.

The included games Ratchet and Clank and Echochrome are both terrific in their own respect, but I have to hand it to Echochrome. It is a brilliantly done puzzle game that is as beautifully presented as it is mind-bending.

I highly recommend this unit if you have a PS3 because of the remote play capabilities. Being able to stream video, music, and pictures wirelessly is a dream. And now Sony is offering their Media Manager as a free download it is a breeze to add your own music and media right to the 1gb memory stick provided.

The best part about owning a PSP is that most games that you really want are now around , so you can beef up your library for cheap.

All in all I love the PSP 3000, do not let the worries of the scan lines scare you away.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack some time ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. The Hannah Montana bundle followed shortly after because our 6 yr. old was Hannah Montana’s biggest fun. But we have 2 boys and junior maxed out on the GT Prologue on the PS3 and he ‘lost’ the 3000 we got him a few months ago at school so… here comes the PSP 3000 GT pack.

THE BUNDLE

———-

The bundle costs a little more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with a great game AND a memory card AND all the other freebies justified the extra expense.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in silver

- 2GB Memory card

- Gran Turismo, of course – click on the link for the game’s reviews

- A voucher for The Italian Job (not exactly a hit movie)

- More vouchers for a car and a few downloaded songs

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Since this is not our first PSP-3000, it was up and running within minutes but, trying to be objective, someone new to the PSP environment should be able to have it running with basic functions pretty quickly – half an hour to a couple of hours.

Note:

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will probably be using the included 2GB to archive photos – will hold over 1000 – because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB each and we just downloaded the digital copy that came with the Blu-ray 1998 Godzilla. The Italian Job… maybe we can find a buyer for it

FIRST PSP 3000 IMPRESSIONS

————————–

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good for the screen size (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, the 3000 comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. It’s worth noting that the silver finish is more forgiving than the regular piano black PSPs when it comes to fingerprints. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

—————————————-

Once charged, the PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

————————————–

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

—————–

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

PC INTEGRATION

—————-

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

———————-

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP 3000 vs. PSP GO

———————

The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because the Go price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t depend too much on our memory card’s limitations. In addition, we buy quite a few games on impulse and end up selling them a few days later because the kids don’t like them so we like the ability to sell our games and to buy games ‘used’. Not to mention the ability to trade games with other kids. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

———–

For anyone who happens to be a Grand Turismo fan, this is the perfect bundle. Well… the only bundle. If GT is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by Jeremy Reaban:

Well, first of all, don’t pay more than 0 for this. I guess it’s out of stock in many places, and so now only the gougers have them left.

It’s a decent starter bundle, but the main reason I got it was to get the PSP-3000 in silver. The shiny black ones are too fingerprint prone (I had a 2000 that way, anyway). But the silver one just looks nice and remains fingerprint free.

I actually was hoping to get a recently built one, but apparently these must have been left over for a while, because it shipped with firmware 4 something, which is about a year and a half old. I was hoping newer models would have fixed some of the problems with early PSP 3000 screens (lines through them), but nope, the lines are pretty obvious. My first one (since returned) also had dead pixels.

So if you want a silver PSP-3000, you really gain nothing by picking this pack over the others.

Anyway, for serious PSP ownership, it’s a bit lacking as a bundle. Gran Turismo for the PSP is a major disappointment. No career mode, no tuning of cars (except for drift races), glitchy graphics. It’s not terrible, but I’m sure the game will soon be discounted to .

The included memory card, 2 gigabytes, isn’t big enough to do anything with. Installing the Gran Turismo to it (which is basically a must, due to bad programming) will take up half of it. Much of the point of getting the PSP is taking advantage of Sony’s new downloadable game push.

The rest of the bundle isn’t worth much – a download of a bad movie, and 10 downloads from Sony’s music store. Unless you like Michael Jackson, a smattering of classic rock, or old Jazz, there’s simply not much. I couldn’t find a single song I wanted that I didn’t already have.

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. As far as glare reduction goes, I did not see that much of a difference over the PSP 2000. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued problem for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good add on composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be slide show or singles.

The PSP 3000 is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as a protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully. Even without the accessories, PSP 3000 still brings it on. After all, its Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We are happy with the purchase so far.

The Ratchet & Clank Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- 1 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card

- Ratchet and Clank game (UMD)

- Everyday Shooter game voucher (download)

- National Treasure 2 movie (UMD)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by Sara K. Lewis:

This is something that I really recommend getting. It comes with some quality things too.

1. Hard case, For the PSP 3000 its a tight squeeze but still a nice thing to have.

2. Soft case, This is mainly for protecting the PSP not much of a carrying case.

3. Headphones, Just like the ones you would get with an iPod, and they come with a pad that goes on the bud.

4. USB cord thingy, I have found this most useful, This is how I got all of my music, and videos on there, I also used Media Manager to help.

5. Screen guard, just protects the screen from scratches.

6. Car charger, you need the USB cord to use it, but a nice little deal to have for road trips.

7. Wall Charger, Still need the USB cord, I found this the least useful out of all of the products because the PSP already came with one, but a good replacement for a broken one.

For this is really a good deal, I recommend it to anyone who has a PSP

Review by Snoopy:

This accessory pack is not worth the plus shipping I paid. I estimate it to be worth about total, give or take a dollar. Everything in the pack is cheap, with the hard case being the best of the low quality items. The hard case is alright but as one reviewer stated it has a rivet back on the inside bottom of the case which can mar the finish of your PSP. Also the soft cover is too small for the PSP 3000. It might be a better idea to just by a hard cover separately instead of spending this amount on low quality merchandise.

Review by Michael Wang:

Going by the package images I thought the unit was going to be an “off-white” color but it is in fact pearlescent (opalescent) white and under direct lighting or bright indirect lighting it does “sparkle” as the first reviewer stated though I would hardly consider it “glittery” myself and I think it’s a really nice effect.

Under normal indirect lighting conditions it just looks off-white so it’s not like it’s sparkling all the time unless you happen to like playing under bright lights. This color is available in Japan but it’s unique to this package here in the US (unless you import) and I actually much happier with the color of the unit than if it was just a regular white/off-white.

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines is only a so-so game. Read the reviews if you aren’t sure what to expect. The environments in Bloodlines have been trimmed down a lot compared to the original game (which isn’t surprising given the limitations of the PSP) so the cities don’t feel as “alive” or expansive as in the console game. The controls also suffer because of the lack of a second analog stick on the PSP. Normally in these sorts of 3rd-person 3D games the left analog stick controls your movement and the right analog stick controls your view but on the PSP you have to use the buttons in combination with a trigger button to have full control over your view which is very awkward.

For those that haven’t played either of the console games you might actually enjoy the game play on Bloodlines more than somebody who has since you won’t have experienced those things that wouldn’t fit on the PSP.

The Angels & Demons PSN Voucher code is actually for the DVD-quality version of the movie (720 x 480 resolution, 16:9 anamorphic widescreen) rather than a UMD-quality version (480 x 272) which was a nice surprise. There’s no extras though, so it’s not like the version you can get on DVD. I downloaded it on my PS3 and am watching it on there which is nice but you can copy it to your PSP if you like. *However* the 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo the package comes with is too small to fit the movie as the movie is 2.2 GB in size so you can’t download it from PSN on your PSP or watch it on there unless you have a larger Memory Stick to put it on.

I haven’t tried using the Music Voucher yet so I can’t comment on that part.

Overall I’m very happy with the purchase. I really like the PSP itself. It’s not quite as well put together as my old original PSP (Model 1001) but the screen is nicer and the lighter weight and more RAM are nice too. And the Pearl White color definitely gives a subtle (unless you are always using it under bright lights) but unique look to the unit which I really like.

The “value” of the package, however, isn’t as good as I originally thought it might be. I probably won’t finish Bloodlines as I have a bunch of other games I would rather play first. I bought a Sony 16 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo to go along with this PSP as I wanted to take advantage of the ability now to buy and download games to the MS which was added to PSN to support the PSPgo (I find juggling UMDs a pain and they are slower) so the 2 GB MS isn’t much use to me. So really I paid for the PSP and the movie, and the songs if I ever use that voucher, which if you value the Pearl White PSP the same as the regular Piano Black one isn’t a good deal but it is one if you consider how much it would cost to buy a Pearl White PSP from an import shop.

If you think you will enjoy the game and can make good use of the 2 GB MS then the package is a very good value.

Review by John A. Klaesius:

I’d like to say first off before you buy this, the PSP itself, is SPARKLY white! Its not a flat white, it is a glittery white. Just glad I got it for my wife. So if you have a wife or girlfriend that wants one, then you should get them this one. More then likely she will give you the assassins creed game. Which is win win! My wife loves the PSP, and all the other stuff it comes with! Unfortunately, the PSP wifi doesn’t work with my N wireless router. That is my wife’s only complaint. Other then that, this would make an awesome gift! Everything is already in 1 package!

Review by DWales:

I have just received this Limited Edition Lilac PSP bundle and am extremely happy. Having bought it as a 2nd PSP, it was purchased primarily for the unique color which is a relief considering the lack of colors available in the USA. The Lilac is more purple than pink and also has a deep shimmer. (not matte) NOTE: There is NO logo or Hannah Montana art on the PSP console, it is just plain lilac front and back with separate stickers you can use to decorate your PSP if desired. After playing with it for the day, the lilac color does NOT show the fingerprints the way the black PSP’s do which is very nice. The silver/gray accenting compliments the lilac color without making it TOO young looking which is great for older teens & adult gamers wanting this color. Overall, well done and a worthy color to add to the USA PSP line!

As to the console itself, although it is the same as the other 3000 model PSP’s, my lilac edition has a sturdier UMD door that closes snugly and doesn’t feel loose (unlike my black from the Ratchet & Clank Bundle) Personally I am happier with the quality of the lilac edition over the black I purchased for my daughter a few months back. This console comes with a Hanna Montana game & 2nd UMD with her TV show episodes. Also a 2 GB memory stick and standard black power cord/adapter. I had no trouble setting up my PSP for first use and was gaming within minutes of opening the PSP box. If you’ve been wanting a colored PSP in the USA and like the lilac color, this is worth the price and it is MUCH nicer in person. The color just shimmers. Highly recommended.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack a few months ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. The Rock Band bundle followed shortly after. Now, a little girl in the house she needs her own PSP and she gets to keep it for as long as she does well in school. And, like must girls her age, she’s Hannah Montana’s hugest fan. It didn’t really come to a choice between a HM live concert and the purple PSP. It turns out the show was sold out in our area before we had a chance to buy tickets so the HM PSP Entertainment Pack was the logical choice – because it was the only choice.

THE BUNDLE

———-

The bundle costs a few more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with a little game AND a memory card AND a few HM episodes on a second UMD disc justified the extra expense because she REALLY wanted a PSP of her own and she REALLY likes purple – the ‘lilac’ is a pretty good approximation of her favorite color.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in black

- 2GB Memory card

- The Hannah Montana: Rock Out The Show game

- A few HM episodes on a separate disc

- Stickers

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Since this is our third PSP-3000, it was up and running within minutes but, trying to be objective, someone new to the PSP environment should be able to have it running with basic functions pretty quickly – half an hour to a couple of hours.

The Rock out the Show game appears to be interesting and fun – lets a girl practice her management skills and develops it develops her sense of rhythm. Our girl just started playing it and the general idea is that Robbie Ray is temporarily gone and HM is fully in charge with managing her ongoing world tour. The player can dress up Hannah, pick the songs, set the stage and so on. Oh, and there are about a dozen songs and Hannah sings while the games are being played. Pretty cool, or so my girl is telling me.

The HM episodes are… just that. She’s watched each one many times already, on a big screen. She didn’t show much interest in replaying them on the tiny PSP but they may come in handy next time we go on a road trip.

Note:

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will probably be using the included 2GB to archive photos – will hold over 1000 – because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB each.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

——————-

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. It’s worth noting that the Hanna Montana edition finish is more forgiving than the regular piano black PSPs when it comes to fingerprints. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

—————————————-

Once charged, the PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

————————————–

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

—————–

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

PC INTEGRATION

—————-

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

———————-

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP 3000 vs. PSP GO

———————

The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because it wasn’t available for purchase when we ordered the HM pack, because the Go price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t be depended too much on our memory card’s limitations. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

———–

For anyone whose girl is a HM fan, this is the perfect bundle. Well… the only bundle. If HM is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack a few months ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. Now, with 2 boys and one girl in the house, one PSP turns out not to be enough. We’re on Hold for the Hannah Montana edition for our little girl but we had no choice but get the Rock Band edition for the one who just turned ‘teen’ last week.

