More than a game system, with an impressive library.

The PSP has been one of those systems I've watched from afar, it never really did anything I was interested in until recently. I own almost every console from Atari 2600 on, and it took me a good 3 years to finally pick up a PSP. I've been very happy (and still am) with my Nintendo DS, but Sony finally added some great features to the PSP to make it stand out a little more.

First of all the new redesign, the system is still big, but it's not nearly as clunky. It's light, thinner, and pretty sleek looking. I have the Star Wars Special Edition, and I would have preferred another bundle but it was all they had in stock.

* Quick note ( My first system died in 1 hour after playing, I got the green light of death. But I was able to bring it to the store and swap it no problems. My 2nd device has survived a glass of water, and weeks of playing.)

So like any system, there has to be some unique draw to it. For me the PSP finally started getting games I really cared about, two of which were 'Final Fantasy Tactics' and 'Disgaea' (Read my reviews on these fantastic games for more information). Once they were available, I decided it was worth picking up the system, at the new lower price and redesign.


* New Features :

1) Longer Battery Life
2) Slimmer Design (lighter weight)
3) TV-Out * (Requires separate cable)

The TV-Out is my favorite new feature, as I can now plug the psp into my TV and watch movies and play games. I use my PSP as a portable movie box when I'm on flights, and traveling around. And having the ability to plug into a TV and watch a movie while traveling is great.

* Games

The PSP has come a long long way since it first came out, there are more great games on this system than any other current gen systems. It took a while but PSP (Like the original playstation) has built up an impressive library of great games. From awesome 1st party games, great 3rd party support, and old classics revamped for the PSP. There is plenty to keep your thumbs busy.

The library of great games has been building since launch, and now the PSP has more highly reviewed games than the nintendo DS. Some highlights are Wipeout Pure and adrenaline inducing futuristic racing game, Daxter a classic 1 player adventure game from the hugely popular series, Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (one of my favorite sony franchises) plays excellently, and now with a slew of great Role playing games such as Disgaea and Final Fantasy Tactics, games that will give you easily 200+ hours of game play. Also Sony has recently launched the Sony store where you can download movies, demos, and purchase games to your PSP over the internet. There is an original title for $5 called Beats which is a rythm based game that will play with your own mp3 collection.

* Wi-Fi / Internet

The PSP also includes a complete internet browser with built in WiFi. And quite a few games make use of the WiFi feature allowing playing over the internet. Also local WiFi challenges are common (2+ PSPs in the same room). The internet browser is nice, it's very clear and loads pages smoothly. The best of all is that it has Flash 6.0 support, which means you can play many free internet games on your PSP. As a game developer this is great for me to deploy some free games to my friends and other users out there. Flash is a great tool for delivering animations and games.

* Conclusion

If you're looking for a system that goes beyond just playing some casual games the PSP is a great move. The library of retro, originals, and classic games revamped is impressive. PSP screen is fantastic. And the ability to extend the life of the system by using it as a media player for music, movies, and surfing the web is all a bunch of pluses. With the big push from developers there are plenty of games coming along on the psp that will keep you busy for years to come. The PSP has found it's footing and is now a highly recommendable system.