So have you ever wondered what the difference between a US PSP and an Import Japanese PSP is? If you’re crazy like me and you have, read on.
1. All the manuals are in Japanese (duh).
2. On startup the default language is Japanese (again duh) and all you have to do is navigate up and select English to proceed.
3. There is an option for the USB PSP camera and the 1 Seg Japanese TV Tuner.
4. The base packs don’t come with a memory card or headphones.
And that’s about it.
The main reason to import is to get a fancy color that’s not available anywhere else and of course I botched that process and got an ice silver which is apparently available here. Though if you want something special like mint green, lipstick red, or felicia blue you can check out the always updated list of imports available in the box below.
bestsellers »Systems«
Girls absolutely love the PSP and DS in Japan and Sony makes bags accordingly. This is the latest one available from Sony of Japan.
Here are the reviews from the latest copy of UK mag PSM3.
Devil May Cry 4: 80%. Impossible to recomment to everyone, but the purest expression of the series’ yet,
Unreal Tournament 3: 85%. Not one for loners, but a technical tour de force - one of the sharpest shooters on PS3.
Burnout Paradise: 89%. Flawed in structure but magnificent to play, Paradise is within touchin distance of vital.
Gran Tourismo 5 prologue (Japan Import): 82%. Other racers are greater value for money, but this is an invaluable glimpse at GT’s future.
Turok: 71%. A decent shooter, but fails to capture the series’ classic feel due to lack of fresh ideas.
Time Crisis 4: 43%. It has a certain nostalgia, but this fails to entertain long enough to demand a purchase.
The Club: 72%. Perfect if you’re after a no-brainer - just don’t expect the novelty to last long.
Soldier Of Fortube: Payback: 62%. Ignore and this is an average shooter. (more…)
Japan gets Valkyrie Profile and that Square Enix Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest board game for cheap soon.
The silly guy on the left is the Playstation mascot in Japan and goes by the name of Dokodemo Issyo. Sony of Japan has just released new plushes of this funny little guy as a caveman and a ninja. Bring him stateside Sony!
Via Sony Japan
Go! Sports Skydiving is a budget PSN game in Japan and now we can see just how budget it really is. Are Acurrary Points better than Accuracy Points?
A turn-based strategy RPG with Gundam on the Playstation 2 was the top seller for Holiday 07′ in Japan. If this isn’t proof that gameplay and branding matter way more than the latest technology and graphics then I don’t know what is. While Nintendo dominated most of the top 50, the PSP did get a couple hits in the top 10 and surprisingly the PS3 had a few in the top 50.
Via Media Create
Starting 1/10/2008 the 20GB and 60GB Playstation 3’s will be discontinued in Japan. Once stock at stores across the nation are depleted no more will be produced. Sony’s press release says that their focus on PS2 backward compatibility is over and that the future lies with the 40GB model. The 80GB version of the PS3 was never released in the land of the rising sun thus starting 1/10 PS2 backward compatibility for the PS3 will be a thing of the past. The PR also says that no decisions have been made about the rest of the world markets in this regard.
While this is most likely a good thing for price and sales, I love my PS2 backward compatibility and I won’t be “downgrading” to a 40GB any time soon.
Via Sony Japan
NEWS FEED