The bundle costs a few more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with the game AND a memory card AND a downloaded movie justified the extra expense because the kid REALLY wanted both the PSP and the game and, if you add up all that you get with the bundle, you come out ahead this way.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in black

- 4GB memory card

- The game on a UMD disk

- A downloadable movie voucher

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

I couldn’t discuss Rock Band myself because I don’t really play Rock Band and my kid is still practicing so, see Rock Band Unplugged for absolutely EXCELLENT reviews from those who spent some serious time rocking on the PSP (I salute you). And here are the reviews for School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) (for the movie itself not for the PSN download).

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will be using the included 4GB on a camera because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

——————-

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

—————————————-

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

————————————–

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

—————–

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet and we uncover new uses and new features all the time.

PC INTEGRATION

—————-

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

———————-

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP-3000 vs. PSP GO

———————

The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because it wasn’t available for purchase on our kid’s birthday, because the price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and because, at this time, we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t be depended too much on our memory card’s limitations. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

———–

For anyone into Rock Band, this is the perfect bundle. If Rock Band is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by Adron Gardner:

I am not a hard core gamer.

I’ve been through the DS, the Wii and I refuse to buy an Xbox 360 after seeing so many die out in the hands of friends. Gears of War and Halo really never struck me as good enough to pay for a piece of junk that will die after a few months.

My PS3 gets used heavily, sometimes for games, but more often for Blu-Ray in my home theater. When I saw the PSP Go unveiled a few months ago, it sparked some interest. I have an iPhone and I have tons of games for it. However, with some exception – Fieldrunners and a couple shooters – the lack of buttons is frustrating on most games. I really wanted to buy the PSP Go, but then I decided to go with a PSP 3000 to get the best of both worlds; UMD and PSN downloads.

At first, I was skeptical of the Rock Band bundle. I’ve been down the Guitar Hero road and I”m over it. But I actually think the rythm formula plays much better on the PSP then the stupid guitar peripherals. The game is highly addictive, easy to pick up anytime and the formula works perfectly for a portable like the PSP. Moreover, more than the other music games, it reminds me of an old PS2 favorite, Frequency.

Looking at the PSP-3000, I like the XMB and how it is just like the one on my PS3. The 4 gig card is a good starter for downloads. i like the way it feels for the most part. I like the wide screen and even the loading times aren’t that bad for the games I have.

What I don’t like? The damn thing in black is a freaking finger print magnet. I wish they offered the bundle in a different color. The UMD tray feels pretty flimsy. The battery life isn’t as good as a DS. Sometimes the controls, particularly the shoulder buttons, feel awkward. My biggest complaint is the slow nature of downloading movies and games from the PSN. I think the free School of Rock movie took like 3 hours to download on my DSL connection. Sucks.

If you are going to use PSN, just buy whatever you want from the PS3 Playstation store and then transfer it to the PSP.

Though the PSP has been out for some time, I am glad I bought it now. With the 3000 model, I get the best of both worlds of UMD and PSN downloads when I want. I like the design, the size and the games. Overall I can just say, no matter how much more life is left in this thing, I’ll be playing it for awhile. I love my iPHone and some of the games on it are irreplaceable, but I like my PSP more and I am glad I bought it.

Review by B. P. Page:

I have a PSP 3000 and eventually got tired of the stack of UMD cases in the corner of my desk toppling over, so I went out looking for the best possible storage solution. With this case, I found exactly what I was looking for.

This case holds 8 UMD discs and is well-constructed. It is a little smaller than the PSP itself and both sides open using a double-articulated hinge. Perhaps the best part is that the case uses magnets to hold the discs in place and to hold itself closed. No more struggling with latches or practically breaking the disc to get it out of a cheaper case that is a little too snug. This case is simple perfection and I highly recommend it.

Review by CoquiMan:

I have the older psp umd case-built like a little tank but a bit of a pain to snap in or take out the umd’s. This new case is fantastic to me. No where near as bulky & heavy as the old one. I absolutely love the fact that the case holds the umds by magnet. How simple & easy it is now, no more snappin in & rippen out! A total breeze. Holds 8 umds like the old one & both sides open opposite, like an accordion, “u get used to it” I recommend. Nice case for a decent price & easy as pie to use. Go for it & protect your umds!

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by VC:

Enough good things have been said about this PSP2001 (aka PSP slim and lite)

Just to emphasize

Pros:

- Top notch screen

- Playing Madden on this and my xbox felt the same

- Extremely easy controls (well built buttons)

- Light weight (won’t feel the weight when playing for long hours)

- Battery hardly used when on sleep mode, I have put this on sleep for days and then continued my game from where I left!

- Well designed

- Video quality is amazing

- Video podcast download over the wireless is a GREAT add-on. I watch CNN highlights on this.

- Updating firmware was easier than eating a muffin !

Cons:

- None that I know of !

- A slight disappointment, if I may, I bought the component cable to connect to my 51″ TV. The video quality of the podcasts was unbelievably clear. Now, I knew that the game won’t use the entire TV screen (for those who don’t know, the game will use about 60-70% of your TV screen). But the quality of the game video was bad, in fact Madden looked terrible on the TV! That is something I did not expect from PSP.

All-in-all, money well spent on the console. I recommend this to anyone, any age, who would like have mobility but still be able to play their Madden etc. as well as get bit more out of the console with video podcast downloads over the air or a music player or a ‘OK’ web browser or location free client or whatever

Review by Nite:

Pros:

+A Very Powerful Handheld Device

+Plays music, movies, and allows you to look at photos

+Browsing online is fun

+A lot of accessories available

+Now has a good library of games

+Easy interface and control

+Very detailed screen and large

Cons:

-Online browsing isn’t that much fun

-Can’t organize a music library and UMDs aren’t all that fun to watch, even on road trips

-The battery life isn’t long lasting

-The screen is easily damaged

When the original PSP launched back in 2005, it eventually became subjected to heavy criticism. Not necessarily the console itself, but mostly that much of what it did, people didn’t see the use for in a handheld system, and the fact that its library of games wasn’t incredible. Nevertheless, the PSP has still shown itself to be a powerhouse of a console.

First and foremost, this review is not here to talk about the Nintendo DS. If you would like a review or comparison to the Nintendo DS, I highly suggest you look for reviews under the Nintendo DS or use the forums. Most people on the amazon community will be very helpful in helping you decide on which handheld is the best for you.

The new PSP is much better than the original. It’s slimmer, lighter, and a slightly bigger screen that actually makes some of the picture look a bit more crisp. Some games also run a little faster, and that more than helps the PSP out.

What the PSP has best been known for (and criticized the most for) is being a handheld entertainment center. It can do more than just play games. It can play music, go online, play movies, and you can look at photos. This is all built into the system and doesn’t require you to purchase any extra peripherals to use. While these are all good and well, they come with slight hitches. You can’t organize a playlist when it comes to the music, and while going online is great, it’s pretty sluggish when you have to input addresses and such via a keypad function similar to that of a cell phone. Movies are great too, but a UMD on the PSP’s small screen isn’t enough to replace a DVD or Blu-Ray disc.

Luckily, however, the PSP isn’t a home entertainment center and is a gaming console. In that respect it gets the job done. The Slim PSP works because the interface is very user friendly. You can select several things from the main menu to do. Whether it be to play music, browse photos or just start a game. When playing a game you can return to the home menu at any time. The system even sleeps if you suddenly have to put it down. The UMDs are also a great gaming format. There’s plenty of space, which makes some games live up to their potential in length, and also pushes how powerful the PSP is. In terms of graphics, it’s like walking around with a Playstation 2 in your pocket.

The PSP does suffer from a couple of setbacks. The battery is still pretty short in length. It lasts much longer in the slim PSP than the original, but it still isn’t that long lasting. At least you can always check how much battery is left, and when it gets low it’ll let you know. Even better for the PSP is that even if the battery dies in the middle of a game, you can just charge it and resume right from where you left off since the console will merely go to sleep.

The other setback with the PSP is that the screen can be damaged pretty easily. In order to protect it you’ll need to spend more money on accessories such as a case to protect it. It’s also not the most durable system you can buy. You have to be a bit more delicate with it because it’s a bit more fragile than most other consoles out there. Luckily, most of you probably won’t drop it purposefully, but in case a parent is looking at giving it to a child, you may want to watch to make sure they don’t drop it on a concrete or hard surface.

For a couple of years, the PSP has suffered the most from having a fairly tight library. Most of its more notable games were either ported from the Playstation 2 or ported TO the Playstation 2. With the PS2 no longer being the focal point, it has certainly allowed the PSP to grow much more. We’re now seeing much better games and much more expanded games. The library is still fairly short on fantastic games, but at least now it’s growing as a gaming system. If you’re interested in a PSP, now is not a bad time to grab one as there are better games being released and it’s been built to last.

The PSP is a good handheld device. With a volley of games to choose from all across the spectrum, the PSP really does serve as a good gaming choice for everyone.

Review by Owen:

I puchased this a couple of weeks ago and recently had them installed in a BMW X3 (SUV). These are a great value for aftermarket dvd players, I did a lot of review/research and nothing beat this deal. They look and play great; I’m sure they will get a ton of quality viewing time for the kids and hopefully a little bit of peace for the parents in the front seat. I tried out the game feature and they are pretty old school, I wouldn’t expect these to entertain serious gamer type kids for very long, but it’s a nice added feature that most didn’t have. Product also comes with a remote control which is a nice if you have little ones that can’t operate the video’s on their own. I’m not a handy person, so I called around for installation and in my area (SF) labor is pretty expensive (I had several quotes for 0); so I purchased an installation card from Crutchfield for 0. I would recommend this option if you’re like me, they will hook you up with a local install shop and mine turned out very professional. My only minor ding about the product is the post of the headrest are smaller than the factory post so the shop had to compensate for that, basically using electrically tape to make the product snug. Anyway overall I was able to get a really nice DVD system for a excellent price and very happy with the purchase.

Review by James Atkins:

I ordered this at the same time I ordered my PSP-1000 a replacement screen.

I had expected not to get this product until September 1, but ending up receiving it a day or two earlier.

I was able to replace my old faceplate with this one very quickly, with the only issue being with the analog stick. I suggest anyone replacing the faceplate to be ready for a small amount of potential hassle where that piece is concerned.

Great product and service! I will definitely use this vendor again, though I hope I don’t have to; I don’t want my PSP to get busted up again!

Review by matt.mingkee:

got it from local store

worried a bit because of some pretty negative comment, but the price is too irrisistible (cheaper than legacy Slingbox), then give a try

generally I am satisfied with this product

Setup: it is pretty easy, press and hold the setup button on the unit when adding device; channel add/delete is NOT centralized, you need to add/delete on each device connecting

Picture quality: this is OK on high setting, NEVER use auto rate setting on PC over LAN, use the highest rate when using over LAN

on high rate setting, the picture quality is pretty similar with Slingbox (note: up to 3Mbps bandwidth)

you can resize the window, but there’s NO full screen option on PC

on PSP, you have 4 picture mode: original, normal, full, strectched (depends on your preference), to get the best compromise, use rate 4 (you can use 5, but you may experience interruption)

the base unit has 2 sets of A/V input (one of them has S-Video, just use regular cable)

all the testing and experience are based on LAN

the software requires key to install, not like Slingplayer, which is pretty straightforward, but the software on Locplayer is more simple

conclusion: get this if you have PSP (with software ver 2.5 and higher, the most current version is recommended), if not, get Slingbox (the slingplayer has full screen option)

note: this base station also has wifi AP built-in, but there’s no way to hide SSID or disable wifi, then make sure you have good WEP or WPA setup

Review by darkmoon:

Great product. If you’re a gadget fiend as I am, then you’ll have no problems figuring out how to use it. The “Quick” documentation is terrible, but readable.

The PC configuration of the base station is a lot better than the one that’s formatted for the PSP. If you do install, install the PC first if at all possible.

Quality of the picture is great on the PSP, but lacking on the computer. It could feed better resolution to PCs but it lacks the support. It also wouldn’t be bad if the player could support Mac/Linux. The PC player GUI is terrible looking but functional. PSP one is sharp and works like a charm.

