So yeah. I own a PSP. Due to recent events, I’ve been finding myself spending large wads of money to keep my head above the depression level (But no more!). Yeah yeah I know spending money is just a quick easy fix that causes more problems in the long run, but lucky for me that’s all I needed! So, one large credit card bill later, here I sit with a PSP and 3 (at the time) games to play with. Lets see how this excerpt thing works, so you all don’t have to see everything if you don’t want to! Read on for reviewish things on the PSP, GTA: Liberty City Stories, Mercury, and Lumines!

The PSP itself is a thing of beauty. I know for a fact that I will never use it to it’s full potential, but what I have been able to use it for has been breathtaking to say the least. I was surprised with how easily it all fit in my hands, and how naturally the controls worked. Guess its to be expected as they did try to keep it as close to the standard PS2 controller as possible. I just liked it.

The first game I loaded up was Mercury. I’d been excited to play that one since I first layed eyes on it. The premis of the game is quite simple, you control a blob of mercury in a maze like environment. It’s a lot like the old table top game of Labyrinth where you tilt the entire level to move the blob around. But well… This is mercury! The greatest substance on earth! The PSP really makes this respond like a real blob of mercury. Splitting into pieces if it hits something etc etc. The game has been so much fun to play with! There are mutliple “goals” in the game for different levels. One, the goal is to get to the end as soon as possible, another is to do it with as much mercury left in your blob as possible, and the third involves solving “puzzles” with colors and switches. Then, as you continue, they start combining the goals together to make things just plain difficult. It’s a great game to play when you have a few minutes spare time and want to try and get the best score you can!

After that, I gave Lumines a shot. Can you say addicting? The game is surprisingly simple. Somewhat like tetris, where you have stuff falling from the top, and you can move and rotate the pieces. But, instead of different shapes, you always get a cube consisting of blocks of two colors. Always the same two colors that is. So, the goal is to make complete squares of the same colors once the blocks hit the ground. Might be easier if you see it… But wow, it’s a lot of fun! There is also an amazing multiplayer mode. With that, each person has their own PSP, but are still playing in a sort of split screen mode… You both see what the other person is doing as well. If you get more completions in a time period, you “attack” their side of the board, and they lose a column of space where you gain one. So, if you’re quick you can get them down to only having 4-5 blocks wide to work with. Quite satisfying to say the least.

Once I had my taste of those two games, I moved on to the biggest game I’d gotten at that point. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. I’ve been a big fan of the GTA games since GTA2 back on the PC. I have, or have at least played, every game since then. So, when this came out for the PSP I just had to have it! Honestly, the gameplay is exactly like it is on the PS2, and that’s a great thing! The game itself takes place in the same city as GTA3, but with different stories etc. Don’t know what more I can say other than it’s amazing. More than I ever expected I’d be seeing on a portable game system. The story, the voice acting, the people wandering the streets… All combine to make this by far the greatest game I’ve seen on the PSP. It also has a multiplayer feature, but sadly I don’t know anyone else who has the game yet, so I couldn’t tell you what it’s like… So someone get a PSP and the game so I can play it already!

I think that’s it. Well, other than the fact that I now own several more games… But I’m not going to write about them as of yet. But, look forward to hearing about Burnout Legends, Tokobots, Ghost in the Shell, and Pinball Hall of Fame. And maybe a few more comments on the PSP itself.

I’ve been finding myself saying that quite a bit of late. Mostly when I’ve heard news of people doing things most of the world would call insane. Must be something about Christmas time eh?

So, the cat is out of the bag as they say. I’m divorced. And “involved” with someone again. I do realize what everyone has to say about this… Too quick, rebound, etc etc. I also realize that the advice usually joined with all of this is to do the oposite of what I’m currently doing. I do realize I’m taking a chance here. But as a good friend of mine said, when I told him all the exact same things “The chance is there… I can take it and risk getting hurt, or not take it and know I’m missing out on something good.” And I fought him like mad because of that. And he’s denied the odds and is still happy (for the most part). Fortuantely for me, he knows I was just trying to help him and doesn’t hold a grudge against me for it. Just like I know others are trying to help me, and I’ll not hold one either.

So, other than that… how’s my life been going. Some surprisingly good events have happened! My other half’s family has finally decided that I’m not the anticrhist made flesh, and have pretty much welcomed me into the family. That was very un-expected. Made the time spent with them on Christmas that much better. Overall life has been going quite well for me. I’m enjoying my new apartment, location, current job, etc. Now I just need summer to show up so I have my own mode of transportation! Well, summer, and enough spare cash for registration, etc.

I think I’ll split up other updates into multiple posts. So, don’t be shocked to see a whole bunch on the same day. Woo!