So, once October 2009 rolled around, I got my PSP Go. Weeks and months went by where I felt pretty good about it. I had it on my commute, and took it on my trip home for Christmas where I played through most of . But I couldn't shake the fact that I felt... weird. Certainly the Go had enough to interest me, but something about using it felt kind of off. When I hold it, it's difficult for me to find a "default" position that's comfortable, or comfortable enough. The design of the unit encourages me to touch the L and R buttons at all times, but that doesn't feel as great when I lay my thumbs on the rest of the buttons.

Furthermore, I the Go would make it easier to use the analog nub when playing it, as I got that impression when I held it (briefly) at its E3 debut. But that didn't really work out for extended use, and neither PSP model has a sensible nub placement. I also thought that its thin form would feel fine, too, but it's almost cracker-thin. This isn't a MacBook Air, it's a game system that's manhandled often -- staying just under an inch, I think, is a good thickness for any portable.

I wanted to like the PSP Go, but I ended up joining the consensus. I never had a problem with the PSP platform or its games, but this little hiccup in hardware design is hard to defend. PlayStation mastermind Ken Kutaragi left Sony before the Go came out, but I wonder what he really thought of it. He's a guy who defends his products to the death, but I doubt he'd have let the Go out the door without significant revising.

Since I've let my Go sit around, and I have that other PSP to play my Japanese download games, I've been left wanting to pick up yet another PSP. Just a plain Piano Black Core set, nothing special. It's just $130, you know, and the NGP is still a ways off. As for the Go, will I keep it around? Sure -- what am I, crazy?

This article originally appeared on GamePro.com as