PSP Reviews – PSP Console, Games & Accessories

Tom Clancys Splinter Cell Essentials

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Essentials takes players deep into the Splinter Cell saga. Experience all-new missions and objectives exclusive to the PSP, and discover the untold story of Sam Fisher through flashbacks to various missions from the entire Splinter Cell franchise.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars A good game. Not a good SPLINTER CELL game, but a good game.
I bought this expecting exactly what I got: a fun, albeit stripped down in every way splinter cell game. I’m a long standing SC fan, and was glad they included the nostalgia filled levels that they did, like the GFO Oil Rig and Television Free Indonesia (bonus mission). The Double Agent levels were kind of cool, but the NSA mission felt terribly broken. The Camera was godawful, and the lack of variable walking speed made grabbing enemies nigh on impossible. Nonetheless, despite it’s flaws, it’s still a fun PSP game. I’d recommend it now that it’s so cheap.

4 Stars Not Up to Splinter Cell High Standards
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Essentials brings the fun world of stealth combat to the PSP. I adore the Splinter Cell series and really was looking forward to a PSP version to carry around with me. It just didn’t come up to my expectations.

Not that plot really matters in games like these, but what you get in Splinter Cell Essentials is sort of hokey. You’ve been captured while visiting your daughter’s grave, and the people who have caught you go over various missions you’ve done. As they talk about them, you relive them in your head. This gives the game the ability to leap wildly from situation to situation without any connection at all between them.

I know that PSP controls are going to be more challenging than console controls, but I play a LOT of PSP games. These were just not well designed. Sure, you can get used to them – you can get used to pretty much anything. Still, they could have done a much better job setting up and implementing the PSP controls to provide smooth gameplay.

The graphics are a mixed bag. On one hand, I love the Splinter Cell environment with the various goggles and how the characters animate and react. On the other hand, there’s no real shadows, much of the game is dark, and the camera was just AWFUL in several different situations. I’ve had it go into a super-close zoom while I was trying to navigate in a difficult situation, and I had to play by feel. You’re not supposed to be the Blind Sam Fisher.

I like the voice work and the general characters in this series. I also adore this style of gameplay, sneaking along and attempting to infiltrate without being seen. That being said, it seemed like there were a few ‘blast away’ sections – and not enough set-up to allow you to sneak well.

I think if they’d spent more time in beta-testing, they could easily have worked out some of these control issues and the camera issues. Especially since they were in many cases re-hashing existing situations, so they didn’t have to build the characters, environments or moves from scratch. It feels rushed to me. Maybe a sequel release will have more polish.

1 Star Splinter Cell Essentials is essentialy terrible
In all the years that I have played games from pc to xbox 360 to ps2 to psp, this is the worst game I have ever had the misfortune to purchase. These guys are lucky that we live in a society that companies don’t have to pay back its customers for simply a terrible product (unless it causes damages). The worst part of it is that Tom Clancy put his name on it. I have bought about everything Tom Clancy has ever written or supported. Not anymore. If this is the dribble that he is willing to support, I for one will no longer believe in anything he backs.

The game controls are terrible. To simply shoot someone you must stop, press the button to arm in which case you are frozen in place, try to aim and shoot all while getting shot without any ability at defense. The graphics are so bad it takes one back to pre windows technology. The story line is boring (well from the brief time I spent on this game). I rarely stop playing a game even if its not up to par. However, after about an hour or so I just had to stop it was so bad.

I highly recommend not playing this game and if you bought it and have not yet played it return it.

4 Stars Splinter Cell is still Splinter Cell
Sam Fisher’s PSP outing may not be perfect, but for a fan of the series, it’s just what the doctor ordered. While it may feel unpolished in some places and ancient in others (it brings back things like the “3 alarms and you’re out” rule) it’s still fairly solid portable Splinter Cell action and who can complain about that!?

So basically, Sam is being interrogated by the FBI and as they bring up old missions he’s done, you play ‘em. It basically a BS story, but it works alright and the graphic-novel-esque quality to the cut scenes was the right choice for the PSP.

