As a system reaches the end of its life, it tends to have one final flurry of quality titles as it goes. This is that time for the PSP, as the Japan-centric system gets what will likely be its last wave of translated RPGs. Most titles like these are destined to be ignored in their time and rediscovered later, but Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time has two things going for it that others don’t: Vita compatibility (at launch this time!) and a design that’s already detached from the current norm.
You’d think a portable version of a console game as ambitious as LittleBigPlanet would have to make some compromises in the transition. That was certainly the case with the PSP port, as while the game was an admirable effort, it certainly didn’t have the capabilities of its big brother. LittleBigPlanet for the Vita, on the other hand, seems to be equally-capable, if not more so, thanks to developers Tarsier and Double Eleven taking advantage of the hardware’s strengths. READ MORE
Generally, when you’re looking to play a game with friends, it’s much easier to do it on a home console. With portables, each player usually needs a system, and most need a copy of the game (and maybe some funky cables, if you go back enough). Generally, people haven’t bothered to take advantage of the technology. Of course, if you’re a crazy person like me, that’s more of an incentive than a barrier. READ MORE
In this super-sized episode, the crew says goodbye to the Wii with impressions of The Last Story, says goodbye to GameCube-compatible systems with a look at the console’s best and says goodbye to the summer with Andrew’s return to the panel. But that’s not all! (Not by a long shot.) Other topics: the surprisingly-great Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time, the waning appeal of Mass Effect 3 DLC, the frustrating Record of Agarest War 2, the evanescent Johnny Kung Fu, the ever-confusing Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and more.
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Hosts: Jeff DeSolla, Chris Dominowski, Chris Ingersoll, Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell, Henry Skey, Shawn Vermette.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
The Best to Own Forever series isn’t about what’s great right now. It’s about what will be great in 10 years, even though there will be better-looking games and later sequels, and what will keep you pulling that dusty old console out of the closet every once in a while. We wrap up the series (for now) with a look at the highlights of Nintendo’s little box that could: the GameCube. READ MORE
