PS Vita Review

I had planned to do a long winded PS Vita review as I’ve been using the device for two months now and feel as if I understand the devices upsides and it’s downsides. However after much consideration, I’ve decided to allow my simple words on the device and handheld gaming to speak for itself.

Purchasing a PS Vita really depends on your game tastes and affinity to handheld gaming. The level of integration seen on the Vita has never been done before on a handheld.  It is so far and away better than any other handheld gaming device ever that it’s hard to imagine playing anything else that came before it. I’m a huge handheld gamer, embracing the Game Boy and leaping for joy over my day one purchase of the original Game Boy Advance. I’ve bought every handheld machine available on release day since GBA. Vita is by far the BEST day one handheld purchase I’ve ever made.

That said, it’s not for everybody. Some folks won’t like handheld gaming. Some won’t like the games available. Some won’t like some of the day one nit picks.

The bottom line

If you fancy yourself as a handheld enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to buy a Vita immediately.

 

 

PSP Titles Playable On PS Vita

The official list from Sony includes only games that are available from the PSN PS Vita store. However you may not be aware that many other PSP games are playable on the PS Vita as long as you have a PS3 handy to copy the game over to the Vita. Below is a listing of all PSP titles and PS Minis titles are known to work on PS Vita. Please leave a comment if you find other games that work or something on the list that doesn’t work for you.

Sony’s Official List: Blue titles
Tested to work via PS3 transfer:  Black

PSP Titles

101-in-1 Megamix
300: March To Glory
The 3rd Birthday
Ace Combat: Joint Assault
Activision Hits Remixed
Adventures To Go!
Alien Crush
Alpha Mission II
Ape Escape: On The Loose
Archer Maclean’s Mercury
Armored Core 3 Portable
Armored Core: Last Raven Portable
Armored Core: Silent Line Portable
Art of Fighting
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines
Baseball Stars Professional
Baseball Stars 2
Beats
Blade Dancer Lineage of Light
BlazBlue Portable: Calamity Trigger
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II
Blazing Souls Accelate
Bomberman
Bomberman ’94
Bomberman Land
Bomberman Legacy
Bonk’s Adventure
Burnout Dominator
Burnout Legends
Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded
Capcom Classics Collection Remixed
Capcom Puzzle World
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Chameleon
Cho Aniki Zero
ClaDun x2
Cladun: This is an RPG!
Class of Heroes
Corpse Party
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Creature Defense
Crimson Gem Saga
Crush
Dante’s Inferno
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
Daxter
Dead or Alive Paradise
Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover
Dirt 2
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
Disgaea: Infinite
Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] Prologus: Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 [Duodecim]: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
DJ Max Portable 3
Dragon’s Lair
Dragoneer’s Aria
Driver ‘76
Dungeon Explorer
Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts
Dungeon Maker Hunting Ground
Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2
Dynasty Warriors: Strike Force
echochrome
echoshift
Everyday Shooter
Eye of Judgment Legends
Fading Shadows
Fatal Fury
Fate/Extra
Fate/Unlimited Codes
Field Commander
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
flOw
Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Gladiator Begins
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Gods Eater Burst
Gradius Collection
Gran Turismo
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Gravity Crash Portable
Guilty Gear Judgement
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
Gun: Showdown
Half-Minute Hero
Hammerin’ Hero
Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl
Harvest Moon: Hero of Leaf Valley
Hexyz Force
Hoard
Hot Brain
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon
Jeanne d’Arc
Jikandia: The Timeless Land
Justice League Heroes
Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
Killzone: Liberation
The King of Fighters ’94
The King of Fighters ’95
The King of Fighters ‘96
Knights in the Nightmare
Kurulin Fusion
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
League Bowling
Legend of Heroes, The: Trails in the Sky
LEGO Batman: The Videogame
LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
LittleBigPlanet
LocoRoco
LocoRoco 2
LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival
Lord of Arcana
Lord of the Rings, The: Aragorn’s Quest
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Madden NFL 11
Magician Lord
Major League Baseball 2K11
Mana Khemia: Student Alliance
Medal of Honor: Heroes
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X
Mercury Meltdown
Metal Gear Solid: Digital Comic
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Slug
Metal Slug 2
Metal Slug Anthology
Metal Slug XX
Military History: Commander: Europe at War
Mimana Iyar Chronicle
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
MX vs. ATV: Reflex
NBA 2K10
NBA 2K11
NBA 2K12
NeoGeo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting
Neutopia
New Adventure Island
No Gravity: The Plague Of Mind
No Heroes Allowed!
Parappa the Rapper
Patapon
Patapon 2
Patchwork Heroes
Petz Dogz Family
Petz Hamsterz Bunch
Petz Saddle Club
Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle
Pinball Heroes Bundle
Pinball Heroes Bundle 2
Piyotama
Pool Hall Pro
Power Stone Collection
PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient
PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2
Prince of Persia: Revelations
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood!
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
Pursuit Force
Puzzle Guzzle
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
R-Type Command
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
Ridge Racer
Riviera: The Promised Land
Rock Band Unplugged
Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown Anthology
Samurai Warriors: State of War
Secret Agent Clank
Sega Genesis Collection
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
Shock Troopers
Silent Hill: Origins
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Tactical Strike
Soldier Blade
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
State Shift
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
Super Sidekicks
Super Star Soldier
Super Stardust Portable
Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Tekken 6
TNT Racers
Tokobot
Tom Clancy’s Endwar
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Predator
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Essentials
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Tron: Evolution: The Video Game
UFC Undisputed 2010
Ultimate Board Game Collection
Ultimate Ghosts ‘n Goblins
Unbound Saga
Valhalla Knights
Valkyria Chronicles 2

