PSP Final Fantasy Dissidia bundle review part II

I hope you’ve gained some insight from my PART I of my PSP Dissidia bundle review, so this is the final part conclusion to the blog set.

Music 3/5:
This should not be a primary reason to buy this if you have discerning ears. So far you’ve only seen 5’s but this is where it ends. Unfortunately, Mp3’s are really a side feature of this product. There are two good reasons for this. Due to its physical product design shape and size this isn’t very feasible to carry around with you, especially not to the gym. If you’re looking for the ultimate airplane or long bus ride companion, this is it. Want to jog with it or constantly be on the move from sitting, walking to standing across the city, forget about it. That is the tradeoff for a nice screen made for entertainment. You could use a fanny pack and have the earphones go through the small hole in the zipper but do you really want to wear an ugly fanny pack? The system is very portable and light, but its not an exercise companion.

The really bad reason is the poor current output on the PSP. The audio sounds lazy on non-gaming sources and the high-mids and treble come off “lagging” like it needs an energy boost. Nope, headphone amplifier didn’t do much. For the reason of compensated development, game audio is very punchy, but not music. Bottom line: Audio is good on games but musical audio suffers. However, I doubt too much of the general population would even notice, as my ears are pickier than others.

On the bright side, it’s one of the few players that will accept high quality lossless compressed audio format FLAC and also wav. But not much improvement as you’d think. During audio playback you can still freely browse menu and view pictures.

You’ll be surprised at the majority of sub 100 usd mp3 players that can’t do this. Putting music to your PSP is as simple as dragging music into the music folder. This is a GAMING system and this should not be the deal breaker.

Battery 3/5:
I’m getting 5 hours of battery life of just gaming. I haven’t tested it on audio. It’s about the same on video and gaming as an iPod Touch. At home it’s best to keep it plugged in. Battery is just barely adequate, but nothing more. Battery included is a 1200Mah, but can be upgraded to a 2200Mah for much more battery life.

Ergonomics/Documentation 4.5/5:
I didn’t experience hand fatigue after a few hours, but I’m not going to push it. The ends have sorta sharpened corners that may be bothersome to others, but didn’t bother me much. A good thing to buy would be a soft shell protect because the grip on the side would soften the corners. The lightweight of it makes it easy to play even lying down. The manual was very simple to understand and was direct to the point, nothing to complain about. Internet 2/5 The internet is a side feature, and its main intent is to be able to access the PSN store to buy PSP games and also download demos. The browser works well for PSN but that’s it. It’s very poor for even email surfing as it cannot load plug-ins for encrypted logins. I could not log into my email. Due to lack of plug-in support, one couldn’t view any video off of Youtube. DOH! Anyways, the DS and many PMP players have this problem too and it’s really a “free” feature. I can’t complain too much. BUT!! It needs a lot of work!! On the bright side, Google works great and I got a lot of pictures saved to my folder and use some of them as wallpaper material.

Bundled Game: Final Fantasy Dissidia impressions 4/5:
I’m 12 hours into the game, but it’s nowhere near complete. I’d say this game is pretty addicting and has all the nostalgic feel from all the Final Fantasy games. The whole daily mognet thing is a great addition to the game and contains some cool cinematic FMVS. Some of the dialogue is kinda corny or out of character. Some of the lines you might think the character is Michael Jackson, seriously nothing against the King of Pop, but Zidane and MJ are nothing alike.. Zidane’s lines are “And for the final touch,..FLY AWAY!!” Warrior of light says “Bathe in the light!” Besides the cheese factor, the games quick rounds make it a great on the go break, or a quick break from studying. I like this bundled game against any other bundle out there, past and present. I really enjoy the character’s stories.

Bundled Film 4/5:Final Fantasy VII Advent Children!
The film looks fantastic on this mini system and is not much different than watching the dvd on a larger screen. Must be seen to believed. The features are lacking as..there is none. This film was made to sell this PSP, as it shows off the video capabilities very well, displaying crisp and detailed vibrant colors. Conclusion 90% With an excellent savings and presentation, this bundle is hard to beat for a person who has not yet bought a PSP, and this remains the deal-breaker for me. Let’s face it, the system was intended for the best in games and video, but isn’t the greatest for Mp3 usage or Internet browsing. To be fair, the DS by Nintendo was’t made for this either so its not really something you can complain about! However, the iPod falls short on games and video viewing, but beats anything else for Internet browsing and mp3 usage. A perfect combo is an iPod Touch 32GB and a PSP for portable entertainment.

Time is running short to get this bundle at GAMESTOP only. Most of the bundles available today at Gamestop/Eb Games are The Assassin’s Creed, Ratchet and Clank or Gran Turismo. Try using the store locator to locate the closest store, as I had to drive out of my city to find this. If all else fails, try Amazon.com they might some left. This system bundle is one of the coolest things I’ve ever owned, and is especially a treat to a traveler and a Final Fantasy fan. PSP video converter here.

Thanks to IGN and famitsu for a few pics. (The rest are my own)