The Sony NGP (PSP 2)

5” OLED touch-screen with the resolution of 960 x 544, front and rear facing cameras, front and rear touch-pads, Six-Axis, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G connectivity and DUAL-ANALOGUE STICKS. Yeah that's right, it's the PSP 2!

OK,OK, it's not actually called the PSP 2 (yet) but so far Sony have been using the name "Next Generation Portable" or "NGP". However, it's liable to change. I actually like the new name. It similar to how Nintendo went from the Gameboy to the DS. And is it just me or does the design look like a really sexy version of the PSP?

Sony has tried to reinvigorate the PSP before, first with a slimmer version of the original device in 2007, and then with a significant redesign that never really caught on, known as the PSP Go, in 2009. This time though it seems they went back to the drawing boards and what they have come out with is a completely new machine that could easily stand up to its Nintendo rival. One of the most intriguing features has to be the rear touch pad which was aptly demonstrated in the NGP exclusive Little Deviants; by moving one's fingers along the touch panel at the back of the system, it was possible to raise the ground on screen, causing characters within the game to roll. If you tapped any spot on the rear pad, that area of the game world would shake, causing nearby 'deviants' to jump. It's as if you are putting your finger through the system to gouge the game world... Adding this rear touch pad to the handheld will, hopefully, create many new and worthwhile opportunities for game design on the device. Who knows, maybe future COD titles for this console could have you stroke the rear (not an innuendo!) of the console in order to reload!

Franchises confirmed to be included on the NGP launch day include Uncharted, Hot Shots Golf, Killzone, Resistance, Wipeout, Gravity Daze, Little Deviants, LittleBigPlanet, Monster Hunter, Yakuza, and, of course, Call of Duty. It has also been confirmed that Sony's PlayStation Suite software (including PlayStation One games) will be available on the NGP.

Sony has seriously dropped the bomb on us; the question is do I get a Nintendo 3DS in March or do I wait until the end of 2011 for the NGP? Personally I think the NGP will be better. Sony seems to have done right everywhere that Nintendo have done wrong! With a release date in late 2011, this is one gamer eager to be handing Sony the cash on the release day of what should be a revolutionary handheld!

Verdict: Buy It!