You can enable region-free UMD movie playback with the custom 3.02 OE-A/B firmwares. Sony has no current plans to release a white PSP in North America. Go for it.
Import shops. Ncsx and play-asia are very reputable. It also came out it Europe, so if you've got any relatives there, they might be able to help you out.
I heard it wasn't great. It still plays poorly for a fighting game and the framerate is locked at 30fps, and even then it still stutters.
If you're purely into gameplay, Bleach DS: Souten ni Kakeru Unmei is a much better choice.
I use this temporarily. I know I'll need something more substantial once I amass more games, but currently it's great for avoiding scratches, and it fits well in the pocket.
Really? I'm breezing through Proud Mode on my first playthrough. It's a cakewalk compared to Ninja Gaiden Black and DMC3:SE which I've been playing lately.
It's basiaclly an enhanced port of a PS2 MMO, with the glaring omission of online play. I Assume offline it's as fun as PSO was offline.
It's still got adhoc co-op though.
^^^Monster Hunter Freedom got a 4/10 from the latest Game Informer. It did well in Japan, but I think the lack of online will turn off westerners more than it did the Japanese.