Justin Baker

Thanks to my lovely tax return I now have a Vita. So far I’ve been really enjoying it, and the few games I have on it. Unfortunately due to finals and multiple jobs I don’t feel much like writing an entire article about anything that substantial, so I’ll just put some impressions below.

Hardware:

The touchscreen and touchpad are the most impressive, and in an age when touchscreens are so prolific, that’s really quite a compliment. It’s responsive, precise, and I haven’t had any issues with it beyond some gimmicky controls. The colors really pop, and the resolution is fantastic.

Unfortunately, the screen does have one slight flaw. In a dark room when the screen is a dark color it looks mottled. At first I thought it was bubbles under my screen, but then I checked my girlfriend’s Vita and it had the same issue. Some short research online showed me that not only is this problem well known, but it has thus far been ignored by Sony. The obvious response is “don’t use the Vita in a dark room” - it’s bad for your eyes anyway - but it’s a little disconcerting that a device that was so touted for its amazing screen has such a glaring flaw. It’s a small one, but it’s still a little baffling that Sony didn’t take care of it.

The analog sticks were what I was most skeptical of, and my skepticism was completely unfounded - they are awesome. They are at least as precise as a PS3 controller, and have a great feel to them, despite their small size. I’ve been playing Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, and I keep forgetting I’m not holding a traditional controller. The small buttons were also a concern, but they are extra clicky and lend themselves well to button-mashing.

The operating system is decent, and has some fun features. The biggest complaint I’ve heard is that you can’t use the buttons to navigate the home screens, but I’ve yet to even accidentally try to navigate with them. This might be due to the fact that, again, I have big hands, thus I had no problem reaching any area of the screen.


Software:

The software included is adequate, but won’t change the way you view small electronics. The web browser works, the keyboard works, and Netflix is a little sluggish. Not being able to browse is a big downside, as I tend to look up FAQs for games while I’m playing.

The frustrating part is that there is a workaround with the Twitter app that will allow you to browse while playing a game, so we know it’s possible just not enabled yet. In addition to that the browser doesn’t load the page until you actually scroll to it, making scrolling a little bit of a hassle. While, again, the browser isn’t a crucial part to the system, it still would have been nice to see them outsource this to someone like Opera.

Running programs work a lot like they did on webOS (for the ten of you that used it before it died). They are made up of little cards that you can swipe off the screen to close, and it all seems to work just fine. I haven’t had any lock ups with the device, or even any interface lag.

Games:

Well all know this is the important part. How are the games? Well, they’re quite impressive. I’m not a big fan of amazing graphics, but I definitely found myself marvelling at the sheer resolution and number of assets on screen. Aside from the launch games, which included several great titles, there has been very little in the way of new releases.

The next big release is Mortal Kombat which will release in a few days, and Disgaea 3 came out recently, but you’re going to be playing the same release titles for the time being. Fortunately, it was a strong lineup and there’s some good variety.

My game of choice has been Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, which is really just a re-release of Sigma, but still one of my favorite action games. Aside from some mildly annoying touch controls, it’s a great title that sacrifices absolutely nothing with its handheld release.

Overall:

The Vita is quite an impressive system overall, and my complaints with it are minor at worst. After purchasing the system I was a little surprised that it was only $250, since that’s how much I paid for my 3DS and it stands a head and shoulders above the 3DS in terms of hardware. Of course, it has to compete with the beast that is Nintendo marketing, as well as various cell phone markets that have indoctrinated people into the ninety-nine cent mindset, but I think Sony has a powerful enough system to really drive demand here in the West.

Break time!

To the my one reader: You may have noticed that there is no Nomad this week. Well, never fear, I am still alive and well; I just haven’t written it! Yesterday I was sick in bed, and today I’m just not feeling the itch. The best writing advice I’ve ever heard was from Margret Weis on an obscure D&D podcast (Roll For Initiative, check it out if you love AD&D) when she said something along the lines of “If you wait for inspiration you’ll never write anything, just sit down and put words to paper.”

Unfortunately I’m learning that the hardest thing about writing is the writing part. That said, I don’t want to let this blog fall into ruin, so I’m just going to post a few snippets about some media I’ve been consuming lately. Not really reviews, just impressions and thoughts.

Film: Chasing Ghosts

I had the good fortune to watch this fantastic documentary about the glory days of the American Arcade, and it was stunning. I was of the NES era, and the early arcade games were always interesting to me, but I was never really fully engaged in them. I’ll play Galaga until my fingers bleed, but other than that I view them with aloof respect.

Following the careers of a few world record gamers at the seminal Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa, Iowa. These guys are fantastic, and it’s really heartwarming to see how they found camaraderie in the arcade scene. Most of them went on to live normal lives with nine to five jobs and children. One of them raises spiders in a run down house while playing Atari. Guess you can’t win them all, eh?

But the most touching and tragic character was that of Walter Day, the owner of Twin Galaxies. He is a man of vision and eccentricism, and it shows every time he’s on camera. Walter didn’t really move on when the arcades died, and while he did something amazing and incredibly influential in the gaming world he seems to be all but forgotten. In the film he talks about the amount of time that he spent babysitting people’s kids, and now they’ve simply moved on. It very nearly brought a tear to my eye. He exudes that awesome grandpa vibe, and seems genuinely sweet and full of ideas. There is a moment right at the end of the film when he does something that really got me choked up, but I won’t spoil it.

It was really fantastic to learn about Walter and get a great perspective of what the arcades were like back then. The relationships these guys shared, and the sheer cutthroat competitiveness is really something to see.

Game: Kid Icarus: Uprising

As a 3DS owner I was required to pick this one up. At E3 a while back it was touted as the killer app of the system, and it has been quite a long time coming. I haven’t finished it yet, but I am really enjoying it. The constant references to the original NES game alone is enough to make me smile, but the writing is truly something groundbreaking. It’s rare that a game has such good humor, and even more rare that I actually smile and laugh aloud multiple times per level. Really, this writing is top notch.

The game is also gorgeous, and in a real way, not a “good for a handheld” kind of way. The graphics are really great, and the visual design really makes the game feel epic. I’m constantly flying into new landscapes that give me a sense of awe and wonder. Massive battles, underworld volcanoes, giant cities, it’s all there.

Loot is thrown at me constantly, and the system for fusing items is really addicting. I find myself spending almost as much time looking at stats and comparing weapons as I do in the actual campaign. Then again, that might also be because half of each level gives me hand cramps. That’s right, I’m going to complain about the controls. I’m a big hairy six foot tall man-ape, and I have big hairy man-ape hands, so know that going into this. The controls are not ideal, and I find my hand cramping by the end of each level. This keeps me from playing levels back to back, which is really disheartening. While I doubt that any normal person could say they love the controls, those with smaller hands may find them passable. I was not surprised at all to learn that this was originally a Wii game, and it shows.

The online is a fun 4v4 romp that can feel a little unbalanced at times. Some games go great, and you get in a few hits and have a great time, but there are games when you spend the whole time being juggled by a player with a better weapon. Good way to get loot, fun for a while, but nothing too spectacular. A healthy amount of content and unlockables will keep people more OCD than myself engaged for quite a while as well.

Overall I find myself returning to the game for the writing, and that’s a rare thing indeed. The flying segments are excellently done, and I think the best thing they could do for the game is have a flying-segment only mode. I’m glad I purchased it, and that’s really the best indicator of whether or not a game is worthwhile. Also, the stand hold my Game Boy Micro quite nicely.