Reviews - Phantasy Star Portable 2 by IGN

In many ways the PSP is starting to show its age. Even with numerous redesigns, it seems to be losing ground to the competition, as handheld gamers are ready to move on to the next thing --whether that "next thing" is touch control or 3D. But the PSP can still pull off tricks that just aren't possible on other devices. For example, Phantasy Star Portable 2 is a subscription-free MMO in the palm of your hand.

Phantasy Star Portable is somewhat based off of Phantasy Star Universe from the consoles. Anyone familiar with the franchise will recognize the content immediately and gamers who played the first game on the PSP will remember that it had a number of notable problems. The presentation was lacking, and it didn't have an "infrastructure mode," meaning you couldn't play with others over the internet, only over the local wireless connection. Both of these issues have been addressed, making the sequel far more attractive.

Phantasy Star Portable 2

The game starts out with a story mode that introduces some genuinely likeable characters and a mediocre story that acts more like a giant tutorial, at least for the first 10 hours. Players create a character (and there are plenty of visual options) and choose a class that carries over from single-player to multiplayer and back again. They are then introduced to their home base, a space colony where a group of mercenaries called Little Wing make their home. Here you find your room, office, shops, eatery, and teleport terminal where you can take on new missions. The surroundings are simple enough but they house a bevy of options.

Players can decorate their room, upgrade weapons, trade for rare objects and converse with the locals who usually have something new to say. I found character management to be deep and rewarding, with plenty of ways to improve your skills and weapons. Playing as a Vanguard, I found Phantasy Star Portable's greatest strength to be its accommodation of players who can't make up their mind. Players can either change or extend their class at a shop using extend points. Your class dictates how many points it costs towards each weapon class. At any point you can remove points from one and put it toward another, if the item is outside your class it just costs more. Experimentation with different weapons kept me interested in grinding levels and collecting a whole new set of weapons for hours on end.

In fact, once you're in the swing of collecting items, the world hub it one of the most fun areas of the game. Whether you're decorating your room with found trinkets or trading items for that next level gun, the customization features will hold your attention.

When you're fully outfitted, you'll spend most of your time fighting through dungeons and the gameplay is just deep enough to keep each dungeon interesting. The useful "action pallet" from the first game is back and it quickly gives players access to their important items during combat. Players that time their basic attacks are far more deadly. And chaining basic attacks together before using a special photon attack results in a huge damage bonus. There are certainly gameplay differences between sabers, whips, and sniper rifles, but they aren't so different that varying classes will approach the game all that differently. I was tempted to try new weapons more out of curiosity, or a rare item pick-up, and it was plenty of fun to try out a new implement of destruction.

My only gripe with combat is with the lock-on feature. Simply tapping a shoulder button will lock players onto the nearest enemy or center the camera, while the second shoulder button brings up their alternate weapon. This setup works until you have a short range weapon and go up against a fast enemy. You'll need to constantly adjust the camera with the d-pad, or center it behind your character while trying to capture the right angle. This makes range an overly important weapon attribute, and it's a fundamentally frustrating control scheme that is difficult to avoid.

When it comes to your comrades, the party AI is functional; though it can't be relied on to get you out of a bind. Basically, if you can't handle a level on your own, don't put too much faith in your AI controlled teammates.

While the short cutscenes and beautifully drawn character art help to build interest in the story, visually, Phantasy Star Portable reaches beyond its means. There's a considerable amount of pop-in in the environments and some of the menu icons are just too small to make any sense. But what matters, the combat, is flashy and smooth even when playing online. My teammates would stutter on occasion, but my actions were always represented faithfully. The game isn't ugly, but it focuses on function over form and this decision plays to its credit.

I first jumped online when my character reached level 20 or so. I wasn't finished with the story yet, and my first multiplayer experience was with characters ranked far above me. It was fun to see how powerful these higher level characters had become, but it was ultimately pointless because I couldn't inflict a single point of damage against enemies in the dungeon we entered. There's a way to edit the search criteria to deal with this problem, but there were never that many people to choose from online, even later when I'd upped my level. I recommend having at least one friend who can join you in the adventure if you plan to spend a lot of time online.

Finally, Phantasy Star Portable does plenty to accommodate players with in-game options and adjustments. You can check on the many metrics of your character's progress, adjust tons of minor presentation details, and there are plenty of quick ways to communicate through text and character animations online. Missions are rated by length, difficulty, and reward, allowing you to pick the bite-sized challenges when you're on the go. It seems the details are all in order.

