Looky looky, I got myself a PSP Go.
Only I didn't buy it. Just won it off some raffle I entered for the heck of it. Truth be told, I wanted to win the Neptunia PS3 game (3rd Prize), hoard the artbook for my own viewing pleasure, then sell the game elsewhere standalone (I has no PS3; and as many of you may recall, I'm not really fond of localized games) to get monies for my future UMD purchases. Instead I get this.
I was also inclined to sell the Go at first, but then it hit me: Since I got so used to handling a 3000, maybe I can do my own review of how a Go feels compared to the former. Of course, since this puny squirt doesn't have a UMD drive, the only way I could do a gameplay test was to give it the CFW treatment.
Keep in mind, I know how to make a JP PSN account, but since I pay for all my stuff with cash, I don't have squat in terms of loading it with Yen credits, since people here only import UMDs and the PSN credits they sell are mainly US, HK and Singaporean Dollars. So forgive me for being a cheapskate and dabbling in the dark side of PSP gaming. Besides, the games I downloaded as ISOs were ones that I own in UMD format anyway. No blood, no foul.
It's not gonna blow up... is it?
Presentation-wise, the Go is sleek. Very sleek. You get a screen that's a bit smaller than the 3000's (though it still renders the same 480x272 pixel screen ratios just fine), and it slides up to reveal the control buttons underneath! So far it's looking very high-tech. Save for the audio and display buttons which are now situated up top, almost everything is where it should be. If you slide it down while the system is still on, you get a neato analog clock display to waste your battery power on. Speaking of which, the battery for the Go is not replaceable (unless through factory repair order) possibly to prevent those funky Pandora hacks. (which no one really does anymore... Sony is soo behind the times)
Now the controls. The 3000 boasts of springy button controls, a step up from the pansy pressers that plagued the 2000 model. How does the Go measure up? Not very well, I'm afraid. The controls feel flat, almost akin to a cellphone's keypad. (which might explain why the same base design structure was used for Sony Ericsson's "PSPhone") My K-On! Houkago Live!! experience with the Go was excruciating to say the least, since I depend on the springy sensation of the 3000's buttons to trigger my muscle memory. I can still perfect my favorite songs, but it felt a lot less satisfying.
It felt more like text-messaging than playing, actually... ^^;;
The L and R buttons are concealed from view because of the slide-up screen, giving the same "out of sight, out of mind" malady I often experience with the DSi. Given, they're a bit more bouncy than their front-end comrades, but the Go's shoulder duo is also little less responsive.When playing Busou Shinki Battle Masters, I cannot do sneaky Attack Chains and really had to put some back into it when pressing L to fix lock-on. *insert random shimoneta here*
Otoges and action games are definitely a no-go on the Go, but RPGs and galges work okay. In fact, the new positioning of the analog stick felt like a flattened and less rubbery version of the Dual Shock (sans the second stick). The 3000's analog stick was positioned at a rather unnatural spot, and back when I was new to using it, I often suffered the occasional muscle pain because of the angle I had to keep my thumb on. With the Go, moving around in Persona 3 Portable with the stick felt good again, and it brought me back to my PS2 days if just for a moment.
While it has it's defining points, I obviously won't be using the Go as a mainstay gaming unit anytime soon, but will still keep it as a portable media player. I'm currently in the process of ripping my GA, K-On, Hidamari Sketch and Milky Holmes DVDs, reformatting them as optimized MP4s and loading them on the Go's 16GB system memory. I'm also considering getting an 8GB M2 stick for additional vid storage, but that can be done later. If I lose my head, I may even have it ita-fied.
The Go is now officially a part of my gadget family, and will be earning it's place in the "My Precious" section pretty soon.
you're lucky you won it, cuz i wouldve laughed if you paid for it XD
ReplyDeletejkjk, im just saying that thing was biggest piece of trash ever. Being able to hack it didn't help in the least.
Still it bothers me how ur always able to make you handhelds look godlike pretty 0_0
every time i see them im like "why can't my systems be like that?! T_T XD
No offense taken, I'm fully aware that the Go is messed up in every sense of the word. But to it's defense, it makes one hell of a portable media player (at least, for people who don't mind tiny screens)
ReplyDeleteAs for the decorations, I'm the sort who scoffs at the thought of having my stuff look like everyone else's.
To that end, I have a borderline-obsessive tendency of sniffing out places that sell cute accessories. Anime goods shops, Daiso outlets and Gashapon machines are the best.
"Godlike" is kinda a stretch though. The decoration choices only follow a specific pattern (non-generic strap + mascot, etc.), with a few alterations made here and there to suit the device's aesthetics.
Ah, white PSP Go! XD I have one, too ^^
ReplyDeleteThe clicky buttons are very nice once you get used to it. For me, it's become easy to input quarter/half-circle motions since there are no major bumps that hinder my thumb motion. I can also tap buttons more rapidly on PSP Go (as demonstrated with a certain game's torture part ^^;) I also press buttons more precisely on PSP Go (I tried Project Diva 2 demo, I got more perfects and less fine with PSP Go than PSP-3000).
But yeah, Japanese PSN top-up cards are very expensive. I decided to buy only games which prices have dropped.
I like how it can fit inside pocket comfortably.
And no, this is no trash ^^
Quarter-circle motions huh? Now that you mention it, I haven't tried any fighting games with this thing. Maybe I'll update this a bit when I do.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to agree with your take on the button precision response time (since it shows when I'm playing Pangya Portable), but for me, it's still too flat. I don't know if it's just me hankering for the 3000's springyness or something, but even if I'm still able to handle SS Hard on Houkago Live properly, something just feels missing.
When I first get my PSP Go, the buttons feel amiss as well ^^; But over time I grew to appreciate both PSP Go and PSP-3000 buttons. The spring feedback on PSP-3000 is nice (especially during my K-ON! play), but I also dig the 'compactness' of button clicks on PSP-Go XD
ReplyDeleteMy problem with PSP Go is actually not the buttons, but rather the small analog nub ^^;