Awesome, missed this title for PS2. Heard it's great fun.

Lumines, Wipeout Pure, GTA, Syphon Filter, Daxter. Just a highly rated few non-ports. And by DS standards of what is/isn't a port, I could name many more. Have you ever even touched a PSP?

The only reason LocoRoco can't be played on any other platform is because it hasn't been released for any other platform. There's no reason it couldn't work every bit as well on PS2 or 360.

For those not afriad to import, Every Extra Extend (E3) is fabulous. It is very much like Rez - a shooter with trippy visuals and the ability to control the music, but with a puzzle aspect added. You can't shoot, only self destruct, so lining up chain reactions is essential. In fact, bosses can only be hurt by chain combos. The game also features a branching difficulty curve. Do well and you'll unlock harder versions of the later stages. Great stuff; PSP exclusive.

JET

Nice PSP-bashing.

Let's just blatantly ignore the 30 or so stellar titles already kicking ass in your lap.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/psp/scores/

Dusted off remakes and ports is something that is hardly new to handheld gaming, and is definitely not limited to just Sony.

By the way, what's wrong with ports when they are good? SSX, Virtua Tennis, Powerstone, Burnout Legends (which really isn't a port), Tekken, etc. Did Resident Evil 4 suck when it came out on PS2?

Does every editor at Joystiq have to chime in with their personal opinion on every goddamned news article they post? If I wanted somebody's opinion on the game, I'd read a review or hands-on preview. Christ almighty.

It's getting to be more and more like Kotaku, only without the shoddy graphics and more fruitless console-bias.

Out of the three paragraphs in that article, two of them had literally nothing to do with the news story at hand. Brilliant reporting, guys.

Where are all the Infrastructure games? I mean Adhoc for all these old games is nice if you can find someone living in your area with a copy of the game. I don't know, even Monster Hunter (Great internet PS2 game) on PSP doesn't have an Internet mode.

Is Infrastructure really that hard, or are software companies just not willing to invest in the feature? Kindda sad.

There is a reason why publishers are dusting off old games and porting them to the PSP, the system sucks. Why spend good money on making original games when the system has such a low market share, in comparison especially to the DS. It's easier to just port over old games, which have already been created and generated revenued back in the day.

@ #4

A simple copy/paste of the website you posted reveals that no game got above an 89 in score, and most of those were released in 2005. Here's a rundown:

1 Lumines 2005 (Deserves it.)
2 WipEout Pure (Decent racing game.)
3 Tekken: Dark Resurrection (port of arcade game, but Ill give you that.)
4 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Remake. Ported to PS2.)
5 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Not even a game.)
6 Ridge Racer (Compliation of past RR games.)
7 Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (Decent shooter.)
8 Burnout Legends (Compliation of past Burnout games.)
9 Daxter (Decent platformer.)
10 X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (Direct port.)
11 Virtua Tennis: World Tour (Port.)
12 LocoRoco (One of the few original games on the list.)
13 MLB '06: The Show (Port)
14 Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix (Port)
15 Mega Man Powered Up (Good game, but how many MM games are there? Going on 30+?)
16 TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator (Port.)
17 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo (Good shooter)
18 Tales of Eternia (Only available by import, so I reserve judgment.)
19 OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (Arcade port.)
20 Race Driver 2006 (Another racer? Port of a... PSP game. Ok, I stretched for that one. =D)
21 Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee (Decent golf game.)
22 WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 (Port)
23 Gitaroo Man Lives! (Import only, will reserve judgment.)
24 LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Port)
25 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (Another decent golf game.)
26 Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX (Port of arcade game.)
27 Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (Not even a game.)
28 Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (Port of a PS title.)
29 Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (Port.)
30 NBA Live 06 (Port.)


I think the earlier comment of the PSP being the home of ports is pretty valid here.

