lpj8

No, not religiously. Rather, I just sold my PSP on ebay and bought a DS.

Back when the PSP was launched, I was really excited. I quickly purchased the system and Lumines. Lumines is great. Its addictive, and its easy to pick up and play for 15 minutes at a time. I have even posted how cool the PSP is and how it was definitely worth the purchase price.

Recently, I decided to reevaluate the PSP lineup and catch up on the games that have came out during the year. Surely there will be SOMETHING that I want. After careful inspection I realized that there was one game that I wanted out of the entire PSP lineup. Lumines.

How could this be? Sure GTA:LCS is great, but I've played GTA3, Vice City, and San Andreas. How much of the same gameplay can one person take? (seriously, who pumps out 5 different iterations of one title in one generation of consoles other than EA?). It seemed that every PSP game was a stripped version of the console games. I'm not discounting the entire PSP game lineup, but it became apparent to me that the PSP just didn't have the software support that I was looking for.

My eyes and wallet started to wander. Mario Kart with true and WiFi? Animal Crossing with WiFi?, Metroid Hunters in March?, Advance Wars?, dang even Nintendogs!. These seemed like fun GAMES for a system that was intended to play GAMES. I said, "what the heck, I can buy a DS, and two games for less than what I'll get back from my PSP auction".

In all honesty, the PSP is an amazing piece of hardware. After I opened the DS, I could instantly tell it was inferior to the PSP from a hardware perspective. The screen isn't nearly as crisp. My cell phone display puts out more colors than the DS screens. The buttons feel cheaper. My DS can't play Mp3s, movies, display pictures or surf the web out of the box. And, I know the DS homebrew community isn't as organized or advanced as the PSPs.

But, I guess it all comes back to the software. Something that the PSP just isn't offering right now. I didn't care about the web browser, RSS feeds, or the convoluted file system setup. I wanted innovative and quality games.

ObieX

I'm going to get a DS myself very soon. I'm gonna get my hands on one of those Mario Kart bundles and never put it down, i love that game.. and the added ONLINE gameplay will kick ass. The Mario Kart package also comes with a red colored DS that only comes with that bundle. (comes with stick-on decals too and a few other fun things hehe)

I'm also going to pick up Mario 64 for DS. They changed so much stuff from the original. You now start as yoshi instead of mario and can eventually switch back and forth btween Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, and Wario. There's 150 stars now (instead of 120) and a HUGE amount of minigames. It also has a multiplayer mode! A bunch of the encounters have changed and the new abilities of each playable character will make playing the old levels different fromt he original from the 64 version. There's also quite a few completely new levels thrown in as well. The graphics for the DS version are BETTER than the original for N64!

I'll probably pick up a few RPGs as well. I was thinking of going for Shining Force and FireEmblem: The Sacred Stones.

You have the ability to play Advance games too with the DS. I was thinking of getting The Ledgend of Zelda: A link to the Past (Four swords) from the advance, but then i saw that they were going to come out with it for the DS, and i would rather get that version since it would most likely make use of the 2nd screen, and the advance version wouldn't.

I'm already praying that there will be a Zelda 64 and Starfox game!

There's so many other features that the DS has too. For example there's a camera/video camera that works witht eh wifi so you can talk to people who a are nearby and stuff. there's messaging with text and an area to draw pictures and send them off (can play hangman or something). There's no analog stick on the system *BUT* there is a little thing that you can attach to your thumb that you can use combined with the touch screen that works as an analog stick. There's also a memory thing that you can get to slap movies and music on to.

Every time i think about it I get this retarded smile on my face.

Edit: I almost forgot! For games like Mario Kart for example with multiplayer you can play with friends nearby with a DS who don't own the game! You will download a version to them and they can play with you. I'm pretty sure this only works when in the sam room, or something. I doubt it works on the internet. But its still a kick-ass feature.

The DS also has Voice response capability. In one game (i forget which one it was) you could LITERALLY cheer your character on, and he'll fight harder for you.

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We Must Dissent.

CyCo PL

I've had my DS for about a year now and I didn't really start playing until about a week ago when I got Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Kirby Canvas Curse. I think castlevania alone is worth getting a DS, it's just one of the best games I think I've ever played. Lots of replay value. Kirby canvas curse is awesome too, and only the nintnedo DS can do it... or maybe a PC with a mouse, but I doubt that will ever happen (unless maybe there's a DS emulator in the future...hmm).

