GamesRadar - PSP Reviews

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron (Review)

Nov 3, 2009

Star Wars! Truly it’s the game license that keeps on giving, providing a universe that, even now, is capable of providing fresh stories and experiences. Elite Squadron further stripmines the Clone Wars era to tell the tale of two clone brothers, X1 and X2, one of whom (somewhat predictably) falls to the dark side. ...

Naruto Shippuden Legends: Akatsuki Rising (Review)

Oct 29, 2009

It’s unsurprising that an anime series as popular as Naruto has spawned so many games, but what is surprising is how few are actually any good. Akatsuki Rising doesn’t buck that trend. An uneasy mix of brawler and RPG-lite, it never reaches the heights of Naruto’s better games (Naruto Ultimate Ninja and The Broken Bond). ...

Thexder Neo (Review)

Oct 29, 2009

Giant robots are cool. But giant robots from 1985 that shoot homing lasers from their eyes and transform into jet fighters are infinitely cooler. Thexder Neo slaps a fresh coat of paint on an antiquated PC shooter from days long past and proves a few moments of fun can still be squeezed from this stone. ...

Astro Boy: The Video Game (Review)

Oct 26, 2009

It seems Astro Boy returns every decade or so, and now American film makers have retooled the iconic character for another reboot. Albeit low budget looking and feeling, High Voltage Software put more life into Astro Boy: The Video Game than we’d expect from a movie tie-in. Bright, sleek and silver, Metro City sets the stage for Astro Boy’s adventure against an evil robot-wielding president. ...

Half-Minute Hero (Review)

Oct 21, 2009

We don't regret the hundreds of hours we've sunk into Japanese role-playing games over the years. Not even the time we sketched out dungeon maps on graph paper for Phantasy Star. Honest. It's just that Half-Minute Hero has taught us that a game can deliver a true RPG experience without any of the time commitment ...

NBA Live 10 (Review)

Oct 20, 2009

Thanks to dreadful exclusive contracts and shrinking development budgets, it’s rare these days for two good sports titles to come out on one platform, much less three. That’s the happy dilemma hoops fans find for themselves this fall, though, as a trifecta of solid basketball games have hit the PSP. ...

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Review)

Oct 20, 2009

When it was first released on Nintendo DS several months ago, Chinatown Wars was an ambitious, unprecedented use of the system's capabilities. Not only did it implement touch screen and microphone controls in clever, unobtrusive ways, it also proved that a "mature" experience could be had on a system best known for Brain Age and Cooking Mama. ...

NBA 2K10 (Review)

Oct 15, 2009

Mobile hoops fans have quite a smorgasbord of basketball this fall, as no less than three NBA titles have dribbled their way onto the PSP. The gang at 2K Sports decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their franchise by tossing their hat in the portable ring, and the results are surprisingly good – considering it’s their first go-round on the platform. ...

FIFA 10 (Review)

Oct 15, 2009

While the success of this year’s FIFA 10 on PS3 and 360 is built upon the technical bells and whistles of a still-sparkly next-gen engine, its PSP counterpart is still based on the same pile of code as the old PS2 games. Which, it turns out, is just fine for a satisfying, if pared down, game of handheld football. ...

NBA 10 The Inside (Review)

Oct 13, 2009

The NBA has put a full-court press on the PSP this year, with no less than three full releases for the 2009-10 season. In case you’re scoring at home, that’s one more than any other console, as NBA 10 The Inside shows up only on Sony’s handheld. ...

Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (Review)

Oct 12, 2009

We are addicted to leveling-up. We love boosting stats, learning new skills, and watching our characters grow from wimpy weaklings to powerhouses that can unleash 9,999 points of damage with a single move. And when it comes to satisfying our urge to grind our way towards a god-like state of greatness, the Disgaea series has always delivered. ...

PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (Review)

Oct 10, 2009

Like the creatures that slowly crawl towards your helpless tribe in the game, PixelJunk Monsters can sneak up on you. Those deceptively cute graphics, the bouncy music and the initially gentle difficulty curve draw you in and before you know it you’re addicted. ...

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge (Review)

Sep 29, 2009

Sometimes a change of scenery can do a world of good. In a shift from the arid deserts of the original game, and the tropical climes of sequel Pacific Rift, Arctic Edge sees the MotorStorm series going through a cold snap. It’s a startling transformation, but it’s most welcome. Tracks are noticeably slippery in places, occasional avalanches will bury unwary vehicles, and you can cool down your boost meter by driving through deep snow ...

Beaterator (Review)

Sep 28, 2009

Beaterator isn’t a game. You know that, right? It’s a utility for creating music and sharing it with the world, based initially on a Flash application created by Rockstar Games. Yeah, the folks behind Grand Theft Auto are breaking into the music scene now, with some big-name help from producer/rapper Timothy Zachery Mosley, a.k.a. Timbaland. ...

Gran Turismo Portable (Review)

Sep 15, 2009

There were screenshots. There was video. There was even a picture of the PSP 1000 sitting next to a UMD with Gran Turismo on it. So why has it taken five years for the damn thing to finally appear on Sony's handheld? ...

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny (Review)

Sep 2, 2009

Success in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny requires a sharp mind and a sharp weapon. Combat is brutal, quick and handled using the bare minimum of complex thumb acrobatics – just as it is in SC IV. Instead of a focus on impossible combos and complex throws, the fighting here is about reacting to opponents’ moves with swift counters or carefully selected flurries of attacks. ...

Warriors Orochi 2 (Review)

Aug 26, 2009

Individual taste plays a huge role in deciding which games a gamer finds fun and ultimately fulfilling. We know that a large group of gamers (most of them in Japan) finds the Dynasty Warriors series infinitely fun, and eagerly scoops up each new sequel with an infinite well of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, we just don’t have access to that well. ...

Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Review)

Aug 25, 2009

Crossover fighting games are nothing new, and they always tend to have one thing in common: From Super Smash Bros. to Marvel vs Capcom 2, they’re less about exploring what happens when disparate universes come together, and more about seeing how hard those universes can wordlessly kick each other in the teeth. ...

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Review)

Aug 4, 2009

For years, Tiger Woods games had been among our favorite PSP titles. Perfectly suited for Sony’s portable machine, they’d consistently delivered compelling links experiences, from addictive player-building careers to nifty multiplayer modes. While this season’s good walk spoiled doesn’t break much new ground, it’s still a well-oiled machine that has us grippin’ and rippin’. ...

The Bigs 2 (Review)

Jul 31, 2009

A couple of years ago, The BIGS rekindled our love affair with arcade sports games by breathing new life into the rather conservative world of baseball. From the simple-to-play, tough-to-master gameplay to the elegant use of strategic planning (not to mention gorgeous visuals), it established itself as the best of the best when it comes to non-traditional sporting affairs. ...