@pandafresh: Yea, I knew what you meant. I was just messing around. I don't know when the next time I buy a game at full retail price will be. After joining CAG a while ago and finding great deals on new releases within a week of their release made me realize how foolish I was to pay full price. Right now (sale ends today) you can get 25% off your whole order at Spun.com when you sign up for their free membership program. I'm going to trade in some games for a combined total of $60 credit. Then I'm going to pre-order MW2 and buy Fifa 10, which, after the 25% off, comes to $90. $90 minus my $60 credit equals $30 for 2 new releases :) #grandtheftautochinatownwars
dammit. I bought a D.S. to play Hotel Dusk & GTA Chinatown Wars. And now they've released this prettier version on the PSP, and I can't justify paying for it again. It's wildly addictive, and just a great homage to some of the earlier GTA titles. Are others buying this? Even if they have the D.S. edition? I like my stylus control! #grandtheftautochinatownwars
@dreamfall: Stylus controlled minigames were implemented in the best possible way imaginable, not noticeable and adding to the main driving and combat gameplay. Would anyone really need a second copy on a different platform? #grandtheftautochinatownwars
I don't know. I think it looks about the same, and it still seems to keep the touch screen-based stuff. Perhaps it's all cutscenes now? Just pressing a button to do what one used to use the touch screen for just seems dull to me.
Looks nice, but I prefer the cartoony look better. It's just an art direction choice, though, and clearly PSP owners prefer this look, so it makes sense.
@shimage: I preferred the cartoony look of the DS version as well. really did wonders to mask the huuuuuuge difference in visual quality between CTW and what we've grown to expect from a current-gen console GTA.
when the first two PSP GTAs hit, our only frame of reference was PS2 GTA, and those games looked pretty much the same -ish.
but now with the new consoles, and specifically GTA4, the difference between console and portable is huuuuuge. CTW PSP looks.. OLD, whereas CTW DS looked completely different.
let's just say, I won't be picking up the PSP version. I might have, even owning the DS version, for cleaner graphics, widescreen, yadee yadee yada, and to show my support for what I think is an extraordinary achievement in game design, one that sadly failed to sell. :(
I'll probably get this. Spent a lot of time with the DS version, but my DS's trigger buttons have been giving me issues, so about half way through the game, I lost the ability to lock on to people. That was great.
I really enjoyed the little touch screen minigames, but it annoyed me having to constantly hold the stylus in my hand to play well. Something tells me the thumb-nub minigames for the PSP version will be mostly an annoyance.
@PSOCecil: Usually the trigger issue is because of gunk built up beneath the buttons. Try cleaning out in between the spaces with a q-tip and see if that helps.
@Blue Wizard 422: Aside from the graphics, I don't see this game being any better than the DS version. Every mission in the game takes advantage of the touch screen and the touch screen moments are always the best parts. I don't see it translating well to the PSP. I'm sure they'll pull it off well enough that it'll still be a great game, but I imagine the DS version will always be the definitive one.
This looks pretty good, but isn't it kind of a weird step backwards for the PSP, graphics-wise? Obviously they had to rethink the look for DS because of the technical limitations, but with Liberty/Vice City Stories PSP has shown that it can handle the more realistic look of it's PS2 counterparts.
I'm not saying it's necessarily the wrong decision, just an interesting one given that they could have used the Liberty City map from LCS (presumably, I haven't played Chinatown Wars so don't know if the layout of the city differs that much).
@Clive Bavels: It's actually a pretty accurate rendition of the map from GTA4's Liberty City, minus one of the islands. Most of the landmarks are still there though. LCS and VCS weren't the most memorable of GTA games. Felt more like GTA Lite. I think this one is a lot more enjoyable and actually feels like a full GTA experience, with all the narrative qualities of its console predecessors and very unique missions; plus its nice bonus to long time fans that the series has finally returned to its roots. I love the 3D GTAs, but the first one is still my favourite. I think that while trying to cram the 3D game onto the PSP they weren't left with much room to innovate the way that Chinatown Wars has. I mean, with the Stories games, you were essentially playing a stripped down version of GTA3 or Vice City. Here, there's a lot of new stuff to do (lottery tickets and dealing drugs are the ones people seem to reference), and a lot of stuff that could potentially be implemented in future GTA games. If I have to sacrifice a few poly's for experimental gameplay innovations than so be it.