DS is definitely worth it now with all of the good games that have been coming out and are coming out soon.

ObieX

The Metroid game coming out will use the touchscreen for looking around and firing your gun, and the D pad for moving around. It should be pretty interesting. I dunno how they did it with Golden Eye for the DS but that game got extremely terrible reviews anyway so i wont get it. Now if it were the original Golden Eye from the N64 i would probably pick that up (especially if they added the metroid firing feature).

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We Must Dissent.

hulk

While it has been a rocky road, the quality titles are coming hard and fast. That, and Mario Kart AI still cheats like a motherfucker. Bah!

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"'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex."
-- From an IGN game review.

lpj8

Some things NEVER change! I guess it keeps us on our toes.

CityOfAngels

I bought the PSP shortly after its release. I only purchased one game. Why? No, not because I don't want any other PSP games. But rather I used the PSP's built-in updating system, and after the update and restart, the screen went black, and remained black; FOREVER. I'm assuming the update flashed the chip wrong, but in any case I was PISSED (PSP's were $300 at the time; I work an $8/hour job). My dad lost my receipt so I was actually scared that I lost $300 (for good reason).

I first contacted EB, the store I bought it from. I provided them with ALL of the serial codes that came with my PSP. They told me that because I bought my PSP with cash, they can't search the system. I called their bluff and mentioned that any efficient database system will have the UPC codes attached to the sale. They then changed their story and said, "Oh well we send all database information to HQ and clear the systems weekly. Call HQ."

I called HQ. They said, "After we receive the database information from our stores, we discard all entries other than the customers who buy our ($25) warranty." I cried bullshit, but all they had to say was, "Try calling Sony."

I called Sony. "I'm sorry but unless you have a receipt, your warranty is void and it will cost you $165 to repair the system."

I DON'T HAVE A FUCKING RECEIPT! EB WON'T PRINT ME A NEW ONE!

No, I didn't say that, but I wanted to by that time. I explained to them the whole situation and they pretty much told me that I'm SOL.

FUCK EB, and FUCK Sony. I hope they all rot in hell. Anyways, to my point: All this talk about WiFi play on the DS just rubs it in even more for me. To know that instead of a useless blank-screened PSP, I could be playing Mario Kart online with my friends, for less money, just kills me inside. If I still had that $300, I would be jumping on a Mario Kart DS package right now.

t3m3st

GoldenEye Rogue Agent on the DS is a scaled down version of an already terrible console game. When it was announced, I wanted a DS, thinking it was an N64 port. When it came out as that, I bought a PSP.

The PSP served me well through the summer. I had fun with the games available, and had more fun playing all the way through Chrono Trigger and Mario World, and having fun with other Genesis, NES, and GameBoy games. NFSU Rivals was terrible, and Coded Arms wasn't as good as the Metroid demo I'd played at EB.

Months later, I sold off a few crap GBA games, Coded Arms, NFSU Rivals, and my GBA SP, and got the DS with Advance Wars for $50 Canadian. I can't stop playing it. All the guys at school love CastleVania. The girls LOVE Nintendogs. Meanwhile, the PSP has been sitting in it's box with Wipeout, waiting to be sold, while I've been playing Wipeout 3.

Video is a joke on the PSP, and video's why I bought it. As a music player, it's rediculously large. I laugh at the people I see using it for that. Like, today, this guy was holding it to his head like you'd see people holding boom box's around town 15 years ago.

I'm glad I got a DS, and I'm sorry I doubted it.

City of Angels: can you let your PSP battery drain? I would suggest trying to sell it back to EB (a different location, perhaps?) My buddy just did this with a broken XBox and got the regular credit for it. In my experience, they don't test things. I once returned a broken modded PS2 and exchanged for a new one.

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I do it for the rare drops

alansmithee

That's the equivalent of trading a $10 bill for a $5 bill

NeverBorn

man, save your rampant fanboyism for somewhere else. If someone else wants a DS instead of a psp more power to them, I don't own either, but quite frankly I've played the psp (both of my cousins have one) and I really haven't seen anything warrenting the money droppage. I mean it doesn't have that many good games, and why would I want to watch a movie on that screen?

