• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Learning to love the Vita

G

GamerJM

Banned
Okay, so, I know we have a lot of Vita fans here on GAF, so I thought I'd post a bit about my experience with the system here.

So, I liked my PSP, but for most of last-gen it took a backseet to the other platforms I owned. It had a lot of good games on it, but most of them just.....weren't a priority for me with all of the great games coming out on other platforms. I've been interested in the Via since it came out, but I decided I should finally pick up some older PSP games and play through them before I got my Vita.

I finally picked one up last year in August when the Walking Dead bundle came out. Originally, my impressions on the thing were....mixed. I liked how powerful it was, but I found the sticks too finicky, the buttons too small, I missed the resistive touch screen from my 3DS and I didn't really like the UI. I also had trouble connecting to the internet eeon the thing. Additionally most of the games I bought for it (Dead or Alive 5+, DJ Max, Gravity Rush, though Luminies was cool) were disappointing and felt like games I'd rather play on another platform. Within a couple weeks the thing started collecting dust and I started to question what people saw in the thing.

Last December I decided to buy Wipeout, and I played it and had a lot of fun with it, probably the most I had on the platform up to that point. I recently bought Dangan Ronpa and having just finished it, I feel like I finally see what people see in the thing.

For one it's an absolutely beautiful piece of tech and it fits into my hands perfectly. The D-Pad is great. I feel like a 2D action game or platformer would look absolutely beautiful on the thing. I still have the same problems with the touch screen and sticks, but they're fine and nice for games that don't require precision. I feel like a turn-based RPG would play wonderfully on the thing, and I'm excited to play Final Fantasy X/X-2 and Persona 4 Golden on it. The fact that it's region-free is fantastic, and I want to import Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f 2 and Puyo Puyo Tetris. There are also some games I have yet to pick up (yes, I'll play Tearaway and P4G on it). And it's nice seeing all these niche Japanese games getting localized.

I'm still a 3DS fan through and through however. Nintendo is my favorite company in the industry, and last year was phenomenal for the thing. But I finally see what people see in the Vita as well. Between the 3DS and the Vita, handheld gaming honestly interests me more than console gaming right now, though there's quite a bit coming out on consoles as well. The 3DS and the Vita are both all-around great platforms in just about every respect and it's nice seeing a lot of the kinds of games I love on both.
 
G

Gestault

Member
If you're interested in game suggestions based on what you've liked in the past, I know the community here is broad enough to probably have some useful input. Your reactions are pretty close to mine. Unit 13, in spite of being a fairly one-dimensional "experience," was what got me used to the analog sticks on the Vita. Oddly, I prefer it to the PS3 controller at this point in terms of movement.

It's a neat platform.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
I really want to love my Vita, but I just don't. I really dislike the analog sticks, and the whole thing just feels a bit...off. It is hard to put my finger on, but I si ply don't enjoy playing games on it. :(

I feel the same way about the 3DS due to its horribly low res screens and rather underwhelming specs.

Guess this is the end of me being a portable gamer.
 
B

BlackBanditSho

Member
GamerJM said:
Okay, so, I know we have a lot of Vita fans here on GAF, so I thought I'd post a bit about my experience with the system here.

So, I liked my PSP, but for most of last-gen it took a backseet to the other platforms I owned. It had a lot of good games on it, but most of them just.....weren't a priority for me with all of the great games coming out on other platforms. I've been interested in the Via since it came out, but I decided I should finally pick up some older PSP games and play through them before I got my Vita.

I finally picked one up last year in August when the Walking Dead bundle came out. Originally, my impressions on the thing were....mixed. I liked how powerful it was, but I found the sticks too finicky, the buttons too small, I missed the resistive touch screen from my 3DS and I didn't really like the UI. I also had trouble connecting to the internet eeon the thing. Additionally most of the games I bought for it (Dead or Alive 5+, DJ Max, Gravity Rush, though Luminies was cool) were disappointing and felt like games I'd rather play on another platform. Within a couple weeks the thing started collecting dust and I started to question what people saw in the thing.

Last December I decided to buy Wipeout, and I played it and had a lot of fun with it, probably the most I had on the platform up to that point. I recently bought Dangan Ronpa and having just finished it, I feel like I finally see what people see in the thing.