Joystiq-bias your link only proves his point even more. The PSP still hasn't had a 90 game yet. Look at the top 12. Lumines is coming to XBLA, Liberty City Stories is out on PS2. Then there all the other ports, Ridge Racer, Burnout Legends, X:Men Legends 2, and Virtua Tennis: World Tour. Advent's Children isn't even a game even though it's rated 5th, and it's cheaper on DVD than on UMD. Then there are the three good PSP titles, Tekken, Daxter, and Syphon Filter all good games but still a sequel to games that are easier to play on a console. Then there is Number 12 Loco Roco, the best rated original game only for the PSP, just like James said. Look I'm not here to start a flame war, the PSP has plenty of good games. And to be honest the 360 hasn't had that killer app either, but they got a bright future with things like Gears of War and Lost Planet coming down the line. They should stop trying to make console games on the handheld, being almost just as good as the original (Tekken, Socom), and instead try to make a game that takes advantage of the handheld like LocoRoco. The PSP needs titles like what the DS has with Nintendogs or Brain Age.

PSP was simply too sophisticated for the content that was supposed to make it a competitor.

There's nothing wrong with ports but when they are the only things selling well and none are new IPs or fresh takes on established IPs, then there's something wrong. Growth no longer happens. Especially if you have console-sized production costs on a console-priced portable system that can only play console-style games half-assed because it doesn't have console-style controls (most significantly, analogue sticks).

For DS and GBA, many of the best selling games are ports but some of them are original titles. If they don't sell as well as say, GTA, it won't matter because the games were less expensive to produce, as it should be for portable titles anyways.

The list Joystiq-Bias is good for reference. More than HALF, if not more that THREE-FOURTHS of those titles were originally concieved as PS2 or other console titles. Usually people might ignore them and rightly so because there are versions that are cheaper and play better on a PS2, Xbox, or GameCube.

The games that DO make it are 2D games like Lumines, just as Tetris did for the original GameBoy. Loco Roco is also extremely fun. Save the shooters for the home console. Some people find them fun, but they aren't a portable game is.

The difference with RE4 for PS2 is that RE4 IS NOT A DIRECT PORT. The game was completely remade for PS2 with a different Capcom developer while work was finished for the GC version. However, remakes [not ports] are getting more and more frequent on PSP as well, as the article cites with Gitaroo Man.

Why no love Joystiq? A good game is a good game. You’ve got to try pretty hard to use a re-release of Gitaroo Man as a blow to the PSP. If the DS was getting a re-release of a great game like Starfox 64 or Ocarina of Time would you be so negative?

"Why is it so frickin' hard to make exceptional PSP games that can't be played on any other platform? LocoRoco? Is that all we've got?"

I missed that qualifier of "can't be played on any other platform". Well considering the PSP has less buttons than the other platforms that kind of makes it difficult. What does it matter anyways? Perhaps portable ops will suffice with it's GPS integration. I think it's enough that most PSP titles can't be played on any other portable because they don't have the power.

This sounds exactly like what was said about the GBA in its first year and we all know how that turned out. With familiar development tech to work on, remakes are a cheap and easy way to generate revenue while working on more original titles.

Raynre,

I love when people call GTA a port. It was on the PSP first, hello. Yeah, the PSP games are SOOOO crappy, that's why they are ported to others systems. And by the way, there are only 2 DS games rated above 89. And one of them has been on 3 other generations of Nintendo systems. And it's only a 91. Wow, those 2 points really make or break a game.

Considering that the PSP version of Gitaroo-Man plays better than the PS2's (yes I own the import), true gamers should be ecstatic about this "port".

God people are stupid, he is saying that the PSP doesn't have many good original games, you know, games that aren't available on other systems, not games that can only be played on the PSP because of its hardware or anything like that. In simpler terms, PSP Original games= (mostly) Not good, PSP Ports/remakes/continuations of franchises, aka Daxter, GTA, Wipeout, Syphon Filter= (mostly) Good.

There is nothing wrong with ports, they are fun to play, but the editor is talking about PSP's lack of originality. There is a ridiculous amount of fanboyism in these posts, not only the ones bashing the article for pointing out the truth about the PSP's lack of originality, but also # 11. which is blantant nintendo fanboy hating on the PSP.

