Half as long, twice as bright - The PS Vita thread

The Playstation Blog has an interview with the makers of MK Vita

I'm not a big MK guy (the fighter I have my eyes on SF X Tekken) but inbetween the aforementioned fighters, MVC3 and Blazblue, the Vita looks like it will be set for fighters. I would love it if the great fighter of all (VF) hits the Vita. Anyway, the Vita version of MK keeps the framerate and adds 150 new challenges.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/19/mortal-kombat-for-ps-vita-ed-boon-talks-touchscreen-fatalities-new-challenge-tower/

PlayStation.Blog: What's the scope of Mortal Kombat for PS Vita? Does it include all the content from the PS3 game?
Ed Boon, Creative Director, Netherrealm Studios: It's actually everything from the PS3 game: the entire Story mode and all the downloadable characters and content, plus additional modes and features that are tailored for PS Vita. We really wanted to take advantage of Vita's hardware.

PSB: How have the graphics transitioned to PS Vita? Did you have to make any major graphical sacrifices from the PS3 version?
EB:It's interesting. We did have to reduce some of the polygon counts from the backgrounds and characters, but that screen is so bright, and it's got such high pixel density….when I saw Scorpion and Sub-Zero fighting on the Living Forest for the first time, I was amazed. It really maintains the identity of the game. I can't wait for people to hold it in their hands and see it for themselves — it's a surprisingly similar experience.

PSB: Will the PS Vita version keep the PS3 version's smooth 60 fps framerate?
EB: Yeah. We wouldn't accept any compromises there; we needed the game to run at the same framerate as the PS3 version. A number of our internal people proposed running it at 30 frames per second — "we could do this and this and that" — but we knew it would feel different. We didn't want it to feel sluggish or unresponsive.

PSB: What makes a good mobile fighting game? Obviously, playing habits are different in a mobile environment.
EB: The fundamental necessity is quick access to gameplay, whether it's online or locally. The mobile gaming experience is shorter bites of time. We identified the Challenge Tower as a perfect fit for mobile sessions, so we expanded it greatly for PS Vita. There are actually two Challenge Towers in the PS Vita version, and the new one has 150 challenges that are exclusive to PS Vita. A number of those challenges use PS Vita's hardware features: the touch screen, the accelerometer…

PSB: …rear touchscreen?
EB: The rear touchscreen functionality was something that we experimented with, but we ultimately opted not to pursue. We really went to town on the front touchscreen interaction, though, both in the challenges and normal gameplay. A lot of work went into it.

PSB: So how does a touchscreen come into play in Mortal Kombat?
EB: In terms of gameplay, we've always wanted MK to be as accessible as possible. For example, you can touch your X-ray meter to execute an X-ray attack. For fatalities, you can "slash" the screen with the appropriate inputs — say, away, away, up — to execute the fatality. It makes some of the more difficult fatalities easier and it's fun to slash at your screen to fire off a fatality. I was surprised by how engaging it is.

Nice. Already have MK on PS3 but might end up getting it on Vita too. It'll be nice to have it on a handheld, plus the DLC characters and new challengetower should make it worth it. There's one thing I wish they would have added to this version in terms of online mp though. Test your luck. It was sooooooo disappointing when the coolest mode in MK couldn't be played online. I was hoping they would have the sense to add it in with the Vita version. Test your luck is all we play when I play against my friends. It's hella fun and random. I have no idea why they don't include it online. If it's just because people would complain about it being "broken" then just disable records for it or something. Make it so it doesn't record your wins and losses in this mode and make it just a fun little extra mode for crazy random never know what's gonna happen online mp.

Here's some Wipeout shots shamelessly stolen from Neogaf. This time around there is less neon and more grit (this is supposed to be a prequel to all the other Wipeouts).

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=445374&page=110

IGN posted a preview of Wipeout. The PSP version has all the old tracks of the PS3 version and online crossplay works perfectly (meaning someone with a PSP can play against someone with a PS3). There is an 8 player limit. There are a bunch of Vita specific tracks and of course one can't play against PS3 owners on those tracks.

Many of the Vita specific tracks are tiered and multilayer. Also, the new campaign isn't just about winning, sometimes one has to take the high or the low road or kill X number of enemies.

There is the option of touchscreen controls, but one can opt for traditional controls (which are of course, more precise).

