The Sony PSP - Four Years Later...

Since we're rapidly approaching the four year anniversary of the Sony PSP system's release in Japan on December 12, 2004, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the system and its rise to popularity over the past three years. There's certainly no denying that Nintendo's DS system has been quite a bit more popular than the Sony PSP, but you have to give the PSP some credit. It's been widely competitive in a portable gaming market that's been absolutely dominated by Nintendo over the past two decades. No other company, not even Sega and their Game Gear system, have been able to break into the portable market with quite the success Sony has already enjoyed. I can also honestly say that no other game system ever released has gotten me quite as excited as the Sony PSP did before it was released. Maybe we need to start out with a look back at when I first got my PSP system and what I had to go through to do so.

To say that I was excited about the Sony PSP system would be an absolute understatement of epic proportions. I made my first ever trip to Tokyo to the Tokyo Games Show just to finally get my hands on the PSP system in order to try it out for myself. I'll never forget holding that little beauty in my hands for the first time and playing what would become my favorite handheld game system ever crafted. I knew from that very moment that I would do whatever necessary to get the Sony PSP on day one of the Japanese launch, no matter the effort or cost involved.

The day NCSX was going to begin taking reservations on the imported Japanese PSP system, I spent most of the day reloading their home page in anticipation of being one of the first to get my reservation in since most people knew the demand for the unit was going to be extremely high. I quickly got in my order when they began accepting them that afternoon and then had to patiently wait for the Japanese launch. The day the units arrived at NCSX, they broke the news that many of us already expected, that being that the cost of the PSP was going to be much higher due to their suppliers having trouble getting in enough units to meet the high demand for the units. This caused the already high price tag to jump dramatically. Of course that certainly didn't stop me from okaying the new price and having my system dispatched later that day.

I had it shipped overnight via UPS and the next day I spent all day waiting for the UPS truck to arrive. With the Christmas delivery season, it didn't arrive at my home until about 8:30pm that night. In my order was my sleek black PSP system and three game titles: Minna no Golf, Vampire Chronicles, and Ridge Racers. I would spend the next few weeks with my PSP permanently glued to my hands. Once I was finally able to pull myself away from Minna no Golf, I made the mistake of purchasing the import version of Lumines and spent another 3 weeks glued to the system. It goes without saying, I got my money's worth out of the PSP, even early on, and it was then that my poor DS system began collecting dust on the shelf.

Now here we are four years later and I still love this sleek little game system as much as ever. It seems like only yesterday I was spending almost every night posting on the GameFaqs PSP Hardware board anxiously awaiting the PSP system's release date to arrive. I met a lot of great gamers and we had some great discussions, at least until the board became a haven for PSP emulation and lost the magic it had back before the launch of the PSP system. It was then that I decided to bail and move on to something else. But even though I don't visit the PSP boards much anymore, that certainly doesn't mean I've lost interest in the PSP system. In fact, I own over twice as many PSP titles as DS games as of now. It's worth noting that there aren't a lot of PSP releases on tap between now and early next year, but I think that's mainly due to Sony possibly getting ready to announce a new portable system sometime next year. It just feels like it's time given that Nintendo is obviously going to continue on with their successful DS system with the release of the new DSi in Japan later this year and early next year in other regions. I guess for now we'll just have to wait and see what Sony's got up their sleeves. I for one, can't wait. : )

Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP)

I still remember the hell I caught when I posted a blog entry stating that Star Ocean: First Departure was coming to the US. I can't count the number of emails I got telling me that there was no way this game would be coming to the US since the Super Famicom original never made it stateside. Well now that the game has been released here in the US, I'd like to thank all of those who tried to save me from utter embarrassment. What would I do without you guys? : )

Okay now that I got that out of my system, it's time to talk about the actual game. I recently played all the way through the original Super Famicom version of Star Ocean so I'd be good and ready to play this updated version. The first thing that blew me away was the 3-D presentation of the game. It took a little getting used to, but so far it's proving to be quite the impressive visual tour de force. The music in the game isn't too shabby either and really does a great job of carrying the original mood of the music with a much more orchestrated and full-sounding presentation.

I'm only about 8 hours into the game so far, but it's remained quite close to the fan translated effort, although there are some minor plot changes here and there as well as a few name changes. It's safe to say that whether you enjoyed the original title or not, you should really pick this amazing rpg up. It's easily one of the best PSP rpgs to date and a very authentic version of the original. I can't wait to get back into the game later this week when I travel out of town. I'll post a full review of the game when I've had a chance to finish it off.