And about the complaining on editors giving you their opinions, why they hell are you even here? Sure they give news, but they also give you what they think, haven't you realized that by now? If you only want news, then only read the 1st or so paragraph, or go to IGN.com whatever, but if you don't like the site, then get out.

I do not understand why it is so difficult for people to like numerous systems and take the good parts of them along with the bad, instead of choosing 1 because it is made by a certain company or because it is the cool thing to have and blindly following it. To all the fanboys, take a look at yourselves, end of rant in 3,2,1- http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=142

Conbus,

If orginality means a cooking game, arithmetic game, or virtual puppy, I'll stick with the PSP. But by those standards, what is Lumines?

#12:

GTA LCS is a pretty impressive achievement - it is a remake/sequel, but with added content (multiplayer) and on a handheld no less - and getting ported to the PS2 (and not the other way around) is a positive mark for the PSP.

i just imported this last week. never got around to getting it on PS2 so when i heard they ported it i was pretty excited. but now after playing it.....i realize its really short. i beat it the day i got it. its fun to go back in an replay the levels for now but i doubt that will last long. i only paid $20 for it so im not too upset but i know i would not pay the $40 they're probably going to charge for it over here.

"If orginality means a cooking game, arithmetic game, or virtual puppy, I'll stick with the PSP. But by those standards, what is Lumines?"

DS is TEH STUPIDSZORZ!!!LOL!!!! ITS GOTS DIFFENET GAEMS SO ITS TEH STUPID!!!LOL!

Just because it has those games doesn't mean you have to BUY them, retard

What if I want to play PS2 games on the bus?

"What if I want to play PS2 games on the bus?"

http://www.benheck.com/Games/Sony_projects/PS2p/PS2p%201.htm

@ #12

You missed the point, senior douchebag, but let me bring up a new one.

The Joystiq staff and its army of stylus-weilding fangirls will take any and every opportunity to point out all of the (subjective) PSP's faults, even when it nothing to fucking do with the story at hand.

Apparently that's the best part of owning a DS. Trolling comments and stories unrelated to the DS for potential opportunity to run drooling junior-high smack talk.

The story is as old and boring as the system you call your own.

*Yawn*

I do not own a PSP. I'm not the hugest Sony fan. I'm very fond of Nintendo, but even I can admit that my favorite gaming company is notorious for re-releasing just about every "classic" title in their library. And they get high marks from the industry for it. And people still eat it up.

That being said, rhythm games seem like a genre which would get very old, very quickly if one played essentially the same game over again. The fun is in mastering new songs.

Wow, lots of PSP fanboys commenting in here.

I bought a PSP at launch. I still own it, but haven't touched it in months, for the very same reason he is bitching about.

BTW, this is a BLOG. They can comment on whatever they want.

"Why is it so frickin' hard to make exceptional PSP games that can't be played on any other platform?"

Because the PSP seems to be dying (I'm not happy about it either, believe me) and it would be like throwing money away to support it with great games.

The DS is better because its Nintendo. Nintendo IS video games they have been here since the beginning. Sony has no business even being in the console business. Nintendo is here to bring us orignality and all sony is here to do is line their pockets by porting all their old games to the psp (while it lasts) lol.

Yeah, Nintendo invented video games. There were no consoles ever before the NES. And Sony never contributed ANYTHING to the world of video games.

And I'm called a fanboy (ironic considering I don't even care for Sony, I just like my PSP).

@ #18

"I love when people call GTA a port. It was on the PSP first, hello. Yeah, the PSP games are SOOOO crappy, that's why they are ported to others systems. And by the way, there are only 2 DS games rated above 89. And one of them has been on 3 other generations of Nintendo systems. And it's only a 91. Wow, those 2 points really make or break a game."

