Interesting Phaethon, I'll have to look into that. I'm guessing no one has messed around with a location free player (since they cost an arm and a leg?). Someone should hack that thing up--it would be cool if you could use that interface to stream stuff over the internet from a PC or something.

Killzone Liberation is pretty fun btw, and while I'm not too far into it yet (on stage 1.4 I think) it seems like a fun title and I'm pretty glad they didn't try to make another FPS for PSP--that hasn't worked out that well so far. Taking the systems controller into account during game design is smart.

I'm loving 300: March to Glory. It doesn't explain a lot of the moves. It took me hours before I realized I could break shields with my own shield. I'd give 300 a higher score than the other review places have. 7.5/10. It's all around cool game at $20.






The AI is pretty bad on both sides. A lot of the time, your Spartan brothers act like the Three Stooges.

Wow. I wonder how limited this thing is. I want it.

Edit: 500 pieces, that'll sell out quickly. Or it did already.

Yeah I'll probably wind up just buying the retail box version. Nice cover anyway.

Demo doesn't run on my custom firmware but I'm sure it's great..I'll just buy it out of good faith, mostly based on how good the original one is.

The first game is pretty difficult, I mostly suck at it..they should have some sort of intense training mode for ADD nubs like me.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3158241

Wipeout Pulse is sounding pretty excellent. Finally a great wifi online racer. Maybe people will actually play it. Wifi needs more support on PSP. Out of the small selection of games that support the feature, people only play an even smaller group of two maybe three games really..but that's up the developers. More online!

I'm usually quite keen when it comes to rythm games but I can't make fucking sense of the DJ Max demo. Having two keys mean the same key is confusing enough, but I can't get my brain to accept that UP means SECOND TO THE LEFT.

Either I'm stupid or the button layout in that game is retarded. I bet it's another game that plays really well in its original form being shoehorned onto the PSP. :(

Syphon Filter demo has me a little keen on the thought of picking that up cheap though.

Well it's essentially Beatmania, which is out for.. at least PSX and I imagine there's a PS2 version too.. That had a special controller with six buttons lined up so it made the whole thing much more managable.

Amplitude and Frequency both on PS2 employ a similar system but uses "tracks" you switch between and only three different buttons per track, mapped to square, triangle and circle on the normal pad. Those were plagued by awful artist plugging though, and had enough variety to at least have you FUCKING HATE 30% of the track list.

Then there's Guitar Hero 2 with a more nichéd soundtrack that should have you either frowning or smiling at the sheer thought of it, and that's out on the 360 like next week or summat.

So there are alternatives for sure.

The layout really doesn't suck, it's just really damn hard. Once you grasp the concept of six button mode it becomes less infuriating but it's still very challenging. Up and Triangle being the second notes in actually makes perfect sense, it's six buttons straight across--what really did not click with me at first was that the blue notes (so colored to make it easier to distinguish notes) are the MIDDLE notes in four button mode (which I'm assuming the demo doesn't have) and then they're not the middle in six.

A key pointer--the game is actually much easier (imo) if you turn up the speed to at least 2.5X, it makes the notes much easier to read. If you are new at the game, don't feel bad about going into four button mode first (you basically have to and it will make the game more enjoyable) it's basically a must for newbies and I still haven't mastered 4Buttons let alone 6Button mode or 8Button mode.

I'm surprised there's no 4Button mode in the demo.

Six button mode is only confusing briefly, once the order really clicks with your brain. At a certain point you won't even be thinking about the button layout, it will just come naturally. The blue notes shouldn't be in the middle, and they actually picked the perfect position for them. Visually--it all makes sense--so does the button layout. You have six notes, ordered something like this:

red-dot/blue-bar/red-dot/blue-dot/blue-bar/blue-dot

Confusing? Maybe a little, but by breaking up the two halves with the solid blue bars, it actually makes it easier to distinguish what is going on in the middle of the screen, which can get confusing since everything is scaled down so small in six button mode. It's colored in a way that breaks the screen in half--and then breaks it down again so it's easier to read each half--your brain just needs to realise what is going on.

DJ Max Portable is a hardcore game, and is hardcore challenging. Avoid six button mode if it's not clicking right away, but don't avoid the game entirely just because it didn't click well with the demo.

The interface really isn't that bad though, the button order makes sense, and it's visually tied together pretty well--it just takes a little extra effort to make it all click. It's a good game, I've only had DJ Max Portable (the first one) for a little over a month and it's one of my favorite (if not favorite) PSP games.

You think the DJ Max Portable 2 demo is crazy? Check these out.

BlythE 8Button mode--one combo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfMlAv7ABEg

BlythE 6Button INVISIBLE NOTES:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zeb1Qiz6PA
(that one must be pure memory--not for me, I'm no savant)

End of the Moonlight 6Button (Hard mode)--one combo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1biVoBAR0Y

..and for fairness..