Vertigo
Victory Run
The Warriors
Warriors of the Lost Empire
Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi 2
What Did I do to Deserve This My Lord?
What Did I do to Deserve This My Lord? 2
WipEout Pulse
Wild Arms XF
World Heroes
World Sports Competition
Worms: Battle Islands
WTF: Work Time Fun
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011
Yggdra Union
Ys Seven
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Z. H. P.: Unlosing Ranger Vs. Darkdeath Evilman

PlayStation Minis

3, 2, 1…SuperCrash!
4×4 Jam
5 in 1 Arcade Hits
Ace Armstrong Vs. The Alien Scumbags!
Actual Crimes: Jack The Ripper
Aero Racer
Age of Hammer Wars
Age of Zombies
Alien Havoc
Alien Zombie Death
Alpha Mission
Ancient Game Treasures: Mill
Apache Overkill
Aquattack!
Arcade Darts
Arcade Essentials
Arcade Essentials Evolution
Archibald’s Adventures
Arctic Adventures
Athena
Babel: The King of the Blocks
Bashi Blocks
Beam ‘Em Up
Blast Off
Blimp: The Flying Adventures
Block Cascade Fusion
Boom Beats
BreakQuest
Brick Breaker
Bubble Trubble
Bunny Dodge
Burnin’ Rubber
Busy Sweets Factory
Car Jack Streets
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter
Caterpillar
Charge! Tank Squad!
Circles
Coconut Dodge
Cubixx
D-Cube Planet
Deflector
Digi-Tiles
Doodle Fit
Dr. MiniGames
Dynogems
Earthshield
Echoes
Express Raider
Flick Fishing
Flying Hamster
Fort Commander II: Counterattack
Fort Commander: King’s Gambit
Fortix
Freekscape: Escape From Hell
Funky Punch
Gold Fever
Hello Flowerz
Heracles Chariot Racing
HISTORY: Egypt Engineering an Empire
HISTORY: Ice Road Truckers
Hot Shots Shorties: Blue Pack
Hot Shots Shorties: Green Pack
Hot Shots Shorties: Red Pack
Hot Shots Shorties: Yellow Pack
Hysteria Project
I Must Run!
Influence
Jane’s Hotel
JellyCar 2
Jewel Keepers: Easter Islands
Kahoots
Legend of Kunoichi
Let’s Golf
Lock ‘n’ Chase
Love Cupid
Mahjong Solitaire
Me Monster: Hear Me Roar!
Mighty Flip Champs! DX
MiniSquadron
Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
N.O.V.A.
Normal Tanks
One Two Boat Racing
Pallurikio
Panda Craze
Pinball Dreams
Pinball Fantasies
Quiz Animania
Ramen Heaven
Reef Aquarium
Retro Cave Flyer
Robin Hood: The Return of Richard
Rocks N’ Rockets
Route 66
Shapo
Sheep Defense
Shogi
Smash Break
Space Shooter for 2 Bucks!, A
Spaceball: Revolution
Spot the Differences!
Stellar Attack
Sweet Reversi
Tehra: Dark Warrior
Telegraph Crosswords
Telegraph Sudoku & Kakuro
Urbanix
Vempire
Vibes
VT Tennis
Who’s That Flying?!
Widget’s Odyssey 2
Widgets Odyssey
Young Thor
Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam
Zenonia
Zombie Tycoon

PS Vita Wallpaper: Nature Pack

Finished up a custom PS Vita wallpaper Nature Pack using a template designed by Caemgen.nl.  I slightly modified the template by adding icons for each panel and then using my own photography collection for each image.  The pack includes a total of 13 screens some of which are not displayed below.

Download: http://bit.ly/vita_wallpapers (This is a zip file of all images in PNG format and is easily transferable to PS Vita via content manager)

If you’d like to download them directly to your PS Vita, visit my wallpaper gallery or Flickr set.

Enjoy!

Gravity Rush release date in June

Just announced today was the official Gravity Rush release dates for the US and Europe which are June 12th and June 13th respectively.  What better way to celebrate then with a bunch of Gravity Rush Vita wallpapers!