I won't pick this up at launch (there is way too much good stuff coming out in February for Vita and consoles) but as a longtime Wipeout fan (the original left me cold, but XL turned me into a fan) I will pick it up down the line.

http://vita.ign.com/articles/121/1217107p1.html

Eurogamer reviewed Wipeout and weren't real impressed. Controls not as tight as its console cousins, slow loading (30-50 seconds) and overly cluttered visuals (it can be hard to see what's what with all the explosions and special effects) are their big complaints. *Sigh* Liverpool has been making Wipeouts for some time now. Perhaps they should take a break and work on something original.

Still, if the demo impresses me, I'll stick with my plan of picking it up down the line once the price falls.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-01-26-wipeout-2048-review

Here's a link to a great (and very long review) with the leads of the team working on Sound Shapes (which is platformer where one builds levels and the soundtrack is based on the levels players build).

http://www.1up.com/features/tracking-sounds-talking-sound-shapes

1UP: How has Sound Shapes changed since it was originally conceived?

JM: When we conceived of Sound Shapes, we were nine prototypes in and it was a platformer, but we had to figure out what kind of platformer. Does it scroll? Is it about speed? Is it a Metroid-****platformer? Is there a grappling hook? We went through all of those ideas. The game is based on music so we made it as simple as possible while still having some depth so that it's not bland. The platforming has to be simple enough that it didn't distract from the music. We could have accidentally made Metroid and I think we would have failed. There was an idea where you could collect power ups that would give you musical abilities, but then how do you actually write music with that interface? We had to say, "I know we spent six months making this but we have to throw this stuff away and walk in this other direction." I think it's amazing that we're still working on this. If I were making this on my own, I would cop out and I'd make a game that wasn't fully musical.

SHL: The idea from the beginning has always been: How can we integrate the music with the game so that it's also a meaningful music creation tool? How do we make it in a way that's straightforward enough so someone who doesn't know anything about musical theory can pick it up and make music easily? So that, as they learn the ins and outs of the system they can make more sophisticated compositions? It's been a process of finding ways to allow people to do that.

The abstract visuals reminds me a lot of Pixeljunk Shooter (which was made by Johnathan Maks, who is also working on this project).

Here's a new(ish) SF X Tekken trailer (there are characters from other Capcom and Namco games thrown in for spice). Megaman has really let himself go...

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/26/pac-man-and-mega-man-join-street-fighter-x-tekkens-playstation-exclusives/

Here's a really brilliant trailer for Gravity Rush. Mix of gameplay footage and surprisingly well done live action footage. The most original, impressive Vita game and SCEA still hasn't offered a US release date (its hitting Japan early February).

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/01/27/gravity-rush-falling-apple-trailer?objectid=98905

Here's a really brilliant trailer for Gravity Rush. Mix of gameplay footage and surprisingly well done live action footage. The most original, impressive Vita game and SCEA still hasn't offered a US release date (its hitting Japan early February).

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/01/27/gravity-rush-falling-apple-trailer?objectid=98905

CarnageHeart

The shots, which first appeared in this week's Weekly Famitsu, show your characters riding motorcycles into battle, where they'll be able to do bike-based attacks. Once you've gotten a bike license, you can also head out to the sea and neighboring towns for events.Andriasang

Here's a really brilliant trailer for Gravity Rush. Mix of gameplay footage and surprisingly well done live action footage. The most original, impressive Vita game and SCEA still hasn't offered a US release date (its hitting Japan early February).

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/01/27/gravity-rush-falling-apple-trailer?objectid=98905

CarnageHeart

Here are some new shots of the 60 fps PS Vita version of Rayman. It will cost 40 bucks and be availiable on physical media and download (900 MB download) on February 14th (the Vita's real launch isn't until the 22nd, but there's a special, pricey edition hitting on the 15th). In addition to the ghost mode I already mentioned...

We also have some great PS Vita-specific features available for Rayman Origins. First, for those looking to really appreciate all the hand-drawn art of Rayman Origins, players can pinch the front touchscreen to zoom in, so you can better appreciate the detailed character and level design that our studio in Montpellier worked so hard to deliver. Playing with a zoomed-in camera view also delivers a new experience and is critical in discovering the game's many hidden secrets.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/01/26/ubisoft-ps-vita-week-rayman-origins/

Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice has far is the weakest game in the series, so despite being a huge NIS fan, I'm not exactly excited about it, but all the new content being promised has me somewhat interested (might pick it up after a pricedrop or two). The Vita version boasts all the DLC from the PS3 version (20 characters, 40 songs).

