Author Topic: PSP discussion  (Read 7436 times)

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Offline supermario2k

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PSP discussion
« on: October 10, 2016, 12:35:31 PM »
I am thinking my next purchase is going to be a Sony PSP. I am leaning towards the 3000, the local game store has a couple for sale at a fair price.

I have never had one so are there any owners or fans of the system that want to give a new buyer some tips? This is going to be the last system I add to my collection for a while.

Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2016, 05:00:19 PM »
I also got into PSP collecting recently, and was impressed. There are some very good games available, and many are available pretty cheap - it feels like people don't care about preserving PSP libraries, unlike old Nintendo consoles where game pricing can vary quite a bit.

One thing to consider is digital vs retail. Normally I'm pretty staunchly in the retail camp, but there are some potential benefits for going digital.
(1) PSN Store has weekly sales, and will include some good PS1 Classics and PSP titles. If you are patient, this is a great way to build a library. For example, I bought a half dozen Atlus published games for something like $20.
(2) Unlike Nintendo, Sony's digital licensing is pretty robust and makes it easy to move content between different systems. There are still the usual digital caveats (if the server is shut down, you have no recourse; obviously no ability to resell) but the cost/benefit might in your favor here.

If you plan to use TV out, the PSTV is (in my opinion) a generally better option. PSP games output on TV will appear in a small box if using PSP cables, but will use the full screen when coming from a PSTV. Of course that assumes you a buying games digitally so they can be shared on the PSTV and your handheld.

Memory cards can still be kind of expensive, but you can get micro SD converters that work well and give you a lot of storage space on the cheap if that's appealing. If you buy retail games, this would be overkill.

Although digital isn't a bad option, there are a handful of (quite good) games that simply can't be purchased that way. Stuff like the remakes of Final Fantasy I and II, Lumines and Loco Roco games, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy Crisis Core, Star Ocean remakes, Valkyrie Lenneth Profile, and more.

The PSP digital store has also been shut down - so if you want to go digital, you need to know how to buy games. Right now you can buy directly on the store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com website, then view your purchase history on PSP to download the games (or download to a PC and transfer to your PSP from there).

Re: hardware... apparently the PSP 2000 and 3000 both have some benefits/advantages. From what I've read, you are probably good with either system.  That said, I'm still using a 1000 because that's what was available, and I'm ok with it.


I'm not going to comment on custom firmware, because that's not how I roll. But if you like and support emulation then it's something to look into.

Those are my thoughts offhand.  Enjoy the collecting - I really think that PSP is a fun system to collect for right now!
« Last Edit: October 10, 2016, 05:03:40 PM by ejamer »
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Offline supermario2k

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2016, 05:49:58 PM »
Yeah I have a ton of downloads already from the Playstation store that all say PSP compatible, mostly PS1 games but a few PSN games, some minis stuff like that, which is why I am leaning towards getting one, I already have at least 45 games that I could put onto one if I get a large enough memory stick.

I am not sure if TV out is really a big deal to me or not. I have a PS2, PS3 and PS4 already so I am sure I can already get most of the games on it in some form or another. I just figured since I have so many games already that will work on one it wouldn't be bad idea to get one and then look for games that are exclusive or specific later.

Offline Stratos

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2016, 09:35:51 PM »
Something-something-PSP1000Nub... ;)


In all seriousness, I have thought about picking one up for some time. There are a couple games I am interested in, but it is such a low priority DS/GBA games tend to take precedence.


I'd really like to check out the Lord of the Rings SRPG that was exclusive the system.
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Offline Phil

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2016, 11:28:31 PM »
PSP's library outdoes the GBA one for me. Love a lot of games on that system. Sony put out great titles, third parties offered a lot of terrific games, both Japanese and Western.

Here's what we have so far. There's still more we (see: I) want!

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Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2016, 08:49:06 AM »
Nice collection Phil!


I'm especially jealous of your Ys games, Star Ocean Second Evolution, and Brave Story: New Traveler.
My collection is much smaller - 56 games that are almost evenly split between retail and digital.


