Entries Tagged as 'PSP'

Holiday Gaming Bargains…

November 27th, 2009 · No Comments

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GameStop Holiday 09
‘Tis the day after Thanksgiving and the official holiday shopping season has begun. There are a number of good deals to be found including the following at your local GameStop:

Buy 2 get 1 free (Valid in store or online 11/25/09 – 11/29/09)

Buy any two used games or accessories and get the third for free.

Pre-Owned Console Deals (Valid in store or online 11/27/09 – 12/3/09)

GBA SP – $29.99

Original Nintendo DS – $49.99

DS Lite – $59.99

Original PSP – $79.99

Original PlayStation 2 – $39.99

PS2 Slim – $49.99

And other assorted bargains HERE.

Considering that we’re all trying to do our best to make ends meet, a used game or system is a great way to get more for your gaming dollar. One tip: GameStop online does not guarantee an original case or instruction manual for pre-owned games. However, if you go to your local stores, you can verify on-the-spot if the game appears to be “gift worthy.”

Also, GameStop is not the only option for purchasing used games or systems. Most areas have local mom-n-pop shops that offer similar merchandise. Many feel that their money is better served supporting locally-owned stores as opposed to national chains.

Check your local listings for vendors in your own neighborhood and good luck from the Frugal Gamer! ;)

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Tags: News · PSP · Parenting Decisions · Playstation · Positive · nintendo

Bridging the Gap Between PSPs

November 20th, 2009 · No Comments

Though fellow PSP/PS3 owners in Japan have enjoyed this application for months now, it was released yesterday via the PlayStation store for the U.S. This is a utility that allows a PSP owner who has a PS3 to use the console as a bridge to other PS3/PSP owners. This then allows such gamers to play any AdHoc PSP title through the internet with others. In essence, it converts any old AdHoc title into an infrastructure networked game in the privacy of your own home.

The video above demonstrates the utility in action. For more information, point your browser to Sony’s U.S. PlayStation Blog.

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Tags: News · PSP · Playstation · Positive

It’s About Time!

July 4th, 2009 · No Comments

Gran Turismo PSP

One of the most recognized racing franchises is FINALLY going to appear on the PSP this October 1st. Why I find this significant is that Gran Turismo for the PSP was supposed to be a launch title. This is one of, if not the most, delayed titles ever to actually get a release on the system for which it was announced. Yea, “Racing onto PSPs.” For more information about this release, hit the Sony site HERE.

Also of note, the October 1st release date is also the launch for the new PSP Go which is seen in the above picture and in the trailer below. So, I guess that Sony can still call it a “launch” title for the PSP…just not the original incarnation of the platform. Having said that, the PSP Go is compatible with the current PSP hardware. Besides the cosmetic differences, it does not have a UMD drive and it uses solid state memory to store downloadable games.

For those of you who may be wondering, yes – Gran Turismo will be playable on both the current hardware and the new Go. Now take a look at the cool trailer below and share a comment below stating how it’s about time!

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Tags: Negative · News · PSP · Playstation · Positive · humor

The Bargains Keep Coming

April 15th, 2009 · No Comments

gs_bargains

As Chris mentioned in his last post, we’re always on the lookout for game deals as part of our mission of sharing valuable information with fellow parents. Well, I stumbled across some price drops at GameStop this week that I thought would be of interest including these PSP titles at $9.99 (new):

These NDS titles are $9.99 (new):

These XBOX 360 titles are $9.99 (new):

In addition to these thrifty options, I am delighted to say that it appears that the PSP title God of War: Chains of Olympus (ESRB-M) has dropped to $19.99! (For more information about this gem, feel free to read our article HERE.) GameStop also appears to have dropped the price of Chrono Trigger (ESRB-T) for the NDS to $29.99.

Enjoy!

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Tags: DS · News · PSP · Parenting Decisions · Positive · Xbox 360

Don’t Take My Word For It

March 9th, 2009 · No Comments

Motivated by my rant about what an “influential” game is, I went looking online to see if anyone had a playable version of Space Invaders. There were many, but I was impressed by this clone and the fact that the designer (Paul Neave) posted his embeddable code so that anyone could include it on their site. If you get a chance, you should check out his site in general RIGHT HERE. He has an inspired sense of design and his interface maintains elegance while being quite modern. (Nice work Paul!)

To begin, click on “Yes, I understand” in the box below and then click on “Play Space Invaders” from the following screen.

← moves your ship left
→ moves your ship right
[SPACEBAR] fires the missile

This version is a little easier than the arcade original, but you get the idea. Without further ado, take a look at the state of the art of videogaming from 30 years ago!

Also, if you’re interested in playing the game full screen, just click HERE.

As an ending note, I believe that there has been a playable version of Space Invaders in every generation of consoles and on almost every platform made. There have been evolutionary steps as well as attempts to simply preserve the classic experience. If there is any question as to whether or not Space Invaders has evolved or been influential, check out the trailer below for the most recent incarnation of the series for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

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Tags: DS · News · PSP · Playstation · Positive · Retro

LocoRoco 2

March 6th, 2009 · No Comments

locoroco2Well, one of the cutest franchises on the PSP is back. The infectiously cute characters, sounds, and music have come back for more in LocoRoco 2. What’s even better is this E-rated title is available new for $19.99, whereas the original released at the full $39.95 price.

A number of reputable reviewers have given the title high praise including Game Informer magazine which gave it a 9.25 out of 10. The classic gameplay uses the same tilt approach as the original and offers hours of fun for kids of all ages. The primary colors and fun music will make it hard to identify the kids from the parents once this one starts up. And at this price, it’s hard to pass up.

Watch out for the Mojas!

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Tags: ESRB · News · PSP · Parenting Decisions · Positive