What is new to the Vita version is:

an alternate story which solves which stars Raspberyl (a rival of the main character).

Somehow the touchscreen has been incorporated into gameplay

New cinemas

New spells

the ability to steal tests (Disgaea 3 is set in a school)

the ability to attend culture fairs (don't ask, I don't know)

4 new scenarios

5 new chapters

2 new characters (who will apparently play a major role in the story).

NIS has promised that there is some as yet unannounced new content.

The first link is to the official Disgaea 3 website (where I got the info I related above from) the second is to four minutes of gameplay footage.

http://disgaea.us/dis3vita/index.html

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/01/30/disgaea-3-absence-of-detention-10-million-hours-of-fun-trailer

I'm just assuming the Vita will have full trophy support. My question is, will each full release have a Platinum trophy? So I can earn trophies using my PS3 gamertag on my Vita that will count toward my total?

I'm just assuming the Vita will have full trophy support. My question is, will each full release have a Platinum trophy? So I can earn trophies using my PS3 gamertag on my Vita that will count toward my total?

Jbul

I'm just assuming the Vita will have full trophy support. My question is, will each full release have a Platinum trophy? So I can earn trophies using my PS3 gamertag on my Vita that will count toward my total?

Jbul

The Vita does have full trophy support. I honestly don't know about the platinum thing though. I assume that's the case, but I haven't seen the trophy lists of every upcoming Vita game.

One interesting detail is that contrary to early reports, you can earn trophies with used games, you just need to restore said games to factory settings (meaing deleting all the save data of the prior player).

http://www.gamesradar.com/vita-locks-users-trophies-game-cards-not-quite-stringently-it-first-appears/

Got my hands on a Vita yesterday. I wanted to play a game or demo, but when I pushed the PS button to get out of the Uncharted demo that was already on, it locked. So, I can only report on the physical state of the Vita. It was annoying, btw.

At a glance, you can mistake it for a PSP. The buttons seem a bit clunky. Kind of hard. Nothing like a dual shock or 360 controller. Closer to a Virtual Console one. The analog sticks seem a bit light and maybe even frail compared to the PSP's one. I'm all for practical functionality, but not if its portability compromises its durability. Then again, I only had my hands on it for a minute. As far as the graphics, Uncharted looked good in motion for a handheld. It prettymuch looks like all the other realistic graphics-focused games shown throughout the thread.

The guy working at Gamestop told me about an interesting offer the store has going. I only asked about the 3g version. It was really just confirming what I've heard here already, but there a couple things people might not know. It's $299 and the 8gb memory is $49, but if you preorder it, you'll get the 8gb for free on top of the 256 mb memory card that comes with it and a free game voucher from Sony. The 3g service is $25 a month. Not bad.

Got my hands on a Vita yesterday. I wanted to play a game or demo, but when I pushed the PS button to get out of the Uncharted demo that was already on, it locked. So, I can only report on the physical state of the Vita. It was annoying, btw.

At a glance, you can mistake it for a PSP. The buttons seem a bit clunky. Kind of hard. Nothing like a dual shock or 360 controller. Closer to a Virtual Console one. The analog sticks seem a bit light and maybe even frail compared to the PSP's one. I'm all for practical functionality, but not if its portability compromises its durability. Then again, I only had my hands on it for a minute. As far as the graphics, Uncharted looked good in motion for a handheld. It prettymuch looks like all the other realistic graphics-focused games shown throughout the thread.

The guy working at Gamestop told me about an interesting offer the store has going. I only asked about the 3g version. It was really just confirming what I've heard here already, but there a couple things people might not know. It's $299 and the 8gb memory is $49, but if you preorder it, you'll get the 8gb for free on top of the 256 mb memory card that comes with it and a free game voucher from Sony. The 3g service is $25 a month. Not bad.

BranKetra

Thanks for the detailed impressions. Sucks that it froze. Which store did you play it at? Maybe a similar store in my neck of the woods has demo Vitas.

