While Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the Nintendo DS received critical acclaim across the board, the game didn't necessarily sell as well as it should have. Rockstar Games chose to bring the title over to the PSP, and with it, a complete graphical revamp.
We've had the final version of the game for some time now and here are our thoughts:
(Credit:
Rockstar Games)
Jeff:
I wish Rockstar Games would take the viewing angle from Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and go back and apply it to the first two GTA games on the system; that's how fantastic of a gameplay experience it provides. Chinatown Wars is by far the best GTA game available on the system because it abandons the ground-level viewing angle that was present in the first two games. From here on out, we think every portable GTA title should control like this.... Read More
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One of our biggest complaints about the PSP Go seems to be partially addressed today as the portable console officially goes on sale. Sony has updated the Go's firmware to 6.10, which introduces a new PlayStation Store interface and access to a much larger portion of original PSP games.
While the selection of games is still nowhere near complete, some notable titles added today are God of War: Chains of Olympus, Madden NFL 10, Gran Turismo, and MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Also hitting the store today are PSP Minis, smaller, less-expensive download-only games that range in price from $5 to $10.
Firmware version 6.10 also introduces SensMe, Sony's answer to iTunes' Genius List. SensMe takes a look at your audio library and adjusts playlists according to your "mood."
Though this update is for all PSP models, another noteworthy update that concerns the PSP Go specifically is the ability to tether a mobile phone to the device and use its data network as an access point. While this will only work with mobile phones that allow for such a thing, we can't imagine the speed being any better than what we experienced with a standard Wi-Fi router.
(Source: PlayStation.Blog)
(Credit:
Ars Technica)
We're just about ready to post our PSP Go review but we couldn't wait to share this accessory with you. This absolutely ridiculous-looking contraption is the Sony PSP Go Converter Cable Adapter, a device you'll need to buy for your PSP Go if you don't want all those PSP 1000 - 3000 accessories to become useless. That's right, almost all of the original PSP accessories will not work with the Go.
Judging by the photo, we're not sure why this gadget needs to be mounted on the top and bottom of the PSP Go, and we can't imagine having a comfortable grip on the device when the screen is slid open.
We also agree with the Ars Technica blogger who pointed out that this basically negates the PSP Go's main attraction, its slim and sleek form factor. Of course, you'll be able to purchase all new PSP Go accessories when they go on sale alongside the new handheld on October 1.
The PSP Go Converter Cable Adapter goes on sale in Japan on December 24 for around $21 and should show up in the U.S. in January.
The iPhone's almost ready to leap the final hurdle.
(Credit: TouchArcade)Apple had its own E3 press conference at the beginning of the week, with its newest model in the iPhone line finally being unveiled to the world. The iPhone 3G S, while in some ways a modest upgrade, introduces significant improvements for gamers--some obvious, others not so much. Will it help even further cement their growing position in a handheld games market previously dominated by Nintendo and Sony? Read on.
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Faster processor speed, more RAM. T-Mobile leaked the hard 3G S specs, and they're all-around zippier than the old 3G--which Apple confirmed when it promised overall speeds up to 2x faster. This will matter in particular with game load times and game crashes, both of which can tend to plague an overstuffed iPhone. While the spec bumps are relatively modest, the iPhone's game-playing prowess has already been more impressive than early pundits predicted, especially on recent releases like The Sims 3 and a PC-perfect port of Myst. The only thing missing now is...
Proper controller support. Sneaked in under the radar amid the iPhone 3G S news is the fact that the 3.0 software update allows third-party app interfacing with peripherals. While a larger focus on this functionality has been on medical devices, it's now possible for someone to make a clip-on control pad case and to have that controller be usable in any game. What should happen is that publishers gather to designate one universal controller that then gets adopted as the iPhone's "gamepad." The question is, who will make that accessory? For a while last year it was rumored to be Belkin, although it was unclear who would support the device. On consoles, the manufacturer usually settles these issues by making the controller themselves (except in the case of peripheral-driven games like Rock Band).
While it would be easiest if Apple made a gamepad, it's entirely unlikely. The whole appeal of the iPhone is its interface simplicity--too many plug-ins kill the minimalist chic. If a third party makes a controller, there's a likelihood that some publishers would support it, while others splinter off under some other controller accessory. Either way, someone should make sure there's a good consensus. Otherwise, soon enough we'll be buried in plastic miniperipherals, not unlike what's currently happening to (or plaguing) game consoles. ... Read More
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