Defunct Games vs. Sony PSP Launch

Of Electronic Arts' three launch titles, Tiger Woods fares the best. This has a lot to do with the quality of the Tiger Woods brand, something that has been tarnished over the years by EA's fiddling and the pro-golfer's extra-curricular activities. It's also worth noting that this is the only sports game that was worth picking up on launch day, unless you consider racing a sport. Although I was skeptical at first, I was overjoyed to see EA incorporate the innovative control scheme found on the home consoles. I was also impressed with the amount of courses and deep single-player mode. There's a surprising amount of game in this, all of which is worth your time (even now, years later). Unfortunately the game suffers from long load times, but I guarantee that it's worth the wait.

One could make the case that Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was the last good game in the franchise. It doesn't help that the follow-ups were American Wasteland, Ride and Shred. This PSP remix of Underground 2 is not only solid as a rock, but it's also the best version of the game available. It sports all of the levels found in the console release, along with a few PSP exclusives. The controls work well on the portable's D-pad and the graphics look phenomenal. I could have done without some of the Jackass-style stunts that take emphasis off of the skateboarding. Thankfully the non-skateboarding stuff is kept to a minimum, leaving us with enough goals, levels and stunts to keep us busy for years to come. As a testament to how good the game is, six years later I continue to pack the game when I go on long trips. This wasn't the only Tony Hawk game to grave the PSP, but to this day it remains the best.

Twisted Metal combines the fast-paced action of a racing game with the competitive modes of a first-person shooter. The result is one of the PlayStation's longest running franchises; an over-the-top car combat game from the mind of David Jaffe. Twisted Metal: Head-On does the right thing, it ignores the two sequels developed by 989 Studios. This PSP release takes us back to the beginning, with some of the best levels from the first two games along with all of your favorite drivers. The controls are precise and the action is non-stop. Even if you can't get any friends to play with you, there are still more than enough options for the lone gamer. For one thing, Twisted Metal: Head On was one of the first PSP games to support online play. If that doesn't do it for you, then you'll be happy to see how many variations there are when playing against the computer. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't more brand-new content in this package, but what is here is well worth owning ... even six years later!

The heartache of what could have been. Hot on the heels of the surprisingly solid Champions of Norrath comes this disappointing dungeon crawler. This launch title has all of the parts for a good hack and slash adventure game -- memorable character models, tons of loot to pick up, multiplayer modes -- but fails in a couple of crucial ways. While it does offer WiFi functionality, there's a shocking lack of communication support. Furthermore, the game's presentation (especially the frame rate) is all over the place. The biggest problem is the disappointing lack of personality. It's clear that Untold Legends is trying to be a Diablo clone, but outside of that there's very little to know about Brotherhood of the Blade. Chances are you've already played this game a dozen times and not known it, it's that generic. The story is bland and the dialog is painful. Adventure games are a perfect fit on the PSP, but they need to be better than Untold Legends.

Arguably the showpiece game of the PSP launch, wipEout purE managed to singlehandedly resurrects this once-great racing franchise. It also promised a hint of things to come. This futuristic racer was among the first handheld game to ever offer downloadable content. Best of all, this impressive mix of new and old courses was completely free. Even without the additional levels, wipEout purE is still a worthwhile racing game, full of incredible course design and a sense a sense of speed you normally don't get in a portable game. The game also offered a fun exploit that gave PSP owners an early taste of web browsing on a handheld device. Unfortunately this exploit managed to overshadow one of my favorite PSP launch titles, a racing classic that is still impressive six years later.

Who would have thought that my favorite sports game from Sony would involve soccer? In a lot of ways, I have to assume that World Tour Soccer is the kind of game Gretzky NHL was supposed to be. The game is super-fast, easy to control and has enough modes to keep me going. The only thing holding me back from a full recommendation is my dislike of soccer. None of the complaints I had about NBA or Gretzky apply here, this is a well-produced soccer game with a winning multiplayer mode. I have to wonder what this development team that all the rest couldn't. Sadly, the game does suffer from a lot of stupid A.I. imperfections, but it will hardly get in the way of this solid soccer simulator.