Every Morning 4Button (noob mode)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OJ7i75h-Is

All of those are from DJ Max Portable 1--but I'm assuming that part two includes the newbie mode which is a must for new players--at least if you're not crazy hardcore about these rhythm games.

It is playable, it just has a deep learning curve. I enjoy a good challenge..one of the things I enjoy about DJ Max is that what it lacks in character, story and charm, it makes up for in variety and depth of gameplay. There's a lot here--a lot of content and a big skill curve.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I love Gitaroo Man but it's no where near as challenging and it doesn't last very long (very small selection of songs/stages). I love that game, but I think that it has a very different approach. It reminds me of PaRappa The Rapper in a way..what it lacks in overall challenge and length it more than makes up for charm, story, etc..

Both great games, and then there's Taiko Drum Master too, which I haven't played. Point is, this is one genre that the PSP kicks ass at.

Well a friend of mine has the first game aswell and couldn't understand why 2 would be so confusing. Thing is though, it uses two buttons for the same thing, effectively being a 5 button track sort of.. and while that might not sound confusing it really truly is.

I'm usually up for a challenge but this just bends my brain out of shape.

Six buttons would make sense because they'd map to what's on screen in a more satisfying manner.

Two buttons do the same thing? Now I'm confused..

DJ Max 1 is:

4Button mode: (left, up, triangle and circle)

6Button mode: (left, up, right--square, triangle, circle)

8button mode: the same adds as 6Button, plus two triggers.

In none of those modes do you have two buttons doing the same thing, unless you turn on L+R as the blue notes in the option menu which lets you use those instead of up and triangle (but I wouldn't recommend it, it would be confusing when moving on to the other modes).

Those youtube videos are proof of playability :P Maybe DJ Max 2 works differently. I guess I will find out soon.

Yeah you use all six buttons alright, but right and square both refer to the middle line.

Effectively there are five lines, and working out in your head that "up" doesn't mean the middle line is really hard for some reason, be it the up button or the triangle one.

..what? Five lines?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIGW8coU1W4

That video pretty clearly shows six separate lines in 6Button mode in DJ Max 2. Weird. I agree that for some reason up and triangle feel like they should be the middle (and they are in 4Button mode) but you get over that pretty quickly once you make sense of the order and the color coding of the notes.

Five lines though? That just sounds wrong..weird. Hopefully the final version of DJ Max 2 has a 4Button mode as well, because I've yet to really get six buttons down in DJ Max 1. I've only had the game for a short while though, maybe I'll work on DJ Max 1 for a while before trying to move on to part two.

Regardless 4Button mode is a must for people who can't pass the first song in 6Button mode, it gets you into the rhythm (no pun intended) of the game and (sorta) prepares you for 6Button mode, although moving along will be an adjustment and you have to let your brain accept that the blue-notes are no longer in the center--once you make sense of that (and realize why that makes sense) it gets easier though.

Also, turn up the speed to 2 or 2.5x, it helps me (read the notes) a lot.

Well now that you have me doubting my sanity I'll have to boot it up again. :}

6Button mode is really hard to jump into regardless, so I'm sorta surprised they didn't include an easy mode in the demo. I had heard (rumored) that DJ Max 2 didn't include a mode for novice players at all which would be a pretty giant mistake imo. Some people (myself included) needed 4Button mode in DJ Max to even break into the game at all..leaving it out would be a mistake and make it almost impossible for new players who aren't already well adapted to this type of game.

Hopefully that's just bullshit though..I would like to be able to pick up and play DJ Max 2 before having mastered the original (which is absolutely still worth buying) if possible.

DJ Max Portable 2 will probably be my next PSP game. It actually came out today (or tommorow?) so I'm pretty pumped to hear some impressions first before placing an order. Will probably buy it from Play-Asia or a simular import dealer, they seem to have reasonable prices and good stock.

Yeah, 5 lines, still confusing as fuck but I got a bit further in the song this time. I'll definitely check out the first game in due time. I'm really a sucker for rythm games.

I have to fix my square button somehow though. If I press down on it too far towards the screen it doesn't register properly. I usually get it right by pressing the right edge of it, but in heat of.. whatever I play that isn't Lumines I miss it sometimes. Very annoying.

Five lines, weird. Must be a new mode--rest assured that can't be the only mode in the game though. Six button mode is the "normal" mode, and there should be an 8Button mode for "expert play" too. I hope five button mode isn't a replacement for 4Button mode--that sounds confusing.

I'm actually playing DJ Max 1 right now, I should go ahead and place an order for two tonight. I wanted one of the crazy box sets but I guess they're impossible to get.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I'm goin insaaaaane!

I have to get the first one because I can't stop playing this even though it twists my brain around and kicks it in the arse.

roflol.

Well this was unexpected, turns out you can complete it with flying colours by just mashing buttons. Got some wild combos and mostly 100% on every note. You need to hold the long ones though of course, but overall the penalty for missing things seems pretty damn lax. :)

This misses the whole point with a rythm game though obviously, but it's still bizarre that it works.