For one it's an absolutely beautiful piece of tech and it fits into my hands perfectly. The D-Pad is great. I feel like a 2D action game or platformer would look absolutely beautiful on the thing. I still have the same problems with the touch screen and sticks, but they're fine and nice for games that don't require precision. I feel like a turn-based RPG would play wonderfully on the thing, and I'm excited to play Final Fantasy X/X-2 and Persona 4 Golden on it. The fact that it's region-free is fantastic, and I want to import Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f 2 and Puyo Puyo Tetris. There are also some games I have yet to pick up (yes, I'll play Tearaway and P4G on it). And it's nice seeing all these niche Japanese games getting localized.

I'm still a 3DS fan through and through however. Nintendo is my favorite company in the industry, and last year was phenomenal for the thing. But I finally see what people see in the Vita as well. Between the 3DS and the Vita, handheld gaming honestly interests me more than console gaming right now, though there's quite a bit coming out on consoles as well. The 3DS and the Vita are both all-around great platforms in just about every respect and it's nice seeing a lot of the kinds of games I love on both.
Click to expand...

i had the same experience and reaction to the vita. its a fantastic piece of tech that just didnt connect for me. then, i got hold of a 3ds, and everything just clicked. i imagine in a few years when i eventually pick up a PS4, the Vita will become considerably more attractive to me. Again, totally not trying to feed the console flame wars. The vita is a powerful and incredibly sexy piece of tech with sooooo much potential. Personally, for all of the UI and physical design reasons stated in the OP, i didnt connect. Sold it, picked up a 3ds, and haven't regretted it. Ive even been attracted like a moth to the light whenever i see a playable Vita display unit. i pick it up. fiddle with it for a moment. leave empty. thats just me.
 
R

RM8

Member
inner-G said:
How could you miss the resistive touch screen of all things? It is an abomination.
Click to expand...
Resistive is more precise. Capacitive is better for navigating menus with your fingers, but a resistive screen doesn't require a determined input ratio to work.
 
P

PhantomFear

Member
Had my Vita a few months now and have been really happy with the purchase. The sticks do feel a little "off" if I've playing my PS3/PS4 a lot, but I can adjust after a while. One of my favorite features so far has been the motion aiming in Unchartex GA. It just felt so natural.
 
J

jeremy1456

Junior Member
The Vita is a very good piece of hardware, but you have to have specific tastes.

Either knock-offs or spin-offs of popular series, ports/remakes, or very niche games.

I'm happy with mine, but I couldn't imagine using it as my primary device for gaming.
 
F

Fewr

Member
GamerJM said:
I'm still a 3DS fan through and through however. Nintendo is my favorite company in the industry, and last year was phenomenal for the thing. But I finally see what people see in the Vita as well. Between the 3DS and the Vita, handheld gaming honestly interests me more than console gaming right now, though there's quite a bit coming out on consoles as well. The 3DS and the Vita are both all-around great platforms in just about every respect and it's nice seeing a lot of the kinds of games I love on both.
Click to expand...

This is me.
 
S

SneakyStephan

Banned
handhelds are best for handheld games
jrpgs, action games, sidescrollers, platformers, racing, puzzle etc

if you play just console ports you're gona have a bad time imo

Vita has some really cool games (not enough, but it has some)
The hardware is nice, the screen is good
only downsides are the bad shoulder buttons and that for some reason 70 percent of games on it are not native resolution (which is unforgiveable on a handheld, they designed the fucking screen to go with the fucking hardware, now make the fucking games to go with the fucking screen, fucking devs:p)


I wish I could like the 3ds, but no second analog stick was a really big problem for me with my psp and the screen is just so goddamn awful to look at
shame because it has some neat looking games (more than the vita)
 
P

pretty done

Member
SneakyStephan said:
only downsides are the bad shoulder buttons and that for some reason 70 percent of games on it are not native resolution (which is unforgiveable on a handheld, they designed the fucking screen to go with the fucking hardware, now make the fucking games to go with the fucking screen, fucking devs:p)
Click to expand...

Biggest fault right here. Not all devs are created equal and it's painfully easy to see who gives a shit and who doesn't. Toukiden is native and a pretty stable 30fps, Ys Celceta is sub-native PSP res and has some pretty bad fps dips. What good is the OLED when the game looks like poopy anyway?
 
C

chrominance

Member
GamerJM said:
Never been a fan of capacitive. I'm just terrible at using them, my fingers can never seem to be accurate. I need a Stylus.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I could see that. I'm one of the crazy people that uses their finger for 90% of the 3DS touch stuff (the only times I didn't were Etrian Odyssey and maybe Liberation Maiden?) so I generally prefer the Vita's touchscreen, but they're two different things and devs tend to target their games to suit each screen's strengths and weaknesses. I can't imagine having to play DJ Max Technika Tune on a resistive touch screen (though there's Elite Beat Agents, Theatrhythm, etc. so obviously rhythm games can be done quite well on the 3DS).

