Playstation Vita

Out of the box impressions so nothing too serious or in-depth yet.
  • Dat screen. Absolutely stunning. Plus it's really fucking big. So it's a truly "HD" experience.
  • Analog sticks. I still haven't gotten used to 'em yet so I kinda shoot for shit in Uncharted. Still, it's so nice to have a handheld with TWO analog STICKS for once.
  • Uncharted has awesome graphics. Basically looks almost as good as most console games but with some jaggies. But for a launch title, it's incredibly promising.
  • I wasn't too keen on the back touchpad when it was first announced and, with the system finally in my hands, I can safely say my opinion hasn't changed. Not a whole lot uses it and it seems like any functions it'd have I could just do with the front touchscreen anyway. Mind you the only experiences I've had with it are like Uncharted and the Facebook app but otherwise I don't see a point. But it's neither forced on you or does it get in the way so I won't complain.
  • I was pretty unimpressed with augmented reality/AR stuff before and after trying some AR stuff I can safely say I'm still not. I tried the football SOCCER game and the fireworks game. Didn't really impress me. Range is too close to actually have an impressive display or anything. It'd be cool to see like a giant AR statue taking up your entire table but you can't do that with the cards you have (with the 3DS you can apparently print out larger cards though so I'd assume it works for the Vita).
  • The Fireworks game was kinda fun though. Reminded me a bit of Fruit Ninja, which I do like. It's simple and arcade-y. I would say "pick up and play" but setting up an entire series of AR cards isn't exactly "pick up and play". Still, it's free and it's a fun "tech demo" that I may revisit a few times.
  • Really do love the LiveArea/GUI. Very fluid, very easy to access. I do like the multitasking abilities though, although no downloading while playing a game is a bit of a letdown.
  • I can't say anything about PSP games yet. My bank still has to update my available cash so I can buy like Monster Hunter and Syphon Filter to test it out.
  • Uncharted is pretty fun. I got past basically the tutorial and then quit to let my shit download. Can't really say much else until I get a hang of the game. Still, I do think it's quite amazing how you can use the touchscreen/motion options or play it like a real gamer. It's how games should be, not forcing you to use a touchscreen or motion controls when you can just use a button instead.
  • Motorstorm RC was fun as well, for free it's hard to beat. I was disappointed at first that it was a top-down racer but it's starting to grow on me.
  • Dynasty Warriors Next is shipping still (TAKE YOUR TIME AMAZON NO RUSH) so I can't say much about that. It'll be nice to see if it can deliver a console-level Dynasty Warriors experience, something handhelds have failed to do. The PSP got close over time, especially with Warriors Orochi, but still suffered from low enemy counts, N64-quality graphics, and the dreaded "fog of war". It'll be nice to see if the Vita can save all this and give me a shit load of play time until I get more cash for like... Lumines, UMvC3, pre-order for Gravity Rush, pre-order for Resistance, and all these PSP games that can now be played with two analog sticks.
On a side note, anyone know where the Skype app is? I couldn't find it on the PSN Store but it should exist.

Otherwise, I'm loving the system, will post more later and I'll probably do a review as well.

Comments

Don't get Monster Hunter, get God Eater Burst instead, it's more fun if you're playing single player.

Also welcome to the master race.
 
you can download while you play games. uncharted just happens to be a game that turns off network features while you're ingame in order to save battery power.
i have
rayman origins
umvc3
uncharted
little shits (deviants)
mutant blobs attack
escape plan
super stardust delta
plants vs zombies
motorstorm (duh)

out of all those, the only games that disable network features are uncharted and super stardust.
for stardust, it makes no sense. while you're in the menus it lets you connect just fine in order to update leaderboards and shit. then once you start a game it disconnects you.
it doesn't let me upload my score to the leaderboards because it disconnects me. it used to before though. i guess it's borked.

also some advice, though i'm sure it'll come naturally; take advantage of the motion sensor aiming in uncharted. use the right analog to make big movements, then use the motion sensor to make small precise movements while aiming. and if you're not playing on hard or crushing, you can turn on auto aim and breeze through the game. it's funny, even if you don't use auto aim you should still try it when you have a sniper. it allows you to quickscope enemies like in mw2, only with 100% accuracy. found that out myself.

and yeah, dynasty warriors looks pretty much like a ps3 game. you can play the demo if you want to see, it's on the vita store. but it felt cheap to me, i think it's the controls. especially when riding a horse with the chick. not worth it IMO, but then again i'm not a fan of the series.
 
@Shabutie: Oh, I thought it was just an across-the-board type of thing since you can't run a game in the background with, say, another game or app.

I also got Mutant Blobs Attack. It got some great reviews so for $8, it seemed like a worthy venture. And it's really quite fun, I'm enjoying it. I was thinking of Escape Plan since it had some really positive previews but the reviews aren't stacking up. What's your opinion?

Dynasty Warriors should be coming in the mail around Monday or Tuesday. I only have 4GBs so I haven't really bothered with demos.
 
Uncharted arrived here on...Wednesday, and it's been a lot of fun. I mostly used the buttons, but did use the occasional route painting with the screen, and sometimes rear pad climbing. Despite some jaggies, I agree with the opinion on graphics; they look great. I have taken a few screenshots which I may put up.
 
i definitely recommend escape plan as long as you're into puzzle adventures. especially stuff like limbo. it's not extremely lengthy, your first playthrough might take about 2-4 hours, but there's lots of replay value. it has 13 trophies and most of them come without trying anything except the challenge to complete the game within 20 deaths of both characters and getting 3 stars in each level. the controls can seem somewhat iffy at first, mostly when controlling lil and/or laarg while they're inside bubbles, or when lil if floating around full of air. but once you get the hang of it, you realize they're not really iffy at all and they just take some getting used to.

i'm not sure if you've tried it yet, but having multiple memory cards is hardly feasible. i have a 32GB, and two 4GBs. i wanted to have my extra cards for demos and stuff, but every time you switch memory cards, the vita rebuilds its database and resets all your icons to a default position. this becomes a problem when you have a larger number of games. so i don't know about your stance on the memory cards but it really is worth it to just buy a 32GB and stick with that, never having to switch cards.
 

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