As usual with Sony, the design of the box is superb. Very sleek looking. Could use some work in better functionality, but it’s nothing some firmware updates couldn’t solve if they got around to it.

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by VC:

Enough good things have been said about this PSP2001 (aka PSP slim and lite)

Just to emphasize

Pros:

- Top notch screen

- Playing Madden on this and my xbox felt the same

- Extremely easy controls (well built buttons)

- Light weight (won’t feel the weight when playing for long hours)

- Battery hardly used when on sleep mode, I have put this on sleep for days and then continued my game from where I left!

- Well designed

- Video quality is amazing

- Video podcast download over the wireless is a GREAT add-on. I watch CNN highlights on this.

- Updating firmware was easier than eating a muffin !

Cons:

- None that I know of !

- A slight disappointment, if I may, I bought the component cable to connect to my 51″ TV. The video quality of the podcasts was unbelievably clear. Now, I knew that the game won’t use the entire TV screen (for those who don’t know, the game will use about 60-70% of your TV screen). But the quality of the game video was bad, in fact Madden looked terrible on the TV! That is something I did not expect from PSP.

All-in-all, money well spent on the console. I recommend this to anyone, any age, who would like have mobility but still be able to play their Madden etc. as well as get bit more out of the console with video podcast downloads over the air or a music player or a ‘OK’ web browser or location free client or whatever

Review by Nite:

Pros:

+A Very Powerful Handheld Device

+Plays music, movies, and allows you to look at photos

+Browsing online is fun

+A lot of accessories available

+Now has a good library of games

+Easy interface and control

+Very detailed screen and large

Cons:

-Online browsing isn’t that much fun

-Can’t organize a music library and UMDs aren’t all that fun to watch, even on road trips

-The battery life isn’t long lasting

-The screen is easily damaged

When the original PSP launched back in 2005, it eventually became subjected to heavy criticism. Not necessarily the console itself, but mostly that much of what it did, people didn’t see the use for in a handheld system, and the fact that its library of games wasn’t incredible. Nevertheless, the PSP has still shown itself to be a powerhouse of a console.

First and foremost, this review is not here to talk about the Nintendo DS. If you would like a review or comparison to the Nintendo DS, I highly suggest you look for reviews under the Nintendo DS or use the forums. Most people on the amazon community will be very helpful in helping you decide on which handheld is the best for you.

The new PSP is much better than the original. It’s slimmer, lighter, and a slightly bigger screen that actually makes some of the picture look a bit more crisp. Some games also run a little faster, and that more than helps the PSP out.

What the PSP has best been known for (and criticized the most for) is being a handheld entertainment center. It can do more than just play games. It can play music, go online, play movies, and you can look at photos. This is all built into the system and doesn’t require you to purchase any extra peripherals to use. While these are all good and well, they come with slight hitches. You can’t organize a playlist when it comes to the music, and while going online is great, it’s pretty sluggish when you have to input addresses and such via a keypad function similar to that of a cell phone. Movies are great too, but a UMD on the PSP’s small screen isn’t enough to replace a DVD or Blu-Ray disc.

Luckily, however, the PSP isn’t a home entertainment center and is a gaming console. In that respect it gets the job done. The Slim PSP works because the interface is very user friendly. You can select several things from the main menu to do. Whether it be to play music, browse photos or just start a game. When playing a game you can return to the home menu at any time. The system even sleeps if you suddenly have to put it down. The UMDs are also a great gaming format. There’s plenty of space, which makes some games live up to their potential in length, and also pushes how powerful the PSP is. In terms of graphics, it’s like walking around with a Playstation 2 in your pocket.

The PSP does suffer from a couple of setbacks. The battery is still pretty short in length. It lasts much longer in the slim PSP than the original, but it still isn’t that long lasting. At least you can always check how much battery is left, and when it gets low it’ll let you know. Even better for the PSP is that even if the battery dies in the middle of a game, you can just charge it and resume right from where you left off since the console will merely go to sleep.

The other setback with the PSP is that the screen can be damaged pretty easily. In order to protect it you’ll need to spend more money on accessories such as a case to protect it. It’s also not the most durable system you can buy. You have to be a bit more delicate with it because it’s a bit more fragile than most other consoles out there. Luckily, most of you probably won’t drop it purposefully, but in case a parent is looking at giving it to a child, you may want to watch to make sure they don’t drop it on a concrete or hard surface.

For a couple of years, the PSP has suffered the most from having a fairly tight library. Most of its more notable games were either ported from the Playstation 2 or ported TO the Playstation 2. With the PS2 no longer being the focal point, it has certainly allowed the PSP to grow much more. We’re now seeing much better games and much more expanded games. The library is still fairly short on fantastic games, but at least now it’s growing as a gaming system. If you’re interested in a PSP, now is not a bad time to grab one as there are better games being released and it’s been built to last.

The PSP is a good handheld device. With a volley of games to choose from all across the spectrum, the PSP really does serve as a good gaming choice for everyone.

Review by M. B Cole:

When I saw that I had a package yesterday, I opened it up…and then nerd glee ran through my hands to my arms and then to my heart. Kratos had arrived.

I ran to my shop (actually I walked as fast as a grandma around a shopping mall) to open this tantalizing package of war. Screw work!! Actually I cant do that because I’m in Iraq and I have to get things done to help protect the troops. But once I was done with all the work for the day I popped the game in the PSP and hit the power button.

When I began to play, I couldnt believe the graphics. The PSP is seriously a PS2 in your hands. The game is just beautiful. The levels are nicely done. They even have the camera effect where it pulls out very far just to show you how small you really are compared to your surroundings. Your chains graphical effects look really good and even better as you upgrade them. Even the graphics for little things look great…for instance…when you open a chest under water, the chest begins to release thousands of tiny bubbles while you struggle to open it. I just thought that was a nice little touch.

The gameplay is incredible. Kratos is extremely easy to control. I’m just amazed at how fluid he moves. Bashing baddies…lifting them in the air…grappling them back onto the ground..and then finishing them off is nothing but a few well pressed buttons mashes. Not hard at all. And I’m not talking about the button sequence fighting either. Speaking of those, there are some really good ones in this game.

The sound is sharp and pleasing. The musical score can really put you in a mood to kill every living thing around…but then make you want to stop and smell the ashes of a burning hades. If you’ve played part 1 or 2, then you know what to expect with the sound effects, and it’s here also. Sound great in my Bose Earbuds.

I have only a COUPLE of gripes about the game. I’m not completely done with it, but I can tell the game is going to be short. That’s going to be a downer because I really like this game and just dont want it to end for at least 2 week..heh. Another gripe I have is that the game froze up on me once. Only once..so hopefully not again. Just make sure you save every time you get the chance.

Something that isnt a gripe, but a ‘Just so ya know’, playing on Normal is pretty dang easy. There are 4 modes…Easy, Normal, Hard, and God (which is greyed out at first). If you are pretty experienced with the game, I’d go with playing Hard.

Something parents should think about when pondering if they should get this game for their youngin. This game is based during when Rome was the hot spot. So when you see some of the female Gods, usually they are topless. Also there is a scene where Kratos frees two topless women and well…gets to have sex with them. You dont actually see it, but they show a vase or something rocking around while you hit a series of buttons to pleasure them both. Funny if you are older, but maybe not funny for parents with children.

All in all, I recommend this game completely for your PSP. It is definitely in my top 5 games for the PSP. That would include Ratchet and Clank, FF Tactics, Burnout Legends, and I dont have a 5th one yet..(it’ll probably be the new Final Fantasy).

UPDATE:

Well after beating the game about an hour after posting this review, I will say it’s definitely a short game. Also make sure you stay for after the credits. Well…you’ll have to because you cant skip cut scenes (which I LOATHE that you cant do it in any game).

Review by N. Durham:

God of War stands as one of Sony’s best original franchises, and now the vengeance-driven Kratos and his deadly chains have come to the PSP. Fans of the series will also be more than happy to know that God of War: Chains of Olympus stands as the best action title to hit Sony’s portable system yet, as it nearly flawlessly brings everything that has made the God of War series so good, and packs it into one small disc. Taking place before the events of the original God of War, Chains of Olympus finds Kratos as general serving the gods, and also finds him struggling with obeying his orders, or doing what he feels he should. Undoubtedly the best looking game to hit the PSP yet, God of War: Chains of Olympus retains the excellent production values, addictive combat, tight controls, solid puzzle elements, and unlockable extras that will keep you glued to the game. The only real downside to Chains of Olympus is that as a whole, the game is too short. This one flaw is acceptable though, as Chains of Olympus boasts a brilliant score, more fantastic voice acting, and some dynamic action sequences that are easily the best to be seen on the PSP yet. All in all, God of War: Chains of Olympus is a more than welcome debut of Kratos on the PSP, and is by far the best action game to hit the PSP yet. Needless to say, if you own a PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus is an absolute must own, and the definition of “killer app”.

Review by ps2 gamer:

If you’ve owned a PSP for a long time you’ve probably kept hearing that it doesn’t have any good games. Daxter proves otherwise. If you’ve been bored with all of the games the PSP has now, be bored no longer! Daxter is quite possibly the best PSP game out there, with awesome graphics, gameplay, story, and many more features.

If you’re a hardcore fan of the Jak and Daxter series like me, then you won’t be disappointed with this game. It does everything great. The story takes place between Jak 1 and Jak 2. If you rememeber, at the beginning of Jak 2 Jak arrives at haven city. He is then immediately captured by the Krimzon Guards, but Daxter escapes. Jak is put in prison, and then the game skips 2 years later and you see how Daxter saves Jak. The game’s storyline takes place in those 2 years, and you’ll learn how Daxter saves Jak and what he has done in that time. At the beginning of the game, Daxter is offered a job as a bug exterminator. He takes it, because he hopes that while he goes around exterminating bugs he’ll also find Jak along the way. By the way, these are metal head bugs, so they’ll put up a fight.

Now, first of all, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. This game is kind of short, and you’ll be able to finish it in 10-13 hours. Also, some people might find it disappointing that haven city is smaller than it was in Jak 2, and there aren’t any people walking in the streets, even though they’re flying in zoomers. However, these are very minor problems, and they don’t affect the game in any very bad way.

Now on to the good things. This game’s graphics are absolutely phenomenal. They are the best graphics on any PSP game out now, and I daresay that they’re even better than the graphics of many PS2 games. I’m not exaggerating. They are absolutely gorgeous. There is an impressive amount of detail in all of the environments you’ll visit, and they all look very unique and great. Just take a look at Daxter himself (the character). His fur looks so realistic and cool, and all of the textures in the game are similar. The character designs are also cool and unique.

Speaking of characters, here they are. There’s Osmo, which is an old man who’s also Daxter’s boss at the exterminator shop, yet he’s very kind. There’s his son Ximon, who is a surfer kind of guy. There’s Osmo’s daughter Taryng, which is a Lara Croft-like gal with a British accent who gives Daxter all of his weapons. There’s Kaeden, some kind of creepy guy who really hates Daxter and his friends. And there are a few other characters, some of them from the other Jak games, like Errol and Count Vegar.

Another thing that the Jak series are greatly known for is their variety. Daxter delivers that too. There is a big variety of missions and things to do, and you’ll do things ranging from simply killing bugs, to chasing a Truck on your scooter while it shoots bombs at you, to shoot down a bug with a turret while you’re on a vehicle, and more. Also, there’s lots of action and platforming to be done in this game. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ll be fighting metal head bugs, and they’re all different and unqiue. You’ll get several weapons in the game: One being an electric flyswatter, which is basically a melee weapon, a sprayer which lets you stun enemies, a flamethrower(self explanatory), and a sonic blaster, which lets you shoot a bomb that creates a shockwave. You’ll also have to pick up floating green orbs to power up tour sprayer weapons. Other than that, you also get an upgrade that lets you temporarily fly in the air with your sprayer, and you’ll have to pick up green orbs mid-air in order to feul your sprayer and allow you to stay up a longer time. Jumping and flying around makes up this game’s platforming, and its really very fun.

