PSP: The Definitive Verdict (Page 9)

After two weeks of intensive handheld gaming, we offer a comprehensive and detailed review of PSP, along with an extensive photo shoot, all-new high quality videos, and market analysis.

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It Plays Games Too

We all know a console launch is nothing without a decent software launch line-up; PS2's original Japanese launch was pretty pitiful with a relatively underpowered and disappointing Ridge Racer V leading the way. In a gushingly ironic way, the Japanese PSP launch fixes the problem by again spearheading with a Ridge Racer game, but this time, it's utterly fantastic.

You could call this a brightness screentest -
or a prev session over Ridge Racers' Reiko Nagase

Look for detailed impressions of Ridge Racers, plus videos, elsewhere on the site - but rest assured that this is one launch title that really proves how stunning games on this system look; every last trick in PS2's graphical effects book seems to be present and correct, with wonderfully vibrant colours, detail and lighting moving at a liquid smooth sixty frames, while the gameplay is exactly what you want from a launch game - addicting, lasting appeal and tremendous fun. There's no doubt about this machine's technical capability when it comes to the obvious matter of playing videogames.

Now exactly our best shot, it has to be said

Elsewhere, ex-Sega man Tetsuya Mizuguchi's new Q Entertainment studio has come up trumps with the Bandai-published Lumines, an attractive Tetris-style puzzle game involving making squares of coloured blocks. If you place a square so that only one half of it contacts another block, then the remaining blocks slide down. It goes deeper than that of course, and while we've yet to have extensive review time with the game (it's stuck in the Christmas mail) it's basically one of the most popular titles with PSP owners at the moment. Capcom's Vampire Chronicle, a fast-paced 2D fighting game is also proving popular, while Minna No Golf is also attracts lengthy play sessions.

Continue Through Feature:

• Page 1: The Hardware Buzz, Hot Property
• Page 2: Two Weeks, Inside the Box, Build Quality
• Page 3: Secret Screen, Ergonomics, Triggers
• Page 4: Sleeping, Useful Buttons, Faulty Units
• Page 5: More on UMD, Make Some Noise
• Page 6: Thanks for the Memory, Battery Power
• Page 7: Full Whack Value Pack, Just Browsing
• Page 8: Movies and Music, Will You be My WiFi
• Page 9: It Plays Games Too - Performance
• Page 10: PSP vs DS, Final Thoughts

See also: Full Launch Report from Tokyo
               PSP Set for Launch in Japan
               PSP Launch Could be a Disaster