Actually, I bought it quite some time ago, but it took its sweet time getting to me. Plus, after it finally arrived in my neighborhood, it had to sit at the local "carrier annex" for a full week before I was able to come rescue it. (Which is what happens, I guess, when you go from being a full-time freelancer to having a full-time office job and thus no longer have the luxury of pretty much always being home when such packages arrive.)
Sadly, I haven't been able to do much more than charge its battery, start it up, set it up, download a couple of PSP games from my PSN account (Patchwork Heroes being one of them) and connect with a few pals between last weekend and today.
I'm planning to spend a lot more time with it late next week and the following weekend, though--right after I wrap up the class I mentioned in yesterday's post about my Solitiba and Katamari Damacy doodles, basically.
As for what I'll be playing once I finally give my Vita the attention it deserves: well, I'll probably begin with Danganronpa, although it's possible I'll also download and play a bit of Magical Beat, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines or Pix the Cat.
Given that my gaming wish list is sorely lacking in Vita titles at the moment (it includes the ones I just mentioned, of course, as well as a handful of others), I thought I'd ask all of you who also have Sony's PSP follow-up to share with me any recommendations you may have for a Vita noob like myself.
Should any must-play Vita games come to mind in the next few hours, days or even weeks, please share their names in the comments section of this post.
41 comments:
OlliOlli2, SoundShapes, Hohokum, Sine Mora, Lumines: Electronic Symphony, Me & My Katamari (remap the button-controls to analog), TxK, and Futuridium EP. Oh, and Proteus for sleepy bedtime relaxation.
Gravity Rush? Gravity Rush. Gravity Rush. (Literally my GOTY 2012)
I already mentioned these on twitter, but Persona 4 Golden and Tearaway are must-owns (Tearaway is so adorable), and Spelunky is a great time-killer.
Gravity Rush is like one of the principle reasons I want to pick up a Vita (esp. now that it's getting a sequel???), so maybe that and the Touch My Katamari game? Usually can't go wrong with Katamari...
Thank you for this extensive list, Walter! And thank you, too, for reminding me of Hohokum. I'll definitely have to check out that one soon, even though I still don't really understand how it plays, the point of it, etc.
Also, it sounds like you're saying Katamari Vita is made better by re-mapping the controls? Because, in general, it's not very well liked, right?
Ah, yes, Gravity Rush. How could I forget to mention that one? In my defense, it *is* on my rather short Vita wish list--and probably will be one of the next two Vita games I buy (along with P4G).
Anyway, thanks for the comment/recommendation!
Hello again! I'm definitely getting P4G soon. In fact, it'll likely be my next retail/physical Vita game purchase--although Dokuro (JP version) and Gravity Rush may have a little something to say about that...
Gravity Rush does look and sound mighty impressive, Zach, and I'll definitely be buying it sometime soon--along with a few other Vita games (like Dokuro, Oreshika, P4G, etc.), of course!
Totally!
Hohokum is perfect on Vita, as well as SoundShapes. Play with loud volume (especially on Proteus). Sounds so good.
And yes, Me & My Katamari with Vita controls made it one of my favorite entries next to the first two, and I wish the sequels took the direction it went with the theme/locations. Helping animals by making them islands was just magical. It gets a bit repetitive, but still great. Oh, and load times are better. Overall, its a ton better than the Vita entry itself, which I found a bit difficult and boring.
Tearaway, Gravity Rush and Persona 4 Golden are must-owns. If you don't mind ports of older games, the Sly Cooper series, Final Fantasy X and X-2 handle great on Vita. You also can't go wrong with Spelunky or SteamWorld; Dig. I'm also a fan of Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.
Ah! For some dumb reason, I thought you were talking about Touch My Katamari, the Vita-specifc sequel, in your last comment, Walter. Instead, you were talking about the PSP sequel, right?
That said, neither title is all that highly acclaimed, right? Although it sounds like the PSP game received better reviews than the Vita one?
At any rate, I actually have a copy of the JP version of Me & My Katamari--I just haven't played it yet. So, maybe I'll do that first (give it a few plays) and if I *really* like it I can consider buying it digitally via my new Vita...
Hmmm, I guess I'm going to have to give some serious thought to picking up Tearaway at some point. I know most folks probably would think it's right up my alley, etc., but for some reason it's kind of slipped by my radar--or it appeared on my radar at some point in the past (when it first was released) and then fell off it.