Does anyone here collect UMD movies for their PSP?  When I bought my (used) PSP the guy included a whole bunch of movies with it. They seem like a weird thing to collect because the quality isn't that high, content is locked onto your PSP system, and in a world of streaming and/or downloading video content they are pretty much obsolete... and yet I kind of enjoy having a little library of movies I can watch at my desk or on the go.
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Offline supermario2k

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2016, 11:37:40 AM »
Phil if that is a challenge to catch up with you challenge accepted. I am starting to really look forward to getting one now that I discovered how many games I already own that are compatible and how cheap they are compared to other systems, for the most part.

Ejamer, yes I am interested in collecting movies. I am a movie nut, I used to have a CED, LaserDisc, VCD (official CD-i releases not Asian aftermarket stuff) Beta Max, VHS, Super VHS, D-VHS, HD-DVD, Blu Ray, Video 8, Super 8mm, and DVD collection. I have since pair down to just DVD, Laserdisc and Blu Ray but if I pick up a PSP I am for sure getting a few movies, I made a list of about 150 or so titles if I can find reasonably priced I will pick up. I might thin that down to under 100 but I am not sure yet. I also have quite a digital collection to between UV and iTunes but I don't really count those as a collection really. I mean I guess if I count Virtual Console titles in my collection I should count itunes and Amazon videos too.

Offline Phil

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2016, 05:08:34 PM »
You will already catch up to me if you play more than half of those! haha I have a huge backlog, which is something I take as a blessing rather than a problem.
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Offline Stratos

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2016, 05:40:29 PM »
Backlogs are really "rainy day" supplies. And for what it is worth, I hope that when I have kids they will get joy sifting though my old collection with me. I have fond memories of when I discovered my dad's cassette/record collection and learning about the music of the 70's and hope to replicate that with old games and my kids.
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Offline supermario2k

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #9 on: October 18, 2016, 10:36:04 AM »
I already have 54 PS1 titles on my PS3 I downloaded that will all work on the PSP. I think I have about 15 or so PSN games that also indicate PSP compatibility so I am well on my way to having a good library even without the system.

I just don't want to spend the $70 bucks it will take to get me one. I will either wait until next payday or keep shopping around for a better deal. The main issue is the memory stick I can get one for $50 but it only has 2 GB of memory the one with 4GB is not going to be enough even and it's $70. I haven't checked on prices for memory sticks though, I imagine I am going to want at least a 32 GB to get me started and I am not sure how much those cost. I am going to be mainly digital only for a very long time as nobody close to me sells much in the way of actual physical games for the system.

Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #10 on: October 18, 2016, 12:59:10 PM »
... The main issue is the memory stick I can get one for $50 but it only has 2 GB of memory the one with 4GB is not going to be enough even and it's $70. I haven't checked on prices for memory sticks though, I imagine I am going to want at least a 32 GB to get me started and I am not sure how much those cost. ...


You can get MicroSD adapters that are pretty good, and offer a better price if you want a large amount of digital storage. I've thought about grabbing one, but haven't bothered yet so have no first-hand experience.


Some are apparently much better than others though, so do a bit of research before buying.
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Offline supermario2k

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2016, 02:02:58 PM »
... The main issue is the memory stick I can get one for $50 but it only has 2 GB of memory the one with 4GB is not going to be enough even and it's $70. I haven't checked on prices for memory sticks though, I imagine I am going to want at least a 32 GB to get me started and I am not sure how much those cost. ...


You can get MicroSD adapters that are pretty good, and offer a better price if you want a large amount of digital storage. I've thought about grabbing one, but haven't bothered yet so have no first-hand experience.


Some are apparently much better than others though, so do a bit of research before buying.


