Sony PSP 3000 Mystic Silver Handheld System

This is a review for the Monster Hunter Portable 3rd limited edition PSP 3000 model. More so than gamers of other genres, the Monster Hunter community that actively enjoyed the portable series have been plagued with "The claw" for years. That's not to say it's such a terrible way of playing it, in order to compensate for the lack of a second analog, and the improvements in design at least make that physical playstyle much more comfortable for the gamer.

The limited edition Monster Hunter Portable 3rd PSP addresses several issues, and makes it very comfortable to game on it for much longer than on a typical PSP slim model.

Several things of note that just "feel good" about it:

1. Improved analog stick. At first glance, straight out of the box, it may seem underwhelming to think that this was one of THE big improvements in this PSP model. Fair enough, as appearances can be deceiving. I was thoroughly impressed with the simple, but highly effective concave design than allows for much smoother movement of the analog which leaves the thumb much more relaxed while gaming. There is little need to apply much pressure onto it, as the analog "grips" onto the thumb much more easily with this design upgrade.

2. The raised surfaces on the back of the PSP. Not only do they make it symmetrical; (as an extended battery+cover on a typical PSP slim would have left the battery side much more protruded than the other) they also act as pseudo grips. In addition to that, is...

3. Matte finishing. Not only is it pleasant to look at (and with Monster Hunter themed tribal decals, to boot!) it also provides a good grip on the system. There were times in which playing on a glossy PSP 2000 made me afraid that I'd drop it and thus have always had my old PSP 1000 strap on it, but I feel much safer with this model. That's not to say I don't hold onto it with care, but it's a plus nonetheless.

4. (Applies to all 3000 models, I believe.) There is a filter function that allows colors to show much more vividly, adding a very refreshing, crisp feel to even older games that you may not have seen through this filter before. I've tried this function while playing Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, and while it is already a very colorful, vibrant game - this adds a whole new layer onto that. Can't say anything bad about it.

The other miscellaneous functions such as the UMD slot, memory stick slot, etc. seem identical to the tried-and-true PSP slim designs so far.

Being the Monster Hunter fan and enthusiast I am, this purchase is a fine investment that will definitely keep me happy for years and years. While I hesitate to recommend this to just any PSP gamers out there, at least keep in mind that this is a limited model, and will probably be much harder to find than it already is in a year or so.

Feels great, plays great.

While the item was listed as a 3000 it was actually a 2000. That said I have had a ton of fun with it over the holidays. Need for speed is a blast on it, and added bonus of having the ability to play UMD movies. Only downside is the wireless ability as it cant support WPA2-PSK but for use at hotspots it rocks.

Overall was a great purchase and even used without the manuals it was still easy to use with a ton of options.

PSP systems are an excellent gaming system. So many things you can do with them. Watch movies on them, use them as an mp3 player, and play games on them as well as surf the internet. I absolutely love them and would gladly recommend them to anyone.

over all awesome gaming handheld console.
lots of variety and lots of gaming content
the color is nice you don't see finger prints all over the console and the paint its more durable than the piano black ones excellent item

I Got this for ny husband who is serving in Afghanistan so he had something to watch and play games on. It has been the best money I have spent! He can watch movies on the go or play games. And I am able to get movies at our local gamestop on post. Games are harder to find since they are coming out with a newer system soon. But overall this is far better value than a dsi because it has movies also. It will be good for travel too for my daughter when dad gets home!