[QUOTE="BranKetra"]

Got my hands on a Vita yesterday. I wanted to play a game or demo, but when I pushed the PS button to get out of the Uncharted demo that was already on, it locked. So, I can only report on the physical state of the Vita. It was annoying, btw.

At a glance, you can mistake it for a PSP. The buttons seem a bit clunky. Kind of hard. Nothing like a dual shock or 360 controller. Closer to a Virtual Console one. The analog sticks seem a bit light and maybe even frail compared to the PSP's one. I'm all for practical functionality, but not if its portability compromises its durability. Then again, I only had my hands on it for a minute. As far as the graphics, Uncharted looked good in motion for a handheld. It prettymuch looks like all the other realistic graphics-focused games shown throughout the thread.

The guy working at Gamestop told me about an interesting offer the store has going. I only asked about the 3g version. It was really just confirming what I've heard here already, but there a couple things people might not know. It's $299 and the 8gb memory is $49, but if you preorder it, you'll get the 8gb for free on top of the 256 mb memory card that comes with it and a free game voucher from Sony. The 3g service is $25 a month. Not bad.

Thanks for the detailed impressions. Sucks that it froze. Which store did you play it at? Maybe a similar store in my neck of the woods has demo Vitas.

Unit 13 looks a little meh to me. I don't know, maybe I'm just tiring of shooters. I also am getting iffy on buying Burning Skies at launch. But I'm most definitely getting Golden Abyss, Katamari, and LBP.

And the Rayman Origins version on the Vita doesn't have MP, right? That's what a read somewhere. I might be looking at getting it for the PS3 then.

Unit 13 looks a little meh to me. I don't know, maybe I'm just tiring of shooters. I also am getting iffy on buying Burning Skies at launch. But I'm most definitely getting Golden Abyss, Katamari, and LBP.

And the Rayman Origins version on the Vita doesn't have MP, right? That's what a read somewhere. I might be looking at getting it for the PS3 then.

CooperThief

Unfortunately LBP (which anyone that knows me knows is my most anticipated game) and Burning Skies aren't hitting at launch. And you're right about Rayman not having multiplayer.

Sony has confirmed that the digital versions of Vita games will be sold at a discount. In Japan Uncharted's digital version was sold at a 20% discount though its not clear that discounts will be that steep here.

As a gamer who was planning on going digital anyway, this makes me very happy.

We reached out to Sony and they confirmed that "PSN games will be discounted. We will be issuing final pricing details shortly."

http://vita.ign.com/articles/119/1197540p1.html

Sony has confirmed that the digital versions of Vita games will be sold at a discount. In Japan Uncharted's digital version was sold at a 20% discount though its not clear that discounts will be that steep here.

As a gamer who was planning on going digital anyway, this makes me very happy.

We reached out to Sony and they confirmed that "PSN games will be discounted. We will be issuing final pricing details shortly."

http://vita.ign.com/articles/119/1197540p1.html

CarnageHeart

you know i might just end up going with the $299 3G Vita that comes with a free 8GB card granted i am not required to buy a data plan. Good to see Sony offering discounted pricing.

Impressive on the discount pricing. Very cool. Rayman also looks like the definitive version by miles PS Vita is looking sick, I may have to bite. :P

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

Sony has confirmed that the digital versions of Vita games will be sold at a discount. In Japan Uncharted's digital version was sold at a 20% discount though its not clear that discounts will be that steep here.

As a gamer who was planning on going digital anyway, this makes me very happy.

We reached out to Sony and they confirmed that "PSN games will be discounted. We will be issuing final pricing details shortly."

http://vita.ign.com/articles/119/1197540p1.html

S0lidSnake

you know i might just end up going with the $299 3G Vita that comes with a free 8GB card granted i am not required to buy a data plan. Good to see Sony offering discounted pricing.

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

Sony has confirmed that the digital versions of Vita games will be sold at a discount. In Japan Uncharted's digital version was sold at a 20% discount though its not clear that discounts will be that steep here.

As a gamer who was planning on going digital anyway, this makes me very happy.

We reached out to Sony and they confirmed that "PSN games will be discounted. We will be issuing final pricing details shortly."

http://vita.ign.com/articles/119/1197540p1.html

Jbul

you know i might just end up going with the $299 3G Vita that comes with a free 8GB card granted i am not required to buy a data plan. Good to see Sony offering discounted pricing.