Anyway, it certainly looks nice, and if everyone here and on FB and Twitter is saying it's fun to play, too, well, who am I to argue?
Gravity Rush and P4G will be bought at some point this year, no doubt--along with Dokuro and Oreshika and likely a few others, too.
I'm not sure what I think about the X and X-2 remakes, to be honest. Very few mainline FF games have appealed to me in any way after IX, with XII being a slight exception. Still, I'll at least consider them!
I don't have any opinion on the Sly Cooper series, unfortunately. What's the deal with these? How do they play? I'm guessing they're considered fun?
The Sly Cooper games are stealthy action platformer games, with fun characters. They were among my favorite PS2 games, and I ended up buying the PS3 remasters and then the Vita ports so I could have them on the go.
Hmmm, that actually sounds kind of interesting. For whatever reason, I've never found the Sly or Jax (Jaxx?) series to be all that appealing--although my perspective on both of them is extremely superficial, admittedly.
Maybe I'll check out some videos of the Sly games, at least, and see if that improves my (fairly uninformed) opinion of them...
I'm guessing Sly 2 is one of the PS2 entries, Terry? (No need to answer that; I can look it up.) If so, that may make it more likely I'll check it out, as many PS2 games are pretty cheap these days.
I'm trying to think of something that hasn't been mentioned already... If you like rhythm games, maybe try Project Diva F 2nd! Or DJ Max Technika Tune, which is pretty rad but sadly often overlooked (physical versions are really rare so it's SUPER expensive though, I'd say unless you want to spend a lot of money just get the DL version)
Thanks, Anne! I appreciate the recommendations :) I'll definitely consider Project Diva F 2nd in the future if I like Project Dive Extend (for PSP), which I *just* bought about a week ago. Also, I'll have to check out some videos of DJ Max Technika Tune to see if it's up my alley. And if it is, I'll definitely go for the DL version. I don't need to spend any more money!
Persona 4 Golden is probably the most obvious, but I've also had fun with Ys:Memories of Celceta. I also would recommend Criminal Girls, not because it's incredibly innovative, but it is interesting in it's own way.
Ugh, the Vita buttons are still stupidly small. I thought they would have fixed that in the second model.
Anyway! Recommendations. Persona 4 is pretty good, as previously mentioned. Gravity Rush is a refreshing take on the usual 3D action game, although your greatest enemy will be disorientation as you turn on and off gravity, careening into the sides of buildings and off the edge of the playfield as a result.
The Vita is a GREAT system for fighters. I'm aware you're not a big fan of these, but at least consider Street Fighter X Tekken, which looks magnificent on a handheld and is pretty newbie-friendly. As I mentioned in my review, there's only as much depth as you want there to be, so feel free to button mash if you please.
Soul Sacrifice Delta is a pretty sharp arena battle game with a slight Monster Hunter influence, but it's creepy and pessimistic and you're probably not going to get much out of it for those reasons. The golf game (Hot Shots Golf) is solid, and more importantly, cheap... I got my copy for a ludicrously low price in one of Sony's PSN sales. Playstation All-Stars and Lumines (if you're not already sick to death of that) can be had for a modest price as well. PS All-Stars is Sony's take on Smash Bros, and it's an admirable effort, although not as good as its inspiration.
Don't forget that the Vita makes a pretty good PSP as well! Trails in the Sky and the Ys 3 remake are both worth snapping up.
I will also list some games to avoid, because this is me and I would do that. Little Deviants is a big pass no matter the price... it's arguably the system's more obnoxious title. I never cared for the two Velocity games. Assassin's Creed III is best played on a beefier system (PS3, PC, etc) and Ragnarok Odyssey is just dull. If you've played one MonHun game, you've played them all. Steve already warned you about Conception II, but Monster Monpiece is far from essential as well... an okay card game doomed by hentai sleaziness.
Hmmm, your recommendation of Criminal Girls is an interesting one, Femme Pixie. I actually was quite interested in the PSP version of the game, but I wasn't all that pleased when I heard the localized Vita version would be heavily censored. Maybe I should look up some reviews.
Other than that, I'll also have to look up some videos of Memories of Celceta. I'll be honest and say that no Ys game has really appealed to me since Ys IV for PC Engine, but I won't close my mind to this one if folks like you think it's worthwhile!
