The Sony Playstation Portable

handheld entertainment system

was released on March 24th. According

to IGN, an online videogame

website, one million units

were available on launch day,

with 500,000 selling on day one.

The system is capable of playing

games, movies, and music. The

PSP paves the way for 3D portable

gaming with high caliber

graphics that are comparable

to Playstation 2. The unit also

has WiFi, which is wireless connectivity

to the internet. Launch game highlights include Tony

Hawks Pro Skater Underground

2 Remix, Wipeout Pure, and

Twisted Metal: Head On. The PSP

uses a 1.8 Gigabyte storage disc

called the UMD. Both feature

fi lms and music are possibilities

for the medium.

The fi rst million PSP units include

the entire fi lm Spiderman

2. The system’s brilliant large

widescreen display perfectly

portrays the action with crystal

clarity. According Sony Computer

Entertainment America,

upcoming UMD movie releases

include House of Flying Daggers,

Resident Evil Apocalypse, Hellboy

Director’s Cut, Once Upon

A Time In Mexico, XXX, Pirates

of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Kill Bill Vol.

1. It may seem impractical to buy

another version of your favorite

DVD for a smaller screen, but it

comes in handy for those long

bus rides.

Accessories for the unit include

extra battery packs, screen

protectors, various protective

cases, larger memory cards, and

many more. The 250 dollar Value

Pack includes the PSP unit, a

sleek 32 megabyte memory card,

carrying sleeve, screen cleaning

cloth, headphones, battery pack,

remote, and for those who purchased

one of the fi rst million

units, Spiderman 2 on UMD is

also included. Students at CFHS

who own the system praise the

PSP.