If you’ve read other reviews about this game, then I’m sure you’re wary of the controls… DON’T BE! They are annoying for the first level or two, but once you get used to them, you’ll be sneaking, knifing, and sniping just like in the console versions (albeit a bit slower).

As far as the graphics are concerned, they’re up to par. The dynamic light system is here as are the vision modes and all the great animations are present as well. It’s generally a good looking game, although others on the PSP have since surpassed it.

The gameplay is almost as good as the console versions as you can sneak, jump, interrogate, hide bodies, knife people, etc. At times, it gets a little tedious, as the game throws at you situations where sneaking is VERY hard to do. Yet there are still enough exciting moments to keep this game fun.

For those of you who are too lazy to really read what I’ve written above (or those who just want to get the facts), I’ve put together this handy guide.

THE GOOD

-Carries pretty much everything over from the console SCs.

-Brings in knifing and knocking out from Chaos Theory.

-Graphically impressive, for the PSP.

-It’s SC, but portable!

-3 extra levels from Pandora Tomorrow including the train level and the

Television Station level.

-Sound quality is excellent, with voiceovers carried over as well.

THE BAD

-Controls are a pain for awhile, but they get better.

-Level choices is terrible (the oil rig from SC1, the NY mission from CT)

It could’ve been better.

-Sometimes feels too much like SC:PT, which is not a good thing.

-Story is stupid (although it works)

-Some pieces feel a bit unpolished

-Tedious at times and too action-y at times (you shouldn’t have to pull

out your gun and mow people down.

THE UGLY

-They got the action for killing someone and knocking them out after

grabbing them wrong (how could they miss that?!).

-No Shadows (except in like three parts, which is teasing)

-No real OCP, despite what manual says (really teasing)

-You can only walk too speeds, the slowest of which is not faster than

enemies, so grabbing them is a pain.

-When you knife bad guys from the front, they shoot you as they go down,

harming you or possibly killing you (why, ubi, why?).

-Loading times suck, but if you don’t think about them, it’s not too noticeable.

Overall, it’s a fun, portable, Splinter Cell experience, but it could’ve probably used a little more time in development to polish it up more. If you’re a SC fan, it’s worth the 40 bucks. If not, then I’d wait until the price drops 10-15 dollars before considering it and just going for a console version instead.

7.5/10

5 Stars A GREAT GAME
A very special game, with many situations and challenges that make it a GREAT game.

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Prinny Can I Really Be The Hero

KOEI presents adventurous spin-off of the popular RPG Disgaea, featuring the bird-like Prinny characters. You control an unlucky penguin called a Prinny and slash your way through various Netherworlds. You’re given 1000 lives to accomplish your mission, use everything you find on the battlefield to survive. Lift and throw objects, stomp enemies, even pilot tanks and planes to bombard whatever gets in your way. Standard mode allows you to take damage up to 3 times before losing a life Hell Mode where one means instant death Character art is created using fluid 2D sprites, giving it a classic look with a comical tone Battlefields and backgrounds are created with 3D models

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Hardcore fun.
This a very traditional old school platformer. It will push you to your limits and smack you down but you will be eager to come back for more.

4 Stars Hard game, but very pretty…
This game is HARD, takes me back to a simpler time where your character had to duck, dodge, and jump over the enemies, You have 999 lives, and believe me you are going to need them, boss fights were more enjoyable than the levels over all, but you have to be able to live with being in a near constantly frustrated state in order to finish the game. But is was FUN and I did finish it

4 Stars Challenge
Its a great game, good comedic story, alternate bosses and just plain addictive, but also not a game for little kids that’ll get frustrated easily, the 999 lives is there for good reason, first play through i used a good 300 of them. if you have patience, are persistent, and looking for a good challenge with great replay value its the game for you. Just remember there is only 2 difficulties Standard and Hell, and Standard is considerably HARD, just something to keep in mind.(cant get away with an easy option, just doesnt exist)

3 Stars Maybe ‘Insanely Great’, but also ‘Greatly Insane’
For those of you not familiar, “Prinnies” are the penguin-like servants of the main characters in Disgaea. Disgaea is a turn-based fantasy game (and a strange one at that), but this game is a side-scrolling platformer.

