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My Divorce From the Nintendo DSi

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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A black DSi brick.

After a long period of mourning, I was having a divorce with my DSi.

I loved some games on the system. Unfortunately, it couldn't keep up with my appetite for higher quality Japanese games and apps that are actually useful. I simply didn't care about the stylus system anymore.

I traded in my black brick for a $40. My mission: to use the credit to buy a used Playstation Portable at Gamestop.

I needed the PSP because I longed to play all of the titles I missed out on years ago. I wanted to play through heartwarming Japanese RPGs, such as Lunar Silver Star. I especially wanted to play Xenogears. I love romance in Japanese RPGs. A Youtube video from Xenogears especially piqued my interest over the concept of sex in old video games.

I also wanted to actually play music on my device. My outdated DSi needed some fancy $20 PC application just so that I could transfer my music onto it. I didn't want that. I wanted to actually transfer my mp3s onto my game system without any hiccups. I needed so many functions that my flimsy DSi didn't have.

The selling process was arduous. I tried to sell my perfectly fine DSi at a GameStop, but the horrible clerk tried to claim that it was defective. Although I had to hunt for a friendlier GameStop store, I finally traded in my DSi. I purchased the PSP 3000 with Final Fantasy Tactics for about $70.

I had some free time to shop a little longer, so I found an 8 gigabyte memory card stick for $30 at Book Off. Overall, the entire total amount was a pricey $100.

In spite of my struggles as a freelance writer, this purchase was the most exhilarating experience of my life. I now own one of the greatest video game jukeboxes in the history of the universe.

For some reason I love this PSP more than any other console I've ever purchased. My new gaming device can play mp3s. It has an SensMe app that automatically generates music playlists based on the mood I'm in. I also have access to all the classic Playstation 1 games I missed out on years ago.

Don't get me wrong--I still have to raise money to make up for my $100 purchase. Despite the high cost, the whole handheld device was clearly tailor-made for everything that I needed. It was a purchase for pure love.

As much as I loved the DSi, I knew that I had to get this divorce. Nintendo's selection of DSiWare downloads was terribly disappointing. The 3DS has a wider selection of old Game Boy games, but the library cannot even match the PSP's stockpile of rare Playstation gems. I am now married to a PSP and no one can change how I feel about this dreamy piece of electronic art.

Then again, the PSVita could be the penultimate system to save all mankind as we know it. I'll just leave that for another story.

What are some of your favorite PSP games? How does the system compare to Nintendo's DS library? Could the PSVita possibly overthrow the 3DS in the upcoming handheld war? Write your thoughts in the comment section below.

 
Tags: Game Boy, PlayStation, PSOne, DSi, Gamestop, sensme, Xenogears, Lunar Silver Star Harmony, 3DS, PSP, PSVita
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EK Thomson
February 04, 2012

Welcome to the PSP. I still have my DSLite and DSiXL, but the PSP gets a ton of use as well.

Some good ones to look up include Jeanne d'Arc. It's similar to FFT, but far more streamlined. It's almost been forgotten because of how long ago it came out though. Tactics Ogre is also quite good and was made by the FFT team.

Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is an excellent old-style game, quite similar to Lunar Silver Star Story. Avoid the Legend of Heroes games brought over by Bandai though, they have really bland localization and less interesting combat. Brave Story: New Traveller is a solid traditional RPG as well, though a bit on the kiddy side.

If you've never played any Star Ocean games, the best 2 of them are available on the PSP, First Departure and Second Evolution. If you missed Valkyrie Profile for the PS1, you'll probably want to try the PSP version.

If you're into action RPGs, Ys Seven can't be beat, and Ys 1&2 is a good retro title. Gurumin is a 3d platformer title by the same group, but can be a bit cutesy and sacchirne.

Disgaea 1, Disgaea 2, and Phantom Brave for the PSP are definitely the best versions of those games if you're into those. Persona 3 is one of the best in that series. Valkyria Chronicles 2 is a solid sequel to the PS3 strategy game.