1. I said it was ported to the PS2. (For $30 cheaper I might add.) I never said the PSP game was a port. I said it was a remake, which is true, since they used the exact same city but added in new mission.

2. That's 2 more than the PSP has.

3. Mario Kart DS and Advance Wars: Duel Strike are two new iterations of an existing franchise. There are several existing tracks from past MKs, so Ill let you have a point and call it a half-remake, half-new version of the game. I listed Daxter for the PSP as a decent platformer, not a remake or port even though it is alread part of an existing franchise. GTA:LCS is a remake, not a port.

Your pitiable attempts at twisting my words has failed miserably.

... and Advance Wars has been on the NES, SNES, GBA, and DS, so techincally it has been on 4 generations of Nintendo consoles. =D

@ #27 "DS Port-a-potty"

"You missed the point, senior douchebag, but let me bring up a new one.

The Joystiq staff and its army of stylus-weilding fangirls will take any and every opportunity to point out all of the (subjective) PSP's faults, even when it nothing to fucking do with the story at hand.

Apparently that's the best part of owning a DS. Trolling comments and stories unrelated to the DS for potential opportunity to run drooling junior-high smack talk.

The story is as old and boring as the system you call your own.

*Yawn*"

Love the name, and must I say, your masterful use of crude American insults really drives home the point that I am in fact, a "douche bag." After all, when someone makes the comment that the PSP has a boatload of ports, and someone (blindly) attempts to defend the PSP with a link that BLATENTLY SHOWS that the PSP has said ports, does that mean that no one is allowed to respond to such blind fanboyism? Of course it does! Because you like the PSP, and no one questions the All-Might wrath of Sony!

Also, what system do I call my own? I never said that I own a DS. I never said that I owned a PSP. I might own a PSP, and then you'd be insulting the very system that you are so valiantly defending. I might own an advanced version of the PS3, but you have no way of knowing that.

Thank you for giving me a chance to put my college courses to good use. Good day.

Sony fanboys need to calm down.

@ 21. Notice I said (Most). Most original PSP games aren't too good, not all, most. I haven't played, nor intend to play that DS cooking game, looks too stupid, Brain Age was actually pretty fun, and Nintendogs was quite enjoyable.

I don't want to turn this into, a PSP vs. DS discussion (God knows there have been enough of those) so I won't talk about the DS anymore.

The PSP has been pretty much just that, a Portable Playstation. Most of the games you can play on your console, you can play on the PSP, and there isn't really anything bad about that, since alot of them are good. But the point of this article was 1st to talk about Gitaroo Man, and then to talk about PSP's lack of originality. I fail to see anything wrong with that, since it is the editor giving his opinion on that certain topic. It would be like someone writing an article on Starfox Command and tie-ing it in to DS games not looking very good. It is the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts (apparently the truth ALWAYS hurts in videogames.)

Bottom line, the DS having original/innovative games doesn't make the PSP any less original. The fact that MOST PSP games that are worth a damn are ports- does.

woah! post # 26. by crono141, when I followed the link, mcafee site advisor marked it red. I then checked the report and it said that that site benheck.com will give you a trojan. I know I just posted but I thought it would be appropriate to give a warning not to go there. If you dont believe me then check it out- http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/benheck.com

This has nothing to do with videogames, I just don't want anyone (even the ppl I disagree with) to get their computers messed up.

So what everyone is saying is that the PSP is nothing
but a portable version of the Playstation 2? With a name like Playstation Portable, I would have never expected such a thing. What's next, a DS with dual screens!?

Who gives a damn about PSP games? They all suck and are crap ports/offshoots of a better game.

Now, PSP itself, coupled with web browsing, video/audio playback, homebrew, emulation, and much bigger support for these things than any other handhelds-with-homebrew makes PSP a worthy handheld to own. Only game I own is GTA:LCS in order to run homebrew.