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360) - Demo

After putting a couple of hours into the Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts demo on Xbox Live Arcade, I have to say that all of my fears have been put to rest about the game making such avid use of vehicles. I was initially a bit skeptical about how these vehicles would affect the overall game play, but once I had a chance to sit down with it and see how it played into the overall scheme of things, I now feel much better and I am more excited than ever about this newest Banjo Kazooie adventure.

It's been a long time coming, and on November 12th, I'll be standing outside of my local Gamestop store to pick my copy up. But as excited about the new game as I am, I think I'm even more excited about playing through the original Banjo Kazooie game on Xbox Live Arcade. I might even play through it before I go through Nuts & Bolts. The original Banjo Kazooie is still to this day one of my all-time favorite 3-D platformers. It's a good thing both it and Banjo Tooie are coming to Xbox Live Arcade since my Nintendo 64 console finally bit the dust earlier this year. I'll have a full review of both Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts as well as the new Xbox Live Arcade iteration of the original Banjo Kazooie title later this month. Don't forget if you preorder Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts you'll get a free XBLA Code to download the original Banjo Kazooie for free!

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #1 - Sonic & Knuckles

It goes without saying that if you lock-on Sonic 3 to this game it forms what I consider to be one of the finest overall Sonic experiences you can get. That being said, I'm going to rate this one as a solo act just based on its outstanding platforming experience and some of the best Sonic levels ever made. Who could forget the second level of Sandopolis with all of the ghosts and light switches. The bosses are also what I consider to be the best of the series and pound for pound, you just can't beat Sonic & Knuckles for challenge and overall enjoyment. I love all of the other 16-bit Sonic titles, but when it comes right down to it, if I could only have one, it would be Sonic & Knuckles. In fact, I think I hear the game calling my name right now. It's been awhile since I've played through the game and I think I'll fire up the JVC X'Eye and give it another go right now. I hope everyone enjoyed this Top 10. There will be more to come around Christmas time when I have a special Top 10 set to go live. : )

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #2 - Phantasy Star IV

I was already a huge fan of the Phantasy Star games when this last 16-bit Phantasy Star title hit the Genesis console, but nothing could prepare me for the epic quest and overall impressive rpg experience offered up by Phantasy Star IV. After a slight detour in Phantasy Star III, I was thrilled to see Sega take the game back to its roots and make just enough improvements to end the series with a bang. I can't count the number of times I've played through Phantasy Star IV and I just finished yet another amazing trip through the game. The game features a wonderful storyline and some of the best 16-bit rpg combat seen on the Genesis console. Although I never give up hope that Sega will eventually revive this amazing rpg series, and no I don't mean the half-hearted Phantasy Star Online games, I'll keep playing this outstanding adventure and loving ever minute of it until that time comes. If you're even remotely an rpg fan, this is one game you don't want to miss.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #3 - Panorama Cotton

I've long been a big Cotton fan, but it wasn't until a few years ago that someone turned me onto the Mega Drive import Panorama Cotton. While the game is a Cotton release, it takes a very different approach with the shooting action present in the game. Instead of the traditional side-scrolling shooter, Panorama Cotton takes a page out of Space Harrier's book and puts Cotton into a first person-style shooter presentation. The control is top notch and the challenge is about what you'd expect from a Cotton title. The game's visuals are absolutely unbelievable and it obviously pushes the Mega Drive console about as far as it could go graphically. The music's not too shabby either, and seems to fit the overall theme of the game perfectly. It's worth mentioning that the game is extremely rare and will likely set you back nearly $100 for a loose copy and well over that for a complete one. It's a small price to pay if you're a big Cotton fan and want to experience all the series has to offer up. It's quickly become one of my all-time favorite Mega Drive/Genesis titles.

Corbie's Top 10 Genesis Games #4 - Sonic the Hedgehog

It goes without saying that the original Sonic the Hedgehog is still one of the greatest 16-bit era games ever made. While I love all of the 16-bit Sonic titles, the original still holds a special place in my heart and my video game collection, even all these years later. I still drag this game out quite often and play through it again just for fun. I remember making my family drive all over the city of Alamagordo, NM in order for me to find a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog the day it came out while we were on vacation. While they weren't happy about having to spend several hours hunting down a video game store, it was well worth the effort when I got back to my motel room and began playing the game. They had to drag me kicking and screaming out of the motel from then on as I didn't want to put the game down. No matter how you do it, track down a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog if you already haven't and experience one of the main reasons that many gamers owned the Sega Genesis console back in the day. You won't be disappointed. Sonic the Hedgehog is still one of the best video games ever made and a real treasure among the platformer genre.