Sega dreamcast - Powerstone PSP

Author

Powerstone PSP

Ted

2006-08-09, 7:44 pm

So, I picked up the Japanese PSP mag with the Capcom demo disc with
Powerstone, Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins, and 1943 from the Capcom Collection.
http://www.ncsx.com/2006/073106/famitsu_psp_5.htm

I was kinda disappointed in the Powerstone level (4 player fight level,
from what I recall as a PS2 level). It's been awhile since I broke out
Powerstone (or PS2) on the DC, but the given level just didn't feel
right. It took a long time to load, but that seemed to be the game
engine, not the level, and it is just a demo disc. I think the big
problem was the camera; an IGN report in February
http://psp.ign.com/articles/689/689217p1.html
and in May
http://psp.ign.com/articles/707/707574p1.html
said you had camera control. That would, I think, greatly improve the
game, but I see no evidence of having camera control in the game. As it
is, in the demo you're fighting 4 people, and you're just too far away
to appreciate the graphics on the PSP screen, and you feel like you're
moving really slowly.

I don't know why they'd remove the camera option; a I missing something?
It probably won't be an issue in the two player levels, but that still
leaves it as an issue in the 4 player levels... I like the idea of Naomi
games getting ported to the PSP left and right, but they really should
be done well.

(Relatedly, 1943 lets you play sideways... but it doesn't seem to let
you assign keys to the D-pad, making it virtually impossible to actually
play it sideways, as you can only assign a key under the screen to the
left shoulder button... Thanks craploads, Capcom.On the other hand,
Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins seems great...)

bluecrabfive

2006-08-09, 7:44 pm

> I was kinda disappointed in the Powerstone level (4 player fight level,

quote:

> from what I recall as a PS2 level). It's been awhile since I broke out
> Powerstone (or PS2) on the DC, but the given level just didn't feel
> right. It took a long time to load, but that seemed to be the game
> engine, not the level, and it is just a demo disc. I think the big
> problem was the camera; an IGN report in February
> http://psp.ign.com/articles/689/689217p1.html
> and in May
> http://psp.ign.com/articles/707/707574p1.html
> said you had camera control. That would, I think, greatly improve the
> game, but I see no evidence of having camera control in the game. As it
> is, in the demo you're fighting 4 people, and you're just too far away
> to appreciate the graphics on the PSP screen, and you feel like you're
> moving really slowly.

Bummer about the camera in PS, I remember you had to tweak it a bit in
that one. But it was real important in PS2 because the larger levels
it had. Hopefully, the load issue is a demo thing, I know I have seen
demos that were brutal that way. I have read about some REALLY long
loadtimes on PSP though some even longer than 2 minutes in length. Is
it really that bad? If so I would have to lean more towards a DS than
I am now.

quote:

> (Relatedly, 1943 lets you play sideways... but it doesn't seem to let
> you assign keys to the D-pad, making it virtually impossible to actually
> play it sideways, as you can only assign a key under the screen to the
> left shoulder button... Thanks craploads, Capcom.On the other hand,
> Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins seems great...)

Man that Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins looks so damn good! Just think of
the job they could do with Castlevania on there. The sucess on the GBA
and DS make me wonder if it will happen though.

benstylus

2006-08-10, 7:33 pm

bluecrabfive wrote:

quote:

> I have read about some REALLY long
> loadtimes on PSP though some even longer than 2 minutes in length. Is
> it really that bad? If so I would have to lean more towards a DS than
> I am now.
>

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...948086140164262

That example is a bit extreme, but funny nonetheless.

bluecrabfive

2006-08-10, 7:33 pm

> > I have read about some REALLY long

quote:

>
> http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...948086140164262
>
> That example is a bit extreme, but funny nonetheless.

Good God, man! That was horrible. I have seen some bad load times
with games on single speed drives like SCD, 3dO or horror of horrors
Neo Geo CD but that was retarded. It was somewhat understandable with
what they were working with.

Wouldn't something with a huge level size, say GTA:LCS be pretty crazy
in that regard?

Even then if it loads it all in to memory at once I can stand it OK.
The one game that got me as far as load times go was Soldier of Fortune
on DC, that was like two minute load time plus each level. The game
ruled and I loved it but I didn't play it much because the load times
just hurt too much.

BelPowerslave

2006-08-10, 7:33 pm

> Even then if it loads it all in to memory at once I can stand it OK.

quote:

> The one game that got me as far as load times go was Soldier of Fortune
> on DC, that was like two minute load time plus each level. The game
> ruled and I loved it but I didn't play it much because the load times
> just hurt too much.

Well, I don't know about 2 minutes, but each load(depending on level)
was around a minute and a half, if not a bit more. What was killer
about the loads: There was more than just one per level. Like, it
didn't load at the beginning of the level for a minute and fortyfive
seconds, then you never saw it again, it loaded for that, then when you
made it about a fourth of the way into the level, it did it
*again*....then *again* at the halfway point, so on and so forth.
That's what killed me about it. Though, at the time, I didn't have a
PC, so the DC was pretty much my only way of playing the game(though I
did have it, and could play it on the girlfriend's PC, I wasn't too
accustomed to the mouse/keyboard config at the time).

Bel