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By CNET staff and GameSpot staff
(Updated June 13, 2006) Sony PSP games
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2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup will kick off in Munich when the tournament's German
hosts take on Costa Rica. Recent player injuries are already providing plenty
of pretournament drama, but if you really want to get your experience underway
ahead of time, you can claim the FIFA World Cup Trophy for your country in EA
Sports' 2006 FIFA World Cup. The PlayStation Portable version of EA Canada's
latest soccer offering is faithful to its console counterparts in almost every
way, and while the game isn't without a few quirks, there's plenty of
enjoyable, fast-paced soccer to be had here.
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Field Commander
Unlike many other games for PSP, Field Commander seems like it was designed
specifically to take advantage of this system's portable form factor. The fact
that Field Commander is a turn-based military strategy game lends a lot to that
fit, but it's also a game that easily stands on its own merits. Its fully 3D
units and maps lend some amount of flash to the proceedings, but you'll find
that the visuals are actually the weakest component of this well-balanced
strategy game, which offers awesome value even outside of its engaging
single-player campaign.
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Gradius Collection
While the Vic Viper might not be a household name on quite the same level as Mario or Master Chief, it still is emblematic of what makes video games great. This spacecraft and its distinctive split-nose design is the unlikely hero of Gradius, possibly the all-time greatest series of shoot-'em-ups. This style of game simply challenges you to survive wave after wave of enemies, by maneuvering to avoid them and their bullets while returning fire. The Gradius series' primary innovation was its customizable power-up system, though the games also featured some distinctive level design and excellent presentation quality. Now five games from the Gradius series--most of which have never been released before in North America--are available on one PSP disc, in the form of Gradius Collection. It's a must-have for any shoot-'em-up fan, but even those who weren't pumping quarters into arcade cabinets during the series' heyday should be able to appreciate the pure action and challenge these games deliver.
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Lemmings
First published in 1991 on the Commodore Amiga, Lemmings was an instant hit with puzzle fans and went on to massive mainstream success with numerous sequels. The game puts the player in control of a herd of up to 100 lemmings that bear no physical resemblance to the real-life rodents but do have the same wanton disregard for their lives. It's your job to get these critters from start to finish by equipping certain members of the pack with skills such as digging, bridge-building, and blocking to avoid the obstacles placed in their path. Apparently born out of an animation created by designer Mike Dailly over a lunch break, Lemmings is a game-design classic that is as compelling now in its newest iteration on the PlayStation Portable as it was 15 years ago.
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Me and My Katamari
The King of All Cosmos, that epic personification of eccentric, intergalactic royalty, brings his uniquely articulate brand of white-hot crazy to the PSP with Me and My Katamari. As a portable interpolation of Katamari Damacy, Me and My pretty much makes good, even in spite of a few technical compromises. The biggest hindrance to Me and My Katamari is its modest number of levels, even when considering the game's relatively short play time.
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Metal Gear Acid 2
Metal Gear Acid was one of the more unusual but surprisingly great launch titles for Sony's PSP. Now, barely a year later, there's already a follow-up. While not much has changed in that time, Metal Gear Acid 2 manages to deliver the same unique, strategic gameplay with the trademark style and oddball humor that Metal Gear Solid is known for, making it another great addition to your PSP library. Even if you've played the first game, there's enough new content here to back up the familiar but solid gameplay.
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NBA Ballers: Rebound
When the original Ballers was released in 2004, it brought a breath of fresh air to the arcade basketball genre. Not since Dr. J vs. Bird had anyone pulled off a one-on-one basketball game that was quite as compelling. The experience of the original Ballers game has now been shrunken down into portable form on the PlayStation Portable with NBA Ballers: Rebound. While it still retains the same modes and fun gameplay from the original, that's also part of the problem--you're hard-pressed to find what's new in the game. But as a straight port of the original, Rebound gets the job done and delivers an amusing basketball experience on the go.
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OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
It's been about a year and a half since the OutRun series was remade for the Xbox in the form of OutRun2. That game was a pretty simple but fun arcade racer that effectively captured the spirit of the original arcade game. This time around, Sega has chosen to release OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast for the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable, in addition to the Xbox. The new game doesn't stray very far at all from the formula established by OutRun2, offering gameplay that largely feels the same as the previous game but with a good deal more content to explore and unlock.
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Race Driver 2006
2004 was most certainly a choice year for gaming, but that said, the number of
2004 games that are finding their way onto the PlayStation Portable in 2006 is
just a little disconcerting. With updates of NBA Ballers and Monster Hunter
already out and an updated version of Def Jam: Fight for NY coming up, it's
like the PSP is living in some kind of bizarre time warp. Codemasters is now in
on the fray, too, releasing Race Driver 2006, an updated port of the company's
great 2004 racer, TOCA Race Driver 2. The thing that makes Race Driver 2006
extra weird, however, is that Codemasters put out TOCA Race Driver 3 on
consoles and the PC earlier this year, making the debut of its predecessor on
another platform months later a bit odd. But nonetheless, Race Driver 2006,
despite its largely recycled career mode, feels like a mostly new game, thanks
to the addition of an all-new single-player mode, some new cars and tracks, and
simulation racing that still feels tight and authentic on the PSP.
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WRC: FIA World Rally Championship
Sony's World Rally Championship franchise has been a big hit in Europe for years now. In fact, many would tell you that it's better than even Codemasters' famed Colin McRae series. However, in North America, our exposure to World Rally Championship has been minimal, at best. We haven't seen one of the games since 2002's World Rally Championship for the PlayStation 2--until now. WRC: FIA World Rally Championship is a PlayStation Portable port of the latest PS2 game released in Europe, though since we American types don't get the PS2 games over here, odds are you're looking at WRC as the first rally racer to hit the PSP in North America. On that merit, WRC is a success. It has lots of tracks, several popular rally car types, and some excellent visuals. Sadly, its multiplayer support is almost nonexistent, and a few gameplay quirks conspire to make the driving less fun than it could have been. Still, WRC is a good, solid first try at bringing the sport of rally racing to the PSP system, even if it doesn't quite nail every component.
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Honorable mentions:
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