Splurged: PSP

August 14, 2006 on 4:06 pm | In Gadgetry, Gaming | Comments Off

I bought a PlayStation Portable a couple of weeks ago. This was the first serious “splurge” since we bought the laptop computer last year, so I don’t feel too bad (splurging on house stuff obviously doesn’t count, because it’s more of a necessity than a luxury).

We ended-up buying the Giga Pack from HMV: black PSP, 1GB Memory Stick, in-ear headphones with remote control, plus two games, Daxter and Loco Roco, all for just over 200 notes. I also got Wipeout Pure as well, not wanting to break with tradition (I bought the original Wipeout when I got my first PlayStation, then Wipeout Fusion when the PS2 came out).

Initial impressions of the console are positive. The design of the unit is very sleek, as you would expect from Sony. The standard navigational UI (used to change settings, launch games, etc) is simple but looks sexy, and the LCD screen is fantastic. Battery life could be better, lasting around three hours before needing a recharge, but overall it’s a great little package.

And what of the games? I’d heard good things about Loco Roco, and it doesn’t disappoint, being a very original puzzler/platformer. I can’t get Paula to stop playing it! Wipeout Pure reminds me of the 2097 version (the best), which was apparently one of the game’s design goals. I’m having a little trouble with the difficulty level, although that’s probably due to my general rustiness with the old D-pad. As for Daxter, HMV didn’t have any in-stock at the time, so that’s still on back-order.

I haven’t watched any UMD movies yet, and to be honest I don’t think I’ll bother buying any. I just don’t see the point of watching a two-hour film on that tiny screen. I’ve also yet to look into viewing photos or playing music on the machine, as I haven’t really had the time. Maybe when work on the house settles down a bit!

Portmeirion

August 5, 2006 on 10:02 pm | In Blah blah blah | Comments Off

Last Monday (31st July) was our first wedding anniversary, and as a surprise I whisked Paula away for a couple of days to Portmeirion in Wales. I’d rented a car for the trip (a Ford Focus, with CD player and air-con), and we left on the Sunday afternoon. We hit a snag almost immediately when we discovered that the CD player wouldn’t play our copied CDs (I don’t like taking the originals in case they get nicked). Fortunately, inserting a brand-new original CD (hastily purchased at Tesco in Mold) seemed to fix the problem, and we didn’t have any trouble after that.

After a pleasant 2½-hour drive through the rolling Welsh hills (we only got lost the once!), we arrived at Portmeirion, and our home for the next two days: Castell Deudraeth. Our room was on the second floor, and looked out onto the hills in the distance. A great view, and a fantastic room: reasonably spacious, with comfortable and contemporary furnishings.

We’d arrived mid-afternoon, so after unpacking we went for a brief walk around the village. The weather — which for the previous two weeks had been nothing but glorious sunshine — was starting to turn: it was still sunny, but the wind had picked-up and the clouds were gathering. I’d been to Portmeirion once before when I was a kid, so everything seemed vaguely familiar. It’s a very pretty place, and I wish we’d had more time to explore, but we had to get back for dinner. We decided to have a proper look around the following day.

Unfortunately, the weather on the Monday was awful: cold, cloudy and windy, with occasional rain. We’d only packed “sunny-weather” clothes (shorts and T-shirts), and there was no way we were going exploring in those. So instead we went for a brief trip to Pwllheli in the car, where the weather was a little better. On the way back we stopped in Criccieth (gotta love these place names!), but it was blowing a gale so we didn’t stop long. Hopefully, our last day would bring sunny skies and we’d finally be able to wander around Portmeirion.

Waking on Tuesday our hopes were soon dashed. No change in the weather, and as we had to check-out by 11am there was no point in sticking around. So although we’d had a great time at the hotel, we were never really able to make the most of the village just down the road. Still, it was nice to get away for a few days, away from work and the house and everything, just the two of us. Hopefully we’ll be able to go back one day when the weather’s a bit better!

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