THE DIGITAL PAGE - Weekly guide to entertainment technology.

What To Play

March 24, 2005|By Levi Buchanan, Special to the Tribune.

Thursday's debut of Sony's PlayStation Portable is accompanied by perhaps the largest launch library ever -- 24 games representing several well-known, well-loved genres such as sports, racing and adventure.

With 24 games to choose from in this 30-day launch window (and this is the newest trick of the industry, to redefine a product launch as a monthlong event), gamers have an unprecedented level of choice. Too bad that choice is, for the most part, to pay $40-$50 for games they already own on their PlayStation 2, many of which can be found for $20.

By and large, the worst offender is Electronic Arts, which has ported over no less than six PS2 games as launch titles. Now, EA's offerings are not bad games. "MVP Baseball" is actually a very playable game -- but it's hard to recommend spending $50 for a portable game when the console version came out only weeks ago for just $30. "NFL Street 2 Unleashed" and "NBA Street Showdown" also trail their console editions closely, offering little more than new courts and mini-games.

At least EA has infused each of its game with two-player wi-fi. "Need for Speed Underground Rivals," an extension of EA's multimillion-selling franchise, uses a clever tagging system that labels you either "champ" or "owned" depending on your standing at the end of the race. The only way to remove that "owned" stamp is to replay the "champ" -- otherwise you wear it like a scarlet letter for all to see.

Koei supports the PSP with "Dynasty Warriors," a port of a PS2 game that has long overstayed its welcome. All of the visual shortcomings of the PS2 series are amplified on the PSP, such as foggy environments meant to hide draw-in distances and significant slowdown when too many characters are on the screen. Avoid this one like the plague.

Activision weighs in with two games: "Spider-Man 2" and "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix." "Tony Hawk" features four new levels and wi-fi multiplayer -- but is still largely the same game as it is on consoles. The first million PSPs sold in America come with a free copy of the "Spider-Man 2" movie on UMD. Will gamers want to pay $50 to play Activision's webslinger, even if it does offer new gameplay not found in the console versions?

Sony itself chimes in with a slate of sports games (offering about as much competition to EA's lineup as they do on consoles) as well as "Twisted Metal: Head-On," a wi-fi-enabled driving combat game based on a franchise with a checkered past. "Head-On" is not as strong as "Black," the deliciously dark PS2 take on the series. The levels seem a little empty and the control is somewhat wonky, making it feel like the game was rushed for launch.

There is original content available for the PSP, but you have to dig for it. Really dig for it. Perhaps the best PSP-exclusive title is the puzzler "Lumines," published in America by Ubisoft. It was a genius pick-up for the firm, a `don't blink' puzzle game featuring incredible music. This is the perfect quick-play game; it's a shame there aren't more like it on the PSP.

Sony Online Entertainment, responsible for the "EverQuest" series on the PC, has released the dungeon crawler "Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade."

On consoles, the hack-and-slash genre has become an untold bore, but SOE's refashioning of it as a to-go experience works. The missions are shorter and the goals are easier. It's possible to flog all the monsters in a small dungeon before slinking back to your cubicle.

Not all familiar franchises are a bust. Capcom's "Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower" is a satisfactory remake of the classic 2D fighting game starring beefed-up monsters such as vampires and sasquatches. The PSP's d-pad is not as responsive as the PS2 pad, though, which stymies some of the action. However, the animation and colors look drop-dead gorgeous on the high-res display.

Konami is supporting the launch with "Metal Gear Acid," a portable and wildly different take on the enormously successful "Metal Gear Solid" franchise. The game replaces the stealth-action with card-based strategy. Snake draws from a deck of cards featuring weapons and combat techniques to use in a series of short, 15-minute missions that are easy to play in bite-size sessions.

"Metal Gear Acid's" success highlights the problem with several PS2-to-PSP games. Console development teams reveal a general misunderstanding of the portable gaming market. These are games made not to be played by appointment. These are stolen minutes. You can complete an "Acid" trip between classes. With some of the launch games, by the time you load up the game (yes, PSP games do have considerable load times), dig through menus, access saved games and sit through cinematics, you're at your bus stop without shooting a single bad guy.

Even if the launch lineup is somewhat underwhelming, most titles do play to three of the PSP's strengths: Visuals, audio and wi-fi. Without hesitation, the PSP can drive some amazing visuals.