I Got a Life!

At the weekend, I decided to go and blow all my hard-saved cash (read: got money for my birthday), and I bought a PS Vita.

And I have to say, I'm rather pleased. for a handheld console the screen is incredibly large, so I don't feel like I'm peering down at it. The analogue sticks are easy to use, and I don't find them awkwardly positioned (possible due to having unmanly small hands). What was a surprise was how good the battery life proved to be. Having heard a lot of complaints about it getting the same sort of battery life as the 3DS (which I've also owned), I was expecting it to die pretty quickly. Not so. Yesterday, I finished charging it at 12.30pm, and got a low battery warning at 7.30pm, after having spent the afternoon playing on it. We'll see if that continues over the next few weeks.

Surprisingly for a game launched a month ago, there are a lot of decent games on the Vita, many of which are the sort I enjoy playing. I decided to pick up Uncharted, which isn't bad for a linear action game, though I find the shooting controls a bit flacid and imprecise. However, the story is good enough to keep me playing, and the voice acting is excellent, with some amusing quips from Nathan Drake.

I've also sampled a few demos, and Unit 13, though an average game, certainly dispelled any worries about whether those tiny sticks would be able to deal with a shooter. It proved far easier to control than Uncharted. Also, I was particularly surprised at how good Rayman was. I played the Xbox 360 demo and wasn't that thrilled, but here the game comes alive, as if it were made for a handheld. The graphics are sublime, and the game handles very well. I've got enough to tide me over until Christmas, with the likes of Ninja Gaiden, Resistance: Burning skies, Gravity Daze, as well as the aforementioned Unit 13 and Rayman to play, not to mention the back catalogue of PSP games I've never had the chance to play.

Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few more impressions once I've spent some time with the system

And yes, I know the Vita hasn't sold all that well, but with such an impressive lineup, and more to come, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it will be successful. And not just because I now own one.