PS Vita Wallpaper

One of the cooler features of the PS Vita is being able have custom wallpaper on any of the LiveArea’s you have on your device.  I’ve made a bunch of custom wallpapers using my own personal photography. These are some of my personal favorites.

You can find more in my PS Vita wallpaper gallery as well as many more PS Vita wallpapers for all your favorite games.

 

Most Anticipated Games Of 2012

The year of 2011 was amazingly packed full of high quality titles released across multiple platforms, 2012 is shaping up to be another incredible year for gamers. These are my top anticipated games for this year and we’ll see if they can live up to my hype by years end (if they even come out in 2012).

MLB 12 The Show

Strange that a sports game is highly anticipated?  Read on as to why. Being a life long San Francisco Giants fan finally paid off in 2010 with the Giants winning their first World Championship since 1954 and the only championship title I’ve witnessed in my lifetime (No thanks to Dusty Baker in 2002 World Series).  I’ve always been a huge fan of video game baseball, starting with the Intellivision classic “Major League Baseball”.  Back in those days there were no stat engines to keep track of your players or franchise modes. I was so enthralled with the game that I kept track of statistics on paper over the course of multiple seasons.  To this day, no video game was as much fun playing against my older brother or my father than Intellivision MLB.

Through the years I’ve played all sorts of video game baseball, from classics like RBI Baseball, Baseball Stars, Bases Loaded, Triple Play, and one of my personal favorites, MVP Baseball.  MLB 12 The Show comes from a breed of baseball developed over the years by the fine folks at SCEA San Diego Studios.  I’ve played several previous iterations, both on PS3 and PSP.  This year, MLB 12 The Show will be released on the new PS Vita along side it’s big brother on the PS3.  As a rabid baseball fan, this is huge news.  Both games will be able to share save files so I’ll be able to take my franchise or Road to the Show players from my PS3 on the road with me on the PS Vita.  This is truly a dream come true.  Given the power of the Vita over the PSP, MLB 12 will be very close in feature set and functionality as the PS3 version so playing on Vita shouldn’t fell like a crippled experience as it has in the past on PSP.

Street Fighter X Tekken

In the 1990s I was a fighting game junkie (I still am). I’d spend rent money on Japanese Sega Saturn fighting games, typically from NCSX (Yeah, I imported from NCSX before you ever knew you could). As my roommate and wife can attest, strange boxes from Japan would sometimes show up costing over $100 for a single 2D fighter. Never heard of X-Men vs Street Fighter or it’s amazing follow up Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter? These were almost arcade perfect console ports, only available on Saturn due to it’s amazing ability to play 2D games with the use of a 4MB RAM cart.  Years later I sold my collection of import Sega Saturn games and I’ve regretted that ever since.  There should be no doubt as to why I’m anticipating SFxT, especially the PS Vita version.  While I do enjoy UMvC3, I feel as if the SFIV series is more to my overall tastes in fighters nowadays.  I’m excited by new additions like fighter customization with gem system, progress right?

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

I’m a big fan of the Starcraft universe.  I’ve read a lot of the books, obviously played the games a great deal.  I can’t wait to play as Sarah in the Zerg campaign.  Blizzard takes great care with their Starcraft franchise and I have no doubt this expansion will nothing but quality.  And as per tradition, no official release date yet.

Diablo 3

Diablo is a fantastic game franchise.  As someone who has enjoyed previous games in the series,  I’m looking forward to playing D3 with great anticipation.  Blizzard has learned a great deal from World of Warcraft and I’ve seen lots of WoW polish added to Diablo 3.  I think this is a good thing as D3 is clearly more of an online action RPG instead of the offline style it has been in the past.

Halo 4

Halo may be “overused” but I do enjoy the story and universe.  Halo has come a long way since the day it was revealed to the world at Macworld 1999.  I’m a huge Bungie fan.  I’ve played every Bungie game ever made and have been playing Bungie games on Mac long before Xbox or Halo itself.  Myth is still one of my favorite games of all time.  Even with all the shake ups over the years with Xbox, Microsoft, Halo, and Bungie I’m still interested in the core Halo franchise.  Let’s hope that 343 can deliver a great Halo game.

Dragon’s Crown

Being old school, these 2D brawlers really excite me.  Throw in RPG elements and Vanillaware being at the helm, call me super excited.  2D goodness on PS Vita and PS3.  Cross game play.  Action RPG style like their previous title Odin Sphere.  It looks absolutely gorgeous.

The Last Of Us

The Walking Dead meets Uncharted.  Naughty Dog is the best game story tellers of this console generation.  The Uncharted series is a huge success and by far my favorite adventure game series of all time.  I’ve played all of the games and I’m saddened each time they end.  My most highly anticipated game by far is their next franchise, The Last of Us. I can not wait.