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The Semi-Official Playstation Vita Thread

post #1 of 22
2/15/12 at 3:33am
Thread Starter 
This bugger launches today with the First Edition 3G Bundle, featuring a case, 4 gigs of storage, and Little Deviants. Some luckier Taco Bell winners have had theirs for a couple of days, plus some naughty Canadian outlets shipped their stock as early as last Friday. America, fuck yeah, gets their grubby mitts on this in a few hours (or already if your local store was opened at midnight). So, who else is signed up for bank account emptying dual analog goodness? For those more patient, the WiFi version comes out next week in conjunction with expertly timed buy 2 get 1 free sale over at Target.

Launch wise this beats Nintendo's initial offerings easily. Out of the gate you have Uncharted, Wipeout, Rayman Origins, Modnation Racers, Super Stardust, Katamari, Lumines, Marvel vs Capcom, BlazBlue, and another edition of Plantz vs Zombies. Haven't heard any chatter on how good/bad Ninja Gaiden and Fifa are but those are also launch titles. Also planned (or already implemented) are facebook, twitter, skype, netflix, and other assorted apps.

The only knocks against the system are Sony being twats and gouging new customers with their insane prices for memory sticks, when they could have just used the previous iterations memory storage format. Then there's the battery life which could be as short as the 3DS life before needing a recharge. The 3G model is tied to AT&T's wankery. Also there's no word on actual PS1 Classics emulation support yet. Sony also ditched the UMD upgrade program for PSP users who want to make the switch. It's nice to see that unofficially my digital copies of Little Big Planet, Chinatown Wars, MGS: Peacewalker, Patchwork Heroes, Half Minute Hero, Sega/Capcom collections, and Valkryia Chronicles 2 will work day 1.

The dual analog controls are what seals it for me. If they can continue bringing over marquee titles that play just as good on the road as they do at home then this investment isn't a bomb. I don't subscribe or put any stock in any analyst predicting this to fail as hard as the PSPGO. It's not going to happen, that second analog stick really kicks open the doors for developers to translate their works over...I hope we get some quality fps action soon - maybe some greatness from Ken Levine in due time.

So, this thread has begun...
Edited by mongycore - 2/15/12 at 5:02am
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post #2 of 22
2/15/12 at 6:10am

Call me when they figure out UMD support/conversion. Dracula X Chronicles will NOT be stranded.

 

But yeah, this is the strongest launch library for a new console in a depressingly long time.

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post #3 of 22
2/15/12 at 9:23am

Played it at Gamestop yesterday, and color me impressed. Controls like a dream, both with the touch screen and with the buttons. Uncharted Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 both played fantastically, and looked as good as anything on console. Will be picking one up once I get the funding. Cant wait for Killzone Vita and Mortal Kombat Vitality.

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post #4 of 22
2/15/12 at 8:49pm
Thread Starter 
Love it. Just a solid piece of hardware that fits comfortably in my hand after extended periods of play. Speakers won't replace a good pair of earbuds or headphones but do well enough to do justice to the Rayman soundtrack. Such a bright vibrant, and kind of huge, screen. Interface takes some getting used to, handles like an ios/droid touch device. Everything is touch, even when it doesn't have to be - I'm kind of anal about having a nice clean screen. I can appreciate the sleek look they've implemented for the device on the whole, I'm annoyed at the awkward way you have to put your game cartridges into the system. You'll have to peel off a plastic cap on the top of the system before you can insert your game, that's one thing the old psp and any ds/3ds system do is how easy it is to change out games on the fly, of course you could just forgo physical media and go digital.

Setting things up went well enough, though the documentation is sparse and not as detailed as it could be. When you insert your memory card it goes in the bottom right of the unit in a hidden (unlabeled) slot that you'll need fingernails or sharp edged object to pry open. After setting up the region/time settings you'll be prompted to enter your psn credentials but then get told you need to system update first; ultimately you'll have to take on a temporary psn guest setting (you don't enter an email address or anything, you just skip past the introductory screens). After you're at the main screen you go to the settings section and update via wifi/3g/ps3. After which then you can truly tie your psn to the vita with your email/password.

I'm a bit disappointed with the production values on Uncharted. Visually it's not as lush as its console brethren, more of a level design issue with how they used static meshes as foliage and textures that feel more at home in the original Tomb Raider games - psp1 quality sometimes. Plays perfectly though with the control scheme, the touch guided platforming/wall climbing, and familiar soundtrack. Wipeout looks stunning. I've never been good at the games but its a pretty fun experience, again graphics look awesome.

Loaded up some older psp games, ran fine without a hitch. Kind of weird to be playing the psp version of Sonic on the next iteration of psp hardware...out there somewhere a game gear is crying.

All those apps that are promised...don't see them anywhere, not on the home screen or in the psn store. If you enter your facebook settings on the account management screen it will update your trophy stories to facebook, but no native apps just yet. Kind of bummed out about that. I think if I activate and maintain my att card I'll get a code for Super Stardust in a month...don't know, have no plans of giving ATT any money. So I have nothing to say about how functional or fast their 3G performance is. Built in camera feels lo-fi, but you have the option to record footage (after the firmware update) in addition to photo taking. Once the skype app appears there will be a use for the front facing camera, maybe...who knows.

