Gamesugar

March 17, 2010

In Memory Of – My PSP 2000

Filed under: Features — Tags: , , , — Jamie Love @ 12:46 pm

In Memory
Prior to establishing Gamesugar, my PSP-2000 had developed a condition I’ve come to refer to as “PSP Leprosy” – a series of strange blotches staining the screen in permanent places. At the time I was quite concerned that this would cut its working career short, but the handheld soldiered on, ready to meet the new challenges that lay ahead during the year in gaming that is 2010.

However, during a recent adhoc co-op session for Metal Slug Double X, it was clear that my PSP was running much slower than its partner, with significantly longer load-times and finally a screen freezing glitch that forced me to remove the battery to turn it off. Still I held out hope that it might overcome this, only to have the freezing get progressively worse, until I was forced to accept that the patient was lost last night during an attempted revisit of Jeanne D’arc.

It’s impossible not to question why the young are sometimes cut short, long before their time and prior to releases like Valkyria Chronicles 2, Patchwork Heroes, and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker – potential joys my PSP will never know. It’s true that the candle that burns twice as bright often lasts only half as long, and surely my PSP was able to attend gaming events and sample review code that made its short life far from ordinary.

I don’t expect an answer regarding the wisdom of the great designer in this situation, I can only mourn the passing of a portable device that gave itself in the service of gamers, in the hope of bringing a better level of information and game writing to their lives.

Assuming you’ll indulge me, a list of this PSP’s published service record can be found after the break, a permanent memorial in remembrance of its accomplishments.

Goodnight my first PSP, while I will undoubtedly be forced to replace you with another, you will never be forgotten.


In Memory

In Memory – PSP-2000
February 2008 – March 2010


Preston Stephen Prescott the Third was a good little handheld friend who, sadly, has left us all too soon. But given his service in his all-too short lifetime, he actually had seen more action than most of his family and friends.

You will be missed, but most importantly, you have inspired us all to be kinder to our little PSPs. – Shaun Hatton, former Editor in Chief, Toronto Thumbs

Farewell little PSP. I didn’t know much about you or ever game on your gamingness, but Jamie sure seemed to love you. Always going on about sticking UMDs in you and being pleasured by your big screen and silly games. And you had Wipeout. You went out in a blaze of glory, and that is more than most can say. – Nicholas Luckett, Editor in Chief, 4 Color Rebellion



Published Service Record

Toronto Thumbs: November 2008 – July 2009

Fashionably Late Review – Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero?
Review – Hammerin’ Hero
First Impressions – Crimson Gem Saga
Review – Crimson Gem Saga
Review – Rockband: Unplugged

4 Color Rebellion: July 2009 – November 2009

Dead Pixels – WipEout
4cr Review – Shin Megami Tensei Persona
4cr Plays – Thexder Neo
Valkyria Chronicles 2 – Demo Report
4cr Plays – Locoroco Midnight Carnival

Gamesugar: December 2009 – March 2010

Demo Report – Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman 2
Being the Boss – MGS Peace Walker
Review – Kenka Bancho Badass Rumble
Catching Up With Disgaea 2
Demo Report – Patchwork Heroes
Review – Metal Slug Double X

9 Comments »

  1. Poor little guy. I guess you can get one of those fancy MGS:PW bundles now… I know I am. I’ve been meaning to upgrade my PSP-1000.

    Comment by Ujn Hunter — March 17, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

  2. It’s veeeeery weird how newer consoles and handhelds just plain die nowadays while the NES and Gameboy still shine. Ok, let’s be honest. Every Nintendo console and handheld still lives on as I’ve yet to have either type die on me since launch.

    Is there something wrong with the PSP? Is this a wide spread problem?

    Comment by EdEN — March 17, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

  3. Well, the more moving parts you use in a machine, the more you invite hardware failure, so it doesn’t surprise me that my DS Phat seems just about as indestructible as my SNES has proven itself for instance.

    The screen plague really threw me for a loop when it popped up – and then to have everything around the drive fail just baffles me on this one. Hard to believe, but it’s actually the first piece of hardware I’ve ever had die on me since my PS1 stopped reading discs – hell even my Saturn still works. Whether my situation is unique or not I do not know, but given the games coming up I’ll have to consider Ujn’s advice.

    Comment by Jamie Love — March 17, 2010 @ 3:27 pm

  4. I’ve got a working Dreamcast whose only problem is that every now and then it decides that it should be upside down day and only reads disc while on it’s head. Still, playing Grandia III is always fun…

    Comment by EdEN — March 17, 2010 @ 4:25 pm

  5. this blotching of the screen is fairly common. I personally have experienced a memory failure of a PSP. it’s not an uncommon occourance among the psp 2000 models. especially the screen blotching.

    Comment by metalmouth7 — June 6, 2010 @ 10:28 pm

  6. Appreciate the feedback on that, when the blotching first started I ran the panic circle wondering if there was something in my apartment affecting LCD screens – which probably sounds absurd but I get crazy when expensive electronics develop strange diseases and at the time I’d never seen or heard of it happening.

    Comment by Jamie Love — June 6, 2010 @ 10:33 pm

  7. I just read that Jeremy Parish’s PSP-2000 is dying too. I’m excited because I just looked at my bank account… and I’m short $200… that means my PSP-3000 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Camo Bundle is in the MAIL! My PSP playing days are going to increase 100x very shortly.

    Comment by Ujn Hunter — June 8, 2010 @ 9:18 am

  8. Not gonna lie, I’m jealous of your purchase!

    Comment by Jamie Love — June 8, 2010 @ 9:23 am

  9. I’m not gonna lie either, my bank account was this close to slapping me silly for spending $200 on a whim. :P

    Comment by Ujn Hunter — June 8, 2010 @ 11:34 am

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