This probably has something to do with the fact that the PSP can handle a reasonable amount of 3D rendering while the DS is struggling to figure out what a poly is...
Don't shoot me! I love my DS more than anything in the world!
Looks a bit isometric GTA2. However, I loved GTA2 (didn't play the DS version of Chinatown Wars) so I'm kinda psyched. Could be €35 well spent over the PSN!
@meowmixx: It's sort of a mix between GTA 1 and 2 and the 3D ones. Like, the camera has a much higher view but it still follows you from behind and rotates as you turn. Makes it a bit easier to control; I remember how in the original GTAs it was often difficult to tell which direction you were facing and that sometimes led you right into a cop.
@gold163 (° д° ): I think it's a very clear give an take here. You have the PSP version which looks a bit sharper and has more standard game controls, and the DS version which is a bit more low def, but has some really nice implementation of touch control. I mean really nice too, probably the best used touch control out of any DS game.
@gold163 (° д° ): i say get the DS. i love the functionality of the touch screen in the game and i think the PSP port will miss something about the experience.
that being said, since you want to play the new content on the PSP, i say wait a few months after you've beaten the DS version and get a game subscription. for the price of one month, you can play the PSP version and get some other games for less than it would cost for the actual game.
sigh...look at those "only psp owners' being excited for this game. they used to complain on why is it on the DS and why is the design so weird looking and etc. and in the end, GTA Chinatown Wars reviewed really good on the DS. and look at most of them now, all excited,but deep inside probably feel stupid for hating it just cause it was on the DS.
note: i dont hate psp, just that many people can be so biased or ignorant these days.
I guess I'm the only person who doesn't really have a problem with managing the stylus and the controls simultaneously...and that's saying something about y'all whiners, considering I'm typing this message while wearing wrist braces :P
I'm a little bummed that I won't be able to play the new content, considering that I don't own a PSP. But I'm glad that GTA: CW is going to hit the PSP and iPhone. Hopefully it will sell well across these other platforms and more developers will see this as a valid way to monetize mature/different content developed for the DS. It'd be nice to see a wider variety of DS titles when I stop by the store...
10/20/09
10/20/09
There you go, less than $39.99 :) #grandtheftautochinatownwars
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10/08/09
*crickets*
Ooooh, it's only funny when others do it, but not ol' Goldwings huh? ):<
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when the first two PSP GTAs hit, our only frame of reference was PS2 GTA, and those games looked pretty much the same -ish.
but now with the new consoles, and specifically GTA4, the difference between console and portable is huuuuuge. CTW PSP looks.. OLD, whereas CTW DS looked completely different.
let's just say, I won't be picking up the PSP version. I might have, even owning the DS version, for cleaner graphics, widescreen, yadee yadee yada, and to show my support for what I think is an extraordinary achievement in game design, one that sadly failed to sell. :(
10/08/09
I really enjoyed the little touch screen minigames, but it annoyed me having to constantly hold the stylus in my hand to play well. Something tells me the thumb-nub minigames for the PSP version will be mostly an annoyance.
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I'm not saying it's necessarily the wrong decision, just an interesting one given that they could have used the Liberty City map from LCS (presumably, I haven't played Chinatown Wars so don't know if the layout of the city differs that much).
10/08/09
I really need to stop editing this post.
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10/08/09
Don't shoot me! I love my DS more than anything in the world!
10/08/09
I didn't think so!
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For someone like me, who can't stand that kind of crap, it's a no brainer to get the PSP version. You might be different.
I don't know much about you, so I can't say. But for me? I'd get the PSP version.
If I liked GTA.
09/05/09
09/06/09
that being said, since you want to play the new content on the PSP, i say wait a few months after you've beaten the DS version and get a game subscription. for the price of one month, you can play the PSP version and get some other games for less than it would cost for the actual game.
09/04/09
note: i dont hate psp, just that many people can be so biased or ignorant these days.
09/04/09
09/04/09
I'm a little bummed that I won't be able to play the new content, considering that I don't own a PSP. But I'm glad that GTA: CW is going to hit the PSP and iPhone. Hopefully it will sell well across these other platforms and more developers will see this as a valid way to monetize mature/different content developed for the DS. It'd be nice to see a wider variety of DS titles when I stop by the store...