Right now Rayman is the system seller. A 1:1 copy of the console game. Load times are quick and painless. Ubisoft shouldn't have any problems adding more Rayman profits to their bank. I almost forgot there is trophy support in the Vita...little bing popped up, almost makes me care about sony's award system.
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post #5 of 22
2/16/12 at 12:19am

I got the Wi-FI/3G bundle but I plan to stay away from 3G. It's nice to have the option.

 

Also, apparently buying a game digitally is a little bit cheaper than buying from a store.

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post #6 of 22
2/18/12 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 
The sad thing right now is how empty Near is in my town. Scanned a two kilometer radius and nobody is around, yet. I'm curious at the functionality of the social unlocks that you can download/upload with other vita users. Gaf has a better explanation, but you can unlock song tracks or in game items using this app.
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post #7 of 22
2/18/12 at 10:29pm

Near has me located in Chicago.

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post #8 of 22
2/19/12 at 7:08am

Hope you didn't blow all your dollars on launch titles yet, kids: Both Gamestop and Target are doing Buy 2 Get 1 Free sales on Vita games. Only issue seems to be that the Gamestop sale applies only to Sony's first party stuff.

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post #9 of 22
2/21/12 at 12:45am
Thread Starter 
Local shops weren't having any of my business this weekend. Hint Target, don't put ornery old men as your electronics section who are ignorant of the store's promos. Ordered online Fifa, Golf, and Lumines. I have to say the official sony screen protectors are the best documented and implemented screen protectors I've used so far. Cleaned the surface before applying it, no bubbles, no dust, no headaches...peace of mind for 9 bucks. The case that comes with the first edition bundle is so beefy and well crafted, makes the extra price nearly justifiable. Traded away the memory card and Deviants to a coworker.
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post #10 of 22
2/21/12 at 6:26am
Thread Starter 
Amazon is also getting in on the buy two get one free business this week. Only major sale I remember happening with 3DS is getting Monkeyball and PES Soccer at clearance prices 2 months back...
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post #11 of 22
2/22/12 at 2:23am

Netflix, Flickr, and LiveTweet apps are now available.

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post #12 of 22
2/22/12 at 9:11am
Thread Starter 
Never had cause to get my Flickr on. LiveTweet is pretty tight, good interface and presentation plus built in camera functionality. Netflix is also aces, uses the same ui as the PS3, none of that xbox wankery. Cued up an episode of Arrested Development, looks pretty damned awesome.
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post #13 of 22
2/24/12 at 10:15am

I'm on the Vita bandwagon so far too.  I waited and got the wifi one.  I really didn't need another bill or monthly expense and I doubt the 3G is a feature I really need or would use much.  My brother in law got the first edition bundle and we've sent some messages back and forth, and it all works pretty well.  The universal PSN (or SEN now?) accounts make it so I get messages he send from his Vita on my PS3 too, which doesn't bother me at all.  So far, impressions are great.  This is a nice piece of hardware.

 

On the software front, I have Wipeout, Hot Shots Golf (always a good standby) and Uncharted, but Wipeout is the only one I've really been playing.  My brother in law has my Uncharted.  He had his earlier so I figured he could play it first and test the waters.  Wipeout is great.  It looks absolutely amazing and I'm sure it has given me a few seizures already (just kidding, but dang it's fast and intense).  I've always sucked at Wipeout, but I can still surprise myself.  The game gets hard quick.  One race, I kept losing...  8th place out of 8, but then I somehow managed to pull off a 1st place win, so go figure.  Online multiplayer works well too.  Once we figured out how to connect to each other I played a round or two with my brother in law and other random folks, and it was fun.

 

The few digital PSP games I have look great on the Vita, and they were freshly joined by a recently purchased Lunar.  I find it somewhat frustrating and odd that not all of the PSP games on PSN work on the Vita (not to mention that it is not a complete collection to begin with, which is understandable aside from some notable omissions, in my goofy opinion of course).  a couple of the digital PSP games I have are unavailable for download on the Vita.  but this is still stuff their working on, and none of this is a deal breaker for me, but I am truly bummed that the Passport program they initiated in Japan won't have a domestic flavor here in the states.  I have a ton of UMDs with a few choice titles I'd love to be able to port over, even if at a minimal/reasonable cost.  Oh wellz to that though!  Thanks Sony!

 

The system interface is great, but I'm like mongycore as far as liking to keep a clean screen.  I understand that they want to promote the touch screen, but would it be so hard to let all those buttons have something to do on the menu screens?  I'm already in tune with the interface, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't appreciate a firmware update that let me wander around the menu screens via more traditional inputs.

 

Haven't tried Twitter yet, and I don't use Facebook, but Netflix makes me happy.  The screen on the Vita is glorious!

 

Unit 13 might be a good placeholder (the demo is fun), but I'm looking forward to the Resistance game due out at the end of May.  Twin sticks?  FPS?  bring it on!  Not to mention Call of Duty in the fall.  If they can port over that multiplayer experience to a handheld, then I think that would be a big deal indeed, regardless of how popular/successful it is in the long run, especially if they even think about cross platform play between the Vita and PS3 as a possibility.  haven't tried that with Wipeout yet, but I am looking forward to at least checking it out.