Also there’s a bunch of other distractions that keep you busy and allow you to do things other than doing the main missions. You can roam around Haven city (by the way, you get a scooter to do it with) searching for secret areas and collectibles, you can go to levels that you’ve already played in order to pick up secrets you might have missed there, and perhaps most importantly, you can play mini-games called “dream sequences”. These are very fun, and in them, you make Daxter go to sleep on his bed, and he’ll have dreams in which he’s the hero, and his dreams take place in movies like lord of the rings, the matrix, braveheart and more. They’re basically just minigames in which you have to mash buttons according to what appears on screen, and they’re really fun. You can unlock different combos for your flyswatter and other cool secrets if you play them. However, you must first collect enough precursor orbs in order to unlock these dreams.

There is also a multiplayer option called bug combat. You can pick up special bugs in your main game and use them in this multiplayer option. Each bug has 3 attacks it can use, and it’s sort of a turn based rock-paper-scissors game with RPG elements. Claw attack beats Spit, Spit beats trap, and trap beats claw. You also get all kinds of unlockables for this from the main game, if you find them. You can get power ups that improve your bugs’ health, attack, and more. You also get tokens that you can use in the middle of the combat, and they’re things like shields that protect you from attacks, things that cancel your opponent’s move, things that let you switch your attack after you already picked one, etc.

Overall Daxter is the best PSP game that’s ever come out. I hope that other companies keep making games like this. If they do, the future looks very bright for the PSP. So if your a Jak and Daxter fan, or if you just own a PSP, you should definitely buy this game.

P.S. You can also connect your PSP to your PS2 via USB cable, and if you have Jak X: Combat Racing, you can unlock cool stuff for it from the Daxter game. These things inculde: Four different characters to drive as, and a car called the Daxtermobile.

Review by Adam Sugarman:

I was truly worried about the PSP for a while there; it scared me that I saw people in the streets using their glossy new gaming system solely as an MP3 player becasue of the lack of games. After Mega Man: Powered Up was sold out in my area (the game store clerk said that people are asking about new PSP games all the time, in the hopes for a killer app), I knew the system was truly in trouble. Thank god for Daxter. As the first truly orginal great PSP game, it sure was a long time coming.

You pick up between Jak and Daxter and Jak and Daxter II. It takes place right in the middle (remember when Daxter bailed Jak out of jail? This game shows how that happened), and Daxter gets sidetracked by becoming an exterminator. Armed with an electronic fly-swatter of sorts, he goes up against the denizens of evil…er…the evil cockroaches and such of his world in the hopes of bailing his faithful buddy out. In truth, the story is purely functional. Don’t expect Final Fantasy VII or anything here.

The first thing you’ll notice is just how absolutely amazing the game looks on your little LCD screen. Bright and colorful (and high resolution to boot), I can safely say it is the best looking PSP game yet released. It is truly like having a PS2 in the palm of your hands. The one affliction of PSP gaming so far has been the terrible loading times, and thankfully Daxter all but eliminates it with its clever door system. Instead of breaking gameplay up with a loading screen, the game puts you in a small area, usually an elevator or something, while the game loads. There is some slowdown, too, but it is barely noticeable. Also, that Ottsel sure is animated well. Daxter wags his tiny tail back and forth, he has hair sprouting all over, and he looks just like an Ottsel should (if they existed, that is).

Once you’re done drooling all over your brand new PSP’s screen (and wiped off the saliva, hopefully), you’ll start realizing just how great the gameplay is. It hearkens back to classic 3D platforming. There are a few weapons to choose from, but combat takes a back seat to pure platforming fun. And platforming hasn’t been this fun since that little Italian stereotype hopped onto the scene. The level design is smart and interesting, never drab and thankfully corridor and warehouse free (it starts to scare me that even platforming games are starting to have corridors and warehouses). Despite the city setting, the developers have found interesting ways to get varied landscapes into play.

The voice-acting is pitch-perfect, too. The music is appropriate, and the sound effects are well done. You’ll swear you were there swinging around that little swatter, wagging your tail and climbing walls right along with Daxter.

Thank god for Naughy Dog. They have finally released the first true killer app for PSP.

Pros:

Incredible graphics

Fun gameplay

Varied levels

Great sound

Cons:

Slight slowdown at times

Review by Lisa Shea:

Talk about the ultimate mobile game for mature gamers who love the Sopranos and Godfather series. Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories is the perfect game for the PSP.

Let me say again – this is a MATURE game. There is sex, there is swearing, there is a LOT of violence. Anybody who buys this game for their 8 year old is making a grave mistake. It really bothers me a lot when people buy adult games for kids and say “Oh I didn’t know”. It clearly says right on the box. There are a TON of adult gamers out there, and we like mature games, just like we like R rated movies. These games aren’t meant for kids. They are made exactly the way us adults like them – full of adult situations.

That being taken care of, this is an *incredible* game. Let’s start with the gameplay. It’s hard to even imagine, looking at say a DS or GameBoy game, that any handheld could produce gameplay like this. You have a fully detailed, fully laid out cityscape. You can drive down any road, walk around amongst the people, watch the rain and sun and fog roll in. The storyline is great. The missions are great. Heck, even the sidegames are great. There are hidden packages to find, rankings to achieve, races to run, you name it. You could play this for months.

The graphics are spellbindingly beautiful. It’s hard to believe this is a handheld game. You get rain falling down around your car as it careens past easily identifiable stores on a road, while pedestrians stroll down the sidewalks. From shooting tasks, to driving races, to handling a number of other situations, the graphics draw you into this world.

Let’s talk about audio. There is a great selection of “radio stations” to listen to as you drive around. The voice acting really draws you into the story, to relate to the various characters involved. I’ve always loved the audio on the GTA games, and this is no exception.

Yes, this game requires a 2.0 update to run. The update is INCLUDED ON THE DISK. Anybody who has trouble finding it must be missing some basic computer skills. It’s right on the main disk menu when you put the disk into the system. It’s free, it’s included, it’s easy.

I can’t say enough good things about this game. Let me try to figure out some down sides. Hmmm, well it’s on a small screen. Heck, that’s the whole point, that it’s on a portable system. When I go on trips, I can bring it along with me. I think that’s fantastic, to have a GTA system to bring on the plane or bus. I *did* find the storyline in general to be on the annoying side, truth be told. I really liked the original GTA3 storyline where you were a valued employee moving up in the ranks due to your skill. I found it frustrating in this one to play in essence an “uppity jerk” who is constantly put down either by his own mob buddies or his mom or other people. It didn’t make the game nearly as enjoyable for me. This is my leisure time after all, to endulge in fun dreams. My fun dream isn’t of being berated and harassed. That being said, the mom in the Sopranos always drove me completely insane too. You have to give a writer the leeway to write his own story, and if that’s what he wants to write, you go with it.

This is a must-own game. It’s a game for ADULTS. But it’s a game with epic scope, great graphics, and great gameplay. Highly, highly recommended.

Review by :

“Liberty City Stories” continues rockstars succesful GTA sereis, this time on a handheld device. Dont let that scare you away though. GTA: LCS is the killer app the PSP has been waiting for.

- Liberty City is back from GTA III. Its the exact city.

- New story though. Completely new missions,mini missions, races, etc that will last you a while

- Over 70 vehciles, including classics like the Inferno, Cheetah, and more. Big rigs, motorcyles, boats, helicopters, and planes are included as well.

-Graphics rival PS2 versions of GTA, and with the PSP’s high res LCD screen, it will probably look better.

***A new element: Multiplayer. On the PS2/Xbox, you really couldnt have a multiplayer feature, because the game was played on one TV screen. On the PSP, up to 4 players can be thrown into the city all at once. Instead of buying weapons, you find and run over them, much like an FPS. You can grab cars, ram your friends, snipe/camp one area, etc. The possibilities are endless, and this type of multiplayer has never been seen before on ANY GTA game. This alone is worth purchasing the game.

Review by ehren m:

I picked up this game on release day 2 days ago. I’vd played the single player campaign, as well as the online muptiplayer, so i’ll comment on both.

SINGLE PLAYER:

So far, the campaign as absolutely awesome! Story-wise, it takes place between Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2. You play an ex-soldier came across his brother in a conversion center, and was forced to kill him before he converted to Chimera. All of this is explained to you in the Resistance: Fall of Man fashion. There is the same woman narrating (alot of people did not like how R2 scrapped this). The story is very well told to you, and really gets you involved.

GAMEPLAY/CONTROLS

Sony Bend did the best they could with the controls, especially for an over-the-shoulder 3rd person shooter. First, i absolutely love the aim-assist function. The PSP isn’t the easiest system for aiming since it lacks a second joystick, so in Retribution you have a wide yellow box, any time an enemy is in the box it will automatically aim at them. (you can turn this off in the options to make it more difficult) Second, the cover system is actually pretty cool. Its a Gears of War style of taking cover minus having to hit a button every time: if you walk up to a wall you will automatically take cover, if you pull the trigger you pop out and start shooting, let go of the trigger and you go back into cover. As for guns, there are alot Lots of old ones from R1 and R2, as well as a couple new ones.

ONLINE:

This is one of, if not the best, games for online play on the PSP. It is Resistance: Fall of Man sized down for the PSP. You have death match, ffa, team death match, etc., with up to 8 players (4 on 4). You can chose ranked or non ranked matches as well.

Overall, this is probably one of the best games out for the PSP, both for single and multiplayer. Its about time a developer came out with something like this, nothing has been close since God of War. DEFINITELY worth 40 bucks. Go out and buy!

Review by Aaron P. Harmon:

I am a big fan of shooters and love my PSP, but have found very few decent portable games in this genre. I took a chance on this game because it was produced by the same guys that made the “Syphon Filter” PSP games (If you are not familiar with them they are very well reviewed, wonderful games.) I am so glad that I did.

This game is fantastic. I will briefly list the pros and cons.

The Pros:

1) You can carry more than two weapons again. One of the things that made Resistance: The Fall of Man so good was the plethora of unique weapons always at your fingertips. Resistance: Retribution reintroduces this feature. The player is able to carry up to 12 weapons each with an alternate fire option giving you much creative freedom is solving the challenges that the levels through at you.

2) The controls are well thought out and easily customizable. They work very well in the default configuration

3) The story is easy to follow and compelling.

4) The graphics are cutting edge for a portable game. They are stunning and really have to be seen to be appreciated.

5) There are “Skill Points” and “Intel” documents to collect on each level which allow you to unlock new weapons and additional features. Re-playability is very high for this reason.

6) “Infected mode” is an added value for owners of Resistance 2.

7) The “infrastructure” multiplayer feature allows you to connect wirelessly (via the internet) with players all around the world for what is arguably the best multiplayer experience on any handheld to date.

Resistance: Retribution “Plus” mode allows you to use a PS3 controller for PSP.

9) The difficulty scales well. I have not been overly frustrated with any part of this game.

The Cons:

1) The only thing that I would like to see improved is that in “Plus” mode, you PSP is tethered to your PS3 through the USB cable. I don’t know if it is technically possible to do it any other way, but it certainly limits the portability of your PSP.

Conclusion: At the end of the day, Resistance: Retribution will be remembered as one of the games that defined this generation of handheld games. Any fan of the Resistance series, or of this genre for that matter, would be remiss in not picking this one up. It is an absolute must have.

Review by blackaciddevil:

First, Dragonball Z Shin Budokai. Then, Tekken: Dark Resurrection. Now, Mortal Kombat:Unchained. With each new fighter released, I’m more and more convinced that the Playstation Portable can give a deep console presentation but on a portable and mobile device. Take Mortal Kombat: Unchained, for instance, -basically a port of Mortal Kombat Deception for the PSP that includes every last thing in the console game. Two fatalities per character with new death traps, stage fatalities-Completely redesigned single player Konquest mode-Features multi-tiered interactive backgrounds-With a mix of your favorite fighters as well as many new ones. It’s the definitive portable Mortal Kombat experience every fan has waited for. I must say, I’m impressed. The loading times for the game are a smidgen long but doesn’t mar things overall. Other than that, Mortal Kombat: Unchained is ‘off the chain’. Seriously, you’ll love it.

Review by jjjjjjj:

This game rocks. I played it on PS2 and I loved it and finally as soon as I heard it was going to be on handheld for the first time ever i thought to myself “this is great! Much better than those other MKs on GBA and on black and white game boy because the graphics just don’t cut it as well and PSP does.” The 3-D is awesome and I have to say I knew it was gonna be great and I was proven right buy purchasing it and playing it to be impressed by it! So all you Mortal Kombat fans out there that own a PSP; GET THIS GAME NOW!!!!! You won’t be sorry!!! And it’s even better than PS2 because it has extra characters like Shao Kahn, Blaze and Goro!!!