"woah! post # 26. by crono141, when I followed the link, mcafee site advisor marked it red. I then checked the report and it said that that site benheck.com will give you a trojan. I know I just posted but I thought it would be appropriate to give a warning not to go there. If you dont believe me then check it out- http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/benheck.com

This has nothing to do with videogames, I just don't want anyone (even the ppl I disagree with) to get their computers messed up."

Then don't download anything. Just read that the man made a PS2p, which was the whole point.

Well I missed out on the PS2 version but I played the demo in "OPM Classics" or w/e and fell in love with. I've played that demo for at least a few hours, no joke. I do feel ripped off since theres no new gameplay and they could have just as easily printed more PS2 copies and treated it as a rerelease for a 20-30 dollar PS2 game but I guess I'll buy it for my PSP since its coming out.

JOYSTIQ!

Seriously! I love you folks, but you're missing out on the ONE thing that we need you for.

You shouldn't stop loving games!

Being a little fanboy sometimes is fun! Seriously! But you're growing bitter now. Stop this. People will come to this blog because they love games. They love gaming.

You're losing this now. And then you'll lose all your readers. The good ones, anyway.

Think about it, Joystiq. Please?

Regarding the story at hand, I've purchased the imported Gitaroo Man Live! for PSP and it's probab ly my favorite title after Lumines. Was dissappointed to see that it was the same as my Gitaroo Man on PS2 (I was under the impression it was a sequel) I came to he conclusion that it was, in fact, better implemented than the original and actually feels like a more polished and finished title than it's full-sized original.

I imported guitaroo man and I love it. I'll probably get the US version just to enjoy the story part of it. I'm not mad at games which are ported over to the psp long as they add some good bonuses and extras besides just ad hoc play.

Hell, I'm happy with ports on my PSP. I bought Burnout Legends and THUG 2: Remix for $20 each last week, and they're incredibly fun. I probably have played my PSP more then my NDS, thanks mostly to Lumines and the games I mentioned above.

Not to mention, I'm looking foward to Gitaroo Hero. I missed the PS2 version, so I gotta check out this one.

@ #33 "Senior Douchebag"


>> "Love the name, and must I say, your masterful use of crude American insults really drives home the point that I am in fact, a "douche bag."

Thanks, although I realize it was a bit redundant pointing out the obvious.




>> "After all, when someone makes the comment that the PSP has a boatload of ports, and someone (blindly) attempts to defend the PSP with a link that BLATENTLY SHOWS that the

PSP has said ports, does that mean that no one is allowed to respond to such blind fanboyism? Of course it does! Because you like the PSP, and no one questions the All-Might

wrath of Sony! "

Bring on the ports. I love ports. That's the reason I bought a PlayStation Portable. I want to "port" (as in portable port of a console game you portly douche) my games around

on my portable game machine. What a fuckin concept!

In fact, here's a shirt list of some MORE games I would like to see ported, in no particular order:

Rez
Resident Evil 4
Devil May Cry
Ratchet and Clank
DOA
Shadow of the Colossus
God of War
Call of Duty (in dev)
Rainbow Six (in dev)
Unreal Tournament
Soul Calibur 1, 2 or 3
Metal Gear Solid (in dev)
Okami
Ico
Gran Turismo (in dev)
Half Life
Psychonauts
Onimusha
Final Fantasy 8
Kingdom Hearts
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
The Warriors
Def Jam (already out)
Rygar
Quake 3 or 4

...blah blah blah blah, I could go on and on and on. You will probably see most of those games on the PSP sooner or later.

The fact of the matter is that fleshsocks such as yourself are quick to snap at the first attempt to lay down some bullshit against the PSP. I don't know why - maybe people like

you just don't like good games on the go. Maybe "unique" pet-the-puppy, solve-the-elementary--school-math-equation, cook-the-caserole type of games are your thing. Maybe you

should stfu because I'm really tired of hearing it.




>> "I might own an advanced version of the PS3..."

If you do, you paid too much for it. And by the way, what would be an "advanced" version of the PS3? One that's actually finished, with a devkit, online service, et al?




>> "Thank you for giving me a chance to put my college courses to good use. Good day."