As for other square games, FF1, FF2, and FF4 are all fairly faithful upscaled reproductions of those old titles. It's up to you on if that's worth it or not.  Crisis Core is probably only worth it for dedicated FF7 fans. Disidia 012 is another for hardcore Final Fantasy fans. FF Type 0 should be good when it finally comes out over here.

If you want weird and untraditional RPG games, Half Minute Hero, Zettai Hero Project (The Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman), The "My Lord" series, Riviera and Yggdra Union fit that bill.

There's plenty of others I missed here, but these are some of my favorites.

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Jonathan Oyama
February 04, 2012

I actually would have kept the DSi, but I can play nearly all my favorite DSiWare games on the iPad. My DSi doesn't have enough horsepower anymore.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm really looking forward to Star Ocean, Tactics Ogre and Ys. I'm glad that Disgaea holds up on the PSP as well.

I tried a demo of Half Minute Hero. It was the weirdest adventure, but I love the frantic pace. I'll be sure to try some of those other games if I have the chance.

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EK Thomson
February 04, 2012

Honestly, I've never played a DSiWare game on my DSiXL. Not fond of the only-one-system policy since I usually have several. It's solely for playing DS games on a larger screen. I still have Radiant Historia, FFTA2, Golden Sun DD, Rune Factory 3, 4 Heroes of Light, Chrono Trigger, 2 Advance Wars, 2 Professor Layton and a couple of Shin Megami Tensei games to finish on it.

The new releases for it have definitely slowed down though, early on there were quite a few. For PSP, there's 4 new games being released this year that I must have despite Vita's imminent release, but none really for the DS. (Growlanser 4, Gungnir, Grand Knights History, and Black Rock Shooter.)

I still don't have a tablet computer of any sort.

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Jonathan Oyama
February 05, 2012

The larger screen was a great idea. I wish the DSi in general had a few more perks, though.

I hear all sorts of good things about Radiant Historia. I don't play DS games as often, but the newer games did quite a few things that surprised me. Most of the RPGs are hard to find at the GameStop stores in Los Angeles though. They have DS titles, but most of them are geared towards the little kids. Haha.

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EK Thomson
February 06, 2012

I guess that's one benefit of being out here in flyover country, I can usually find used copies of RPGs out here in Colorado. Though, certain titles I've had to order off Amazon and eBay, with the risks of counterfeit copies that that entails. (I've gotten quite good at picking out the counterfeit ones once I have them...)

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Jason Lomberg
February 06, 2012

I'd second Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions and Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together, two of the greatest RPGs of all time (even if TO has the goofiest subtitle of all time).

Mindjack
Samir Torres
February 05, 2012

My wife's DS Lite has taken a beating (mostly from her Tetris marathons) and it's still in excellent, working conditions. We're perfectly happy with it.

I always wanted a PSP but never got around buying one. Now it's too late since the PS Vita's launch is right around the corner.

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Jonathan Oyama
February 05, 2012

The DS Lite is still fantastic. The size was trimmed down. The Wi-fi multiplayer also works, as long as I wasn't using a WPA connection.

I just wish the RPGs were easier to find. For some reason, all the RPGs for the DS sell out like hotcakes in my area. I'd actually like to try PS Vita a few months after the launch. The launch lineup didn't impress me much, but I'm sure that someone will think of great ideas for the system. Escape Plan was fun when I tried it out. The sound wasn't working on the device at my store, but it was very cute.

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EK Thomson
February 06, 2012

You're right about the launch lineup of the Vita, but the first year is a bit brighter. Persona 4 and Disgaea 3 are both coming out much sooner than we normally get JRPGs for a new system. For non-RPGs, I'm looking forward to Gravity Rush and Rayman Origins.

Don't remind me of Wifi on the DS. I had to turn my WPA off once a week to download new content for DQ9.

