Slimming Down My Wallet with the PS3

by Brett Bates , BITMOB STAFF

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I tried, I really did. I resisted buying a PS3 for as long as I could. Nothing against Sony, but I'm a frugal guy, and the price was way too high. Besides, I already own an Xbox 360.

So fought the urge to pick one up before the models with backwards compatibility vanished from store shelves. I refused to bite when the hard drive space increased and the price dropped from the original princely sum of $599.

I physically restrained myself from plopping down cash in a fit of envy as my friends played through Uncharted, Infamous, Flower, and PixelJunk Eden.

But the combination of a slim new form and a $299 price point finally broke my reserve.

Now I'm the owner of a PS3 Slim. My wallet's hurting, but I think I held out for the right deal. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Since I'm late to the party, I'm relying on the Bitmob community for advice. What are the must-have titles? What are the hidden gems? What top-notch games can I pick up on the cheap? What should I download first off PSN?

Help out me and all of the other new PS3 Slim owners by leaving your recommendations in the comments!

TAGS: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 3 Slim, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Infamous, flower, PixelJunk Eden

(21)

Comments (21)

Brett Bates

August 27, 2009

P.S. My PSN ID is BrettBretterson -- and Bitmob-Brett for Bitmob-related events.

Rob Savillo

August 27, 2009

Definitely get Demon's Souls. You can import the Asian version now (it's all English and the PS3 is region-free for games), or you can wait for Atlus's NA release on October 6th. It's a third-person action RPG with heavy focus on tactical combat. Another PS3 exclusive I'd recommend is Valkyria Chronicles. Squad-based tactical battles with a turn-based/third-person action twist. And you might as well give Metal Gear Solid 4 a spin. The cut-scenes are long, but you can skip them if you want. The stealth gameplay and weapon customization put it head-and-shoulders above previous Metal Gear games.

Toby Davis

August 27, 2009

Hit me up on either bitmob-Toby or ATC-1982 Brett

Toby Davis

August 27, 2009

Pixel-Junk Monsters PSN Rachet & Clank series including Quest 4 Booty on PSN Uncharted if you like zombies Batman Arkham asylum with Free Joker stuff :) Little Big Planet and wait for the special edition for 39.99 (free Mod Racers Beta & packs) Burn Zombie Burn (lance enjoys Orange Box Team Fortress 2 plug) Flower is unique as well. Personally I haver: Warhawk SF4 LBP MUA 2 (Sept 15th) Q4B Pixel-Junk Monsters High velocity bowling

David Matos

August 27, 2009

I don't say this kind of stuff lightly, however Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was one of the best games I have played in years. Everything from the way the setting was done, the script, the voice acting to even the freaking animations the characters did was authentic. After playing that, I actually wanted to hang out with Drake in real life. It was also one of the few games this generation that I actually had to stop and say "Damn, that is some nice graphics!" and I usually don't put too much emphasis on graphics. Combo that with it's recent price drop since becoming a "greatest hit" there is no reason not to pick it up. Nathan: "Are you OK?" Elena: "Nothing a few years of therapy won't fix!" :D

James DeRosa

August 27, 2009

I don't know anything about the universe, but roommate got me to play Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. It's a blast to play with a few other people to pass the controller around with. Other than that, and the recommendations from the others, I'd go with a bunch of PSN shit. You could try Rez HD, Wipeout HD, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (Though 6 is on the way in November), and the highly underrated Jaffe effort, Calling All Cars. @Toby: There are no zombies in Uncharted. Those are CHUDs my friend.

James DeRosa

August 27, 2009

Scratch that Rez recommendation. Caught it on my read through. I really wish I could edit what I write. I'm so anal about that crap. Still, get Rez for Xbox! It's good.

Lance Darnell

August 27, 2009

I second Calling All Cars and LBP... Back to work, work, work, work....

Brett Bates

August 27, 2009

Thanks for the recommendations! Also: Zombies/CHUDs in Uncharted? Are you guys spoiling something?

James DeRosa

August 27, 2009

I don't know. I have a hard time distinguishing spoiler stuff. I just wanted to talk about the vastly under-appreciated movie villain, the CHUD.

Toby Davis

August 27, 2009

I didn't like the AKA Chud in the game. so that means Brett has to play to find out ;)

Juan Letona

August 27, 2009

inFamous and SuperStardust HD

Jason Wilson

August 27, 2009

Grab Sacred 2 if you enjoy action-RPGs, Brett!

Brett Bates

August 27, 2009

I think Uncharted will be the first game I tackle -- I've been hankering to play it already, and now I have to find out what this CHUD business is all about!

Joshua Garcia

August 27, 2009

I think it's time for me to jump into this whole PS3 world as well. 299 seems like a good price with the wifi and blu-ray included, the 299 Xbox Elite in comparison seems a rip off now, how can you not have wifi standard in a console now? 100 bucks for Xbox wifi is BS. So when I get really bored one day and decide to head to the store for this PS3, the only must have title for me is Little Big Planet, but I prob will cop Killzone 2 and MGS4 as well, and Wipeout HD on the playstation network seems appetizing also. Uncharted 2 seems like best fall title coming out. Oh yeah, don't forget that HDMI cable!

Mike Gingras

August 27, 2009

It's been said, but Valkyria Chronicles is worth your time. It's gorgeous, I think the voice acting is excellent, the story is memorable and the game is very enjoyable. It's pretty hard, but it's worth the price, especially since it's reduced.

Brett Bates

August 27, 2009

@Joshua: Yup, I got the HDMI cable in advance! Monoprice is by far the best place to get one.

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Evan Killham

August 27, 2009

Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank, definitely. Also, I highly recommend Burnout Paradise if you don't already have it; it's a hell of a lot of content for $20.

Rob Savillo

August 27, 2009

Ack. I just noticed that my Demon's Souls link is busted. Instead, I'll link to these two reviews.

Chris Cosmo Ross

August 27, 2009

You already mentioned some great games, and since you helped me out with some PSP game recommendations, here are mine for you: Linger in Shadows - Interactive art. It's more of an experience than a game, but it's really interesting. I believe it's $3. Noby Noby Boy - Unlike anything you've ever played. Again, not really a game, but a weird experiment that's interesting. It's only $5. Everyday Shooter - A great music-based shooter. Really hard, but really fun. Don't remember the price. Crash Commando - An underrated 2D online multiplayer game. I grabbed it for $5, but I believe it's $10. It's fast, fun and addicting. If you want a good online multiplayer game that you don't have to devote a ton of time to, grab it. Echochrome - Very cerebral, very different. I believe it's also $10.

Brett Bates

August 27, 2009

@J. Cosmo: Awesome! I'm going to go check out the PSN store right now.

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