Anyways, glad you've warmed up to the Vita! No one likes feeling like they wasted money on a console.
 
S

shandy706

Member
Get Killzone (cheap if you're not a FPS fan)....just to be awed that your handheld can do this.

ibrk1kWRVaNJPj.jpg


i9Y9jBlYBmwc6.jpg


ibpAE5XRegfaWb.jpg


ibeIaR89gbvMHF.jpg
 
F

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
I've had my Vita since launch, and have loved it since launch. I currently have over 150+ games I can download to the machine.

I just bought a 3DS XL 2 weeks ago, and I'm enjoying it as well, but to be completely honest, I'm not as blown away by it as I was led to believe in many Vita threads by 3DS owners. I won't derail this thread with in depth stuff, but I'm finding the software library really lacking for my tastes, especially digitally. There are a nice chunk of DS titles I'd love to pick up, having never owned a DS, but they don't seem to be available on the eshop on the 3DS. I currently only own Link Between Worlds, Steamworld Dig (whatever it's called), I just NSMB2, and a few NES classics. Oh, I also have the first Phoenix Wright game from the DS. I have my eye on Bravely Default, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing New Leaf (loved AC on the Gamecube) and Smash when it releases. I'm not a DK or Pokemon fan, so outside of that, not much on the 3DS is grabbing me. Multiplats I get on the Vita because, well, that OLED.


I don't regret my purchase one bit, as I finally can get my Nintendo titles fix, but I have to say I'm a little more irked constantly reading how superior the 3DS library is to the Vitas. I just don't see it. I'm looking forward to growing my library though. There is still plenty on it to warrant the purchase. I'll be snagging the Igavanias at some point also.

I like the bc for both consoles, and that will grow my 3DS library significantly.
 
J

jeremy1456

Junior Member
I'm not a fan of capacitive touch screens just because developers tend to implement more touch controls, that would be significantly better with a button, in their games with it.
 
C

Coffee Dog

Banned
shandy706 said:
Get Killzone (cheap if you're not a FPS fan)....just to be awed that your handheld can do this.
Click to expand...

I also recommend Killzone if you don't give a shit about well designed shooters and just want something pretty that you can turn your brain off and play.

If you want anything more than that I can't recommend it.

Figboy79 said:
I've had my Vita since launch, and have loved it since launch. I currently have over 150+ games I can download to the machine.

I just bought a 3DS XL 2 weeks ago, and I'm enjoying it as well, but to be completely honest, I'm not as blown away by it as I was led to believe in many Vita threads by 3DS owners. I won't derail this thread with in depth stuff, but I'm finding the software library really lacking for my tastes, especially digitally. There are a nice chunk of DS titles I'd love to pick up, having never owned a DS, but they don't seem to be available on the eshop on the 3DS. I currently only own Link Between Worlds, Steamworld Dig (whatever it's called), I just NSMB2, and a few NES classics. Oh, I also have the first Phoenix Wright game from the DS. I have my eye on Bravely Default, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing New Leaf (loved AC on the Gamecube) and Smash when it releases. I'm not a DK or Pokemon fan, so outside of that, not much on the 3DS is grabbing me. Multiplats I get on the Vita because, well, that OLED.


I don't regret my purchase one bit, as I finally can get my Nintendo titles fix, but I have to say I'm a little more irked constantly reading how superior the 3DS library is to the Vitas. I just don't see it. I'm looking forward to growing my library though. There is still plenty on it to warrant the purchase. I'll be snagging the Igavanias at some point also.
Click to expand...

It's easily got the best exclusive library in the industry at the moment; that's an area that the vita is sorely lacking in.
 
A

AstuteClass

Banned
I bought mine at launch and adored Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but since then I've not been able to find a game I can get into on there, save for Gravity Rush. That game was amazing and the best "superman flight" feel ever, even though it wasn't even meant to be flying.

Trying out Unit 13 right now and it just seems ehhhh.

Also got Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus waiting in the backburner.
 
M

mothball

Member
stfuppercut said:
Biggest fault right here. Not all devs are created equal and it's painfully easy to see who gives a shit and who doesn't. Toukiden is native and a pretty stable 30fps, Ys Celceta is sub-native PSP res and has some pretty bad fps dips. What good is the OLED when the game looks like poopy anyway?
Click to expand...

