Sony PSP vs. Nintendo DS: Prelude

Sure there's an election going on that will determine the future of the next century of American politics. But what's really important is which handheld game system is the best. I think that's something we can all, democrat and republican alike, can agree on. Libertarians and Greens might disagree, but when was the last time anyone listened to them anyway?

I've owned a PSP for the better part of a year now, and I've been extremely happy with it. Granted, I wasn't overjoyed until I started using custom firmware - but the multimedia capabilities of the device alone are worth the price in my opinion. I like a lot of PSP games, but playing some of the old 8 and 16 bit games using an emulator is just as, if not sometimes more fun.

The problem with the DS is I can't freaking find one! The thing has been sold out since before Christmas and they're currently not available anywhere on or off line. Oh - except the pink ones, and I don't think I'm manly enough to pull off a pink DS. Using a friend's system last night I realized that I find the smaller screens really small in comparison to the beautiful wide screen on the PSP. I think I'll get used to it, and the fact that there's two of them and that one is a touchscreen seems a decent trade off.

The game I played last night was Mario Kart DS. I've never been a huge fan of Mario Kart - or the Mario franchise in general. It's just not my cup of tea. But I found it mildly diverting. However, I'm far more interested in the touchscreen enabled games - and games that really make use of the two screen setup, beyond adding a map or inventory screen. To me, that's the point of the whole system - providing a style of play that has never been seen in the world of gaming.

And when I finally get my hands on a system and get a chance to actually play some of those games - then the real test begins.

Obama Wins Iowa

And his acceptance speech is one of the best I've seen in recent memory. It was in a different class than the other candidates - Republican or Democrat. Take a look:



Now, the real test begins. Can Obama survive the intense scrutiny of being the new frontunner?

My Top 5 PSP Games

I told you I was going to do lists. Because I heart them. And this one is about the Playstation Portable - a gadget for which I have already professed my love (even though I'm about to begin an affair with the Nintendo DS...if any store will have them in stock for crissakes...). For a long time people complained that the PSP simply didn't have any good games - but at this point I think that is simply not true. While you can also use the PSP to watch movies, read web sites (like this one!) pdf and text files, listen to music and podcasts (and now internet radio) or look at photos - its main purpose is still gaming.

To that end, here's my current selection of the five games I feel make the cut for must own titles in any PSP gamers library.

Loco Roco - If you haven't played it, go and grab the demo here. This is an innovative puzzle game (or is it a puzzle platformer?) with great graphics, trippy music and funny sound effects. It's challenging, constantly entertaining with great level design and a unique quality that makes it impossible to play without smiling.

Jeanne D'Arc - While this might not be for everyone with its Anime style and semi-historical setting, Jeanne D'Arc is a great strategy title with tremendously addictive gameplay. Similar in many ways to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with fewer...slow spots. While the game is fairly linear, the story is actually quite engaging, using some terrifically animated cut scenes and surprising moments within the missions themselves. The turn-based combat also makes for good pick up and play, which is essential for a portable system.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Here's a game that is finding its way onto just about every platform; DS, Xbox Live, PS2 and it's eventually coming to PC. Puzzle Quest mixes the incredibly addictive gameplay of Bejeweled with the incredibly addictive gameplay of a great RPG. The story is solid, if not overly unique, but the gameplay itself is what will keep you glued to your PSP. One thing that is irksome with this title is that a bug that affects how companions work within the game has never been fixed. That should be inexcusable in this day and age. That one problem aside, this is another great game that can be played in bite sized chunks or for hours at a time.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - This is a remake of Rondo of Blood, which was never released in the US. It's a great looking 2d side scrolling game that reminds you why 2d games - and Castlevania games in particular - were once the biggest thing in gaming. The game keeps up the Castlevania tradition of being challenging enough to make you work for it, but not so much that you chuck your PSP out a window. You can also unlock the great PSX release Symphony of the Night...though I've yet to get that far. For my money, bringing a slew of great 2d franchises back to life was one of the best things handhelds (GBA Metroid and Castlevania goodness...) have brought to the gaming world.

