PlayStation Vita: 3G vs Wi-Fi

I'm having the hardest time deciding which PlayStation Vita to buy on launch day. On one hand you have the Wi-Fi model which is $249.99 and on the other you have the 3G model for $299.99. Being a gamer on a budget my natural inclination is to go with the Wi-Fi model because it costs less. After some research I'm not sure the Wi-Fi model is the best deal. Here's some reasons why.

When it comes to practicality, the Wi-Fi Model wins hands down for me. The need for 3G simply isn't there for me. My PlayStation Vita (like my Nintendo 3DS) will barely ever leave my house. I'll mostly spend mornings and commercial breaks playing the Vita. The rare times when my Vita does leave my house I don't intend on playing games online. I focus on playing one player games when I'm out in public. Especially when I'm in class because I don't have to focus my undivided attention on what's going on in the game. Besides that, playing a game online in a public place lets people know you have the most expensive Playstation Vita. It might attract unwanted attention from people who might want to steal it from you. The same goes for the iPad in this instance. If you're sitting on the train surfing the web, it says "Hey I can afford the most expensive iPad hear me roar!!!"

Another con against the 3G model of the Playstation Vita (besides it being $50 dollars more than the Wi-Fi) is that 3G service requires a monthly payment for the service. That's a huge no-no for this gamer on a budget. Lets say you decided to go with the $14.99 plan for 250MB of data. That comes out to $179.88 dollars a year for the service. That means you're shelling out close to $500 dollars for your first year with the Playstation Vita. It's not all bad though. You don't have to sign a contract so you can cancel anytime. I'd much rather stay home or hit up a hotspot and use the Wi-Fi for free thank you very much.

At this point I was all but sure that I was going to go with the Wi-Fi model of the Playstation Vita. Then I was introduced to the various bundles Playstation is offering with the 3G model. The first bundle they have is the First Edition Bundle. The First Edition Bundle includes the 3G model of the Playstation Vita, A case for the Vita, The game Little Deviants, and a 4GB Vita Memory Card. The big thing about this bundle is that it allows you to purchase the Playstation Vita a week before it's launch date. Meaning on February 15th you can be playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss while the the rest of us wait until February 22nd. That sounded really cool until I saw the price of $349.99. You're paying an extra $50 dollars to be able to play the Vita a week early. I'd rather go to Boston and play the Vita right now (3 weeks early) at the Vita Hill Social Club for free.

The bundle that has my attention is the Launch Bundle that comes with every 3G Playstation Vita on February 22nd. The Launch Bundle includes an 8GB Vita memory card, a free month of 3G service, and a free Playstation Network game to be announced all for the price of $299.99. This bundle has my attention. The free stuff included is worth over $50 dollars. The 8GB Vita Memory Card alone is $34.99 and a month of 3G from AT&T is $14.99. I was planning on buying a 4GB Memory card because it's the cheapest one, but seeing an 8GB memory card included in the 3G bundle has me curious. Who knows what the free games going to be. Good or bad the PSN game is free my friends.

On launch day my original plan was to buy a Playstation Vita, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and a 4GB memory card. If I go with my original idea, I'm looking at spending $324.97 before taxes. If I go with the 3G bundle, I get a 3G Vita, an 8GB memory card and Uncharted Golden Abyss for $349.98 before taxes. The question I'm left with is this. Is the extra $25 worth it to buy a 3G bundle? I'll let you know what I decide on launch day.

Nintendo 3DS Buyers Guide

So you bought a Nintendo 3DS. Let me be the first to say welcome to the family. They say I should be upset about paying $250 dollars for something that's price went down in less than 6 months. Truth is I'm not upset. The Nintendo 3DS is the only videogame console I play and has been since I bought it. Before the price went down I had invested 300 hours into Street Fighter 3D. It's safe to say I got my moneys worth. This post isn't about me though, it's about you and your new 3DS. With any new console comes questions and I'm here to help answer them.

The first question you probably have is what color should you choose? My answer would be the flame red that's coming September 9th to North America. If you can't wait that long you're choices are Aqua Blue and Cobalt Black. I went with Cobalt Black because I wanted to be more low key about having a 3DS. I remember when I bought a DSi kids younger than me instantly knew what it was. The Black 3DS gives kids the benefit of the doubt until they see the screen. The Aqua Blue 3DS is your way of telling the world you own a Nintendo 3DS. No shame in that, but it might attract some unwanted attention. The choice is yours.

Next question you might have is what games should you buy? I strongly recommend Street Fighter 3D. If you enjoyed playing Street Fighter when you were younger play this game. It is the be all end all to the Street Fighter franchise. The hardcore console Street Fighter Players should give this a try as well. I know you spent X amount of dollars on arcade sticks, but you gotta check this out. Only people I wouldn't recommend this two are people who never liked Street Fighter.

Another game to check out is Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. I'm personally not a big fan of the game. I got further than I did when I played it on the Gamecube, but I keep getting stuck. I hate walking around aimlessly trying to figure out what to do next. I respect the games legacy. It's the first 3DS game to sell one million units for a reason. If you haven't played Pokemon Black/White yet I also recommend that game. I've taken a break from playing it, but it was fun while I played it.

The last question you might have is how does the 3D effect look? My answer to that is it looks awesome. I initially thought the 3D meant that things would pop out at you, but that's not the case (so far.) The 3D really brings out the graphics in games that I've played. The background really comes to life when you turn the stereoscopic lens up. I can't play with the 3D too high for that long. My eyes begin to strain and I start seeing double on the screen. I usually keep the settings fairly low most of the time. I can still see the 3D and my eyes don't strain at all. Sometime I play with 2D. Either way I'm definitely enjoying my 3DS. I hope you enjoy yours.

I hope I helped your journey with your 3DS. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer them. Enjoy.