I'm looking towards games like LBP and Sound Shapes. The ability to downloaduser-created levels during long trips could be helpful.

What's the pratical benefit of the 3G Vita? To be able to play against other people when you're not near a WiFi? I suppose thats the main draw, I hear the web broswer is pretty s***y.

Jbul

I suppose. I wasn't originally going to get one, but this new deal is bundling a free 8GB memory card (a $40 value) with the $299 3G Vita. So I'm basically getting the 3G version for only $260. I dont believe in paying for pricey monthly data plans, but if i can get the best version of Vita for only $10 more, then why not.

P.S The web browser will get better. PSN was s*** when it first launched and now look at it. Its disappointing that they are releasing a half-assed browser but everything else with the UI and apps has been getting rave reviews.

What's the pratical benefit of the 3G Vita? To be able to play against other people when you're not near a WiFi? I suppose thats the main draw, I hear the web broswer is pretty s***y.

Jbul

What's the pratical benefit of the 3G Vita? To be able to play against other people when you're not near a WiFi? I suppose thats the main draw, I hear the web broswer is pretty s***y.

Jbul

[QUOTE="Jbul"]What's the pratical benefit of the 3G Vita? To be able to play against other people when you're not near a WiFi? I suppose thats the main draw, I hear the web broswer is pretty s***y.

rragnaar

Hey Solid, you know my gaming tastes pretty well. What games should I look into? I haven't been following this too close but right now I'm thinking Rayman and Uncharted... but I'd like something different and maybe off the radar, too.

Here's a link to gameplay video of MK. Looks pretty sweet. No online play but two players (not four, as in the console versions) can fight via wifi.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/01/hands-on-mortal-kombat-for-ps-vita/

Now for the good news: The PS Vita version adds an ambitious array of extra content, starting with every piece of DLC ever released on PS3. That means you'll be able to play as Freddy Krueger, Kenshi, Rain, and Skarlet from day one, and select MK1 and MK2 retro-**** costumes to drape over your male and female ninja characters. The Vita version sweetens the pot with 15 more exclusive costumes, including MK3-**** garb for the ninjas. Not a bad start, but it gets better.

If you read PlayStation.Blog's exclusive interview with Ed Boon, you'll know that Netherrealm Studios has prepared an all-new Challenge Tower II mode that's exclusive to PS Vita. I went hands-on with four of the 150 total new challenges, more than half of which take advantage of PS Vita's touchscreen and sixaxis motion sensors in novel (and challenging!) ways:

Here's a link to gameplay video of MK. Looks pretty sweet. No online play but two players (not four, as in the console versions) can fight via wifi.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/01/hands-on-mortal-kombat-for-ps-vita/

Now for the good news: The PS Vita version adds an ambitious array of extra content, starting with every piece of DLC ever released on PS3. That means you'll be able to play as Freddy Krueger, Kenshi, Rain, and Skarlet from day one, and select MK1 and MK2 retro-**** costumes to drape over your male and female ninja characters. The Vita version sweetens the pot with 15 more exclusive costumes, including MK3-**** garb for the ninjas. Not a bad start, but it gets better.

If you read PlayStation.Blog's exclusive interview with Ed Boon, you'll know that Netherrealm Studios has prepared an all-new Challenge Tower II mode that's exclusive to PS Vita. I went hands-on with four of the 150 total new challenges, more than half of which take advantage of PS Vita's touchscreen and sixaxis motion sensors in novel (and challenging!) ways:

CarnageHeart

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

Here's a link to gameplay video of MK. Looks pretty sweet. No online play but two players (not four, as in the console versions) can fight via wifi.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/01/hands-on-mortal-kombat-for-ps-vita/

Now for the good news: The PS Vita version adds an ambitious array of extra content, starting with every piece of DLC ever released on PS3. That means you'll be able to play as Freddy Krueger, Kenshi, Rain, and Skarlet from day one, and select MK1 and MK2 retro-**** costumes to drape over your male and female ninja characters. The Vita version sweetens the pot with 15 more exclusive costumes, including MK3-**** garb for the ninjas. Not a bad start, but it gets better.

