All PSP Reviews

Samurai Warriors: State Of War (Review)

Mar 14, 2006

Lets face it: there's something gratifying about cutting through hundreds of enemy warriors like they werent even there, and Samurai Warriors: State of War definitely delivers in that respect. Anyone familiar with the series' PS2 releases or its based-in-old-China counterpart Dynasty Warriors will know that the point of these games is simple: to beat the living hell out of entire armies of enemies. As such, elements like story and character development take a backseat to shoving your blades ...

Scarface: Money. Power. Respect. (Review)

Oct 19, 2006

After a long night on your console dealing out death and dismemberment as not-dead-even-though-he-took-a-bullet-to-the-back Tony Montana, that worn-out trigger finger likely needs a rest. Enter the PSP iteration of the new Scarface game. Rather than being a pint-sized Vice City Stories-style shoot 'em-up, Vivendi leaves open-world chaos behind and heads towards (get this) turn-based strategy on the streets of Miami. Though it hits a few marks here and there, Tony and company ultimately lack ...

Secret Agent Clank (Review)

Jun 20, 2008

What do you do when your best buddy gets thrown in jail? If you're like most GR editors, you visit long enough to take some cell phone shots of him in the clink, run back to your Tijuana hotel to post them on your Facebook page, then try to figure out how to get his girlfriend into the sack. Luckily, if this 3D action adventure is any indication, robots are more loyal. When his fuzzy buddy Ratchet gets framed for a jewel ...

Sega Genesis Collection (Review)

Dec 6, 2006

Ah the Genesis. Back in the 16-bit era, Sega's black box was a masterpiece of hardware that competed fiercely with Nintendo through a combination of killer software and slick marketing. "Blast processing," anyone? Though the speedy blue hedgehog Sonic has been the focus of recent compilations, Sega's latest trip down memory lane takes a somewhat broader approach, revisiting a number of classics that many current gen gamers have never played. Among the featured titles are the first two Sonic ...

Sega Rally Revo (Review)

Oct 19, 2007

Oct 19, 2007 Sega Rally has a much easier run on PSP with no version of DiRT on Sony's handheld. It's literally a one Subaru race. So what do you get? Well you get the sweet arcade racing of Sega Rally, which means sweeping into corners, lush scenery - from dense forests to glacial mountains - and straightforward racing at blistering speeds. It handles like a dream too. And while it doesn't quite manage to recreate the beautiful mud effects of the next-gen version, it looks lovely. But ...

Shrek the Third (Review)

Jun 22, 2007

Like its namesake, the simple but lovable ogre, Shrek the Third is not a complicated game. The levels are linear and, whether you're playing as Shrek, Sleeping Beauty, or any of the several playable cast members in between, the combat is always of the walk up and smash the enemy variety. You can take time off enemy-flattening to spend gold earned from completing level objectives at the Gift Shop, but before long you'll be asking yourself, how many different outfits does Shrek really need to ...

Sid Meier's Pirates!: Live the Life (Review)

Feb 1, 2007

If the PC version was a galleon and the Xbox port was a sloop, does that make Sid Meier's Pirates! on PSP the video game equivalent of a rubber raft? Thankfully, the answer is no, as this handheld version maintains the same sublime seamen sensibilities as its larger predecessors. After all, it's not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean. Pirates! packs a series of mini-games into a rich, role-playing shell. Ship-to-ship battles are the game's best aspect, as you circle your prey ...

Silent Hill Origins (Review)

Nov 9, 2007

Nov 9, 2007 Silent Hill has always been scary because of what it doesn't show you. It's the little things that get to you the most; weeping ghosts, implacable thuds, grinding machinery, that sort of thing. And while Origins is an admirable attempt by a Western developer to capture the magic of the Japanese-developed originals, it doesn't quite manage it. But that doesn't mean it's not worth your ...

The Simpsons Game (Review)

Oct 30, 2007

Oct 30, 2007 Not so much a cohesive game as a series of "episodes" with co-op play in mind, The Simpsons Game is nonetheless consistently funny, occasionally inspired, not too taxing and diverse. A bit like your average episode of the TV show then, which is why this is head and shoulders above the spin-off games that have clouded Springfield's finest down the years. It starts with a typically bizarre Homer dream involving chocolate rabbits, and from there goes all post-modern when Bart ...

The Sims 2: Castaway (Review)

Oct 29, 2007

Life on a deserted island is a bit more adventurous than the ordinary drudgery most sims are forced to live through over and over again. It's understandable, then, why they throw fits over the size of their bed or the color of the wallpaper. The sims are less prissy now that they have to find a way to survive on the island with only a pocketknife and a roll of toilet paper. Sims 2: Castaway takes the adventure game feeling to heart and adds a journal that gives you a feeling of progress, some ...