Crush - I think what distinguishes a system are the original games that seem to be made so specifically for that one platform that it's hard to imagine playing the game on anything else. Crush on the PSP feels this way for me. It's a puzzle game, which suits handhelds quite well - but it's too graphically advanced for the DS. It uses a blend of 2d and 3d vantage points - which are under your control - in some really innovative and challenging gameplay that mixes platforming with puzzle solving and forces you to think in multiple dimensions at once. I've never played anything quite like it, and the game has an interesting story, tons of atmosphere and terrific art design to boot.

So there you go - five titles that will make you proud to own a PSP. All of these games are not only good games, but good value for the money. Puzzle Quest alone could last you weeks, if not months of gameplay. And this is not my exclusive list, and I'll present some more games in a later list that are a little less well known.

Iowa

So I said that I would do "very little" political blogging. So here's the first post of a political nature. It's Wednesday, January 2nd and it seems just about nobody knows what is going to happen in Iowa tomorrow. These aren't primaries, but are instead "caucuses," which makes things even less predictable. It seems that voters (caucusers?) can choose to shift their support from one candidate to another. So Barack Obama could possibly pick up the support of Bill Richardson and/or Joe Biden. Apparently Denis Kucinich has already told his supporters to make their second pick Obama.

While there seems to be lots of "Obamagic" going on - plenty of talking head types are advising not to count Hillary out because of her campaign's sophisticated operation. Edwards shouldn't be excluded yet either, because he has strong support in Iowa and has spent an enormous amount of time focusing on the state. If Edwards or Obama beat Clinton, that's a big story. A lot of people expect Obama to win New Hampshire - so if he has a strong second place showing in Iowa, he can still make tremendous gains next week.

On the republican side Huckabee has made dramatic gains, somehow becoming the front runner. But again, people say don't discount Romney because he has so much money and a well oiled machine ready to pounce tomorrow. Then there's John McCain - who has absolutely surged in New Hampshire to take the lead. McCain's campaign was all but over just a month ago - but the man never gave up and took to the old fashioned politics of town halls and face to face meetings. His movement in New Hampshire (which has its primary this coming Tuesday) could give him a surprisingly strong showing in Iowa.

If McCain has a good showing in Iowa and actually wins in NH - then that'll be the biggest story leading up to Super Tuesday (Feb. 5th, when 20 states hold their primaries at once). Everyone loves an underdog story. And frankly, with McCain having been the presumptive nominee at one point, if he can come back to win contests like this (from the jaws of defeat as it were) - maybe he should return to the top spot.

At this moment it seems we could be looking at Obama vs. McCain in the general election. Or maybe Clinton vs. Romney? Edwards vs. Huckabee? Remember when Fred Thompson was supposed to come in and save the Republican party? Boy, was that a disappointment. Maybe he'll be able to come back to Law and Order once the writers' strike ends.

Just to add to the fun - there's rumors that New York's Mayor Bloomberg might run a 3rd party candidacy. The guy has billions of dollars, so that could be interesting. For political junkies, this is like the NBA Playoffs, the World Series and The Superbowl all mixed together...and then dipped in porn covered rainbows.

Essential Treo Applications

I'll provide links to these tomorrow, but here are some applications I really cannot live without. I've gone through several Treos, starting with the 600, then upgrading to the 650 and then the 700 and a replacement 700...which was a bit of a nightmare. I stuck with Palm's OS even though it clearly seems to be dying out. In that time I've found that I need the Treo to do certain things, and when it doesn't, I get cranky. You wouldn't like me when I'm cranky...

First, the bundled apps: Versamail, Docs to Go, and Pocket Tunes. These really are great programs.