Robsavillo
Rob Savillo
February 06, 2012

I keep thinking about getting a PSP lately. Mostly because I want to play Monster Hunter on the go and finally play Valkyria Chronicles 2. But as you say, the Vita's right around the corner...so I'm hoping that those games make it to the new handheld (and I hope Capcom brings a new Monster Hunter to the Vita or Sega finally brings Valkyria Chronicles 3 to North America via the Vita!) ...But, the proprietary memory and limit of one PSN account per device is really off-putting.

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Jonathan Oyama
February 06, 2012

Yeah, the hardware limitations have its drawbacks. For one thing, the proprietary memory system is very disappointing. I still literally need two memory cards--one for my music and one for my games. The entire cost of two 8 gigs could cost up to $60, depending on where people look.

I'm surviving on one 8 gig so far. I know I'll have to purchase another memory card sometime. I think the opportunity to play old RPGs was worth the price though. I especially want the PSP version of Lunar Silver Star

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EK Thomson
February 06, 2012

If it's available on PSN, you should be able to play it on the Vita. Valkyria 2 and at least 2 of the monster hunter games are on PSN. The one account per device doesn't bother me as I only have one myself. It's only a problem for dedicated PSN importers...

I lucked out on MS Duo cards. When Circuit City locally was going out of business, I managed to get 3 8-gig and 3 4-gig cards for about $5 each. They're harder to find now though. I used to use 1 8-gig card for games I'm currently playing + a handful of podcasts, and the other 8-gig for games that I might want to play if I get bored. The Vita's 32gig card is a welcomed thing for me, I have my 16 gig PSP Go nearly full and only have half my games on it.

Robsavillo
Rob Savillo
February 06, 2012

The single-account limit is a problem for a family who shares a single device, though. My wife and I currently have separate PSN accounts on our PS3.

I'd be glad to play VC2, definitely. Bringing over VC3 would really push me over to the Vita. And Monster Hunter 4. I just really dislike the PSP's control scheme (nearly the same as CC1 for Tri on Wii) for Monster Hunter because of that lack of a second analog stick. I'm hoping that any Vita Monster Hunter would not be saddled with gimped controls. I'm also fairly certain that Capcom said lock-on is in for Monster Hunter 4, something that I think the game really needs.

My issue with proprietary memory is price. That 32GB card is going to be $100. $100! That's insane. That's a third of the price of the Vita itself! You can get the same size card in a standardized memory format for about $30. After Sony's acceptance of standard 2.5" SATA drives for the PS3, I was hoping Sony would continue with that practice, not pull a Microsoft.

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EK Thomson
February 06, 2012

I guess my family is unusual as we always have our own portable systems and usually don't share them.

The proprietary memory... I believe it'll come down in price, they usually do even though they never quite reach the cost of SD cards. I'm highly disappointed by MicroSD cards however. Both in quality (lots of counterfeit and ghost-shift units floating around out there pretending to be real cards) and speed (the 4-rated cards are the highest you ever see from reputable manufacturers, and those things are still really sluggish) so having a bit more quality control in my media is a plus.

A 32 gig is enough to last me for the forseeable future, I'm currently doing fine with a 16 and I'm not planning on buying Vita games through SEN/PSN. (Vita games are faster through their game card media than through the memory card.)

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Jonathan Oyama
February 06, 2012

Sadly, I'm the only person in my family who uses a portable system. We probably used to keep our own systems, but now I'm the only one who plays them. I guess I don't worry about multiple portable systems as much as I should.

The proprietary memory will definitely decline in price, but the price is awfully high. I still love Sony, but their selling strategy on complementary equipment is cruel. Their pricing schemes reminds me of all the high prices that movie theaters charge for popcorn.

I second EK on the game card media. I can't see us completely moving to downloadable software anytime soon, especially with the monetization of memory space. Cloud storage helps somewhat, but I still hate having to splurge so much cash on proprietary memory. It really should have came with the system in the first place.

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EK Thomson
February 06, 2012

What Sony learned from the release of the PSP Go is that having the memory built into the system at a slightly higher cost just leads to game journalists complaining about the cost, and that however much they include is still insufficient. ;)

Also, Bigger screens are better.

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