Review by A. Dent for PSP 3000 Limited Edition Rock Band Unplugged Entertainment Pack – Black
Rating:
We’ve been a PS3 household ever since the 60GB version came about so, with two pre-teens in the house, we were ripe for a PSP adoption. We actually bought the Ratchet & Clank Pack a few months ago because one of my kids was a fan of the game. Now, with 2 boys and one girl in the house, one PSP turns out not to be enough. We’re on Hold for the Hannah Montana edition for our little girl but we had no choice but get the Rock Band edition for the one who just turned ‘teen’ last week.

The bundle costs a few more than the ‘clean’ PSP-3000 but, in our case, the convenience of getting it together with the game AND a memory card AND a downloaded movie justified the extra expense because the kid REALLY wanted both the PSP and the game and, if you add up all that you get with the bundle, you come out ahead this way.

The ‘Pack’ includes the following:

- The PSP 3000 itself in black

- 4GB memory card

- The game on a UMD disk

- A downloadable movie voucher

- Manual, promos, registration card, etc.

I couldn’t discuss Rock Band myself because I don’t really play Rock Band and my kid is still practicing so, see Rock Band Unplugged for absolutely EXCELLENT reviews from those who spent some serious time rocking on the PSP (I salute you). And here are the reviews for School of Rock (Widescreen Edition) (for the movie itself not for the PSN download).

Given the PSP’s built-in Wi-Fi and its PS3 integration you can do quite a few things out of the box if you have Wi-Fi or a PS3 but, for a better gaming experience we ordered a 16GB memory stick and will be using the included 4GB on a camera because we are planning to store a few movies when taking it on the road. Movies take about 0.5GB.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

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I was surprised of how good and versatile and elegant this little console can be. It has most of the PS3 buttons, including one analog joystick, the display is large and bright, the resolution is good (480×272), and it responds quickly to controls. It appears to be solidly built. Unlike prior models, this one comes with a built-in microphone while the sound output can be either through the internal speakers or headphones (not included). After charging the battery, my kid was up and running and happy in no time. But, let me proceed with a more structured discussion.

STAND-ALONE OPERATION (DISCONNECTED)

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The PSP 3000 will play games or movies delivered on UMDs or off a Memory Stick card. In addition, it will display photos and play music stored on the Memory card.

NETWORKING AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

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The built-in Wi-Fi allows the PSP 3000 to access the Playstation Netowork and Playstation Store directly. Off the box, there is an Internet browser, a Search (the Internet) function, several Internet Radio applications and the ability to use the PSP as a Skype phone for as long as one has a Skype account and the PSP happens to be within the range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

PS3 INTEGRATION

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After the PSP is paired with the PS3, the PS3 can ‘push’ video, photos, music and even PSP games downloaded from the Playstation Store when connected through a USB wire. When wireless, the PSP can basically take over the PS3 – actually display the PS3′s own screen and display photos stored on the PS3, play music stored on the PS3. Movie play is not supported. Amazingly, you can access your PS3 remotely from anywhere in the Universe for as long as your PSP can access the Net via Wi-Fi.

When playing music, it’s possible to play it on the PSP’s own speakers/headphones or have the PS3 play it itself, the PSP therefore acting as a remote control device.

I suspect that additional capabilities exist that I am not aware of yet and we uncover new uses and new features all the time.

PC INTEGRATION

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Through a USB connection, the PC will see the PSP’s memory card as an attached drive. This will allow for music, photo or movie files to be transferred directly to the PSP.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

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The PSP 3000 comes very close to being the perfect portable game-playing (and more) machine, at least in the Sony universe. Perfection would be achieved if the ‘keyboard’ interface were improved – it’s awful now – if it had touch screen capabilities and if file transfers from the PS3 were possible wirelessly. Also on the wish list, I hope that there were more legal ‘digital copy’ movies available for the PSP. And Bluetooth.

PSP-3000 vs. PSP GO

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The question begs itself: how about a PSP Go? Well, in our case, the Go was out of the question because it wasn’t available for purchase on our kid’s birthday, because the price is a little to high – we have 3 kids – and because, at this time, we would rather keep our games on disks so that they can be easily shared amongst our tribe and won’t be depended too much on our memory card’s limitations. Of course, our concerns may not apply to everyone.

MY RATING

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For anyone into Rock Band, this is the perfect bundle. If Rock Band is not your game, then you are probably better off with a ‘clean’ PSP and then get your own memory card, games, movies, etc.

For what you get, it’s a 4.5 stars plus, rounded up to 5.

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Note:

It would be almost sinful not to protect your new PSP. We use PSP Logitech PlayGear Pocket – Slim. It doesn’t have compartments to store UMDs or memory cards but it does wrap around your 3000 like a glove and, in my view, it provides the best protection.

Review by L. A. Stanley for PSP 3000 Limited Edition Rock Band Unplugged Entertainment Pack – Black
Rating:
I bought this for my son’s 13th birthday. He’d use it almost every waking moment if we let him.

This bundle was a good deal because it came with a 4GB memory stick (many of the other bundles in this price range came with only a 2GB memory stick), as well as a game and a voucher for a movie. We chose the PSP 3000 over the PSP Go because I don’t like that the PSP Go limits you to downloaded games – I prefer the flexibility of being able to buy games and movies on disks when we choose.

I was particularly impressed by the graphics for a portable system. The sound is good considering the limitations of built-in speakers on a handheld. But most of the time my son uses headphones (we had to buy those separately) for true stereo sound. The headphones also mean he can have the sound on while he plays in the car without bothering everyone else.

The controls will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a Playstation console – he mastered the basic use of the device within a few minutes. So far he is mostly focused on playing games. He still hasn’t taken much advantage of its Internet capabilities or its use as a music player, but I expect he will soon…after he finishes playing Dissidia.

So far it seems durable. My son dropped it once on the kitchen floor, and it still works fine. It wasn’t in a protective/shock-absorbing case when he dropped it, either.

All in all, it’s an impressive handheld gaming system that I think he will enjoy for a long time.

Review by Harvey Watkins for PSP 3000 Limited Edition Rock Band Unplugged Entertainment Pack – Black
Rating:
Item was ordered as a Christmas present to for my grandson who lives in New Jersey. When I ordered it, I was told it would likely arrive a little late for Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived in time to for me to mail it and have it be there at least a week before Christmas. My grandson was delighted with the PSP and I was very pleased with the service received from Amazon. I will definitely recommend Amazon to others and plan to use this service for future purchases.