Review by Superstar Reviewer:

Sonic Rivals pits Sonic the Hedgehog against some of his buddies that appeared late in the series. Knuckles, Silver, Black etc. I think about the time Sonic started having buddies was when the franchise became less fun. You rocket around 3d tracks with no time to react to what you encounter which means if you play online, someone will have cold memorized the track and will kick you silly. If you play in story mode, its very little fun unless you have the reflexes of a chipmunk on crack.

Gone are the days of using your intellect and mastery of the controls to get through the map. Now, you hang on and I guess if its summertime and you are 10, you play over and over to learn the map thoroughly. The best thing about the original Sonic on Genesis was the imagination inventing puzzles and bosses. Now, the levels are stunningly pretty, and you go fast, and the bosses suck and the control is not trustworthy. I won’t play anything where I can’t control the character because the system is too busy doing something else, which begs the question : It’s 2d, why is it so hard to

make a game that plays as well as the Genesis (I guess the PSP is 100X faster)?

Pick it up if you want to play with friends. The story mode is useless.

Review by sirrahs:

I haven’t played this game very much but I can say that my wife LOVES it. She gets so excited that I cannot talk to her at all when she is playing. She yells at the opposing characters and sometimes has a few choice words but I won’t go into that. If you like a fast action game without too much strategy, then this game is for you.

Review by Daniel Kohlbeck:

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is an absolutely outstanding game that truly represents the pinnacle of platforming titles. Having been a fan of the genre since the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis, I’ve seen more than my share of titles. The rankings break out for Ratchet and Clank as such (all scores are out of five):

Graphics: 5

For the PSP, the developers did an excellent job of pushing the PSP to its graphical limit. The use of character models, animations, and textures are simply phenomenal. This is just shy of looking just like its PS2 cousin.

Sound: 5

The biggest boon for this game is the use of actual voice acting combined with clearly distinct sounds for each of the weapons. Everything sounds like it just fits and all in all ties together to create a believable atmosphere.

Value: 5

One of the best parts of this game is that you can continue to play it well after you beat the final boss. Not only this, but you can do so keeping all the weapons you’ve already bought and have the opportunity to buy even better ones! It just adds that extra little bit that seems to be missing in many games today.

Story: 4

A tad weak and unfocused at times, all in all it’s still good. You really dive into the story of the Technomites and there’s quite a bit of humor along the way.

Overall: 5

This is a great game that all PSP owners should buy. I’ve dropped a good 15 hours into it myself (which is quite a bit for a platformer) and am still playing. The best part is that it really is a fun game that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Review by :

This game is definitely one of the best games on psp. Even though it is under the platformer genre, it has many styles of games implemented into the game itself. It’s worth the 40 bucks and if I had to buy it again I would. That’s how good this game is. I’ve played MANY psp games (I have the blockbuster pass) and this one ranks very high in my book. The developers did an excellent job and actually took time on this game. What are you waiting for? Buy it now for yourself and everyone you know.

Review by H Hobby:

I got this case for my husband’s psp. The psp fits great and the outer rubber shell of the case seems quite durable. However, if you look at the picture, you’ll see a carabiner looped through a little strap on the case. That strap is held in place by a large rivet that’s punched through the case and sits in the corner of the area the PSP should sit. This means that any time the PSP is in the case, that rivet is wearing on the PSP, potentially scratching, or otherwise ruining, the finish on the back of the system. If you buy this, be prepared to line the bottom with some heavy cloth or something to take the rivet out of the equation. That being said, this case is excellent for protecting and carrying a PSP. The designers just need to make an adjustment.

Review by Hadi Rahhal:

It can carry 2 UMD discs and the earphones with the remote wire including the PSP comfortably.

And the quality is excellent

Review by John M Spangler:

Retro games are good, but when they are done right, they can be great. This is easily the greatest arcade compilation I’ve ever played. Not only can you play these classic arcade games in the palm of your hand, but you can enjoy the best collection of them all in one. 20 games, including “redone” games of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga and RallyX.

The quality of each classic is amazing and they play nearly exactly to the old arcade cabinets from the retro 80′s, graphics, music, sound FX and all. The bestest of the best is clearly Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, RallyX and DigDug. But it doesn’t stop there. There are 4 new Arrangement games of those 4 classics, I like to view them as remixes. They are are redone, upheavels in levels, gameplay, sound and graphics. The arranged Galaga is very addicting and you’ll be hooked instantly. Dig Dug remade is basically the same game with better graphics and new enemies. RallyX, which was a decent game in the 80′s, is redone and very fun to boot. These “arranged” games could have been sold seperately and probably most would have been pleased with them.

The originals are as fun as you remember them and just as challenging. Getting to that “key” in Pac-Man is still no easy task. But for novice gamers, never threat, you can continue from where you left off on many of the old games. Some of the other titles included like Grobada, Motos, Bosconian, DragonBuster and Galaxian are very obscure, but amazingly, they still do offer some fun factor. The rest you may not spent much time with in the past and most you might not play much, but you’ll be happy with it overall.

Some might be a bit “squinty” eyed playing some of the old games like Pac-Man, the ratio of the originals were made for horizontal screens, so it’s very small on the widescreen PSP, but thankfully they offered a “stretch” option for most of the titles. It looks a bit weird all stretched out, but it’s better than playing on the little playing field.

Overall, this is clearly the best PSP game to buy, especially if you like classic arcade gaming, this is how it all began, no quarters needed…

Review by Arion Acurantes:

The Namco Museum Battle Collection is living proof that the past will always catch up with today’s advances, adding fuel to the argument that it’s all in the gameplay. Namco Museum showcases the founding concepts of most modern gaming, but, in essence, the sum of these games is all about the numbers. That, however, doesn’t change the fact that all of today’s games can trace their DNA to any one of these titles.

And gameplay is what you get with this collection. The PSP has been virtually retrofitted to give you a healthy dose of all your favorites from the early days of gaming, beginning of course with the immortal Pac-Man, the always imitated Galaga/Galaxian, and right on through to some little known but nonetheless engaging titles such as Rolling Thunder, Bosconian, and Xevious.

The four “arranged” versions (Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, and Galaga) are sure to please a great many gamers with overhauled versions of their respective originals, but with a maximum six attainable levels in each of these games, sometimes the experience just seems a little short. The original versions, on the other hand, sometimes offer more challenge than their descendants, being impeded only by the fact that the only way to get the most of the PSP’s screen is to stretch the gameplay screen to fit and thus distort the original screen ratio.

If you’re the type of gamer who’s into the PSP mainly for its portability, Namco Museum could give you many hours of quick, satisfying casual gaming. Just pop it in and rack up those high scores.

However, if you have a PSP because you believe in its capability to equal its older brother and are on the lookout for seriously immersive, big-scale gaming, Namco Museum could do in a pinch, but it won’t rock your mind the way GTA:LCS, SOCOM, or any other hardware-maxing title is currently out there.

Namco Museum is seriously fun and worth a look. It may, on the whole, be old, but don’t dis this granddaddy just yet. There’s gold in them thar games.

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by N. E. Lerma:

I don’t know why the Amazon questions asked me if this “game” was any fun, apparently Amazon needs to fix their review things.

Anyway, I ordered two of these 4GB Memory Sticks for my PSP and my brother’s PSP. They were packaged with care, the price was A LOT better than what they are at, say, Best Buy, they work perfectly fine, and I received them very fast, even faster than what Amazon said I would get it.

I would buy from this seller again.

Review by D. CO:

At the time I bought my 4GB it was pretty exspensive but now you can get them now – less. The great thing is it works with all products that takes memory stick so you can use it for digital cameras,camcorders,and Sony PC,laptops VIAO and the launch day PS3 system. Don’t own products that are compadable with it? no problem also comes wtih an adapter. The adapter is very helpful, so you might want to keep it in a safe place. I have yet to see it sold alone. But it work and its cheap. Thats all you could ask for these days.

Review by James Rigal:

Not much really to say besides the fact that it works perfect. I put it in my new PSP and it worked and did not take anytime to load. I then played a game and it saved easy. I tryed to acces my computer via USB cable and it was easy to do that and find my saved data. I liked it overall.

Review by Michael Mccann:

In general the product is good, I just found that I ran out of space quickly.

Review by M. Learn:

So I ordered the 8GB memory card from a retailer on Amazon. It came in, and everything looked as it should. Then as I started to use it in my Video camera, I was getting error messages and data corruption issues. I did some searching around on the internet and I found that the error is usually do to counterfeit memory cards. So I looked on the page and they gave a great list of things to look for. Biggest giveaway that mine was not really from Sony:

* There was no product information paper on the inside in several languages

* The UPC had MSX-M8GST/X, the valid UPC does not have the “T/X” at the end, and the actual number under the UPC was for a 1GB memory card.

* Obviously the bad performance of the card.

I talked with Amazon, and got the seller to refund my money and I ordered it directly from Amazon. When I looked at the two packages side by side, there was an obvious difference. On the card, the print was very faded (and incorrect) versus the legit card.

So the card itself is great, but buyer beware of the fakes. Here is a good article that talks about spotting fakes: [...]

-Matt

Review by Jorge Dennis Serrano Recinos:

I’m totally dissapointed, i bought two Sony MSXM8GS 8 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (Retail Package)from two different sellers, and they are fake totally fake, i wrote to the sellers and they said that they can’t do anithing about, this is so bad, that this people be allowed to sell in Amazon, since they are fooling people, and taking our money just that easy, i tought that since was Amazon, this things would not happen, i was wrong, now i’m afraid to buy any other thing, cause i don’t know if i’m going to get what i bought…..

Dennis Saranovitz

Review by S Schmitcke:

This was exactly what I was looking for – a gift for someone getting a PSPgo. It is so easy to find products on Amazon and they arrive quickly.

Review by Mark:

Even though I have been slowly weaning myself off of the newer Sony cameras, I still have some Sony devices that need memory pro duo cards. There are some advantages and a few disadvantages, namely the cost and availability. Sony’s memory format averages 30 to 100 percent higher prices for the same capacity of SDHC cards. While that sucks, if you have a Sony Camera or a PSP there’s not much you can do about it.

To that point, both the new Sony Cybershot DSCT300 Digital Camera and upcoming PSP God of War Entertainment Pack will benefit from any of these memory cards. Both of those devices, along with most Sony devices for that matter are only comaptible with the memory duo platform.

But like I said, if you need one of these cards, there are some advantages especially if you get a Mark II card. Namely, the performance speed of the mark II format is about 50% higher than the fastest available SDHC card at the moment. The rating is for 36 MB/s and what I’ve seen through some basic tests seems to indicate real performance close to this. In fact, the solid performance has to be the biggest pro for these cards. So while it sucks to have little choice, when you factor in the premium performance it’s easier to swallow.

The 2 and 4 GB cards are a better value than larger capacity ones right now. Sometimes you want the largest card you can get, but till the 8 and 16 GB cards come down I see no reason to buy them. Not to mention, this isn’t for my primary camera but for an older one that I use as a backup.

Make sure your device is compatible with the card. Some older electronics aren’t compatible with larger capacities, although in general Sony has been better with making these guys backward compatible than others.

It’s always a good idea to have several extra cards on hand just in case. This 4 GB card is a nice performer. If you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card may be worth it if the price is right. Or you may want to step up to the larger 16 GB size that is now available. But if you wait a little longer you can save yourself some cash. I have to take off at least 1 star for value, but in terms of performance I couldn’t be happier.

Enjoy!

Review by John J. Robinson:

This 16GB Memory Stick Duo II card works great with the PSP portable gaming system. It comes pre-formatted, so all you have to do is stick it into your PSP and go. In fact, there is a picture of the PSP right on the packaging.

The usable space on this device is actually 14.9 GB, however.

The “Mark2″ certification on the card has to do with higher writing speed requirements and indicates the memory is certified to operate with AVCHD recording products.

Review by Mark:

Even though I have been slowly weaning myself off of the newer Sony cameras, I still have some Sony devices that need memory pro duo cards. There are some advantages and a few disadvantages, namely the cost and availability. Sony’s memory format averages 30 to 100 percent higher prices for the same capacity of SDHC cards. While that sucks, if you have a Sony Camera or a PSP there’s not much you can do about it.