I would prefer to avoid using any sort of converters they just aren't my thing. But I saw some 32 GB memory sticks on Amazon for a reasonable price so I should be good there. I might get an adapter if it turns out to be the most viable option, who knows. Now I am trying to decide which model to get. I have contemplated a PSP Go or even a Vita but I also do want to start collecting PSP UMD games and movies so I am sure I will go with one of the PSP models and hold off on a Vita, if I ever get one.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2016, 02:08:02 PM by supermario2k »

Offline supermario2k

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2016, 02:45:10 PM »
Update: I decided to hold off on getting a PSP for the time being. Christmas is coming soon, Thanksgiving is next month, I have to take a trip to Wichita KS for my dad's 60th birthday and my car might need some break work in the next week or two so money is going to be tight for a while.

When I do get one though my plan is to load it up with all the games I have currently first and then picking up actual UMD discs later. I want to wait until I can get this and a sizable Memory Stick without an adapter. Any large SD cards I buy in the near future will be for the Switch, assuming it requires or supports them.

Offline Fatty The Hutt

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2016, 04:53:43 PM »
I got a PSP 3000 a few years ago for free by cashing in drug store loyalty points. I barely use thie thing but I like it in concept. I have a few games, some on UMD and some digital PS1 stuff.
I also have the movie Tron on UMD. Couldn't resist.
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Offline Order.RSS

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2018, 04:04:51 PM »
Resurrecting this topic because I have PSP questions! Sorta half-considering getting a portable system, but I've never really seen or held a PSP.

Questions about the 2000 or 3000 models, ideally I wanna mix physical and digital!
1. What's the deal about the nub mentioned above? Is the build quality poor on any of these?
2. How prone are disc drives to damage/breakage? What about the UMDs themselves?
3. Memory: does it have any? Proprietary cards only? Does it take regular SD cards?
4. What about online? Are all servers down? Is there an on-device store? There's a few games available for download (Lunar, Katamari) that are very expensive on UMD, but the link eJamer put above has them for pretty cheap. Related: how much space would I need to download at least those 2?
5. What are your favourite games on it? I'm eyeing Lunar, Katamari, Sega Rally, Split/Second, Bomberman Land. I also know Lumines, Patapon and Phantasy Star Portable are well regarded, but not sure which versions of those are the best.

Offline Stratos

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #15 on: September 06, 2018, 05:45:16 PM »
The PSP nub is a great replacement for the 3DS eraser head nub. At least that was what I'm sure I was referring to for my nub comment above.
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Offline TOPHATANT123

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #16 on: September 06, 2018, 08:16:40 PM »
The PSP store is down but it's still possible to get games onto it... I think. The way I did it a couple years back was using Sony's Media Go application and connecting my PSP to my PC. However after a bit a searching it looks like that's not possible anymore for no explainable reason, so it looks like the only way to download PSP games now is through a PS3.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2018, 08:27:30 PM by TOPHATANT123 »

Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #17 on: September 06, 2018, 11:00:24 PM »
An interesting note:  I can still download games onto my PSP Go system directly, even though the PSP storefront is closed and gives an error message when you try to visit it.  The trick is that I have to purchase the PSN game elsewhere (I do it from store.playstation.com on my PC), and then on my PSP Go open up the store and view the "View Downloads" button at the top of the page. Not sure if a regular PSP works differently, but pretty sure it's similar.

Answers as I remember them (with the caveat that I sold off my physical PSP stuff except for the two PSP Go systems w/accessories that store all my downloads):

1.  Nub felt fine to me using 1000/2000 systems; not going to rock your world, but it's functional.
2. The UMDs themselves are very study, although I did have one where that dropped and had a broken case. It was still playable with a bit of care when inserting into the system though. I'd be more worried about wearing out the disc drive itself.
3. Proprietary, although you can buy converters that work pretty well. My PSP Go systems have a nice amount of storage built in; I think the old systems had a small amount but can't really remember.
4. (see above about store access; you can go to store.playstation.com to search for specific pricing/availability in your region)
5. Oh man... making a list below...