I bet your parents are proud of the mone

@ #33 "Senior Douchebag"


>> "Love the name, and must I say, your masterful use of crude American insults really drives home the point that I am in fact, a "douche bag."

Thanks, although I realize it was a bit redundant pointing out the obvious.



>> "After all, when someone makes the comment that the PSP has a boatload of ports, and someone (blindly) attempts to defend the PSP with a link that BLATENTLY SHOWS that the PSP has said ports, does that mean that no one is allowed to respond to such blind fanboyism? Of course it does! Because you like the PSP, and no one questions the All-Might wrath of Sony! "

Bring on the ports. I love ports. That's the reason I bought a PlayStation Portable. I want to "port" (as in portable port of a console game you portly douche) my games around on my portable game machine. What a fuckin concept!

In fact, here's a shirt list of some MORE games I would like to see ported, in no particular order:

Rez
Resident Evil 4
Devil May Cry
Ratchet and Clank
DOA
Shadow of the Colossus
God of War
Call of Duty (in dev)
Rainbow Six (in dev)
Unreal Tournament
Soul Calibur 1, 2 or 3
Metal Gear Solid (in dev)
Okami
Ico
Gran Turismo (in dev)
Half Life
Psychonauts
Onimusha
Final Fantasy 8
Kingdom Hearts
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
The Warriors
Def Jam (already out)
Rygar
Quake 3 or 4

...blah blah blah blah, I could go on and on and on. You will probably see most of those games on the PSP sooner or later.

The fact of the matter is that fleshsocks such as yourself are quick to snap at the first attempt to lay down some bullshit against the PSP. I don't know why - maybe people like you just don't like good games on the go. Maybe "unique" pet-the-puppy, solve-the-elementary--school-math-equation, cook-the-caserole type of games are your thing. Maybe you should stfu because I'm really tired of hearing it.



>> "I might own an advanced version of the PS3..."

If you do, you paid too much for it. And by the way, what would be an "advanced" version of the PS3? One that's actually finished, with a devkit, online service, et al?



>> "Thank you for giving me a chance to put my college courses to good use. Good day."

I bet your parents are proud of the money they spent.

"What's even more disappointing is that these ports, as well as the downgraded PSP versions of multiplatform releases and franchise spin-offs, are consistently earning higher critical marks than the PSP's original content. Gangs of London? Bounty Hounds? Rengoku 2?"

Could it be that these new, original, titles suck? Gasp, I think we are on to something here.

A game's score is directly related to the qualtity of the product, and quality can still be found in "sloppy seconds". I personally loved and played through the Japanese import, and may pick up the US version just so I can understand what the hell was going on in the cutscenes.

"Apparently that's the best part of owning a DS. Trolling comments and stories unrelated to the DS for potential opportunity to run drooling junior-high smack talk."

This bears repeating. Truer words about Joystiq were NEVER spoken, same with their Nintendo-fanatic much-pandered-to fanbase.

Fact: The DS has plenty of ports. Many of them suck.
Fact: The DS has 2 or 3 90+ games, but has fewer 80+.
Fact: The word 'port' is almost as oft (mis)used as 'innovation' by Nintendo fans.
Fact: The DS relies far more heavily on extremely old (SNES, GBA) game models, regardless of whether the games are direct ports.
Fact: The DS has more titles rated under 50 than the PSP.
Fact: For a 'dying' system, the PSP is still selling well and has a amazing list of games for the coming months.
Fact: I've owned and preferred more Nintendo products than others in my time dating back to the Atari 2600, but in the past couple of months I haven't touched my imported DS Lite. Too many great games on the PSP to play. Since I rarely game on my consoles, I couldn't care less if they're ports.
Fact: Joystiq bashes Sony in almost every blog they post, much to the glee of the otherwise dejected Nintendo fans. Joystiq is their shining light of N-slanted journalism masquerading as multiplat in a world where the last 10 years have been unkind to Nintendo home consoles.