Ha! Thanks, Jess :)
I know I didn't say much of anything about the Vita's design or OS here--I'm saving that for a post that'll be published next week or the week after (I want to put some more time into it before going down that road)--but what I can say here is that I agree with your comment about the Vita's action buttons. I honestly was kind of shocked when I first saw and felt them, especially since I think the PSP's buttons are pretty darn perfect.
As for your recommendations: thank you for sharing them! You're right that I'm not much of a fighter fan, and I'm unlikely to buy any for this system as a result--especially since my "to buy" list has quite a few games at the moment. Should that ever change, though, I'll be sure to give SF x Tekken a try.
I'm definitely curious about the Hot Shots Golf Vita game, as I love Hot Shots Tennis and I like what I've played of the Hot Shots Golf demos that were released for PSP, so I imagine this one would be quite a bit of fun, too--and even prettier than the aforementioned games.
I actually appreciate your list of games to avoid even more than your recommendations, by the way. Not that I was strongly considering any of the games you mentioned, mind you, but I still appreciate the warnings all the same :)
Remember your first kiss? Remember how the first scoop of Ice Cream tastes like summer? That's Tearaway. It's like magic in an neat little magic box of wonders.
Remember the hardest challenge you had to overcome? Something you really thought would break you? But you overcame it and became an even stronger person for it? That's Velocity 2X. I imagine this is what it what marathon runners must feel all the time, if the audience was evenly placed along the route and had phasers guns and tried to shoot you down.
The world has many wonders for us to gaze upon and feel marvel. Do not forget to pause while zapping through the beautiful vistas in Gravity Rush. An action adventure game where you can "die" by just forgetting why you where there.
Afraid of getting old and your reflexes aren't as they used to? Visit Hatsune Miku and they'll not only refresh your soul with fast beats they also invigorate your dexterity.(fingers only)
Tired of endless runners just being *samey*? Why not give Rayman a shot? With it's *rayman* take on some of the greatest songs from modern music it's sure give a treat to both ears and eyes with it's beautifully carved worlds.(Grannies world tour 8-bit is the best imo).
Coming home from a lousy business trip, you're wallet is missing, the trains are out, no cabbie want's to drive you in good faith, your cellphone is also missing, you told your partner not to pick you up, it's a 10 mile walk home and it's just pouring cats and dogs? Life couldn't be more down on you and suddenly you see him there? Standing with a goofy smile just saying he missed you and wanted to surprise you by picking you up? That feeling there, that's Persona 4 Golden.
And these are just the games I'm ready to wrestle a bear before I *consider* budging on how great they are....In my opinion :)
But one should not underestimate the addiction of having Spelunky in your hands all the time either. Neither should the Luchador of Guacamelee be seen as a party trick or just chilling out with Lumines is also a great way to spend your time :)
PS: Not mentioning Danganronpa because I know you know I know that you know I already said that :)
hmm, it's like 40CDN + shipping....that isn't really expensive now is it? And VGP's shipping is like 7.5CDN if you can wait :)
Wow, you're right! It's $40 on Amazon now. I swear it was really rare and at $100 for a while! Maybe they reprinted it. That's great news (and shows me I should check before saying such things)
Yepp, got a reprint :)
Was wondering for a while if Australia had gone soft :D
Nah, it's OK, Anne. You don't have to look stuff like that up before saying such things to me. I can look it up myself, no worries ^^
That isn't too bad, although to be honest, it would have to look *really* appealing for me to buy it this year, as there are about 10 other Vita games ahead of it "in line" at this point :)
Well, it's possible both are true--that Anne was wrong *and* Australia's gone soft. Heh ;)
Oh, I looooooove who you wrote up your recommendations, Franggio! Kudos for that :)
As for my comments/thoughts on your recommendations:
Tearaway is now on my "to buy" list, so you can rest easy there.
Gravity Rush, too, although it was there before I published this post. (As was Dokuro and a few others, like P4G.)
Like I said to Anne last night, I'll consider getting the Vita Hatsune Miku game after I've given Project Diva Extend (PSP), which I just bought a week or so ago. If I like the PSP game, I'll get the Vita one, in other words.
I'm not sure Velocity 2X or the Rayman endless runner are my kind of thing, but I'll at least check out videos of them :)
I haven't put much thought into Spelunky before now because I already have the 360 version and have played it quite a bit, but I can understand that it may be preferable to have such a game on me at all times, so consider that "under consideration," too.
