Oh my, how fast they all grow up. On December 12, 2004, Sony's PlayStation Portable officially came into this world and plopped loudly into gamers' hands in Japan with much fanfare. One year later, the PSP's graduated from liquids to solids and is tackling baby gadget-like things such as ripped DVD movies, homebrew programs, and hardware hacks. Since it launched it's been beaten down, dressed up, invited out by squirrels, and on several occasions become the subject of sound drubbings from all fronts. But like the little trooper it is, it's still marching on to the beat of its own technologically-advanced drum.

Without a doubt, 2006 looks to be a watershed year in gaming and content for the PSP with new title announcements from companies like Ubisoft and Capcom. Similarly, we applaud the efforts of the homebrew community for daring to present the argument, "yes, but what else can it do?" and for redefining what a portable gaming console can be capable of. And most of all, we commend the PSP fanbase for constantly reminding us of the reasons why the PSP is one of the best handheld systems out today.

So happy birthday, PSP. Or rather, tanjoubi omedetou.