The one thing I don't like about Gears of War 2 the Vita is that it's almost too good.

I think the ease of using (near-)PS3-level effects on the Vita causes some developers to just drop the resolution and call it a day when the framerate starts to tank, rather than toning down some of the effects or bothering with more thorough optimization. That, or there were some sort of early SDK issues, which explains why so many games in development near and before launch (including Ys) are sub-native. I can't think of any other reason for games that look like P4G to be sub-native.
 
F

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
Echoenigma said:
I also recommend Killzone if you don't give a shit about well designed shooters and just want something pretty that you can turn your brain off and play.

If you want anything more than that I can't recommend it.



It's easily got the best exclusive library in the industry at the moment; that's an area that the vita is sorely lacking in.
Click to expand...

That's incredibly subjective, but exclusives aren't a selling point for me either way. I bought portables because I have a need to game on the go. Multiplats or exclusives don't matter.
 
G

GamerJM

Banned
Prelude. said:
Buy a stylus, then.
Click to expand...

I've thought about doing this. I'll probably do it if I ever need it once I start getting into Android games and need it for a game or something, everything on the Vita is playable without one. I just don't particularly like it very much.
 
C

Coffee Dog

Banned
Figboy79 said:
That's incredibly subjective, but exclusives aren't a selling point for me either way. I bought portables because I have a need to game on the go. Multiplats or exclusives don't matter.
Click to expand...

It isn't really subjective if you talk about pure numbers of exclusives and their overall reception amongst the hardcore community.
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
jeremy1456 said:
You mean two, for the times when he would have to pinch the screen? That would require placing the system down before doing that motion.
Click to expand...

You can pinch with fingers and use a stylus, I do it all the time without even putting it down. Just use the outside edge of your middle finger and your thumb.

Check out the Jot Pro. It's a very accurate capacitive stylus.
 
A

AwRy108

Member
GamerJM said:
For one it's an absolutely beautiful piece of tech and it fits into my hands perfectly. The D-Pad is great. I feel like a 2D action game or platformer would look absolutely beautiful on the thing.
Click to expand...

Both of the Rayman games will BLOW YOUR MIND.
 
A

Astral/H3X

Member
Nerfgun said:
You can pinch with fingers and use a stylus, I do it all the time without even putting it down. Just use the outside edge of your middle finger and your thumb.

Check out the Jot Pro. It's a very accurate capacitive stylus.
Click to expand...
I mean I guess compared to other capacitive stylus's it's less shitty.
OP, I feel ya. Resistive for life. I wish my Surface Pro had a resistive layer from time to time.
 
F

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
Echoenigma said:
It isn't really subjective if you talk about pure numbers of exclusives and their overall reception amongst the hardcore community.
Click to expand...

I agree that the numbers of exclusives on the 3DS outweigh the Vita, but as for the overall reception among the hardcore community, I couldn't give a flying fuck about that, truth told. I buy consoles for me. What the community thinks about said console means nothing to me. I have a long commute to and from work. Smartphone gaming does nothing for me also, and I wanted my gaming fix. At the time, the Vita had more titles on launch day and in the launch window that appealed to me compared to the 3DS at the time (Uncharted, wipEout 2048, Rayman Origins, UMvC3, Gravity Rush, Unit 13, LBP Vita. There were also a bunch of PSP classics that I had never played that had me interested day one as well; Monster Hunter FU, FF Dissidia 012, Corpse Party, etc). Because I do roughly 90% of my gaming these days on the go, a title being exclusive or multi-platform has little to no influence on me. This isn't about fanboy lists or console wars, just my personal interest as a gamer.

I have to say, having FF1-VI, Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross, Alundra, Castlevania: SOTN, FF Tactics, Vagrant Story, and FFIX installed on my Vita is pretty great. Being able to play Terraria, Guacamelee, Sly: TiT, MGS2 and 3, PlayStation All Stars, and Dragon's Crown on the bus ride to work is fricking awesome.

Exclusives like Soul Sacrifice, Gravity Rush, LBP Vita, Unit 13, Uncharted, Ys' Memories of Celceta, Tearaway, etc, is great, but what is more important to me than them being exclusive is the fact that they are games I can play on the go.

Super Smash Bros is coming to the 3DS. It also being on the Wii U doesn't affect my choice to purchase it on the 3DS. I often wish that Nintendo had a similar Cross Buy setup as Sony does for a lot of its titles, and it would pretty much guarantee I'd be buying a Wii U in the future, since I got the 3DS first.