Smash Court Tennis 3 (Review)

Jul 10, 2007

Another tennis game in time for Wimbledon mania. Its easy to bluff your way through the first few tournaments with button-bashing and luck, but sooner or later youll need to figure out how to time shots and use your opponents style to your advantage. Playing the repetitive minigames and building up your skills can help with this. Luckily, you can play simple Arcade mode, instead of the in-depth Career mode, meaning you can spend less time fiddling about with experience points and sponsorship ...

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo (Review)

May 16, 2006

They call this a hat trick. First Zipper Interactive made a credible PS2-only shooter, then expanded it to rival the almighty Halo. Now they've done the improbable as SOCOM arrives on the PSP in a form that's not only playable, but stands as the system's first fun shooter. As in the console game, the solo campaign is little more than practice. A couple of Navy SEALs explore relatively small maps, finding checkpoints, gathering intel and taking out soldiers featuring rudimentary smarts. Play ...

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo (Review)

Feb 15, 2006

In light of the current climate, opening up SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo with a scene depicting a suicide bomber levelling a Chilean police HQ is in slightly bad taste. OK, it hammers home the ruthlessness of the terrorist cell you're dealing with, but it's rather harsh. Then again, so is war. And so it is in the latest instalment of Zipper's excellent SOCOM series for PSP, but it certainly gets our 'seal' of approval. We feared Fireteam Bravo would suffer from the lack of a second stick on PSP. ...

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 (Review)

Nov 8, 2006

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Thats what developers seem to be trying to do these days as they attempt to capture the visceral action of first-person shooters on the PSP despite the fact that it has only one analog nub. Zipper Interactive sure has brewed a tasty shoot ‘em beverage with their release of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2. Its a bit sour at times, with a somewhat awkward control scheme (but only somewhat awkward, which is an improvement), but goes down ...

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike (Review)

Nov 6, 2007

Oct 26, 2007 You may wonder how a third-person shooter could fit into an RTS, but it makes sense when you don't try to imagine the typical overhead-view, build a base, control an army RTS. SOCOM Tactical Strike puts you in control of exactly four men, and you are right down on the ground with them, using an over-the-shoulder camera similar to other SOCOM games. In fact, it's not far off from the single-player missions where you gave orders to your squadmates. The difference here is that you ...

Sonic Rivals (Review)

Nov 28, 2006

It's been a pretty sad anniversary for Sonic the Hedgehog. Nearly every game carrying the "15 years of proud service" badge has been a steaming pile (by our count, only Sonic Rush is worth the cash), and the latest title, the 3D adventure game on PS3 and 360, is the worst yet. Thus, it's a little hard to expect much out of a simple, side-scrolling racer featuring Sonic and his fleet footed pals. But ironically, it's Sonic Rivals' simplicity that makes the best Sonic game in a year. With ...

Sonic Rivals 2 (Review)

Nov 28, 2007

Nov 28, 2007 On paper, Sonic Rivals 2 should be a great game. Take the Sonic games' awesome sense of speed (as well as its colorful characters and environments) and tailor it for a competitive racing game - that should be a formula for success. It's a fantastic concept that seems like surefire way to provide hours of entertainment on the Sony PSP. Unfortunately, the execution is merely adequate and the final product is a game that's okay at ...

Space Invaders Extreme (Review)

Jun 13, 2008

The original Space Invaders arcade game is the videogame version of a 78 RPM phonograph record - it's a sacred totem of nostalgia for the veteran generation, but it's so primitive and clunky to youngsters that they feel actual pity for the old guys. That's why it's so great that this reinvention, Space Invaders Extreme, blends old and new into a colorful, hyperactive, deeper than you'd guess shootathon that ...

Spectral Souls (Review)

Sep 29, 2006

The idea of waging war on humans and demons alike sounds very promising to us. Uppity monsters think they can rule the human race forever, so we revolt and smash their oppressive ways. Then they fight back, and now we've got major problems, with splintering factions all vying for their own ends. Throw in an arsenal of weapons, monsters and battlegrounds and you've got the recipe for a handheld war we could get behind. Until we have to wait 10-20 seconds for a new area to load. Or small bits of ...

Spider-man 2 (Review)

Aug 11, 2005

Almost a full year after the release of the Spider-Man 2 film, Activision launches a PSP version on to the unsuspecting public. Now, it doesn't take a genius to work out why. It's because a) they wanted to get a foothold in the PSP market as soon as possible and b) they wanted to milk the teat of the webbed-wonder's movie popularity until it positively whistles with emptiness. We're all for the first reason, but the second is a certainly a bit of a cheek, given that what the developers have ...