The PSP has quickly become a haven for Capcom's games both old and slightly new. Between Mega Man Powered Up, Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter, Capcom Classic Collection Remixed/Reloaded, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max, and a host of original titles. Sony should give Capcom some sort of trophy simply because of all of the support they've been throwing at the PSP. Their latest offering, Power Stone Collection, takes two of the most beloved fighting games of all time (Power Stone and Power Stone 2) from the Dreamcast and presents them in surprisingly mediocre fashion. What's wrong with the Power Stone Collection? Well...
Graphics
Power Stone Collection looks pretty darn good. The two Dreamcast titles have aged very well especially considering they're crammed down on to a UMD. Power Stone has a much more cartoonish look to it then your average 3D fighting game. It's visual influences are firmly grounded in the Rival Schools series and the Street Fighter Alpha series. Because of this, Power Stone Collection has a certain timeless look to it that will keep it well preserved over the next five to ten years. It'll never look great, but it'll always look good.
The strongest part of Power Stone Collection's graphics is the amount of stuff that the game has going on during it. Furthermore, the game doesn't suffer any slowdown while doing this. The game looks good and continues flawlessly once you get going. Before you get going though...
Gameplay
....wow. Ever hear those stories about load times on the PSP? This is one of those games. While Power Stone Collection may not have the worst loading times of any PSP game, it does have the most amount of loading screens. Furthermore, the ratio of gameplay to loading is so incredibly small that Power Stone Collection is easily one of the most frustrating games on the PSP. The original Power Stone features (at least) two loading screens between fights. This is simply unacceptable.
While loading is less of a problem with Power Stone 2 (relatively speaking), there are several, different problems with Power Stone 2. The biggest problem with Power Stone 2 is the small screen of the PSP. The biggest criticism of PS 2 always was that it was too hard to keep track of the action. Coupled with now being on a portable system, the problem is now magnified. Furthermore, PS 2 was always a multiplayer experience. Even though PS 2 supports downloadable "trial" versions of the game, this game still would have benefited from online play.
Putting aside the package problems (and there are a ton of problems with this package), both Power Stone games are fantastically fun to play. The original Power Stone has a wonderful pick up and play feel to it, but it has a huge amount of depth to the system simply as you learn the various twists and turns of the level. Power Stone 2 takes this formula to the next level as the levels and weaponry become more important then who you're using. The two games have a real Coke/Pepsi dynamic as both are good, but the vast majority of gamers have a clear cut preference when it comes to picking Power Stone over Power Stone 2 (if they're making the right choice of course; some people have slight mental conditions and prefer PS 2 over PS 1).
Simply put, Power Stone Collection's gameplay is fantastic in the two games. Beyond that though, the load times in both games, the small screen in Power Stone 2, and the usual jabs at the PSP (analog nub doesn't work too well, game drains the battery too quickly, etc) are all present. The core gameplay in Power Stone Collection is a pony, but you sure do have to dig through a lot of crap to get to it.
Sound
Part Indiana Jones, part Japanese fighting game. Power Stone Collection sounds rather awesome. The game doesn't have an epic soundtrack, but much like the game itself, the soundtrack is a ton of fun. The sound effects have a real oomph to them, and the music is well composed. The only part of the soundtrack that leaves anything to be desired is the voices. They're a little garbled.
Lasting Appeal
If only the loading times were better it'd take a pair of pliers to tear Power Stone Collection from PSPs There's a lot to go through here. The first Power Stone now has the four characters added in the second game. Furthermore, the second Power Stone has a lot of nooks and crannies to explore to try and complete the game's extensive item catalogue. As an added bonus, the VMU games from the first Power Stone are included in the collection along with art galleries, unlockable characters and costumes, and all sorts of other goodies.
The games themselves have a very Smash Brothers like feel to them. The games aren't exceptionally deep in their engines, but they are fun to play. Power Stone 2 loses a little something as it's quite hard to find three other people with PSPs and Power Stone Collection. The biggest flaw again comes back to load times. It took an extra 10 minutes to beat Power Stone's arcade mode once (in game clock said around 20) the first time popping this in the PSP. Simply put, the load times neuter this game's lasting appeal.
Fun Factor
If you can deal with the game's slow and frequent loading, Power Stone Collection might be the game for you. It's a total blast. Still, part of the fun of Power Stone and Power Stone 2 is the fact that it's a pick up and play game. With the PSP, the pick up part has been enhanced but the play part of the equation has been harmed quite a bit. Power Stone Collection is still a wonderful game, it just could be so very much more.
The 411
In a perfect world, this collection gets ported to the PS2 with the load times fixed. In that world, this game pulls a high 8 to a near 9. In this world though, the loading times and other challenges with the game's presentation make this game the type of thing you should fish for in the bargain bin only. Please Capcom, re-release this game anywhere else with load times cut back to how quickly they used to load on the Dreamcast. This is a great game that is hurt greatly by the flaws of the package.
Graphics
8.0
Power Stone has a classic look to it that has aged very well.
Gameplay
4.0
Load times hinder the Power Stone 1 experience. The small screen kills Power Stone 2.
Sound
8.0
Pure fun. It's not epic, but it's fufilling 80% of the time. Voices could use more work.
Lasting Appeal
5.0
Lots to do and the game's extended load time only lengthen the game, right?
Fun Factor
6.0
An absolute blast that, again, is hindered by the frequent and slow load times.