Reviews - God of War - Ghost of Sparta by Rickshow & IGN

I've played this game for a couple of days and kani ra akong ma sulti. Grabe ka ayus. Same set of gameplays, na dungagan ug new moves and attacks, refined graphics pero in game ang camera control. Meaning dili ma control nimo ang view to appreciate the surrounding. Pero overall, mga 8 out of 10 ang ratings. Siguro if this game was released two years ago, I would've ranked it 10 like the previous God of War Chains of Olympus. If you are a PSP gaming fan, this title is a must have. If you have a library of PSP games, this would prove to be a heavy favorite.

Here's what IGN says

Kratos might possibly be the angriest game character ever created. We all know he accidently killed his wife and child in service to the gods, but his belligerent attitude has often made me wonder what else might have happened to him to make him so filled with rage. We get some insight into this in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, which does a wonderful job adding depth to Kratos' character while delivering one of the most fun and beautiful gameplay experiences on the PSP.

Set between God of War and God of War II, Ghost of Sparta picks up right at the end of God of War, with Kratos sitting upon his newly claimed throne looking appropriately grumpy. After all, becoming a god didn't remove the disturbing memories of his past, but now he's being plagued by a vision we've never seen before -- an old woman lying sick on a slab of stone. Convinced he can actually change this vision, Kratos sets off for Atlantis on a quest that eventually takes him back to his home of Sparta and into the realm of Thanatos, god of death.

At E3 this year, reps from Ready At Dawn Studios said they were skeptical about doing another God of War game because they felt they had accomplished all they could on the PSP with God of War: Chains of Olympus. Luckily for us, they discovered they actually could push the system further, and it really shows.

Ghost of Sparta is gorgeous. Graphically, it looks better than a big chunk of PS2 games, and is absolutely the best-looking game on the PSP thus far. Detailed environments featuring constant rain and cascading water and lava create beautiful backdrops and really bring the world to life. Kratos looks wonderful as well. In fact, his character model was rebuilt from the ground up to add more detail for this game, such as the fact that he can be bathed in blood during battle, like he could in God of War III.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, there's nothing super unique here, but that's not a bad thing. You'll still spend your time slaying countless enemies, traversing dangerous domains, and solving light puzzles. Combat has been perfected throughout the series, so there's not a lot to improve upon, and too much change would have been jarring. That said, there is a brand new weapon and two new magical attacks that add something new to the experience.

 Kratos starts the game with the Blades of Athena, which function exactly like blades do in the other games, including the special moves. However, you unlock the ability to add fire to the blades. Known as Thera's Bane, this power functions similar to the Rage of Sparta in God of War III, with its own separate meter (which replenishes over time) and the ability to activate or deactivate it at will. One important difference, though, is that Thera's Bane is necessary for more than just adding power to your attacks. Doors and other obstacles require the power in order to be destroyed, and it's also necessary to break through the armor of certain enemies.

The other weapon you acquire later in the game is the classic spear and shield known as the Arms of Sparta. This combo is one of the most diverse I've seen in the series as it serves as both a ranged and melee weapon with Kratos able to throw the spear at distant enemies or perform a succession of quick jabs up close. The shield can be slammed into enemies in addition to its blocking duties, and most importantly, Kratos can move while blocking with the shield, giving it functionality outside of battle such as walking into fire or freezing wind.

The two new magical attacks in the game are the Eye of Atlantis and the Scourge of Erinys. The former is a lightning attack and isn't terribly unique. The latter, however, is a much more creative ball of energy that sucks nearby enemies into it and occasionally delivers green orbs to Kratos in the process.

The game is filled with all the blood and gore, the great voice acting and dramatic music we've come to expect from a God of War installment, as well as the most ridiculous sex mini-game the series has ever seen, where a whole of swarm of women jumps in on the action. There are also more gigantic bosses than in Chains of Olympus, giving the game more of the awesome sense of scale that's a hallmark of the console versions. Upon beating the game, there are a number of challenges that become available, as well as the Temple of Zeus, where players can sacrifice red orbs in order to purchase concept art, videos, and enemies to battle in the combat arena, a free-play area where players can customize a number of settings and rip apart enemies to their hearts' content.

Some functional improvements have been made as well, such as showing button prompts on the side of the screen that corresponds to the button's placement on the PSP and using of the analog nub less in quicktime events, which could be terribly frustrating in Chains of Olympus. Load times are still practically non-existent, though the game will occasionally pause in mid-action briefly to load, but it's never enough to interfere with the gameplay.

