Yes, it's hard. In the remake and the original you will die... a lot. It can get really frustrating if you don't like that sort of thing.

Symphony of the Night isn't as bad and only gets super hard if you don't take the time to level up and prepare.

The Final Fantasy I and II remakes

Brave Story: New Traveler

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure

Valkyrie Profile

Puzzle Quest

Puzzle games are just better suited to portable systems, imo. Puzzle Quest does have decently longevity but it isn't the sort of addictive that Lumines is. It is more complicated and has a story mode plus lots of other stuff to do. I played it like crazy when I first got it but really never came back to it once I burnt out. There is also an element of luck involved, like in all puzzle games, but in Puzzle Quest it can be infuriating. (EX: You've been on this one stage forever and suddenly your openent has some really awesome combos fall into place through luck.)

Overall, it plays more like Bejeweled while Lumines is more Tetris-style.

Yes, it's out. I've had one for a while now, since around the beginning of this month.

FYI, the Piano Black slim does not come with a memory stick of any size, just the PSP itself and the charger. Also, it is easy to tell if it's the new slim because it comes in a different box. The old PSP came in this small square-ish box. The new black one comes in a flat, rectangular, orange box that looks like it could be hung up on a rack. You can see the PSP in the new package.

The new black ones are awesome and don't get anywhere near as dirty or fingerprinty as the old ones.

The new piano black one does not show dirt and fingerprints anywhere near as much as the older black PSPs did. It is a slightly different finish and made out of different materials. It's really up to you. I bought the black because I didn't want the game that came with the white one and wasn't too thrilled with how they did the Darth Vader art.

Valkyrie Profile, hands down.

I thought Brave Story was okay but it didn't hold my interest despite being very well-made and pretty. Tales of the World isn't worth it unless you're a huge Tales Series fan. Avoid Valhalla Knights.

Personally, I love Innocent Life and Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl but they aren't traditional RPGs. Gurumin is a good game too but more action-based.

I traded my old one for a slim and really can't say which I like better. I have a black slim and it doesn't get anywhere near as dirty or fingerprinty as the old one due to slightly different materials/finish. The control pad is more responsive and the WiFi range seems better. The new feature intended to cut loading times isn't all that amazing but it does shave off a few seconds in many cases, which was the biggest selling point for me.

I liked the weight and sturdier feel of the older model PSP though. The UMD drawer was a better design as was the slot for the memory stick. Overall, I think it was a classier looking piece of hardware. It fit my hands better.

Also, I wanted to use the TV feature (to play games, not just movies) and didn't know it required component cables. I don't feel like buying a new television anytime soon and can only use AV so I was pretty disappointed about that.

The screen really is the same. The battery life is the same unless you put in a bigger battery. If you can get the older model for cheap there's no real reason to get a slim one. Both work just fine and have their good points.