In “Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero?”, you take control of an army of 1,000 Prinnies, one at a time (your “lives” to beat the game). You have a standard arsenal of attacks: up close your Prinny will use his sword, he can jump up over bad guys and “butt-bash” them to stun them, and from a distance he can leap and fling infinite sword-blades, slowly dropping back to earth. An interesting touch is that using this jumping special attack will cause the 2-D realm to pivot and give you a momentary 3-D view of the action. This doesn’t do you any good; it’s just for effect. Prinnies can also grab onto ledges and haul themselves up, but they don’t appear capable of lowering themselves down.

Unfortunately, despite bright colors, silly dialogue, and lots of eccentric cuteness, there are some gameplay problems that keep this game from really being great. There’s lag when turning around or stunning, getting the timing of jumps can be very difficult, and the double-jumps, while very high, are also very hard to control. It’s really easy to get yourself knocked off a cliff, and worse still, getting hit can make you “bounce” and go off an edge. The addition of “bomb” attacks is cute: you can pick up a cartoon bomb and throw it. However, it’s easy to drop it, and even have it explode in your hands. Most of the time you play this game, you’ll find yourself knowing what you want to happen, having your timing perfect, but then watching it fail to execute. It can get very frustrating, and I’ve had to take the gameplay in small doses so as not to get too aggravated.

The copy of “Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?” that I received came in a box containing the standard plastic PSP game case, a booklet, the UMD of course, and also a CD of the soundtrack, complete with colorful cartoons and Japanese text in the liner notes. I don’t recommend the game for children, and I do recommend that interested teens or adults have good twitch reflexes, and lots of patience.

4 Stars Fun and Frustrating
I’m a HUGE Disgaea fan, and Prinny is another great game in the series. Not a strategy game, but an old skool platformer. Wonderful to look at, sweet animation, great voice acting, and HORRIBLY FRUSTRATING! Still I really like this game even if it has caused a little palm sweating frustration on my part.

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B Boy

Developed alongside Sony Computer Entertainment Europe the game will immerse you in a world of breaks, beats and B-Boys. Starting from the street, battle your way to become the best B-Boy in the world. Including the legendary Crazy Legs from the Rock Steady Crew, the game allows you to battle and jam with authentic B-Boy characters from across the globe. Battle you’re way through the ranks of B-Boys from the street through to recognized global competitions and events. Learn the moves and create original routines against a soundtrack of Hip Hop anthems. Taunt your rivals and gain respect from the B-Boys. Become the best and stay the best!
Advanced control and animation system allowing full control of your characters power moves, stylish freezes and flare driven combos ESRB Rated T for Teen

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Armored Core Formula Front Extreme Battle

Armored Core: Formula Front delivers a hardcore sim experience with all-new features not available in the Japanese version. This Special Edition utilizes the complex AI designing and wireless head-to-head action of the original version, and adds action-based player combat interaction to give PSP players the intense fighting gameplay they crave from Armored Core. Building an unstoppable warrior to annihilate the competition has never been so much fun.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars have some patience and watch some robot gladiators duke it out
I can see why this game is clearly not going to please everyone, it requires a GREAT deal of thought, patience, and tinkering, balancing out several different components, such as weight, energy consumption, and AI as you prepare your AC for its next duel. The time it takes to customize, tweak, test, and retest your AC far outweighs the few thrilling minutes that you actually watch it fight in a tournament. However, once you beat an opponent from the league you can have a free fight with them anytime at all. Also, if you do lose in a tournament battle, you can immediately try for a rematch or do some more tweaking first. If you have a friend with a PSP and a copy of the game, you can fight a duel with him too.

The weapons and tools used to create the ultimate AC fighting machine are very interesting. All in all, if this game sounds like fun, it sure is, but only if you are willing to spend a great deal of time concentrating on tinkering and tuning the parts as well as watching the results. Graphics of the mechs and their weapons in action are stunning, battlefields are interesting, most mech opponents present a real challenge to defeat, and the best part is this game costs under 15 dollars if you look around.

