The PlayStation Portable

Pro's
Beautiful screen
Surprising battery life
Prices

Con's
Lack of game titles
Load times

The PlayStation Portable is, in a single word, underrated. However, were it not for its resounding flop, the system, games, and accessories would probably not be available at such wonderfully low prices. The PSP is a great game system, and it can be found used for dirt cheap.

The first thing you notice about the PSP is, of course, the screen. It's huge and beautiful; watching movies on it is easy. Movies and games alike look brilliant.

The biggest problem with the PSP is the lack of game titles. The amount of store space the PSP and its games take up is a testament to this fact. That is not to say there are no good games available, there are plenty, but this lack of variety gives the PSP less longevity than other portable game systems.

For the games that are out there, gameplay is very good. Everything from racing games to first-person shooters, the big screen makes them all playable. The analog stick, which slides rather than tilts, feels weird at first. It's different enough from the analog sticks everyone is used to that it takes some time to adapt. I also noticed that it seems to stick a little bit, or slide back to neutral too slowly. I do not know if this is a universal problem or if it is specific to my unit. However, with a little practice the stick becomes second nature.

Unfortunately, the horrible speeds of the Universal Media Discs show themselves in gameplay. Load times for games and levels approach two minutes in some cases. I'm not sure what affect a faster drive would have on battery life, but it's a trade I would gladly have made.

The battery life of the PSP is surprisingly good. While it varies a lot depending on how it's used, mine typically lasts for about eight hours of mixed use. Aftermarket batteries are available that can increase battery life up to 20 percent.