Beautiful graphics and solid gameplay aside, where Ghost of Sparta really sets itself apart is in its ability to add depth to Kratos, who has remained a largely two-dimensional character throughout the series. We still see his rage, but we also see regret and even compassion as he thanks Spartan soldiers for serving him well. The use of lesser-known mythological figures as the main antagonists also distinguishes the game and is a refreshing change from Kratos' epic battle with Zeus, who surprisingly plays no role in this game.

Ghost of Sparta is not perfect, but there's really little to complain about. I would have liked to see some bigger and more challenging puzzles in the vein of the Hera's Garden puzzle in God of War III. The fixed camera can also make it difficult to see Kratos when surrounded by lots of enemies. Usually this isn't a problem, but there were a few occasions when I ended up grabbing the wrong enemy when going for the one with the circle above his head, simply because I couldn't see Kratos in order to turn him in the right direction.

PSP Go

PSP GO

Perks
- it's lighter, fits into your pocket and has cool looking design
- it's got system wide Pause option, sp you can halt your game at anytime, exit to XMB, play some music, watch a movie, or download a new game, and then pick Resume to continue your game where you left off.
- It has a built in 16 GB internal hard drive. Need more space? You can add Memory Stick Micro (M2) to use in the new M2 memory card slot.
- Hool your PSP GO to your PS3, then plug your PS3 controller to you PSPgo, and you'll be able to play PSP Games on your PS3.

Downsides
- Mahal!!! as in grabe ka mahal!! Start at 249 USD!!!
- Your old memory stick isn't compatible with the new PSPgo.
- You might not play your old UMD based games.. HAHAHAHA!!! walay nada!!!
- It comes with only two colors: BLACK and WHITE!!

Conclusion:

I still prefer the PSP-1000 to PSP-3000 due to the multi functionality and cost effectiveness... pero kung nanobra imu money and you can afford even an iPHONE, then, why not...

Game Reviews - Patapon 2 by IGN

Really, Patapon was truly unique – something that few PSP titles can really claim.

Thankfully for fans, Patapon 2 improves on the formula of the original game, even if the sequel doesn't stretch the genre in any new directions. The basic premise is simple: using the four face buttons on the PSP - Triangle, Square, Circle and Cross - you tap out specific four-note rhythms in time to the pulsing background beat in order to command your tiny followers. As their Almighty, your commands are the only thing they will listen to, so if you don't command them, they won't move. There is no autonomy – if there was, there'd be no gameplay.

Thoughtfully, developer Pyramid has allowed ardent fans to import their game saves from the original Patapon; those who spent time accruing ka-ching (money), items, weapons and resources from the original stand to gain the most benefit from the get-go. They will, however, have to endure six or so levels of introductory challenges before the game properly grows legs. Pyramid has also wisely fleshed out the army creation process. After the handful of intro levels, you're likely to come up against a wall – a challenge that you just can't clear without starting to rework your army.

Patapon 2 offers very little in the way of in-game training to guide you through the new Pon creation process, called the Evolutionary Tree. Like the rest of the game, there's a feeling that the game is essentially making the assumption that you're at least partially familiar with the core process – but to gloss over the new additions is a little too presumptuous.

In short, the Evolutionary Tree allows you to take your three basic Pon varieties – Yaripon, Tatepon and Yumipon – each has its own particular combat or defensive preference and these can be further micromanaged and specialised in terms of strengths, resistances and abilities. However, this level of micromanagement is something of a double-edged sword; on one hand, it's amazingly deep and this allows the Patapon-devout player to perfect a warrior tribe that is either exacting to the point of obsession, able to handle specific tasks and challenges as they come up. On the other hand, you end up having to individually track something like 18 or so Pons, each with their own stats and weapon requirements, combat preferences and uses. It just gets to be a bit much – almost a case of too many options to be practical.

There are auto-arrangements, of course –and if you really wanted to, you could ignore this whole Evolution Tree, but progression is intrinsically tied to army strength, so you will not fare well with this approach. Again, fanatical Patapon players will have less trouble – but even casual fans might well balk at the complexities and lack of tutorials.

The world, however, remains as rich and colourful as the original. The landscape is entirely 2D, lovingly animated with multiple layers of hills, trees, strange spiralling tendrils, mountains, valleys, abstract and strange at all times. The foes are equally fetching in an off-centre kind of way. Many tribes from the original game return as your army grows and presses forwards. Replaying stages you've cleared unlock various challenges and opportunities for near-essential item gathering (needed to 'grow' new Pons) and to raise your Ka-ching and experience level. Pyramid certainly understands that retreading the same old missions over and over again would be tedious, so the added variety actually bumps the game's 45 stages to upwards of 80, making it a larger and more varied experience than the original Patapon.

