You waited for the console to arrive.  You waited in line at your favorite electronic store, then shelled out $250 for a "Value Pack" and another $100 to cover two games.  You get home, you play, fall in love and live happily ever after.

I don't know about you, but when I spend a large sum of money on one item, an item that comes with accessories, I'm not too eager to go out and buy an accessory pack.

Then I heard what the PSP Mobile Kit had to offer: 

• Car Adaptor
• Battery Pack
• 12 Game Cases
• Leather Carrying Case
• 4 Screen Protectors
• PSP-to-PC link cable (translation: a high-speed USB 2.0 cable)
• Headphones
• Cleaning Cloth

Suddenly I'm intrigued and willing to spend additional dollars on items that will make my PSP gaming experience even better.  Let's take a look at the goods to see if they really are that good. 

Car Adaptor

No-brainer.  This is the item you knew every peripheral manufacturer would make because every gamer just has to have it.  And does it perform?  You better believe it.  Plug it in and charge it up.  Play while on the go.  Play and charge while driving down the freeway with a cell phone in one hand and the PSP in the other!  (Actually you might not want to take it to that extreme, but in a world where roads were made of marshmallow and driving skills didn't matter, you could enjoy your PSP while sitting behind the wheel.)

Since we don't live in that world, get a friend to drive.

No Mo Low Energo...er...Energy

The battery pack is great in a pinch.  It's lightweight and has a key-ring, sending gamers the message that, if they attach their car keys to it, they'll have this battery pack with them at all times.  That's the whole point.

The downside to this annex is that it's not a true battery pack.  You can't take it home, plug it in and charge it up.  Four AAA batteries are required to run the pack, and they don't last very long.  It'll get you through a portable gaming session.  It'll allow you to continue gaming when you're out with friends and your PSP is the first one to die.  But it will also become a costly alternative to taking the PSP home and charging it frequently.

To solve this problem, I'm going to buy four rechargeable AAA batteries.  I have a Sony charger that came with four AAs, but it also works with AAAs.  This way I can truly utilize the battery pack as a battery pack.

As you can imagine, this will be costly no matter how you tackle it.  That's what we get for wanting more powerful portable devices.  If Sony releases a stronger battery pack in the future, you can bet it will sell for a fairly high price.

Sittin' On The Shelf, Not Collecting Any Dust

I save all my game boxes.  It's true.  I keep all my PS2, PSone, Xbox, GameCube, etc., games in their original cases.  That explains why I have no floor space.  That explains why I keep stepping on piles of Capcom and Konami games.

I don't mind storing them, but with PSP, it's a bit much.  These cases are big, far bigger than they should be.  By Christmas 2006 I won't have any room space at all.

...Unless I can force myself to get rid of some [all] of them.  Can I?  No one knows for sure.  But if I do choose to get rid of them, Mad Catz has created tiny plastic cases that are slightly larger than the games themselves.  They're great for carrying the games around in your pocket, and they save a ton of storage space.

They won't, however, protect your games from a harsh blow.  These cases are kind of weak.  I'd go as far as to say they're a little flimsy.  I like 'em, but the plastic should feel harder, and they should snap shut more easily.

Not a Leather Boot

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure this isn't real leather (not entirely at least).  I'm also 100% certain that, while this is a harder, sturdier case, and is more likely to protect your PSP than the soft case included with the value pack, I still like the soft case better.  This case has a belt strap (not a belt clip – you have to feed the belt through), which is helpful if your pockets are full or just aren't big enough to hold the PSP.

Screen Protector (Plastic Sheet)

Scratches can be removed from your Worry List once the screen protector is applied.  I don't like it though.  I couldn't get any of the four protectors to apply evenly, regardless of how many times I readjusted them.  They left bubbles, and even when looking through the parts of the screen that weren't bubbly, it was very clear that I was not looking at the PSP anymore.  I was looking at the PSP covered in an ugly piece of plastic.  I've had my PSP for a month and it is without a single scratch.  I treat it like gold.  Most PSP owners are old enough to treat the console properly.  Thus, there is no reason to apply a screen protector and ruin the beautiful images that Sony displays with their innovative screen.

USB 2.0 Cable

It's a USB cable...nothing newsworthy.  It works and that's all it needs to do.

It Sounds Like Quality

Not as bass-driven as the headphones included with the PSP, these headphones are bigger, do not fit directly into your ear, have a longer cord, and can achieve a louder sound.

Cleaning Cloth (Finger Print Remover)

It doesn't look or feel as nice as the Value Pack version, nor is it as big.  But wipe it across your PSP and be amazed as it eliminates every single smudge mark.  It works with virtually any finger print-collecting device, including iPods.

Pros:  

• Battery Pack is great (even though it makes you use YOUR OWN batteries)
• Headphones sound really good; have a long cord
• Game cases make storing PSP software a breeze
• The carrying case is pretty sturdy
• Gotta have USB 2.0!

Cons: 

• Headphones aren't bass-infused as good as Sony's

•  The screen protectors are a joke

•  We shouldn't have to use AAAs with the battery pack (doesn't that defeat the purpose?  Honestly, how can they call it a battery pack with nothing inside?)

Verdict: 8.4

The PSP Value Pack comes with headphones, a carrying case, and a finger print-remover.  If you're a value-conscious gamer as Sony thinks you are, three of the PSP Mobile Kit's items are unnecessary extras.  If you're really value-conscious and don't mind lugging around big plastic boxes, the Mobile Kit's compact PSP cases might also seem unnecessary.

In reality, you bought the Value Pack because you just had to have the PSP.  It had nothing to do with the headphones, the case, or the piece of cloth that makes your screen look shiny and new.

Now, for the items you already have in some shape or form, it becomes a battle of which one is better.  For the items you don't have, the PSP Mobile Kit is half-way must-buy territory.  I'd like to say it's closer, but the price is pretty high -- $40 at most retailers.  That's a lot for things you want, but don't necessarily need.  Of course, Sony made you pay an additional $60 for extras you didn't want or need.  At least with this kit you're getting something that you paid for willingly.