Long before you could tussle with cops in Grand Theft Auto, tango with the Covenant in Halo, or go on your final adventure in Final Fantasy, there was a role-playing game named Zork. For those who loved it, Zork was a stepping stone for video game role-playing games, harking back to a much simpler time where you had to use your imagination to get you out of jams.

Zork was a text based game released in the early 1980s on a number of computers. For a generation weaned on big budget RPG's with sizzling cinemas and amazing graphics, it's almost hard to picture a time when games were nothing more than a screen full of words and punctuations. But that's exactly what Zork is, and that's the world you're going to enter when you decide to take on the Zork Classics for your Sony PSP.

The Zork Trilogy is set in the ruins of an ancient empire lying far underground. You, a dauntless treasure-hunter, are venturing into this dangerous land in search of wealth and adventure. Many strange tales have been told of the fabulous treasure, exotic creatures, and diabolical puzzles in the Great Underground Empire. All this and more can be yours in this exclusive UMD.

Not only are all three games accurately recreated, but Infocom has gone back and upgraded the text for the 21st century. Gone are the days of looking at blocky computer text, now you can experience the games with an all new font, Terminal. The PSP has given the programmers a chance to strut their stuff and show off what the system is meant for: engrossing text role-playings games.

Of course, one hurdle gamers will have to overcome is the PSP's lack of a keyboard. Anybody that has used the PlayStation Portable's built web browser will know that entering the text you want can sometimes be a real pain. This will only be more noticeable when you're forced to type in where you want to go, what you want to do, and how you want to attack in Zork. This may ultimately turn away some purists, but as long as you can overcome some odd controls you should be set to take on these Zork adventures.

What's not to look forward to? The PSP is the perfect home for a game like Zork ... unless you're looking for a game with easy controls and great graphics. If you're the type of person that is turned off by the PSP's amazing graphics and sound, I suggest you check out Zork Classics, a game that will keep you reading for weeks to come. We'll have more on this collection as it nears completion; we hope to feature more exciting screenshots over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled on more info on this exciting game.