If you read PlayStation.Blog's exclusive interview with Ed Boon, you'll know that Netherrealm Studios has prepared an all-new Challenge Tower II mode that's exclusive to PS Vita. I went hands-on with four of the 150 total new challenges, more than half of which take advantage of PS Vita's touchscreen and sixaxis motion sensors in novel (and challenging!) ways:

Zaibach

I tried out the Vita today at gamestation. I played a bunch of games. I played Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Modnation Racers and Escape Plan. They also had demos for Wipeout, Fifa and Little Deviants, but I didn't try those out. Generally I liked what I played. The screen was great, the feel of the system is nothing short of perfection. Perfect size, perfect analog stick feel and placement. As for the games themselves, Modnation Racers was awesome and looks and plays the same as the PS3 game. Gravity Rush had smooth and fun gameplay. Good camera and aiming controls. Great demo and it was topped off with an exceptionally awesome looking trailer for the game at the end. Escape Plan was pretty good as well. Some nice puzzles. Nothing too tricky since it was a demo, but the levels I played were pretty cool. Touch controls were perfect.

But on to Uncharted....ugh. Well ok it wasn't bad. In fact when I first got my hands on it it was quite impressive. It looked the part. The platforming was smooth and just like the PS3 games, the dialogue seemed good and the touch functions worked well without getting in the way of gameplay too much. I actually found dragging my finger along surfaces you can climb on quite cool. Just dragging your finger makes you automatically climb and jump without having to press the jump button multiple times. Worked well, but it's optional so even if it didn't work well it wouldn't have been a problem. There were certain parts where you have to swipe your finger on the screen to progress as well, such as a part where you have to cut through something to get to the other side. I didn't have a problem with all this motion stuff. I also didn't have a problem with the parts where you have to tilt the system to balance yourself before you run to over a log. The demo was pretty fun and a good Uncharted experience.

What I did have a problem with was the terrible aiming. Everything was great until I got to a shooting section. The sensitivity seemed really low. Aiming was just really slow. I went to options and put the sensitivity up to max, but it barely made a difference. The analog sticks themselves feel great, so it's pretty clear this is a game specific issue and not a problem with the sticks themselves. It's almost like they made the aiming with the sticks so bad in Uncharted just so you're forced to use the motion control aiming. When using the motion controls to line up your shots the aiming doesn't feel quite as bad, but it's no excuse for the stick aiming being so poor. I mean the game is still going to be great, but the game could have felt so much better if the aiming was better.

Hey Solid, you know my gaming tastes pretty well. What games should I look into? I haven't been following this too close but right now I'm thinking Rayman and Uncharted... but I'd like something different and maybe off the radar, too.

Jbul

i am seriously not looking forward to anything but Uncharted, and even that looks kinda meh. They have some cool games like Escape Plan and Gravity Daze, but nothing mind blowing or unique enough to warrant a Vita purchase. At least not so far.

Rumors are that Sony has Media Molecule (LBP) and Guerrilla Games (Killzone) working on some Vita stuff so maybe we will see some cool stuff in the future. Right now, im not all that excited to recommend anything i'm afraid.

I misspoke. There's online play via wifi but not via 3G.CarnageHeart

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"] I misspoke. There's online play via wifi but not via 3G.BranKetra

Not that I've heard of.

I tried out the Vita today at gamestation. I played a bunch of games. I played Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Modnation Racers and Escape Plan. They also had demos for Wipeout, Fifa and Little Deviants, but I didn't try those out. Generally I liked what I played. The screen was great, the feel of the system is nothing short of perfection. Perfect size, perfect analog stick feel and placement. As for the games themselves, Modnation Racers was awesome and looks and plays the same as the PS3 game. Gravity Rush had smooth and fun gameplay. Good camera and aiming controls. Great demo and it was topped off with an exceptionally awesome looking trailer for the game at the end. Escape Plan was pretty good as well. Some nice puzzles. Nothing too tricky since it was a demo, but the levels I played were pretty cool. Touch controls were perfect.

But on to Uncharted....ugh. Well ok it wasn't bad. In fact when I first got my hands on it it was quite impressive. It looked the part. The platforming was smooth and just like the PS3 games, the dialogue seemed good and the touch functions worked well without getting in the way of gameplay too much. I actually found dragging my finger along surfaces you can climb on quite cool. Just dragging your finger makes you automatically climb and jump without having to press the jump button multiple times. Worked well, but it's optional so even if it didn't work well it wouldn't have been a problem. There were certain parts where you have to swipe your finger on the screen to progress as well, such as a part where you have to cut through something to get to the other side. I didn't have a problem with all this motion stuff. I also didn't have a problem with the parts where you have to tilt the system to balance yourself before you run to over a log. The demo was pretty fun and a good Uncharted experience.