To that point, both the new Sony Cybershot DSCT300 Digital Camera and upcoming PSP God of War Entertainment Pack will benefit from any of these memory cards. Both of those devices, along with most Sony devices for that matter are only comaptible with the memory duo platform.

But like I said, if you need one of these cards, there are some advantages especially if you get a Mark II card. Namely, the performance speed of the mark II format is about 50% higher than the fastest available SDHC card at the moment. The rating is for 36 MB/s and what I’ve seen through some basic tests seems to indicate real performance close to this. In fact, the solid performance has to be the biggest pro for these cards. So while it sucks to have little choice, when you factor in the premium performance it’s easier to swallow.

The 2 and 4 GB cards are a better value than larger capacity ones right now. Sometimes you want the largest card you can get, but till the 8 and 16 GB cards come down I see no reason to buy them. Not to mention, this isn’t for my primary camera but for an older one that I use as a backup.

Make sure your device is compatible with the card. Some older electronics aren’t compatible with larger capacities, although in general Sony has been better with making these guys backward compatible than others.

It’s always a good idea to have several extra cards on hand just in case. This 4 GB card is a nice performer. If you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card may be worth it if the price is right. Or you may want to step up to the larger 16 GB size that is now available. But if you wait a little longer you can save yourself some cash. I have to take off at least 1 star for value, but in terms of performance I couldn’t be happier.

Enjoy!

Review by John J. Robinson:

This 16GB Memory Stick Duo II card works great with the PSP portable gaming system. It comes pre-formatted, so all you have to do is stick it into your PSP and go. In fact, there is a picture of the PSP right on the packaging.

The usable space on this device is actually 14.9 GB, however.

The “Mark2″ certification on the card has to do with higher writing speed requirements and indicates the memory is certified to operate with AVCHD recording products.

Review by J. Y. Huang:

I bought this for my PSP to put some movies on it. Let’s just say it does its job perfectly. After reading reviews from some of the gaming websites, SanDisk memory sticks actually outperform the Sony ones…(how ridiculous)

The great thing is the memory stick pro duo adapter is also included, so if you ever need to use it on another Sony product, the memory stick duo could work.

On a 2gb stick, I was able to put a high quality full length movie on it. Who needs to buy UMD movies anyways?

Review by Rolando Rodas:

If you’re looking for a PSP Memory stick, you should buy this one; not only for its good price, but also for its capacity and for being made for an excellent company: Sandisk.

Lets say it does the job perfectly. No problems with my PSP so far.

Another neat plus was that it comes with an MS Pro adaptor, so if you have a PC with a slot for MS Pro, you dont have to worry about buying an USB cable for the PSP, and you can also use them on cameras that use MS Pro.

Great product, highly recommended!

Review by R. Hyman:

The memory stick was exactly what was described, it arrived on time and was half the price of other dealers in town. Excellent price and delivery.

Review by Steve A. Pelon:

The best price found anywhere on line or in stores and works fantastic in our PSP.

Review by HockeyGod19:

I own this card and the Sony 1 GB version. This card when writing data to the psp via usb cable copied a 728 meg movie file in over HALF the time as the sony.

(…)

Also, I like the plastic case that comes with this card over the little sleeve that the sony card came with. The first day I had this card, I received the card at work. I put the card and the case in my pocket, then of course forgot it was in there.

Pants got washed over the weekend. I realized this after the pants were in the dryer, and a cold chill came over me remembering the card was in the pants!

After being washed and in the dryer, I though for sure it was toast. The card had a small water bubble i could see through the yellow casing. Popped it in my psp. It formatted fine. Then i copied my movie, which like I stated earlier, is still twice as fast as Sony’s overpriced card.

I give this card TWO SUDS up………

Review by G. Mays:

Got this to replace the too-small 32 MB pack-in card with the PSP. Works great, comes in a little clear hardcase, seems to be faster than Sony’s. Fits about 3 hours of converted DVD video as well as about 100 photos, all game saves, and 10-20 MP3s. Has made my PSP better than a portable DVD player (battery life is better playing from a MemStick than from UMD). Save up for this to make your PSP into a media powerhouse.

Review by N. E. Lerma:

I don’t know why the Amazon questions asked me if this “game” was any fun, apparently Amazon needs to fix their review things.

Anyway, I ordered two of these 4GB Memory Sticks for my PSP and my brother’s PSP. They were packaged with care, the price was A LOT better than what they are at, say, Best Buy, they work perfectly fine, and I received them very fast, even faster than what Amazon said I would get it.

I would buy from this seller again.

Review by D. CO:

At the time I bought my 4GB it was pretty exspensive but now you can get them now – less. The great thing is it works with all products that takes memory stick so you can use it for digital cameras,camcorders,and Sony PC,laptops VIAO and the launch day PS3 system. Don’t own products that are compadable with it? no problem also comes wtih an adapter. The adapter is very helpful, so you might want to keep it in a safe place. I have yet to see it sold alone. But it work and its cheap. Thats all you could ask for these days.

Review by M. Yagudaev:

this is not made by Sandisk or Sony

and it is messed up

i put a lot of data into it with my pc and when i put it into my psp or my cell phone or back into my pc it either reads it as completely empty or the data is corrupted

i have tried formatting it several times ( with my pc and psp ) and it still has the same outcome

and i have a Sandisk 4gb mem stick pro duo and it works fine

so i know what im talking about

don’t buy this just bec its cheap it doesn’t work

Review by Cesar F. De Anda Jr.:

dont buy this its fake and doesnt work buy a memory stick from amazon not this guy

Review by M. Brunetti:

When the original joystick assembly on my PSP broke, I looked around online and found that it was relatively easy to replace yourself. I ordered this part and then followed the online instructions to a T. Ever since then, my PSP has been working flawlessly. Its not much of a “toy” in and of itself, but it does its job VERY well.

Review by B. catalin:

the button was broken in two pieces…i tried to repair it myself because returnig it would have take to long because I`m from Romania.

overall the joystick would have been good(probaly).I think it was a packacing mistake.

Review by Apprentice:

So this is the 3rd iteration for the Playstation Portable.

I’ve personally experienced the first 2, selling my original PSP Phat for the PSP Slim (2000).

I’ve done the same again and sold my slim and bought the 3000.

The improvements over the PSP 2000, are a improved LCD screen which I must say is pretty improved, and a built in Microphone. (Finally I can make use of the skype feature as well as chat online in psp games.)

So is this a justifiable upgrade? For the improvements not really.

But if you’re in the market for a PSP right now… The PSP 3000 is an ideal step into the PSP World.

Also following up the PSP 3000′s launch is the Firmware 5.00 which brings Playstation Store (found on PS3) to the PSP.

But this firmware will be hitting all iterations of PSP.

So…Great purchase for me…Hope all of you here on Amazon do the same

Review by Jeffrey Bergkamp:

The first thing I would like to say is that the scan lines are not nearly as big of an issue as others make them out to be. I have only noticed them slightly, and they are completely overlooked when comparing the overall quality of this new screen. It is brighter, has a higher contrast ratio to display more vivid colors, and ghosting is no more.

The included games Ratchet and Clank and Echochrome are both terrific in their own respect, but I have to hand it to Echochrome. It is a brilliantly done puzzle game that is as beautifully presented as it is mind-bending.

I highly recommend this unit if you have a PS3 because of the remote play capabilities. Being able to stream video, music, and pictures wirelessly is a dream. And now Sony is offering their Media Manager as a free download it is a breeze to add your own music and media right to the 1gb memory stick provided.

The best part about owning a PSP is that most games that you really want are now around , so you can beef up your library for cheap.

All in all I love the PSP 3000, do not let the worries of the scan lines scare you away.

Review by Josh:

The idea behind this film is that in a successful relationship you have to fall in love over and over again. In this story it happens literally everyday.

The performances: Adam Sandler as Henry Roth shows his vulnerable side in his best and most natural performance.
Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore has never been better, and has great chemistry with Adam. She emerges as a fine actor.
Rob Schneider as Ula may fool you that he is really the character he is playing, I didn’t know it was him for half the move! He is brilliantly funny.
Sean Astin as Doug Whitmore (better known as Sam from the Lord of the Rings) is funny in this comic role as Lucy’s lisping brother.
Pomaika’i Brown as Nick (tattoo face) the cook, is great in his small role and deserves bigger roles in the future. Shot in Hawaii, it has beautiful cinematography and vibrant color. The movie is a combination of humor and romance with more heart than you might expect.

Review by Lawrance M. Bernabo:

You know those movies where you see the trailer in the theater and then when you see the actual movie you discover all the good parts were in the trailer? Well, “50 First Dates” is not one of those movies. In fact, I can make the argument that while the trailer may indeed have most of the funniest moments in this film, it most decidedly does not have any of the best moments of the film. When you see the trailer about this movie in which Adam Sandler has to make a first impression on Drew Barrymore every day because she has no short term memory and wakes up every morning forgetting what happened the previous day, you would think that he discovers this the next morning when she wakes up in bed with a stranger and starts screaming. However, I am happy to report, “50 First Dates” is not that movie either.

I have been trying to think of last time a movie prompted tears in my eyes as often as “50 First Dates.” We know that Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore) no longer has any short term memory because of a car accident, but what we learn before we meet Lucy is that Henry Roth (Sandler) is apparently the king of the love ‘em and leave ‘em of the Hawaiian islands. Thus the great irony is that he falls for the one woman who can forget him faster and more completely than any tourist he has ever dumped. What we also learn about are the extraordinary lengths to which Lucy’s family and friends go make each day the same happy day for her. Lucy’s brother Doug (Sean Astin) needs to lay off the steroids but her father (Blake Clark) is fiercely and lovingly protective of his daughter. Watching everything that he and his son do each night to reset the stage for Lucy’s happy day got me big time.

Unlike “Groundhog Day,” which only had a few minor flaws in logic (e.g., why does the music teacher claim Bill Murray as a student at the end?) there are giant holes in “50 First Dates” (e.g., how do the three guys manage to every day free to take care of Lucy?), but I do not care. The gaps are covered in just too many sweet and touching moments for me to object to George Wing’s screenplay. The reason why I did not give “50 First Dates” is mainly because of the character of Ula (Rob Schneider), who represents the traditional “Adam Sandler” type of comedy in this film. There are a few moments where Sandler goes over the top (basically anytime his voice gets to the yelling level), but I could forgive most of those (the last song he sings redeems much), but every time Ula showed up it was like clips from another movie. The last time he shows up in the film I was really not happy to see him there because he was ruining a moment I had been eagerly awaiting.

One of the impressive things about this movie is that it does not cop out. Dr. Keats (Dan Aykroyd), Lucy’s doctor, tells us repeatedly that Lucy is never going to get better and a lot of the power of this movie comes from the different ways in which Lucy and Howard deal with this hard reality. We also learn that for Lucy and his family there are what her dad calls “bad” days, and it because of them that Henry is inspired to try something different and provide another series of sweet moments in the film. As long as he refrains from going into overdrive, Sandler makes it totally believable that Henry would spend every day trying to get Lucy to fall in love with him. But it is Barrymore who is pitch perfect on both the comedy and the pathos of her role as Lucy. If Sandler did not know that he had found his perfect leading lady after “The Wedding Singer,” then this film should do the trick.

The tagline for this film is “Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams… every friggin’ day” is a funny line, but it is as much misdirection as the trailer. Henry may treat his strange assistant Alexa (Lusia Strus) badly, but he could not possibly be more patient with Lucy. Even her skeptical father has to admit that he and Henry are kindred spirits. Because this is Adam Sandler we keep waiting for him to try and take advantage of the situation, but, to repeat myself, this is not that film. Yes, “Groundhog Day” is the better movie, but “50 First Dates” is also full of grace and more importantly the film finds of way of delivering on its promise. First kisses might be the sweetest of all, but in this film it is the last date that makes you surrender on the off chance you manage to hold off that long.

Review by James Rigal:

Not much really to say besides the fact that it works perfect. I put it in my new PSP and it worked and did not take anytime to load. I then played a game and it saved easy. I tryed to acces my computer via USB cable and it was easy to do that and find my saved data. I liked it overall.

Review by Michael Mccann:

In general the product is good, I just found that I ran out of space quickly.

