Wow. This game is a throwback for me at this point. I just finished it. Believe it or not, I actually logged over 200 hours into this game before I beat it. I must say that I not only enjoyed the game, but I grossly disagree with the reviews that I've seen out there on the internet.
The Con was a launch title for the PSP back in 2005. At the time, I was working at Modell's and going to X-ray school. I was graduating that year, but determined to get either the PSP or the Nintendo DS at launch. For long months, I looked at every game magazine I could, comparing both of the upcoming handheld consoles. I really was a Nintendo fanboy at that point, and wanted a reason to get the DS at launch, but I saw such a weak launch line-up and no real guarantee of system quality. I had the Gameboy Advance SP before that, and I was actually angry at how fast the game industry started to move at that time. That marked the end of the era where consoles were long-term investments by design. I also remember how at that time, video game magazines actually had information worth reading that you wouldn't see on the web. The internet, during the early 2000's, up until past 2005, was still somewhat limited. Social media wasn't fully in control yet. In fact, it's still amazing to think back to the fact that while I was in high school, none of that existed at all. We went online during those days, to take care of business, chill on chat rooms for a minute, play a few PC games, and then we were off. In those days, our lives weren't tied yet to computers or smart phones which didn't really exist yet. As a student in school, I remember selling a huge amount of my games to get the money ready to get one of the handheld consoles. I was mad that the SP was dead, and for about 2 years, Nintendo had been announcing the upcoming DS, and we all speculated as to what it would be like. I liked the library for the Gameboy Advance, especially towards the end, and I remember Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories being the last game I beat for it. I sat in awe, watching the ending, and hearing the entire them song being played during it. What an experience.
I looked at the footage for the PSP launch games, and it seemed more honest. They were also honest with their only weakness, which was the battery life. I soon found that it wasn't that big of an issue. That was the first time in history that Sony, a company I had hated, was actually the well wishing company. Nintendo was so used to dominating the handheld market, that they put little effort into the process of the release. They showed very little footage. None of it looked impressive to me, except for what looked like a cutscene from a slated Sonic game, which wouldn't actually be released until years after the system launched. It looked cool, but I knew it was a farce due to the scant images. Ultimately, I decided to get the PSP. I was super excited when I finally had the money together. Among the titles I got when it launched was Metal Gear, Wipeout, and I got "The Con" a bit later. When I got it, I was drawn in by the graphics and the very detailed combat I saw. Like other PSP titles, I didn't get into it until later. When I did, I didn't understand the mechanics or the betting system.
The game teaches you about the odds system, and how to bet against and for yourself in matches, and take dives, or pull out upsets. It follows a surprisingly deep story of a combatant who comes to the aid of gang leader who is nearly killed by an underground lord who runs a fight organization. The entire game is based around getting enough money together to climb the ranks and compete in his tournament. The ultimate plan is to then take him down. The way the cutscenes and story unfold are very good, and that will surprise you for the kind of game that it is. Also, the customizing options are very elaborate and involved.
I created my fighter, assembled and named my team, and began putting together my arsenal of moves. The game has very deep mechanics that will seem simple at first glance. That's the same thing that is the case with Smash Brothers Melee. I hear a lot of simple people state how simple Super Smash Brothers is, and also say that The Con isn't a full fighting game, due to your feet being planted during combat, and being unable to jump. If that's the case, then the deepest fighting game that I've ever played is shallow- UFC 3. There is no jump option in that game, but I can guarantee you that a button masher will not play that game long. The Con is exactly the same. you have the 4 face buttons that correspond to each limb, like UFC. pressing two buttons along with a direction, does one of a number of super specials. Tapping the face buttons during attack and specials, adds damage. The face buttons are pressed in various set sequences to perform combinations. You have to know your moves. That system reminds me of an early Xbox game by the name of "Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus." In both games, you cannot freely press random sequences and expect combos to flow out. I like that. It can take getting used to, but it requires you to develop skill. You can perform custom combos to a degree, but there is no getting around learning your character's style and moves. You have a reversal system where tapping the shoulder button at the right time can perform a parry which gives you a window attack, or if done right, a perfect parry, with performs a counter combo that you can add damage to by tapping the face buttons with the hits. You also have a grab move. The other shoulder button performs a "Con", which either makes you take extra damage to throw a fight when timed, or do very little damage with your attacks to fake a fight. Each style also has a specialized short combo move that is good for quick damage. Those have set button patterns. All of your other combos are made by you. You have to remember the sequences. In the game you have several styles represented- Street Boxing, Jeet Kun Do, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, and 1 more I believe, that I can't remember. Each style is drastically unique as it should be.
As you work through each league, you have to build up $100,000. At first, that seemed impossible, but as you advance to higher leagues, you can wager bigger bets and place bigger cons. This game taught me about odds. I never understood how that math worked. I always hear gamblers talk about it like it's nothing, but I'd just sit there confused. Now, I understand better about underdogs stuff like that. Not that it's super useful knowledge. At the end of each league, you face the boss. That fight is not open to bets, and is for superiority over the league, so it's last man standing rules. The game was very hard at first, and remained very hard until the end. It was only after I was very powerful as a team, that I was able to handle the tough CPU fighters that were thrown at me. In fact, the last boss was no problem. Getting to him was something else though. As you go through the game, you unlock clothing and custom items to use in other modes. This is one game that I feel it is too hard to unlock things in. The requirement you have to meet are ridiculous. You have to win fights as a huge underdog at one point, or beat a tough boss without using your left leg or left hand. Or you may have to beat a certain character while using a certain technique a given amount of times. It was beyond impossible to me. I definitely has me wanting to come back though. The ending was pretty poetic and the game allows you to continue your new game where you left off, so you assemble another team and try to get items again. The only gripe I can think up is that it would have been nice to do other activities in the game, like minigames to break up the fighting action. The bottom line is that the game is very solid. It reminds me of Samurai Warriors for the PSP. That was another game that got very few ratings, and of the ones it got, they were all ignorant and biased. These games deserve better that that. The Con is definitely a must own for Vita or PSP owners. Don't listen to the idiots who played 20 seconds of the game when it came out, and wrote their reviews off of that. Check it out.
8.9/10
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