The Big Life

So, in an earlier entry, I talked about getting a PSP modded. Here’s something that I didn’t mention: I just got a PSP. Yeah, yeah, I know – it’s been out for a while — I waited out ‘til the game library grew, ‘til I finally got one.

This’ll do well for those long trips, (got the idea from this article — I mean, on long trips I gotta keep myself entertained — yes, I’m my own kid, haha!) though I doubt if I’m gonna get to do any playing done once I get to where I’m going, as I like taking in new environments and taking pictures.

Obviously the PSP’s an impressive piece of portable gaming, and, with my bundle, I got Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Wayne Gretzky Hockey thrown in. I did grab a few games the other day, and so far, here they are:

God of War: Chains of Olympus – Okay, I admit — I haven’t played this one too much yet, but hey, I loved the PS2 games and am really contemplating on getting that PS3 for the third installment. The story involves our ever-intense anti-hero Kratos, roughly 10 years before the first game and … well, I haven’t played through it much yet. (I’ll follow up on this one in a later post.)

Tekken: Dark Resurrection – If I was to point out a game that made a couple of past controllers’ buttons floppy, it’d be Tekken. I’ve literally spent maybe weeks just looking forward to getting home for it! But now, no no no, I could bring it with me! If there’s a word describing any new version of Tekken, it’d be “MOAR!” The added characters + features guarantee a few months’ worth of replay value, plus, did I mention it looks great? (the PSP d-pad thing takes a bit of getting used to)

And now, for the game that truly occupies most of my PSP time — the one I didn’t see coming — the seemingly-simplistic Patapon! Both of the other games I bought mentioned above are kids of a franchise that spawned them — and this, a true PSP child, is one of the very unique reasons to get one. A rhythm-based strategy game (yes, you heard right!) that will have you chanting, Patapon truly is a unique experience. It’s just one of those, seemingly-simplistic-yet-truly-deep instant classics that won’t impress with words, but by actual gameplay. It has the same appeal as Pikmin, in my opinion, with the player actually developing concern for the cute little critters.

Gameplay is commanding your tribe by timing drum beats to the rhythm. Drum beats are different per button, and combinations of beats make up the commands, say, moving forward is “pata pata pata pon,” meaning you have to press square, square, square then circle. I just defeated the third boss, and learned a new song — plus, the light-hearted music and visuals make it appealing to both kids and adults alike. It will have you chanting “Pon Pon Pata Pon” in your sleep!

I heard the same studio that developed Patapon made another game, Loco Roco, and reviews online are positive, so I might pick that one up once I finish.

Any game recommends?