What I did have a problem with was the terrible aiming. Everything was great until I got to a shooting section. The sensitivity seemed really low. Aiming was just really slow. I went to options and put the sensitivity up to max, but it barely made a difference. The analog sticks themselves feel great, so it's pretty clear this is a game specific issue and not a problem with the sticks themselves. It's almost like they made the aiming with the sticks so bad in Uncharted just so you're forced to use the motion control aiming. When using the motion controls to line up your shots the aiming doesn't feel quite as bad, but it's no excuse for the stick aiming being so poor. I mean the game is still going to be great, but the game could have felt so much better if the aiming was better.

burgeg

Interesting. Everyone who has spent time with Uncharted seems to complain about the aiming. I'm still going to download the demo, but based on the near-uniform complaints about the controls, I doubt I'll wind up buying the game (before they patch it).

Time permitting, this weekend, I'm going to wander around to a couple videogame stores and see if they have demo Vitas.

Amazon has the 8GB card for only $30. I also wont have to pay any sales tax if i order from them so it should save me another $20-30. Tempting.

[QUOTE="burgeg"]

I tried out the Vita today at gamestation. I played a bunch of games. I played Uncharted, Gravity Rush, Modnation Racers and Escape Plan. They also had demos for Wipeout, Fifa and Little Deviants, but I didn't try those out. Generally I liked what I played. The screen was great, the feel of the system is nothing short of perfection. Perfect size, perfect analog stick feel and placement. As for the games themselves, Modnation Racers was awesome and looks and plays the same as the PS3 game. Gravity Rush had smooth and fun gameplay. Good camera and aiming controls. Great demo and it was topped off with an exceptionally awesome looking trailer for the game at the end. Escape Plan was pretty good as well. Some nice puzzles. Nothing too tricky since it was a demo, but the levels I played were pretty cool. Touch controls were perfect.

But on to Uncharted....ugh. Well ok it wasn't bad. In fact when I first got my hands on it it was quite impressive. It looked the part. The platforming was smooth and just like the PS3 games, the dialogue seemed good and the touch functions worked well without getting in the way of gameplay too much. I actually found dragging my finger along surfaces you can climb on quite cool. Just dragging your finger makes you automatically climb and jump without having to press the jump button multiple times. Worked well, but it's optional so even if it didn't work well it wouldn't have been a problem. There were certain parts where you have to swipe your finger on the screen to progress as well, such as a part where you have to cut through something to get to the other side. I didn't have a problem with all this motion stuff. I also didn't have a problem with the parts where you have to tilt the system to balance yourself before you run to over a log. The demo was pretty fun and a good Uncharted experience.

What I did have a problem with was the terrible aiming. Everything was great until I got to a shooting section. The sensitivity seemed really low. Aiming was just really slow. I went to options and put the sensitivity up to max, but it barely made a difference. The analog sticks themselves feel great, so it's pretty clear this is a game specific issue and not a problem with the sticks themselves. It's almost like they made the aiming with the sticks so bad in Uncharted just so you're forced to use the motion control aiming. When using the motion controls to line up your shots the aiming doesn't feel quite as bad, but it's no excuse for the stick aiming being so poor. I mean the game is still going to be great, but the game could have felt so much better if the aiming was better.

CarnageHeart

Interesting. Everyone who has spent time with Uncharted seems to complain about the aiming. I'm still going to download the demo, but based on the near-uniform complaints about the controls, I doubt I'll wind up buying the game (before they patch it).

Time permitting, this weekend, I'm going to wander around to a couple videogame stores and see if they have demo Vitas.

Interesting. Everyone who has spent time with Uncharted seems to complain about the aiming. I'm still going to download the demo, but based on the near-uniform complaints about the controls, I doubt I'll wind up buying the game (before they patch it).

Time permitting, this weekend, I'm going to wander around to a couple videogame stores and see if they have demo Vitas.

CarnageHeart

Wipeout 2048 looks so damn good.