The PSP: The Little Engine that Should!
Part II.
By Zanzabar
After a shaky beginning, the PlayStation Portable is finally getting some respect. For the past few years, many reviewers and gamers alike have subjected the little hand held system to harsh scrutiny. Part of this intense attention is due to the bombastic way that Sony introduced the PSP at E3: Rescuer of gamers from the ‘handheld gaming ghetto.’
This was followed by more than a few lackluster launch titles like ATV Off road Fury and Death Jr. (actually DJ wasn’t technically a launch title but it was ballyhooed as one), and more than a handful of game ports from the PS2. Over the past few years it is the latter issue that has drawn the most criticism. It is a critique that is puzzling.
The whole idea if a portable gaming system is to have a video game to play in the in the times when one is away from their gaming system: riding a bus or plane, sitting in a theater before the previews start, or during those long trips to and from Aunt Thelma’s house. There are few persons (except maybe, small children) who have a hand-held game as their primary gaming system. It is sensible that developers of the PSP started with PS2 games. They were, after all, familiar with the game codes, which would quicken the release of already proven games. The concept of a hand held game is to allow the gamer access to their favorite games in a portable format.
It is understood that something is usually lost when a game is downsized to fit the memory and control constraints of a portable system, but the majority of PSP games that were transported played well. In spite of that, until recently, it was hard for the PSP to shake the image of a second rate PS2 knockoff.
Now in its fifth year, the PSP is finally beginning to come into its own. Like all gaming systems, it takes awhile for the programmers to squeeze out all the processing power that is available in the hardware. It also helps that Sony did not abandon the PS2 (there were just too many in place) with its introduction of the PS3. This meant that there were still programmers tinkering away using smaller memory restraints to produce better games.
The long overdue price drop from $249 (for the value pack) to $169 (for the core pack) along with greatly anticipated new titles like God of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy Tactics has made the PSP a viable choice for a portable gaming system. The little game engine that should is finally pulling itself over the top of the gaming hill.
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