At the end of the day, I have both a Vita and a 3DS, and I'm a very satisfied gamer. I currently own way more games on my Vita than I do my 3DS, which is expected, as I just got it (as I said before, I own over 150+ games on my Vita, not including the 11 retail games I own; and the spread is a mix between Vita, PSP, and PS1 titles, skewing more towards Vita, then PSP, then PS1, as I only own a few PS1 classics digitally). My 3DS library will grow over the coming months no doubt, but for me, personally, I'm not as overwhelmed with incredible software as I was expected to be based on the many comments coming from 3DS owners in pretty much any thread about the Vita, as well as 3DS specific threads. I think it's a great complimentary device to my Vita. I certainly have plenty to play between the two of them.
 
Badlucktroll

Badlucktroll

Member
Love my Vita, bought it at launch. Instant game collection, and the plus sales have been amazing. I never run out of stuff to play. Wish we had an original dead space, or GTA! I recently just purchased my first import vita game. One that may never come to the United States.
images

gundam-breaker-review-9.jpg


I really hope Vita gets mainstream success, espescially with the success of Ps4. I do think Sony needs to pimp the vita better on Ps4, and also add some Vita management features! Where are they Sony!
 
Q

QP3

Member
The vita is terrific. It's a shame it will never see it's full potential,although I will eventually get a PS4 so remote play could end up slightly filling that roll.

Beautiful piece of hardware too, and just feels well made.
 
purpletentacle

purpletentacle

Member
it's interesting reading this thread as I'm looking to pick up a Vita when the slim comes out. I'm primarily picking it up for Persona 4, but what pleased to find some many decent JRPGs on it (Bravely Default has really rekindled my love for the genre)

Besides Persona and Dragon's Crown (which I have for the PS3) what else would you guys recommend?

Edit: Is Disgaea good for the Vita?
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
It's a nice piece of tech, but its exclusive library is still sorely lacking. I could maybe see the use of a Vita if you don't own a modern console or if you only own like one other console. Almost all the games I see people hyping for the Vita are games I already own or can get on another system, or at best an upgraded port (P4 Golden, Muramasa). With all the other platforms I have, were I to suddenly come into possession of a Vita now the only games I'd buy for it are Lumines and maybe Danganronpa.

The thing is, I'm all for multiplatform gaming, and I'm all for having a handheld that can basically just play my console games on the go -- if I don't have to buy them more than once in order to do so, or at least if cross-save is universal. For that to really work for Vita though cross-buy would have to be near universal and the Wi-Fi around me would have to be reliable enough for me to be able to use Remote Play virtually anywhere. Maybe a Vita + Vita TV bundle would be more provocative. But that's getting into the whole handheld-as-an-extension-of-console argument which seems to be what might happen with Nintendo's next round of hardware. I don't see Sony reconciling the power difference in the long term though.

Anyway, until we reach a point where you can literally play all the same games on a handheld and a console, the main selling point of gaming-focused handhelds is going to be appealing exclusive software, which the Vita just doesn't have very much of, and it's a shame because there are certain kinds of games I'd love to see on the Vita. I agree with the OP about RPGs -- a turn-based strategy RPG like FFTactics or XCOM would be perfect for the Vita's combination of touch screen and buttons. I even think an Elder Scrolls-style immersive sim would be possible on the Vita. Borderlands 2 on Vita is a step in the right direction.
 
O

opticalmace

Member
slothmoney said:
it's interesting reading this thread as I'm looking to pick up a Vita when the slim comes out. I'm primarily picking it up for Persona 4, but what pleased to find some many decent JRPGs on it (Bravely Default has really rekindled my love for the genre)

Besides Persona and Dragon's Crown (which I have for the PS3) what else would you guys recommend?
Click to expand...

There's actually a Vita game recommendation thread now: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=102401888
Otherwise if you search, you'll find a whole bunch of suggestions (usually in "just bought a vita" type threads).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PS Vita in 2024
Hardware 2
70
4K
Redneckerz replied
PS1 games on PS5? We need a game company that does only remasters of old games.
40
1K
Three replied
GTA5 Single Player : PS5 or PC??
2
70
3K
Pimpbaa replied
  • Poll
Did you like Undertale?
Opinion Poll 2
79
3K
MagnesD3 replied
Nintendo Switch: The last saving grace of Physical Media?
2
62
3K
DeVeAn replied
Top Bottom