So is the Vita dead?

[SmashBroPlusB]

All-Stars Battle Royale with Cheese. It's somewhat like Smash Bros. and at some points it doesn't even make any effort to hide that it's inspired by Nintendo's fighting game. A bunch of things could be better and obviously, I can't relate to any of the characters, but it's quite fun. I haven't tried the online multiplayer yet, though.

I can definitely pick up the Smash Bros. vibe from it, though the fighting mechanics are different enough for it to feel like a different game, at least in my perspective. I also appreciate how they mapped Jump to ITS OWN BUTTON! Go die in a fiery pit, Tap Jump. I never loved you.

I started off with the PlayStation 1 somewhat early, and eventually picked up the PS2. I was very late to the party with the PSP (I mainly bought it just to get my hands on Mega Man Powered UP and Power Stone Collection; got it cheap and in good condition from a local flea market) and I don't have a PS3. Vita just doesn't do it for me either.

Yeah, for me I can relate to nearly all the characters (pretty much everyone except Fat Princess and Raldech, who the heck are these guys). I was actually pretty damn hyped for the game when Spike from Ape Escape and (my personal favorite) PaRappa the Rapper were announced as characters. It's too bad I have to beat my friend with a salmon until he lets me play his PS3.

[Kriven]

I also appreciate how they mapped Jump to ITS OWN BUTTON!

Smash Bros has utilized unique buttons for jumping since the N64, unless you use a Wiimote to play Brawl or something.

[SmashBroPlusB]

Well, yes, but you also jump when you flick the Control Stick upward. Personally it was always sort of a "nyeeehhhhhhh" thing to me when trying to use Link's Spin Attack or Captain Falcon's Raptor Boost and wasting the jump 80% of the time. In Brawl you are given the option to disable the automatic Tap Jump and instead use solely the buttons for jumping on your controller (being a GCN lover, the X and Y side buttons). It's great that you can turn it off, and I sort of wonder why it wasn't an option in the previous games. Heck, in Melee you can turn off everything but the Control Stick and A button; it would've been simple to disable Tap Jump, but I digress.

[Goemar]

I never even knew tap-jump was ever an issue... ever.

Anyway...

I think the problem with Ratchet and Clank is that, well - it's becoming a bit shit. I mean we had all-4-one or whatever it was called, and now this Tower Defence like spin-off (which hasn't had too many kind words spoke of it). A Crack in Time was an awesome game, but it didn't have the wow-factor. Ratchet and Clank kind of just exists now, it's not really a big name (which is a real shame).

The Vita doesn't need a port of a more than likely pooey game of a series few care about any more. It would however do well with an awesome "handheld" version of a series which is loosing a bit of interest to grab some attention. Imagine a really cool 2D Ratchet and Clank like Contra or Metal Slug or something. That would have been exciting. Or even a Star Fox rip-off. Spin-offs work better when they're something completely different, not a butchered version of what was there with something that doesn't quite fit stapled on.

And with Uncharted why not set it between 2 and 3 - so players can see why Drake had relationship problems instead of what happened just being alluded too. Yes it would still be a spin-off, but at least it would have been about something fans care about instead of a prequel, while at the same time not 'cheating' console players out of the story.

If the Vita had a God of War game with the story of how Kratos comes back (come on, he's going to, GoW 4 could just mention it in the intro sequence) that would be interesting. Make the handheld versions of your big names be interesting.

Killzone Liberation (which I loved) probably had the most important part of the Killzone story in it, yet because it was a top down game most people don't know it and thus the Killzone universe isn't seen as that interesting. A downloadable FPS version of Liberation perhaps Sony?

Sony needs to get it's big names out there. We don't need a card game of Uncharted, no one is buying a Vita for that. Once the big head turning names are out there games like a new Patapon or some other IP (old or new) needs to roll out and show what the hardware is capable of in new fun ways.

It would also do well to bribe Capcom for exclusive Monster Hunter rights, but well - I suspect Capcom goes with whatever console can run Monster Hunter while needing the minium amount of work on graphical improvements...

[DarkMalfunction]

I'm starting to think that handheld consoles are going to be beaten by tablets. People, with me included, were saying "yea, angry birds, that no-ones ever played for more than 15 minutes in one go is never gonna beat a massive RPG!!!1"

But now, look at the amount of games that recently made their way onto the app/play store top apps dealie in the last 6 months. Look at how many best seller games came out on Vita or 3DS last month.

The Vita should be the Vititanic, and the 3DS ain't exactly selling like hotcakes either.

The problem is that it's harder to justify spending the money on a console when it plays movies or music and games, whereas a tablet or phone can do much, much more. The same for developers, its much more cost effective to develop a game for a smartphone or tablet than it is for a console.

Maybe if they were more integrated, like maybe if the rumoured Microsoft built Windows 8 phone came out, and it had more XBox integration and controls like the Sony Ericsson Play (But look how that took off xD) Man, I'd buy one. Or two

/my two cents

[SmashBroPlusB]

I never even knew tap-jump was ever an issue... ever.

Oh yeah, it's a huge thing when you get into the competitive scene. Certain players actually take sides whether Tap Jump on or off is a better advantage. Then again, I hardly play competitive if at all, but that's neither here nor there, is it?