 

Ok, I'm done babbling for now...

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post #14 of 22
2/24/12 at 12:45pm
Thread Starter 
I've started getting into Uncharted more. Still has some rough spots here and there, and the log balancing shit is some last gen noise, but the gameplay and little story is alright. Lumines and Stardust get a lot of play when the wife is hogging the tv. I've just downloaded Escape Plan, will try that on the weekend. My Target loot is out for delivery.

So I started nabbing custom wallpapers from this GAF thread. Pointed the pc version of Content Manager to the pictures folder, transfered the files over to the Vita, and now my screens are popping even more. And so can you.
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post #15 of 22
2/24/12 at 1:09pm

Nice.

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post #16 of 22
2/28/12 at 7:42am

Being able to take screen shots of games and movies is pretty cool. Got all my backgrounds off Netflix.

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post #17 of 22
2/28/12 at 8:15am
Thread Starter 
You must be a wizard, didn't know you could screenshot Netflix.

Fifa is turning out to be another 1:1 translation of its bigger brother. Amazing looking game that plays just as smooth on the small screen. But, after trying out the mostly useful backtouch shooting controls I had to turn them off. The back touch screen is so sensitive (or my hands are just too big) that I'd be playing the game, and out of nowhere my player decides to chuck the ball into oblvion. I don't want to play the game if it means holding the controller in a weird way.

Hustle Kings is a neat little pool hall game. Haven't touched virtual pool since the original Virtual Pool on my 1996 Aptiva.

Facebook is broken and they've removed it from the appstore. If they rewrite it to accomodate multiple user accounts (similar to the ios app) and not just automatically log in then it should be good. I don't even know if the Vita has a lockscreen, but that was a glaring security flaw with the app.
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post #18 of 22
2/28/12 at 10:44am

jesusphoto.JPGlopanphoto.JPG

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post #19 of 22
3/1/12 at 10:16am

Some thoughts on the games:

 

Touch My Katamari - Putting aside my creeping suspicion that their art department is staffed by serial killers, it's the same old, same old, but that's fine with me. Katamari is more a meditation than a game for me. Still, I haven't found any levels that expand far beyond your starting size. The best Katamari levels were the ones wehre you start out rolling up paper clips and dice and end up rolling up continents and gods. Seen none of that so far.

 

Fireworks - Boring AR bullshit that you can't play without looking like a jerk.

 

Escape Plan - Looks slick, controls well, has a dark sense of humor. It started out with simple taps and finger swipes, but now I'm at the point where I feel like I need a couple extra hands for all the Vita molestation they require to get the two little guys from A to B.

 

Mutant Blobs Attack - The most fun I've had so far, and the cheapest. The blob controls with a nice, gelatinous weight, and aside from an irritating tilt-controlled level, it's pure 2-D platforming joy.

 

Ultimate Ghosts N' Goblins - Wanted to see what how PSP games looked. They look great. I'm surprised this one isn't quite as controller-whippingly hard as the others. Lucky me.

 

Super Stardust Delta - I wanted an arcade-y twin stick shooter. That's what I got. It's a solid game, but doesn't really stir any strong feelings in me one way or the other.

 

Lumines - Just as trance-inducing as always. If I were actually good at it, I could play it for hours. As it is, I play until I'm reminded I suck and then go do something else.

 

I haven't tried out any of the supposed heavy-hitters like Uncharted or Wipeout. Not even sure I'm that interested. The smaller titles seem to be suiting me just fine. I don't think any game system has launched with this much good stuff right off the bat.

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post #20 of 22
3/2/12 at 7:49am

Most of my time on the Vita has been spent on Wipeout so far.  And the PSP Lunar game.  I just got my hands on Uncharted and I'm only up to chapter 3 so far, but I've seen enough to know that it looks great but doesn't feel as epic as the console Uncharted games so far.  The smaller feel to it supports the portable nature of the experience I guess.  It's fun too, which is great, but the only things I don't like are some of the forced touch controls for certain things you end up doing.  But I also understand that it's a launch title and they're trying to show off what it can do.  Quibbles aside, as a launch title it's stellar.

 

Also, thanks to Egg I've spent some time tinkering with Netflix too.  I've got a few screens of Dean Winchester (from the Supernatural TV show) doing his Eye of the Tiger post credit outtake bit from season 4's Yellow Fever episode.  Thanks Egg!

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post #21 of 22
3/6/12 at 4:57pm

www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/03/05/own-a-vita-get-motorstorm-rc-for-free.aspx

Figured I'd pass this on. Free is good.

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post #22 of 22
3/9/12 at 9:41am

Motorstorm RC turned out to be way better than I thought. Feels like a modern day RC Pro Am or Super Sprint. If I bothered to play with other people online, I might care that there's no proper multiplayer. My only problem now is refraining from buying a bigger memory card. I know I can use the content manager to swap games around, but my laziness cannot be underestimated.

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