Perhaps the most interesting shake-up to the formula is the introduction of the Heropon. The Hero is the captain of your squad in a sense, leading your charges and generally dealing a healthy amount of damage in the process. However, your Hero is also capable of swapping between the core classes we mentioned earlier, which not only adjusts his attack pattern and stance, but also gives players access to Hero Powers. These Hero Powers are only activated by completing a string of four perfect beats in a row – trickier than it sounds – and in doing so, a special ability is triggered, such as group-wide defence boost or strengthened attacks. Again, not a lot of explanation is given to the player on exactly how this stuff works – something that much of the game is guilty of – but trial-and-error and some experimentation pays dividends if you have patience.

The issues we held against the first game still sadly come into play in Patapon 2. At times, the music you're listening to actually syncopates the rhythm (meaning, the rhythm tends to change up the beat structure from 4/4 to 5/4 or similar, throwing in additional beats when you're not expecting them). If you're one of those players that really gets into listening to the music to keep your beat in time, then you're going to really have to factor in the on-screen pulse around the border of the screen. It becomes a serious challenge in later levels – particularly on higher difficulty settings.

A lack of on-screen enemy health bars makes it tricky to adequately gauge how you're faring against the waves of enemies, too. For smaller ground forces, that's usually not a problem; once you start facing off against bosses though, it can sometimes feel like you're stabbing in the dark. The Evolution Map, where you track the levelling process of your troops and steer your armies' key skills and resistances, also has issues, as mentioned. With that said, the game does go the extra yard with its ad hoc, shared multiplayer mode. In it, up to three other players can hop in and cooperatively take down waves of enemies while securing rare materials, minerals and items for use in the single-player game. It plays out much like the single-player experience, but it doesn't really offer the same level of depth as a full-scale battle system might. Honestly, it actually feels like Pyramid is holding this one back for the inevitable third instalment. We shall see.

Games Archive - Updates 1.2

Good Evening!

I have sorted and counted the games that I have to Archive...

Games Archive - Older = 206 Games
Games Archive - updates = 9 Games
This Archive - Updates 1.2 = 56 Games

Below are my new and currently found games under my Bed.. Haha.. Enjoy Sorting..

GAMES:

Alien Havoc
Beater4tor
Ben 10 Alien Force - Vilgax Attacks FIX
Brain Pipe
Break Quest
Crash of the Titans
Dave Mirra BMX Challenge
Dirt 2
Disgaea 2 - Dark Hero Days
Dragon Ball - Evolution
Dragon Ball Z - Shin Budukai II
Driver 76
Field Runners
Final Fantasy Dissidia (EUR)
Ford Street
Funky Punch
G-Force PSP
Grand Theft Auto - China Town Wars
Guitarway to Heaven Collection
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Heat Seeker
Hero of Sparta
Initial D - Street Series (JAP)
Jackass PSP
James Cameron's AVATAR PSP
Kahoots
King of Fighters
Lord of the Rings Tactics
Lost Regnum
Lumines II
Madden NFL 10
Marvel Super Hero Squad
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Mytran Wars
Naruto Legends - Akatsuki Rising
Off Road
Pangya Fantasy Golf
Phantasy Star Portable
Pixel Junk Monsters
Pong
Prince of Persia - Rival Swords
Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands (NEW)
Puzzle Quest
Samurai Showdown Anthology
Soul Calibur - Broken Destiny FIX
Spinout
Steambot Chronicles
TENCHU 4 - Shadow Assassins
Tiger Woods 10
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 3
Tour de France 2009
Ultimate Ghosts N Goblins
Unbound Saga
V-F1 2009
Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Yu-Gi-Oh Tag Force 3

Games Archive - Updates

I haven't sorted my new games yet but I will eventually post the recent fixed games I got. The games are not in Alphabetical Order..

Assassin's Creed
Raw Vs. Smackdown 2010
NBA the inside 2010
NBA LIVE 10
NBA 2K10
FIFA 2010
TEKKEN 6
Gran Turismo
Need for Speed Shift

Wala na nako na memorize ang uban.. But these was the recent...

Tech Corner - The CFW 5.50 GEN-A

If you happened to read the previous firmware instructions, you will find it complex.
Pero sa akong na download nga CFW 5.50 GEN-A, Drag and drop ra.. That's all you need to do, Drag and Drop the fies to your PSP Folder sa PSP nimo... And run it on your PSP..

Make sure lang nga nka connect ang charger para dili ma disrupt ang upgrading process... nkasala nako ani once. Failed firmware upgrade always results to Bricking the PSP...

If you need this firmware, I have one with me and ready to install...