Wingless

I don't know about everyone else, but I've stopped playing games with my PSP. Instead I've been screwing around with the other features, video, music, etc.

I really think the PSP is more of a geek gadget than a game machine. I'll be holding onto mine for a long time. It seems to me that Sony should be gunning for the iPod instead of the DS/GBA.

/semi-fanboy rant (from a geek who's excited that the 2.60 firmware supports RSS feeds)

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Tommy
Nibs is a funny word.
So here I am, above palm trees, so straight and tall...
You are, smaller getting smaller, but I still see... you.
Jimmy Eat World - Goodbye Sky Harbor

CityOfAngels

You mean leave it on until the battery runs out? I'm sure I could. But what purpose would that hold? Also, I've been thinking of doing just that; but I don't want trade-in value. I either want a working PSP or my $300 back, and I am entitled to that. At least I believe so.

Date the Banana

why not just pull the old switcheroo on it? buy a psp from a place with an ironclad money back guarantee (dunno where that would be, walmart?) take it home, exchange your busted one for the new shiny one, take it back, say it doesn't work, ask for your money back, voila!

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all work and no play make Date something something

CityOfAngels

Don't they have unique UPC codes? I seem to remember my PSP having three different UPC codes.

Plus, if I did anything shady like that, it would be to EB. I'm a firm believer in the general idea of karma and reaping what you sow.

Date the Banana

hmmm....I dunno. That's one of the reasons i'd say go to Walmart or someplace like that. Your best bet is to get some clueless kid at the register. EB, say what you want about them (and I have never shopped at one, so have no particular horror stories) would probably be way more on the ball than WM...
I dunno what the legality of this is. I mean, you're returning the same product...

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all work and no play make Date something something

CityOfAngels

The same product, bought at a different store, with different UPC codes (I assume). As much as I despise Wal-Mart for undercutting their employees, it's EB and Sony who deserve to feel my wrath.

Wingless

The serial number for each handheld is recorded. The only way to do it is if you switch your case or serial number sticker.

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Tommy
Nibs is a funny word.
So here I am, above palm trees, so straight and tall...
You are, smaller getting smaller, but I still see... you.
Jimmy Eat World - Goodbye Sky Harbor

lpj8

I'm not sure that I follow your logic. Yes, the PSP is worth more monetarily, but I recouped most of what I originally spent via eBay. As a machine that plays games, I think the DS pulls its weight in gold. But, that is just my opinion of course.

MontanaXVI

to the switchers above, it is not the UPc as this has to be universal since it actually identifies what the actual product itself is in each companies system. Example EB and Gamestop both sell PSP, well what if Sony had one upc they sold at each company can you imagine the hassle when they go to scan the PSP at EB and it is not in the system due to it being the UPC for the one that is in GS's system.......

The actual issue you will have is with the units serial # itself, why do you think that on the game systems the serial is either printed on a label on the outside of the box, or in the case of the gameboy and such there is a a slot cut out on the box where the cashier scans inside to hit the actual serial number barcode to enter it into the register off the gameboy itself.

You would have to do a masterful job of swapping these stickers out, and even then hoping that your wal-mart or whatever did not have the unit serial printed on the receipt as well....some places this happens when the serial is either scanned or typed in when you buy it.

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Spank you very much

Wingless

GameStop and EB both have the serial numbers printed on the reciept - it's required to do that every time a console is sold.

*cough* the GameCube, though, is the easiest case/serial to replace, as long as you have the gamebit screwdriver *cough*

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Tommy
Nibs is a funny word.
So here I am, above palm trees, so straight and tall...
You are, smaller getting smaller, but I still see... you.
Jimmy Eat World - Goodbye Sky Harbor

ratbastid

How long is the warranty? Has the PSP been around that long?

If it's a 1-year warranty, there isn't a single PSP anywhere in the world that's out of warranty yet. Why should you need a piece of paper when common sense should suffice?

Call again and ask for a manager. If they won't bow to logic, ask for their boss. Keep going until you're talking to Sir Whatsisname. This sort of "fuck the customer" thinking is why Sony's taken such a reaming in the marketplace in the last year or so.