It took me a long time to get Versamail to work with Gmail the way I needed it too, but I'm happy now. I'm actually writing this post with it right now. There are things I wish Versamail did, but being able to send and receive email is a necessity and it gets the job done.

Docs to Go I wasn't too happy with until it added the ability to create text files. Things stay nice and problem-free with plain text. But at the same time, DtG can create word and excel files when needed (and I guess Powerpoint, but I never use it), and it can open full word docs which can be handy as hell.

Pocket Tunes: My Treo came with these snazzy stereo headphones that double as a headset. (I don't do the Blue Tooth thing. I always think of that guy who followed Lando around in Empire Strikes Back.) These things help make the Treo a fine MP3 player. I tend to load up some podcasts and lots of music I haven't listened to yet that I can check out while waiting in line at the grocery store.

If you upgrade Pocket Tunes to deluxe (for $30) you can plays subscription tracks as well - which is actually another great music discovery tool - just throw in a bunch of suggested tracks to try out some time. Even better is the ability to listen to internet radio stations. If you have broadband signal, these work really well...but they'll drain your battery pretty quickly. Either use a high capacity battery or be ready to charge your phone.

Quicknews- This is a full featured RSS feed reader. I set mine to update at 6am all on its own so that I have my info there when I want it. Even better the program can download podcasts as well, putting them right into a folder for PTunes. This program cost me $15 and I feel it's worth every cent. I've had some issues here and there with it and Stand Alone Inc's support has always been terrific.

Toccer - The free version of Toccer is a nice and simple instant messenger. I guess there's a newer version that costs money, but I don't need it. The great thing about Toccer is that it uses AIM's server, unlike Causerie, which I used to use (and paid for, damn it) - but it used its own unreliable servers. Horribly frustrating. Toccer is great if you need to step out of the office for a bit but also need (or want) to remain in contact. Here's a tip: no chatting while driving..

Google Maps: I initially wondered if I'd ever use this program when I first installed it. I was glad Google was providing such a service to use lowly Palm folk, but for some reason I thought it'd be extraneous. Boy was I wrong. While not as Magellanific as GPS, Google Maps has gotten me where I needed to go several times. It's a terrific application that should be on your phone - especially if you're prone to getting lost.

I had an iPhone user show me this function months after I had been using it. His eyes were wide with wonder as he beheld his Jobsian Whizbang. Macnuts are so cute...

New Year, Schmoo Meer

For some reason I just found it funny that there'd be "that guy" who hated New Years. It seems almost nobody is down about New Year. You have people who don't like Christmas or Valentines Day or other holidays. But most people seem to warm up to the idea of a whole new year and a fresh start. It's a group psychic cleansing. Still, it makes me chuckle that the moment that ball drops there's one guy at the party who tosses his bubbly and storms off, grumbling "Aw, fuck this."

Anyway, I said I would post about gaming, but haven't even done one yet. So it's time! Drum roll please...

I'm looking at getting a Nintendo DS. I have a PSP, which I love. It's got the custom firmware (Dark Alex's 3.71 M33-4) so that I can play emulated games of all kinds, as well as the more traditional music, movies and other content you can load on the thing. I really do think that the PSP had the potential to be an end-all be-all gadget and Sony dropped the ball. While the DS has fewer multimedia capabilities (out of the box anyway) - I'm intrigued by the gameplay of the double screen and stylus. Plus those new crimson and 'onyx' models are damn sexy.

I'm not really sure that I'm the kind of gamer who would play DS games. I've never been a huge fan of Nintendo games. Link, Mario, Wario, Schmario, they're all one brightly colored blur to me. Yet, at the same time, I feel I need an antidote to the Grim Meathook Future games that swarm the X-Box 360. How many games can you really have with large improbably armored men grunting and killing aliens/monsters/each other? Even though some of those games are great, they're tiresome in the context of overbearing similarity. After so many levels of Gears of War or Call of Duty 4, I'm clamoring to jump on flying mushrooms and throw tomatoes at pixies.