Review by J. D. McGyver:

The all new slimmer PSP 3000 comes in with a couple of new upgrades over the 2000 model. Primarily for the Skype functionality, a microphone is onboard along with a reduced glare 4.3″ screen. Its a given that fingerprints will still be a continued issue for the PSP line. Thankfully, the age old problem of ghosting has yet to appear on my new PSP 3000.

One of the sweeter features now is an upgraded (AV) video output support. Owners can now operate their systems with regular (NON HD) TV. I suggest buyers pick up a good composite or component cable. With the usual collection of great games, improved graphics is a major plus.

As with all previous models, control buttons layout are very much like the classic Play Station. One area of concern is that load times for the UMD (Universal Media Disc) seemed to drag a bit. Its a given that purchasing the kit which includes the proprietary MS Duo Card is more cost effective in the end. Its obvious that Sony missed the boat when it went with its own proprietary format instead of the more widely used and less costly SD standard.

Even though Wi-fi capable, the unit is outfitted with possibly the slowest version (802.11b) on the planet. It powers up via a 5 volt ac adapter or USB. Video playback is great as long as you copy your favorites on the memory stick Duo Card. Going any other way is definitely a slow dragged out process. When it comes to television, Sony’s own version of Slingbox allows for free tv viewing.

This PSP won’t get confused with your IPOD anytime soon but music play is generally good. Another added feature is that it will even support music art. If one is going to display photos on the PSP I strongly suggest compressing your files. Photo display can be via slide show or singles.

Of note, the PSP is also a web browser. However, its hit and miss for flash. Streaming internet radio via Shoutcast is a freebie. PSP offers a regular schedule of firmware updates. As with the earlier editions, via a network or the internet the unit can pick up audio, video and photo files that are stored on a PS3. The PSP 3000 comes with the standard 1200 mAh rechargeable battery. Battery life runs almost a full 5 hours whether one is gaming or watching a movie.

Necessary accessories such as the Memory Stick Duo card, protective screen cover, headphones and a carrying case are not included. Not all PSP headphones are compatible with the PSP 3000. When purchasing headphones read the specs carefully.

Even without the included accessories, the PSP 3000 still brings it on. I would definitely recommend this model as a gift or as a personal purchase. After all, it is Play Station.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack for a few dollars more because one of my kids was a fan of the game.

The Core Pack includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in shiny black (a fingerprint magnet)

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience you are going to need a memory stick and, of course, some games. Our bundle came with a 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo card but we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road so we ordered an 8GB. Movies take about 0.5GB. We can still use the 1GB that came with the bundle in a camera.

First impressions:

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

Stand alone operation (disconnected):

The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMD discs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

Networking and Internet connectivity:

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 Integration:

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported.

Interestingly, when playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s on speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet.

PC integration:

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

Room for improvement:

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP.

Rating:

It’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

Review by Dennis Rosebrough:

You’ve probably done a lot of research and read reviews already, so I’ll just keep this short and hit the highlights.

- The screen: Yeah, it’s nice. I have no dead pixels.

- The games: A little skimpy right now, but I can easily imagine REALLY good ones coming to this platform. If you can live without a PSP for a while, you may want to wait for the good stuff. I haven’t tried any multiplayer games yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

- The video player: VERY nice. The Spiderman 2 movie looks fantastic. The movies are a little skimpy right now too, but if rental places (Blockbuster, airport stores…) start carrying lots of titles and new releases, the device is worth the purchase as a portable movie player alone. I hope there are plans for making UMD-R/RWs, because the memory stick is not yet practical for day-to-day storage of your own stuff.

- The MP3 player: More bulky than most that are out these days, but good enough. It’s a nice extra feature, but don’t buy it for this functionality alone. (Is anyone anyway?) The included remote is handy.

- The geek features: USB connectivity is kind of slow, but that’s probably because of USB, not the PSP. I had a little trouble connecting to my Linksys wireless router. I had to assign an IP address because it wouldn’t get a DHCP address automagically. Speaking of wireless, it SURE would be nice to be able to move files back and forth using a wireless network instead of USB, but I don’t think this functionality exists (yet). Haven’t used the IR port yet, don’t know what it’s good for since USB connectivity is included. Also, there are already hacks to make the PSP a Web browser and IRC client. This functionality was already built in, which tells me that Sony has plans for more functionality coming down the pipeline.

- Spiffiness: Very. They put a lot of thought into the design of this device, and I think it really paid off. I appreciate little things like the button to disable the wireless and the switch to disable all of the buttons (for watching movies or listening to mp3s) except the remote buttons. I wish the case were a little more ergonomic, but with the right grippie/protector, it’s fine.

- What you’ll need in addition:

1) A bigger memory card. For it to be useful at all, you’ll want at least 256MB. I would recommend at least 512MB, but they’re curiously hard to find anywhere now. 32MB just plain sucks.

2) Some sort of screen/unit protection, such as the rubber cover. You do NOT want that screen to get scratched!

3) Some games. It comes with none. I don’t like the bundles that everyone is selling, because there’s no discount. (Add up the price of the bundle and compare it with the prices of the separate items…) I suggest getting the Value Pack and picking your own games and accessories.

4) A carrying case and some UMD disc cases would be nice, otherwise they’ll get scattered all about. The games and movies do NOT come with a protective case, so unless you plan on ALWAYS returning the disks to their almost DVD box-sized boxes, you’ll need something to keep the discs from getting scratched.

If you’re the kind of person who has to have a PSP now, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it. If you’re not, then don’t let all the hype change your mind. It solidly earns four out of five stars right now, and as more games and movies are released, that rating will crawl towards five. If you’re somewhat interested in buying one, though, I do think you’ll eventually get one because it is a lot of fun and quite useful. Hopefully this will help in your purchasing decision!

Review by D. Keh:

I ordered the Sony PSP way before Dec. 14, 2004. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the shining, crystal clear, liquid-like 4.5″ screen! If you cover the control pad and buttons to reveal just the screen, you might think this is a tiny Plasma screen you’re holding!

I also own a Nintendo DS, so I am being very fair here; the dual screens is a nice touch; my wife loves to play ZooKeeper using the stylus; but compare the screens to the Sony PSP’s screen, it is not as sharp as the PSP.

The menu on the PSP is pretty intuitive, easy to navigate. Control pad and buttons are layout just like a regular Sony PS2 controller, except the joystick on the PSP, it looks like a round tape covering a hole or something, and I almost thought it is something I should remove. The analog pad is a little hard to use when playing any game requires precised movement, like Super bobble pop type of game, or shooters using cross-hair; but once get used to it, not a problem. The WiFi connection is easy to configure – switch it on and search and connect. I am getting a US verson next month to play wireless game with my wife.

People who has seen and played the PSP will tell you, the graphics are awesome! (yes it is a over-used word, but you’ll agree with me if you own one.) I showed it to the guys at the cellphone store while playing Ridge Racer, immediately they formed a line and took turn to play with their jaws dropping to the floor!

I also tried some MPEG4 video playback using a 512MB MS Duo, now this is what a portable AV player should be! It’s like watching a DVD movie on a plasma tv, smaller of course! No wonder Sony is going to including SpiderMan 2 movie for the first 1 million PSP shipped in the US. Watch it and you will see what I mean.

This is really a nice portable entertainment system, and yes, it plays MP3 nicely. It is larger than Apple IPod, but I love that big screen! Don’t forget to get a screen protector and a carrying case, you want the screen look good.

Review by A. Dent:

We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack some time ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. The Hannah Montana bundle followed shortly after because our 6 yr. old was Hannah Montana’s biggest fun. But we have 2 boys and junior maxed out on the GT Prologue on the PS3 and he ‘lost’ the 3000 we got him a few months ago at school so… here comes the PSP 3000 GT pack.

THE BUNDLE

———-

The bundle costs a little more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with a great game AND a memory card AND all the other freebies justified the extra expense.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in silver

- 2GB Memory card

- Gran Turismo, of course – click on the link for the game’s reviews

- A voucher for The Italian Job (not exactly a hit movie)

- More vouchers for a car and a few downloaded songs

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

Since this is not our first PSP-3000, it was up and running within minutes but, trying to be objective, someone new to the PSP environment should be able to have it running with basic functions pretty quickly – half an hour to a couple of hours.

Note:

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will probably be using the included 2GB to archive photos – will hold over 1000 – because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB each and we just downloaded the digital copy that came with the Blu-ray 1998 Godzilla. The Italian Job… maybe we can find a buyer for it

FIRST PSP 3000 IMPRESSIONS

————————–

I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good for the screen size (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, the 3000 comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. It’s worth noting that the silver finish is more forgiving than the regular piano black PSPs when it comes to fingerprints. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

—————————————-

Once charged, the PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

————————————–

The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

—————–

After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

PC INTEGRATION

—————-

Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

———————-

The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP 3000 vs. PSP GO

———————

The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because the Go price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t depend too much on our memory card’s limitations. In addition, we buy quite a few games on impulse and end up selling them a few days later because the kids don’t like them so we like the ability to sell our games and to buy games ‘used’. Not to mention the ability to trade games with other kids. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

———–

For anyone who happens to be a Grand Turismo fan, this is the perfect bundle. Well… the only bundle. If GT is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

________________________

Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by Jeremy Reaban:

Well, first of all, don’t pay more than 0 for this. I guess it’s out of stock in many places, and so now only the gougers have them left.

It’s a decent starter bundle, but the main reason I got it was to get the PSP-3000 in silver. The shiny black ones are too fingerprint prone (I had a 2000 that way, anyway). But the silver one just looks nice and remains fingerprint free.

I actually was hoping to get a recently built one, but apparently these must have been left over for a while, because it shipped with firmware 4 something, which is about a year and a half old. I was hoping newer models would have fixed some of the problems with early PSP 3000 screens (lines through them), but nope, the lines are pretty obvious. My first one (since returned) also had dead pixels.

So if you want a silver PSP-3000, you really gain nothing by picking this pack over the others.

Anyway, for serious PSP ownership, it’s a bit lacking as a bundle. Gran Turismo for the PSP is a major disappointment. No career mode, no tuning of cars (except for drift races), glitchy graphics. It’s not terrible, but I’m sure the game will soon be discounted to .

The included memory card, 2 gigabytes, isn’t big enough to do anything with. Installing the Gran Turismo to it (which is basically a must, due to bad programming) will take up half of it. Much of the point of getting the PSP is taking advantage of Sony’s new downloadable game push.

The rest of the bundle isn’t worth much – a download of a bad movie, and 10 downloads from Sony’s music store. Unless you like Michael Jackson, a smattering of classic rock, or old Jazz, there’s simply not much. I couldn’t find a single song I wanted that I didn’t already have.

Review by Apprentice:

So this is the 3rd iteration for the Playstation Portable.

I’ve personally experienced the first 2, selling my original PSP Phat for the PSP Slim (2000).

I’ve done the same again and sold my slim and bought the 3000.

The improvements over the PSP 2000, are a improved LCD screen which I must say is pretty improved, and a built in Microphone. (Finally I can make use of the skype feature as well as chat online in psp games.)

So is this a justifiable upgrade? For the improvements not really.

But if you’re in the market for a PSP right now… The PSP 3000 is an ideal step into the PSP World.

Also following up the PSP 3000′s launch is the Firmware 5.00 which brings Playstation Store (found on PS3) to the PSP.

But this firmware will be hitting all iterations of PSP.

So…Great purchase for me…Hope all of you here on Amazon do the same

Review by Jeffrey Bergkamp:

The first thing I would like to say is that the scan lines are not nearly as big of an issue as others make them out to be. I have only noticed them slightly, and they are completely overlooked when comparing the overall quality of this new screen. It is brighter, has a higher contrast ratio to display more vivid colors, and ghosting is no more.

The included games Ratchet and Clank and Echochrome are both terrific in their own respect, but I have to hand it to Echochrome. It is a brilliantly done puzzle game that is as beautifully presented as it is mind-bending.

I highly recommend this unit if you have a PS3 because of the remote play capabilities. Being able to stream video, music, and pictures wirelessly is a dream. And now Sony is offering their Media Manager as a free download it is a breeze to add your own music and media right to the 1gb memory stick provided.

The best part about owning a PSP is that most games that you really want are now around , so you can beef up your library for cheap.

All in all I love the PSP 3000, do not let the worries of the scan lines scare you away.

