Good write up. The controls are definitely not simple. I was fortunate enough to get into the beta so I was already pretty familiar with the mechanics, but I remember how easy it was to fumble up the controls and get annihilated. Learning the controls shouldn't be as bad when playing single player simply because you can pause the game, whereas online you just get instantly fragged.
My Top 5:
Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Shenmue, Skies of Arcadia, Chrono Trigger
My 2 nex-gen systems: PS3 
and Wii 
Prediction Aug '08: We see the PSP2 released fall '09. Graphically, it's basically the same as the current system. UMD drive ditched and replaced by 4-8gb on board flash memory. Other upgrades: 2nd analog nub, touchscreen, blutooth, motion sensor. Design: Flip-style or slider. Size: Think Iphone. Cost: $199. Will be profitable on day 1.
