With a mustard seed of patience...
I was new to NIS/Gust RPG's last year when I first saw screens for Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis for the PS2. I thought it looked decent and ended up putting down a preorder on it. The game was solid RPG, though not necessarily earth-shaking. So, does the PSP port live up to the original? For the most part, I think it does.
Mana Khemia is about a boy named Vayne who is invited to an Alchemy school to learn the fabled art/science since his late father was himself a very famous alchemist who had gone to the very same school. Vayne learns more about himself, his father, alchemy, and gains new friends throughout the game, with a couple interesting twists along the way. So, it may seem like typical anime fair, but it's not like it's bad or anything.
The characters, on the other hand, are wonderful and grow on you very quickly, particularly "The" Flay and his totally over-the-top, ridiculous voice acting. There are 8 different endings specific to each character, so you'll want to play the game again just for that.
Graphics-
As with most NIS/Gust games, the graphics are dated by today's standards, but they are very cute and colorful, and the character sprites in particular are very crisp. The backgrounds took a hit compared to the PS2 version and are kind of fuzzy, but it's not that bad. The battle screen graphics on the other hand are wonderful all around, virtually identical to the PS2's.
Sound-
The sound effects are all great and the songs have a catchy, whistling, 'school' theme to them. There are a handful of battle musics, one or two in particular are a nice rock track with electric guitars. The voice acting is better than some anime's English dubs, and I general don't have much complaint with it. Flay's voice in particular is so over-the-top that it actually seems to fit his character.
Gameplay-
Solid turn-based RPG fair. Rejoice, for there are no random encounters, all enemies appear on-map. Even more amazing, grinding is virtually non-existent, as Mana Khemia does not use a traditional leveling system with experience earned in battle. Instead, you use a FFX Sphere Grid like system called the "Grow Book," where items created via alchemy are socketed on the grid and unlock battle skills, attribute boosts, etc, which are then purchased with AP points earned in battle. In this game, you create almost all of your own items, and there is quite the plethora of things to make with alchemy, from healing potions to armor and weapons. It's a very fun system, and works well.
Overall presentation-
The anime-style graphics are colorful and likable, with good sound, alright voice acting with a few issues, and crisp character sprites. Frame rates can fall if you don't let the game "warm-up".
However, this is probably where players will have the most issue. There are frequent load times, and they can be long. However, if you use a PSP2000 and up, and use the included "Jumpstart" feature, and let the game "warm-up" for a moment, the load times are really quite manageable, though other reviews might say otherwise. So, if you're looking for a solid RPG and missed this on the PS2, or just want the game on the go, don't let the load times dissuade you from it as long as you have at least a mustard seed of patience.
The Final Word-
7.5-8.0
I give Mana Khemia a 7.5-8.0 score. It's a faithful port of the original and a great game to have on the go. Its graphics might be dated, but are colorful and classic looking. The voice acting has the typical hiccups one would expect from a JRPG/anime sort of thing, but is better than a lot of English dubs. The battles are fun, not random, and never really get old, with some awesome bone-shattering skills and no need to grind. Item creation via alchemy will keep you happily occupied as you seek out rare ingredients and make bigger and better weapons and armor. The characters are lovable, and their endings will have you coming back to play again. The only real issue with this game is some frame rate and loading stuff, but with Jumpstart and some patience, it's no big deal. Though not a ground-breaking game, it's fun and solid, and that's what really matters.
EDIT:
Now, four years later, I have come into posession of a PS VITA. If you enjoy RPGs, and have a Vita, there really is no reason not to get Mana Khemia. It is available on the Playstation store for $10. Also, any and all performance issues have completed vanished on the Vita. Load times are lightning fast, there is no slow down whatsoever, and animations are much more fluid. Other than the fuzzier background graphics, this version is now completely identical, if not actually better, in terms of performance than the original PS2 version.