So my taste in PSP games might fall a bit outside the norms. I didn't like God of War much, and felt a lot of the "big action games on the go" really didn't work all that well. It's a great console of RPGs though, and lots of oddball XSEED stuff is worth checking out IMO. Here are a few games that I enjoyed immensely and would recommend without a second thought:

* Half-Minute Hero - this RPG send-up was hilarious and awesome; highly recommended
* Persona 3 Portable - my first entry into the Persona series, and it didn't disappoint
* Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins - this game is incredible, absolutely loved it

Also a big fan of some of the compilation games available for PSP. The first Capcom Classics were awesome, as was the Sega Genesis Collection. If you can find a copy, Gradius Collection is also super cool.

Finally, I spent a ton of time with Monster Hunter Freedom Unite... but it's kind of obsolete now that some excellent 3DS games are available from the series.

One tip about games: remember that PSP also makes an excellent platform for playing old PSOne Classics. If you have any nostalgia for that system. Symphony of the Night on the go is great, or Klonoa, or Legend of Mana, or Suikoden, or Vagrant Story, or...
« Last Edit: September 06, 2018, 11:01:59 PM by ejamer »
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Offline BranDonk Kong

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #18 on: September 06, 2018, 11:32:40 PM »
PSP has 100% compatibility with original PlayStation games (you just need to know how to get them on there). It's worth getting one just for that.
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Offline Order.RSS

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2018, 07:57:34 PM »
All right update: have acquired a PSP 3000 with a stack of games for an okay price. Luckily the battery hasn't warped yet on this one; that seems to be a major issue. Definitely store them outside of the system, and cycle them every (half) year!
Also discovered the PSP doesn't do wifi well with current security standards; WPA2 it apparantly can't talk to. Bummer. Maybe it could work through a phone hotspot, not sure how I'm gonna buy games from the PS Store for it now. I've also learned they have no/negligible on-board memory, so gonna need to track down a memory stick still.
Definitely a quirky system with a lot of flawed hardware ideas it seems, but at current prices it's still far below 3DS (especially the games), not to mention Switch.

As for the games it came with, they aren't things I'd be typically interested in (God of War, Ghost Recon, a Sonic game and such), but it did come with Burnout Legends which was fun to try for a bit! I've already tracked down Half-Minute Hero too (thanks for the recommendation!), along with Every Extend Extra and Sega Rally Revo.

If I end up liking it a lot, I'll look for Patapon, LocoRoco, Phantasy Star Portable, Lumines in the future. Also kinda interested in trying a 3D Tomb Raider game as I've never played, seems like Anniversary was received better than Legends?

Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #20 on: September 13, 2018, 12:13:17 PM »
... Also discovered the PSP doesn't do wifi well with current security standards; WPA2 it apparantly can't talk to. Bummer. ...

Oh crap - I forgot to mention this.
Wireless works fine on my PSP Go, but only because I set up a specific WPA endpoint that is restricted to the MAC address of that device. (Probably still not secure, but where I live it's good enough.)

You are right though - it is a bummer if you can't find an open network to download through. Once games are loaded on your system, it's kind of a moot point though. I only keep my WPA access for RSS podcast feeds so that I can download and listen to content without having to connect to a PC.
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Offline Order.RSS

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #21 on: November 25, 2018, 02:18:42 PM »
All right so PSP update if anyone's interested. I've played/finished a bunch of games since getting the console.

-Beats is a fun automatically generating music/rhythm game. It's a bit clunky to move audio files to the Memory Stick, but it does work. Couple of all right pre-loaded songs on it too, mostly from EyeToy games it seems.

-Burnout Legends is a compilation of various courses and mechanics of previous Burnout games. The takedown stuff from 3, some of the mountain courses from 2, etc. No generic music, but a licensed soundtrack of stuff that hasn't aged very well - Yellowcard, Billy Talent and the like. The overall package is all right, but didn't blow me away despite providing tense racing action. The rubberbanding of the A.I. is so blatant you can never get comfortably ahead, which works for the gameplay, but also feels unfair.