The Vita doesn't need a port of a more than likely pooey game of a series few care about any more. It would however do well with an awesome "handheld" version of a series which is loosing a bit of interest to grab some attention. Imagine a really cool 2D Ratchet and Clank like Contra or Metal Slug or something.

Now see, this is a point in which I believe the Nintendo DS (original, not 3DS) handled really well. For example, take the DS Sonic games. Instead of trying to use the 3D technology to make exploration-style games like the console Sonic titles or Super Mario 64 DS, the added graphical power was instead used to enhance a two-dimensional speed-platformer experience. In my opinion the original Sonic Rush was one of the best damn Sonic games ever made (classic, modern, whoever) because it blended 2D Sonic gameplay with new mechanics (Homing Jump, Blaze's SHOOOOORYUKEN) and exciting 3D effects (the arena of the water boss looping in a circle, the final zone's mecha shifting planes mid-battle) to create one exciting game.

Portable consoles should accept the fact that they are just that: portable consoles. I'd much rather have a very memorable and enjoyable 2.5D game on a console than an imitation of a home console experience.

But then again, that's neither here nor there, is it?

[Goemar]

I never even knew tap-jump was ever an issue... ever.

Oh yeah, it's a huge thing when you get into the competitive scene. Certain players actually take sides whether Tap Jump on or off is a better advantage. Then again, I hardly play competitive if at all, but that's neither here nor there, is it?

People who play competitively have these issues shouldn't be playing competitively. I'd hate to see them do half the special combos on any traditional fighter...

[Gwen]

I never even knew tap-jump was ever an issue... ever.

Anyway...

I think the problem with Ratchet and Clank is that, well - it's becoming a bit shit. I mean we had all-4-one or whatever it was called, and now this Tower Defence like spin-off (which hasn't had too many kind words spoke of it). A Crack in Time was an awesome game, but it didn't have the wow-factor. Ratchet and Clank kind of just exists now, it's not really a big name (which is a real shame).

The Vita doesn't need a port of a more than likely pooey game of a series few care about any more. It would however do well with an awesome "handheld" version of a series which is loosing a bit of interest to grab some attention. Imagine a really cool 2D Ratchet and Clank like Contra or Metal Slug or something. That would have been exciting. Or even a Star Fox rip-off. Spin-offs work better when they're something completely different, not a butchered version of what was there with something that doesn't quite fit stapled on.

And with Uncharted why not set it between 2 and 3 - so players can see why Drake had relationship problems instead of what happened just being alluded too. Yes it would still be a spin-off, but at least it would have been about something fans care about instead of a prequel, while at the same time not 'cheating' console players out of the story.

If the Vita had a God of War game with the story of how Kratos comes back (come on, he's going to, GoW 4 could just mention it in the intro sequence) that would be interesting. Make the handheld versions of your big names be interesting.

Killzone Liberation (which I loved) probably had the most important part of the Killzone story in it, yet because it was a top down game most people don't know it and thus the Killzone universe isn't seen as that interesting. A downloadable FPS version of Liberation perhaps Sony?

Sony needs to get it's big names out there. We don't need a card game of Uncharted, no one is buying a Vita for that. Once the big head turning names are out there games like a new Patapon or some other IP (old or new) needs to roll out and show what the hardware is capable of in new fun ways.

It would also do well to bribe Capcom for exclusive Monster Hunter rights, but well - I suspect Capcom goes with whatever console can run Monster Hunter while needing the minium amount of work on graphical improvements...

I don't see exclusive rights with Monster Hunter happening since a 3ds Monster Hunter is being made.

[Garamonde]

I haven't read much of the last few posts, but in Smash Bros. you can jump with the X and Y buttons JSYK.

[Kami]

I'm going to be honest, I only play a few games on the vita.

[Cobalt Blue]

how does the lack of a competitive scene affects the sales of a handheld wich in no way is designed for competitive scene goes beyond me.

The DS neither its "sequels" cant deny the HUGE amount of shovelware that was flooded them. you could really take a 4gb acekard and stack the games that were actually worth your time and still have free space.

i'd say that handheld consoles as a whole are going to suffer agaisnt the weight and impact portable devices such as tablets are taking into the scene. being able to play whatever you want whenever you want in a much more flexible enviroment both for you as an user and you as a developer simply beats any kind of benefit one could have from dealing with major publishers in the industry, such as activision, sony or even nintendo itself.

again, a card game about uncharted? why the fuck would ever, ever want to play that shit. uncharted or not. and even if it was because you're an uncharted fanboy, why the fuck would you want a card game out of a franchise thats based on action and cutscenes.

[Zero Kirby]

The PSP had some fantastic games, one of my absolute favorites being Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai - Another Road, which I think is probably the best DBZ fighting game underneath Burst Limit (if not on the same tier due to subtle differences in gameplay). Burnout Dominator is another standout PSP title, and Wipeout Pure was a great opening title for it - It just underperformed due to a lot of bad decisions on Sony's part, and I feel that's the same problem the Vita has. It could've been great, but some bad decisions means it's just not going to succeed even though it honestly deserves to.