Review by VC:

Enough good things have been said about this PSP2001 (aka PSP slim and lite)

Just to emphasize

Pros:

- Top notch screen

- Playing Madden on this and my xbox felt the same

- Extremely easy controls (well built buttons)

- Light weight (won’t feel the weight when playing for long hours)

- Battery hardly used when on sleep mode, I have put this on sleep for days and then continued my game from where I left!

- Well designed

- Video quality is amazing

- Video podcast download over the wireless is a GREAT add-on. I watch CNN highlights on this.

- Updating firmware was easier than eating a muffin !

Cons:

- None that I know of !

- A slight disappointment, if I may, I bought the component cable to connect to my 51″ TV. The video quality of the podcasts was unbelievably clear. Now, I knew that the game won’t use the entire TV screen (for those who don’t know, the game will use about 60-70% of your TV screen). But the quality of the game video was bad, in fact Madden looked terrible on the TV! That is something I did not expect from PSP.

All-in-all, money well spent on the console. I recommend this to anyone, any age, who would like have mobility but still be able to play their Madden etc. as well as get bit more out of the console with video podcast downloads over the air or a music player or a ‘OK’ web browser or location free client or whatever

Review by Nite:

Pros:

+A Very Powerful Handheld Device

+Plays music, movies, and allows you to look at photos

+Browsing online is fun

+A lot of accessories available

+Now has a good library of games

+Easy interface and control

+Very detailed screen and large

Cons:

-Online browsing isn’t that much fun

-Can’t organize a music library and UMDs aren’t all that fun to watch, even on road trips

-The battery life isn’t long lasting

-The screen is easily damaged

When the original PSP launched back in 2005, it eventually became subjected to heavy criticism. Not necessarily the console itself, but mostly that much of what it did, people didn’t see the use for in a handheld system, and the fact that its library of games wasn’t incredible. Nevertheless, the PSP has still shown itself to be a powerhouse of a console.

First and foremost, this review is not here to talk about the Nintendo DS. If you would like a review or comparison to the Nintendo DS, I highly suggest you look for reviews under the Nintendo DS or use the forums. Most people on the amazon community will be very helpful in helping you decide on which handheld is the best for you.

The new PSP is much better than the original. It’s slimmer, lighter, and a slightly bigger screen that actually makes some of the picture look a bit more crisp. Some games also run a little faster, and that more than helps the PSP out.

What the PSP has best been known for (and criticized the most for) is being a handheld entertainment center. It can do more than just play games. It can play music, go online, play movies, and you can look at photos. This is all built into the system and doesn’t require you to purchase any extra peripherals to use. While these are all good and well, they come with slight hitches. You can’t organize a playlist when it comes to the music, and while going online is great, it’s pretty sluggish when you have to input addresses and such via a keypad function similar to that of a cell phone. Movies are great too, but a UMD on the PSP’s small screen isn’t enough to replace a DVD or Blu-Ray disc.

Luckily, however, the PSP isn’t a home entertainment center and is a gaming console. In that respect it gets the job done. The Slim PSP works because the interface is very user friendly. You can select several things from the main menu to do. Whether it be to play music, browse photos or just start a game. When playing a game you can return to the home menu at any time. The system even sleeps if you suddenly have to put it down. The UMDs are also a great gaming format. There’s plenty of space, which makes some games live up to their potential in length, and also pushes how powerful the PSP is. In terms of graphics, it’s like walking around with a Playstation 2 in your pocket.

The PSP does suffer from a couple of setbacks. The battery is still pretty short in length. It lasts much longer in the slim PSP than the original, but it still isn’t that long lasting. At least you can always check how much battery is left, and when it gets low it’ll let you know. Even better for the PSP is that even if the battery dies in the middle of a game, you can just charge it and resume right from where you left off since the console will merely go to sleep.

The other setback with the PSP is that the screen can be damaged pretty easily. In order to protect it you’ll need to spend more money on accessories such as a case to protect it. It’s also not the most durable system you can buy. You have to be a bit more delicate with it because it’s a bit more fragile than most other consoles out there. Luckily, most of you probably won’t drop it purposefully, but in case a parent is looking at giving it to a child, you may want to watch to make sure they don’t drop it on a concrete or hard surface.

For a couple of years, the PSP has suffered the most from having a fairly tight library. Most of its more notable games were either ported from the Playstation 2 or ported TO the Playstation 2. With the PS2 no longer being the focal point, it has certainly allowed the PSP to grow much more. We’re now seeing much better games and much more expanded games. The library is still fairly short on fantastic games, but at least now it’s growing as a gaming system. If you’re interested in a PSP, now is not a bad time to grab one as there are better games being released and it’s been built to last.

The PSP is a good handheld device. With a volley of games to choose from all across the spectrum, the PSP really does serve as a good gaming choice for everyone.

Review by Thuy Nguyen:

It charges my psp really quick. The reason I gave four stars out of five because the connection is somehow is loose with my psp. I have to adjust it to get a perfect position before it can charge.

Review by Marques Young:

This charger was a quick fix. A friend of mine lost his and I was able to order and recieve this one quite quickly.

Review by Ellen Safir:

I purchased this PSP for my son, with money he saved up to buy a psp. I was a little concerned about buying a used electronic game device over the internet but I was pleasantly surprised. It looks like new, it works perfectly and he is very very happy. So thank you for making sure the quality of the products you advertise is good.

Ellen Safir

Review by Johnnatan:

I bought this psp because I was going to travel out of the country and I needed a psp to play while I was flying great system. I’m real happy with my psp

Review by Scott Posey:

The PS3 has a very tight knit gaming community. While the 360 has more people, the PS3 has more devoted fans. So, it goes without saying that their official magazine will share the same type of close knit community. The magazine itself is a monthly publication that has what you would expect, reviews, previews, blu-ray movie reviews, etc. The presentation though is where the magazine really shines. High glossy pictures, big pages, it looks nice. Compared to the 360′s official magazine (which is also pretty good), it’s miles ahead.

Review by Tom Mosgrove:

I typically would purchase The Official PlayStation Magazine each month at the store. Over time I have found that the magazine has become a very good resource for information regarding the PlayStation product line from Sony. In addition I enjoy some of the other articles and spotlights on technology and products that fit the gamers’ lifestyle. The only negative, which can be said of a lot of magazines, is the review section. While larger titles get feature articles and they can justify the ratings, they use a 5 star system, some of the smaller titles or titles that are cross platform, get smaller write ups, and if you, as a consumer are on the fence about whether or not you would enjoy the title, or it is a waste of your money, it is hard to make the call based on a short article and a star rating. Overall the magazine is a solid and informative read, however, I wish they would revise their product review system.

Review by Dennis Rosebrough:

You’ve probably done a lot of research and read reviews already, so I’ll just keep this short and hit the highlights.

- The screen: Yeah, it’s nice. I have no dead pixels.

- The games: A little skimpy right now, but I can easily imagine REALLY good ones coming to this platform. If you can live without a PSP for a while, you may want to wait for the good stuff. I haven’t tried any multiplayer games yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

- The video player: VERY nice. The Spiderman 2 movie looks fantastic. The movies are a little skimpy right now too, but if rental places (Blockbuster, airport stores…) start carrying lots of titles and new releases, the device is worth the purchase as a portable movie player alone. I hope there are plans for making UMD-R/RWs, because the memory stick is not yet practical for day-to-day storage of your own stuff.

- The MP3 player: More bulky than most that are out these days, but good enough. It’s a nice extra feature, but don’t buy it for this functionality alone. (Is anyone anyway?) The included remote is handy.

- The geek features: USB connectivity is kind of slow, but that’s probably because of USB, not the PSP. I had a little trouble connecting to my Linksys wireless router. I had to assign an IP address because it wouldn’t get a DHCP address automagically. Speaking of wireless, it SURE would be nice to be able to move files back and forth using a wireless network instead of USB, but I don’t think this functionality exists (yet). Haven’t used the IR port yet, don’t know what it’s good for since USB connectivity is included. Also, there are already hacks to make the PSP a Web browser and IRC client. This functionality was already built in, which tells me that Sony has plans for more functionality coming down the pipeline.

- Spiffiness: Very. They put a lot of thought into the design of this device, and I think it really paid off. I appreciate little things like the button to disable the wireless and the switch to disable all of the buttons (for watching movies or listening to mp3s) except the remote buttons. I wish the case were a little more ergonomic, but with the right grippie/protector, it’s fine.

- What you’ll need in addition:

1) A bigger memory card. For it to be useful at all, you’ll want at least 256MB. I would recommend at least 512MB, but they’re curiously hard to find anywhere now. 32MB just plain sucks.

2) Some sort of screen/unit protection, such as the rubber cover. You do NOT want that screen to get scratched!

3) Some games. It comes with none. I don’t like the bundles that everyone is selling, because there’s no discount. (Add up the price of the bundle and compare it with the prices of the separate items…) I suggest getting the Value Pack and picking your own games and accessories.

4) A carrying case and some UMD disc cases would be nice, otherwise they’ll get scattered all about. The games and movies do NOT come with a protective case, so unless you plan on ALWAYS returning the disks to their almost DVD box-sized boxes, you’ll need something to keep the discs from getting scratched.

If you’re the kind of person who has to have a PSP now, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it. If you’re not, then don’t let all the hype change your mind. It solidly earns four out of five stars right now, and as more games and movies are released, that rating will crawl towards five. If you’re somewhat interested in buying one, though, I do think you’ll eventually get one because it is a lot of fun and quite useful. Hopefully this will help in your purchasing decision!

Review by D. Keh:

I ordered the Sony PSP way before Dec. 14, 2004. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the shining, crystal clear, liquid-like 4.5″ screen! If you cover the control pad and buttons to reveal just the screen, you might think this is a tiny Plasma screen you’re holding!

I also own a Nintendo DS, so I am being very fair here; the dual screens is a nice touch; my wife loves to play ZooKeeper using the stylus; but compare the screens to the Sony PSP’s screen, it is not as sharp as the PSP.

The menu on the PSP is pretty intuitive, easy to navigate. Control pad and buttons are layout just like a regular Sony PS2 controller, except the joystick on the PSP, it looks like a round tape covering a hole or something, and I almost thought it is something I should remove. The analog pad is a little hard to use when playing any game requires precised movement, like Super bobble pop type of game, or shooters using cross-hair; but once get used to it, not a problem. The WiFi connection is easy to configure – switch it on and search and connect. I am getting a US verson next month to play wireless game with my wife.

People who has seen and played the PSP will tell you, the graphics are awesome! (yes it is a over-used word, but you’ll agree with me if you own one.) I showed it to the guys at the cellphone store while playing Ridge Racer, immediately they formed a line and took turn to play with their jaws dropping to the floor!

I also tried some MPEG4 video playback using a 512MB MS Duo, now this is what a portable AV player should be! It’s like watching a DVD movie on a plasma tv, smaller of course! No wonder Sony is going to including SpiderMan 2 movie for the first 1 million PSP shipped in the US. Watch it and you will see what I mean.

This is really a nice portable entertainment system, and yes, it plays MP3 nicely. It is larger than Apple IPod, but I love that big screen! Don’t forget to get a screen protector and a carrying case, you want the screen look good.

Review by Thuy Nguyen:

It charges my psp really quick. The reason I gave four stars out of five because the connection is somehow is loose with my psp. I have to adjust it to get a perfect position before it can charge.

Review by Marques Young:

This charger was a quick fix. A friend of mine lost his and I was able to order and recieve this one quite quickly.

Review by Owen:

I puchased this a couple of weeks ago and recently had them installed in a BMW X3 (SUV). These are a great value for aftermarket dvd players, I did a lot of review/research and nothing beat this deal. They look and play great; I’m sure they will get a ton of quality viewing time for the kids and hopefully a little bit of peace for the parents in the front seat. I tried out the game feature and they are pretty old school, I wouldn’t expect these to entertain serious gamer type kids for very long, but it’s a nice added feature that most didn’t have. Product also comes with a remote control which is a nice if you have little ones that can’t operate the video’s on their own. I’m not a handy person, so I called around for installation and in my area (SF) labor is pretty expensive (I had several quotes for 0); so I purchased an installation card from Crutchfield for 0. I would recommend this option if you’re like me, they will hook you up with a local install shop and mine turned out very professional. My only minor ding about the product is the post of the headrest are smaller than the factory post so the shop had to compensate for that, basically using electrically tape to make the product snug. Anyway overall I was able to get a really nice DVD system for a excellent price and very happy with the purchase.