First, you can finally swim in the twinkling waters, putting an end to PS2 Vice City's accidental drownings. Then there's a lengthened draw distance, better detail (count the leaves on the palm trees), and less 'clumping', where you keep seeing the same cars or people everywhere, giving the game a fresher feel. Oh, and there're helicopters too, if you're interested.

'Copter controls are straightforward and piloting across town isn't a chore. We saw one heli-based mission where you take the sticks as Lance guns down a biker gang, with a balance meter to show how your flying is affecting his aim. Then, in another example of the better mission variety, Lance falls into enemy territory and you have to jump out and shoot your way in to rescue him.

Remarkably, helicopter action doesn't reduce the game to a judder-fest. And, while we saw slowdown throughout the game at other busy moments, developer Rockstar is beetling away at tweaking and refining the code so we're confident you'll have a smoother ride than in Liberty City, even with so much more on offer.

How much more isn't totally confirmed yet, although we did catch a glimpse of a pager message that read: "...EARNINGS: $1900", which could mean new property-based money-making for handheld criminals. But even if that doesn't happen, Vice City Stories will easily replace Liberty City Stories as PSP's strongest dose of action. Expect the review treatment soon.