Oh, and as for Danganronpa, I already have the first one, Franggio! I haven't played it yet, but I will. And soon. Don't you worry!
Aww good that you liked it. Was trying to get my own purple prose take in there for a while :)
Velocity is just about gameplay and the beautiful snippets of Lt Kai Tana. The second or third most badass person in the world. Think that Axa might actually outclass them all(Comic from the latest 70s to middle of the 80s). But anyway I hope you have fun with whatever you try :)
Well, at least check out some videos of Velocity, Franggio. I can guarantee at least that much!
Well, Tearaway has already been named...Innocent Life is a refreshing version of Harvest Moon and cheap to download. I've played my first ever Atelier game (Rorona) and I'm loving it. And look at the demo for Flower! Very...strange!
I was going to mention Criminal Girls as well just because it's the only one I can think of that isn't given a lot of attention. If you can get around the obvious subject matter, it is a pretty interesting game with some small changes in mechanics that make it different from any other dungeon crawler. If you like Etrian Odyssey or mainline SMT games, this isn't very similar, but at the same time it has the same kind of appeal, where you're inching forward, uncovering bit by bit while advancing your characters. I have the feeling the director Kazuya Niinou is good at making the best out of limitations.
The censorship isn't enough to change the game radically, although i'm sure there are plenty who will disagree with me. I was honestly a little surprised they were even able to bring it out in the US without major changes.
Ah, thanks for reminding me of both Flower and Innocent Life, Yvonne! Also, I've been curious about the Vita/PS3 Atelier games for ages now, so maybe I should check out one of them soon...
Hmmm, what you say here is interesting, Zach. I actually don't mind (or at least not much) the subject matter. I like hearing that it's likely to appeal to folks who like the ET or SMT games. Maybe I'll have to check out a few videos of it before I completely pass judgement on it :)
Of the games I own for Vita -- Disgaea 3 and 4 are brilliant! I've played tons of both. I know you won't buy them, but you gotta at least try the demos. Mind 0 was kind of disappointing, but I got it pretty cheap. Lumines was good, but I finished all the songs in a few days and never went back. I got bored of Gravity Rush after about five minutes and never picked it up again (unpopular opinion). Ys: Memories of Celcetta didn't really do much for me (usually it's the steep difficulty curve with Ys, but I don't remember). And if you haven't played enough Spelunky yet, that's probably the best version you'll find anywhere.
Ha! How do you know I won't buy them, Steve? Or have we talked about Disgaea before--meaning, we've talked about how I have the first game for PS2 but haven't played more than a few minutes of it and so won't buy any others until I've rectified that situation? ;)
Anyway, aside from that, thanks for sharing your other opinions with me. I have a feeling the only game I'll get out of all the ones you mentioned here is Gravity Rush, which is kind of funny. I may eventually get Spelunky, too, but not until after I've bought a bunch of others...
Yes I know your "quirk" about playing game series in order, even when there is no continuity. I'm not sure how you're planning to make an exception for P4, but good luck. :)
But seriously, portable Disgaea is *SO* much better on the PS2! You can go into sleep mode during those super-long battles. If you really want to play the first one that bad, then dowload it for your Vita too. It's even got an extra story mode that isn't on the PS2 version.
Ha! Actually, my problem here isn't that I desperately want to play the series in order (I don't); my problem is that I don't want to spend money on a game I very likely won't play. I mean, if I wasn't willing to put more than, say, an hour, into the first Disgaea, why would I be willing to put more than that into Disgaea 4?
That may not make complete sense, but if it keeps me from wasting my money on a game I don't play, I'm OK with it.
(This isn't keeping me from buying P4G because I've never played a Persona game and so have no idea if I'll actually play and enjoy P4G or not.)
Anyway, who knows? Maybe I'll get an itch to play one of the Vita's Disgaea games someday. And if I do, you can rest assured I'll go with the fourth one :P
That's a good question -- why did you only play one hour of Disgaea 1? That game is brilliant.
Oh, it had nothing to do with me not liking or enjoying the game, if that's what you're getting at. Something else just popped up and stole my attention away from the game, which isn't all that unusual for me. And after that, I put my PS2 away (I don't keep it out) and I've only rarely pulled it out again since then :|
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