I would estimate this game would not be suitable for a someone under the age of 13, as all of the concepts of putting together a mech may be a bit overwhelming for a young child, and again, this game is not for everyone, it takes a lot of concentration and patience, working on a mech, part by part.

4 Stars Almost what I expected
I picked up this game a few days ago on the hope that the AI customization would allow for direct programming of the AI routines. For example: jump/fly forward 15 feet, scan, if enemy found: shoot, etc. Similar to Origin’s Omega circa 1987.

Actually, such AI programming is more suited to 2D enviroments than 3D, so I am not disappointed. What you get instead is a small set of routines you get to unlock, and a bunch of combat style variables. The selling point for others, I suppose, is the ability to use 300 or so components to construct your uber-AC and combat other such constructs either manually (with the US edition) or in simulation. I have learned that the game is seriously unballanced in this respect. There is the possibility to construct an AC which is so stupidly powerful, that anyone who has less than a modicum of an idea what they are doing (such as myself) will simply be obliterated within 15 seconds. The challenge then becomes, ignoring the point of numerous failures, what exactly is his weakness? Well, he’s slow and heats up fast. You can’t get him by direct attacking. Too tough. You can’t get him by flying about, he’ll just shoot you down. And if you try long distance sniping, the arena is too small, he just has to get into range. So all I can think of is to try to stay out of his vision, and wait until he breaks down from overheating after 2/3 of the match is over. This game requires some difficult planning. I think the game should have allowed for some form of direct AI programming in order to deal with this issue and to the circumvent the need to find the right tactical combination of routines through tedious trial and error. But I did buy the game expecting this.

5 Stars Armored Core rules!
Best game for PSP ever

2 Stars Rusty, creaky, and simply not fun.
The Armored Core series has had a rusty life the last few years. Despite a cult following, the mech customization video game has lost its touch time and time again. With the PSP version, Armored Core: Formula Front, this trend continues. Formula Front isn’t as bad as the recent Ps2 outing, Nine Breaker, but arguably so. I wouldn’t consider this an action game as much as I’d consider it a big game of chess, where the pawns and bishops are replaced with guns and different body parts of each robot.

In Armored Core: Formula Front, you are the engineer and leader of a team in the mech league known as the FFA. You customize and alter five of your very own mechs, each of which you try to differentiate in order to formulate strategic gameplans and strategies. Through winning matches, you progress through the FFA ranks and eventually become the top AC team. Throughout the experience, you’ll be informed of all the latest FFA and team rules, you’ll be challenged by beaten opponents, and more. This stuff kept me into the experience more than I expected.

Customizing your mechs is the name of the game here, and you could spend hours on each of your hulking robots. Each of the dozens and dozens of parts have different parameters that alter the performance of your AC. You can equip your mech with the strongest weaponry around, but those big guns will bog you down and overheat your mech faster than you’d ever believe. Of course, smaller guns make way for better agility and terrain movement as well as decreased energy use and better cooling. Equipping parts isn’t the only thing you’ll do. In fact, you’ll tune those parts, replace them, set the AC’s personal artificial intelligence, and more. It’s all about your personal preferences, and of course the competition ahead. If you’re about to go up against a defensively weak but speedy AC, you will want to plan accordingly and try to counter the AC with a speedy but powerful mech. If you’re about to face a beefy pile of steel, you’ll want to slow down the pace and have enough power to outlast your opponent, perhaps from long range. If you’re into this kind of customization, you’re going to absolutely love Formula Front. It’s like a slower, virtual game of chess that involves robots and guns. If you don’t, to put it bluntly, you’re going to hate this game.

In the Japanese version of this game, you couldn’t actually PLAY as your mechs–you could make them, coordinate their AI, and watch them fight. In the American version, you can actually control your ACs on the battlefield but the controls are so broken and the computer AI is so good that playing the game is a worthless effort. I eventually gave up and decided to watch the mechs fight instead. Fortunately the graphics are very attractive, and the mech action is fast-paced and exciting to watch. After playing a few matches I decided to stick to watching my mechs after tuning the AI, and I had a much better time. I’m very upset, though, that it’s not as fun to play Formula Front.