-Every Extend Extra I had trouble getting into. It's easy to see how this could be a very addicting score attack game presenting a little variation on the typical shmup formula. But the tutorial is really poorly done, it teaches the basic elements, but not how to string them together to do well in the game. Bounced off this one.

-flOw was another dissapointing experience for me. I had hoped for something like Journey or Flower, a type of meditative experience, but this one didn't really manage that. I think the inclusion of combat-esque mechanics just inherently adds some stress/aggression. I wanna chill around as a fish set to ambient music, not constantly eat other fish.

-Gitaroo Man Lives! is a rhythm game with a fantastic aesthetic. Somewhere between PaRappa and Samba de Amigo, with good use of the joystick implemented as well. The main shortcoming here is it has a few bizarre difficulty spikes early on, but the later stuff is easier again. The shark level is an infuriating roadblock for example.

-LocoRoco's art style is really gorgeous, but I'm not sure how this became a beloved classic. The gameplay rarely evolves beyond "slow Sonic the Hedgehog", but with cuter blobs and soundtrack. Kinda wears thin far before its ending.

-Me & My Katamari is the one I was most excited for so far, having never played a Katamari game. The presentation is really well done, from credits to load screens. Lots of songs, but a curious lack of levels. There's definitely less than 10 total levels, and some are just reskinned areas with different theming. Add to that somewhat miserable controls - I really don't see why you need to press two buttons to roll forward, you're only ever moving the ball, so why are the Prince and Katamari controls separate?
Why do we essentially have 2 D-Pads going AND a control stick, AND L&R triggers for sharp turns, yet zero camera control?
If they really wanna keep the Prince character, just make him walk atop the Katamari, Glover style. Solved. This game kinda dissapointed me, there's way too many islands constantly repeating the same few levels.

-PaRappa the Rapper feels like a terrible port of what looks like it was once a fun, vibrant, colourful game. And it's all down to control. Maybe my sense of rhythm is awful, but I'm pretty convinced this either has some input lag, or they've deliberately moved the icons around to make you rely on hearing only - Rhythm Heaven style. Either way though, I low-key hate it.

-Ridge Racer 2 might unironically be my favourite of the bunch so far. Decent techno/acid soundtrack, the drifting works well if you get used to it, and there's a massive amount of vehicles/tracks/cups to play. It's still not fantastic, but a good time overall and surpassed my expectations, having never tried a Ridge Racer game before.

-Sega Rally Revo is unfortunately not a port of Sega Rally on Saturn, or even of its DreamCast sequel. It is a pretty competent arcade rally title though. What I like about this one is its cartoony-esque aesthetic. Typical Sega blue skies means this game literally doesn't even include weather effects. The courses are okay in variety (alpine, arctic, desert, tropical) and there's some mild customisation of tyres for the differing courses. Could maybe have had more courses, weather effects, better music, more differentiation between cars, but as it stands it's a decent game.

Conclusions so far: every game I've played hovers between that 2 and 3 star rating so far, bit dissapointing despite none being outright bad. The prices are certainly low, and I've still got a few ones I'm excited for (Power Stone, Half-Minute Hero, Lumines, Patapon), hopefully those will be winners.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2018, 04:30:49 PM by Steefosaurus »

Offline ejamer

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Re: PSP discussion
« Reply #22 on: February 21, 2019, 10:13:04 AM »
Ugh... that's a disappointing report. Hopefully some of the other games helped to improve your PSP experience.

I've also found the overall PSP library to be weak, in a similar way to the PS1 library. Many of the games either don't seem to have aged well, or were just never going to be appealing to me from the start. It's disappointing when so many lauded titles for a system don't resonate.

However, I did find the PSP to be buoyed by a bunch of Atlus- and XSEED-published games, and some pretty awesome retro compilations too. Throw in a few big-name games that did work for me (Castlevania, Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins, Valkyria Chronicles, and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite before the 3DS games came along) and PSP was still enjoyable. Having a convenient way to download and revisit PS1 Classics also helped to redeem the system.
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