After CES: Remembering the Playstation Vita
I LOVE THIS THING.
Here’s something simple: The PS Vita is basically a PS3 in a handheld. At worst, it may be in the hypothetical realm of a PS2.5, but even then, it’s an amazing device. Out of all the things I saw at CES 2012, the Vita is by far the most exciting and impressive piece of technology of the show.
Frankly, I’m a surprised that the Vita hasn’t sold more. For once, there seems to be an emerging product that is under-hyped. Before I got to test one at CES, I was under the impression that the Vita was less spectacular in person than what was demontrated when it was first released. I figured it would either run slowly or look terribly compressed in live view. I was wrong. I feel like a fool. The Vita is the dream machine I’ve wanted since the PSP was announced. It feels like an actual miniature PS3. No, I’m not over-exaggerating. I don’t want to spend $250 in the next month, but I can’t deny that Sony has actually taken a full-fledged next-gen console and made it portable with some mysterious magic.
Before I go too far, I better talk about Super Stardust Delta. It’s basically asteroids with tons of gorgeous clutter and plenty of things to blow up. One stick to move, the other to shoot. The game showcases use of the front and back touch functionality along with the ability to tilt the camera based on the orientation of the Vita. Basically, everything short of the front-and-back cameras are utilized in the game’s core design.
When I fired up Super Stardust Delta, I quickly came to the realization that the game plays just as well as it did on the PS3. To my amazement, the experience was actually better than the console version. The framerate stays at an amazingly stable 60 through the craziest of clutter. The front and back touch are used for two different kinds of bombs, which are placed where you drag your fingers on or behind the display. At first, I thought it was a little clunky because I had to move my hand away from the right analog stick, but I soon acclimated to the new experience after a few tries. The gyroscope gives the game an unusually powerful sense of immersion while simultaneously showcasing the crazy viewing angles the display is capable of supporting. It felt three-dimensional without the gaudy, blurry effect that the 3DS is notorious for.
Granted, not every game is going to be as good as Super Stardust Delta, but that game really is an amazing showcase of the potential of the console. House Marque did a tremendous job at incorporating everything the Vita has to offer, and now I want one. BAD.