As I said, the visuals are top-notch. This is a very attractive PSP game. You’ll scope out individual parts and intricate details on your mechs. Explosion effects and particles look fantastic. Overall Formula Front looks like a second- or third-year Playstation 2 game. The music isn’t bad, either–and when paired with the explosive sound effects, realistic warning sounds, and gunfire, this title is a nicely-presented game. Of course, it doesn’t have an excuse to be anything otherwise. If a game’s actual gameplay is indended to be observed rather than played, the game in mind should look and sound fantastic. This is Forumla Front’s saving grace, and if you’re one of the people I said would love the game earlier, these factors will only improve the experience to you.

I regret to report the rest of the PSP crowd that Armored Core: Formula Front isn’t the action game you’re looking for. Armored Core fans might enjoy it for its customization and impressive superficial qualities, but almost anyone else will immediately regret a purchase because there isn’t much gameplay involved. From Software, I know you’re capable of making an Armored Core that is more fun to play than watch. Please do it next time.

(NOTE: This review also appeared on another website that I write for on a regular basis.)

5 Stars For the AC vets
If you’re looking at this game, odds are you’ve played an Armored Core game before. If that is the case then you’re in for more of the same, only now you can take it with you.

One thing to keep in mind is that the description of the game is inaccurate. They haven’t updated it from the description of the original Japanese version. The original Jap version of the game does not let you control your mech, but in making the game for US audiences they realized that this wouldn’t fly, so they changed the gameplay so it’s just like the classic AC games, where you control your Core.

Overall, if you like big robots and want to create your own, this is your game.

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Syphon Filter Logans Shadow

Gabe Logan makes a dramatic return this fall in Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow exclusively for PSP handheld entertainment system. This original title created by Sony’s Bend Studio is the sequel to the award winning action title, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and features all-new combat mechanics, weapons and an engaging storyline that will leave you wondering who to trust. In an all new story written by Greg Rucka, author of the Queen and Country series of novels and graphic novels, Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow provides a sophisticated and gripping storyline that is sure to resonate with comic book lovers and action enthusiasts. We find Gabe Logan once again using a combination of stealth and “run-and-gun” gameplay as he is called into action when a dangerous new technology is hijacked by a criminal extremist group. In a story that takes him from the depths of the Indian Ocean to the deserts of the Middle East, Gabe is faced with the possibility that his long time partner, Lian Xing is a double agent. New mini game features, brand new to the Syphon Filter franchise. All new story written by Greg Rucka, critically acclaimed author of comic books and novels (Batman, Gotham Central, Queen and Country) All new sound track featuring award winning composer Azam Ali. ESRB Rated RP for Rating Pending

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars one of the best shooting games i’ve ever played
this game is great. it looked fun on the enternet, and its fun on the psp. and Logan’s Shadow what a beast name. get it one of the best shooting games i’ve ever played

5 Stars Fun
One of the best PSP games I’ve played to date (actually played it twice)

the graphics is awesome, the interaction and storyline is great… if i could give it more stars i would

5 Stars very fun single and multi player
I really enjoyed playing this game, and would recomend it to anyone who likes third person shooter games.

5 Stars AWSOME,ADDICTING
THIS GAME HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KEEP YOU GOING. NICE AND LENGTHY GAME “STORY MODE”. GREAT MULTIPLAYER MAKES AIMING VERY CHALLENGING. IF YOU ARE A GAMER THAT LOVES TO SNIPE THEN GET THIS GAME, IT’S GREAT FROM BEGINNING TO END. IT HAS UNLOCKABLES BUT YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE EACH MISSION TO THE FULLEST I ONLY MANAGE TO UNLOCK ONE GAME. SO NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK AND REPLAY MAPS. BUT I DON’T MIND DOING THEM AGAIN.

5 Stars SF series…the best
Im a fan of SF series, the game is nice and I always love the dubbing in different languages which gives it more realism. The music is very good and gives room to action.. Full recommended!!

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