You had to see this one coming. There is hardly a game I’d want to be made portable more than a Grand Theft Auto game. And thankfully, Rockstar thought the same. How could anyone resist having their own pocket sized hooker-murder simulator?

Portable GTA! Brilliant!

This game fits the PSP so well and surprisingly runs great. Take GTA3, humorously add motorcycles to the mix, kill off the only Dodo, and add multiplayer mini-games and you’ve got a recipe for ...]]> The smallest big city ever, all in your hands

You had to see this one coming. There is hardly a game I’d want to be made portable more than a Grand Theft Auto game. And thankfully, Rockstar thought the same. How could anyone resist having their own pocket sized hooker-murder simulator?

Portable GTA! Brilliant!

This game fits the PSP so well and surprisingly runs great. Take GTA3, humorously add motorcycles to the mix, kill off the only Dodo, and add multiplayer mini-games and you’ve got a recipe for a classic. Mmmm, just like momma used to make (well, except the drive-bys and hookers). Speaking of drive-bys, the Xbox should be ashamed of itself for its history of terrible controls in GTAs because the PSP pulls it off perfectly even with fewer buttons. And the PSP looks just as amazing as the Xbox; I don’t know how those crazy Japanese fit so much power into such a small package. Liberty City Stories’s story is new and quite lengthy, so it should provide hours and hours of missions and side tasks. Not much else to say here. If you’ve played any GTA game, you’ll find the same things here–good and bad.

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“The Mainframe” Now in Theaters, Rated R for Retarded

The radio that we all know and love is back to offend, so parents and responsible adults be warned. They haven’t pulled any punches in the past and aren’t about to start any time soon. From Manifest Destiny to the Evils of the Internet to stereotypical Indian cab drivers to transsexual German DJs, everyone is sure to find something that interests them. There is even an inside hot coffee joke. But where is all the good music? Did Rockstar run out of good songs from the 90s they were allowed to play? They certainly found enough crappy house/techno music, but all the radio stations seem to be playing leftovers. Most stations’ cycles are too short, and others are about 25 minutes too long. Then, you get excited when you learn you can do custom tracks (as it’s been lacking on Sony platforms), but then you learn the details of it. You need their special utility that only rips from legitimate store bought CDs to put them on your PSP. Fucking DRM. Stop acting like Microsoft Rockstar!

Go sit in the corner Rockstar

On the surface, it is another great GTA game, and it’s portable! But I can’t help but be disappointed since I’ve played San Andreas. So many features such as developing character skills, minigames, airplanes, helicopters, and the miraculous swimming ability have been removed (or more accurately, not considered to be put in). This was a bad step backwards Rockstar. Don’t give us Kool-aid just to take it away soon after. Whether it’s due to technical restrictions or laziness, it doesn’t feel like your best effort.

So really, what else could you ask for from the PSP? Actually, Ace Combat and Knights of the Old Republic, but GTA is good too. I get the feeling I’ll be waiting for KOTOR for a while. Liberty City Stories fills a void in the handheld market almost perfectly. And if I didn’t know so many schmucks that don’t own PSPs, I might’ve been able to test the multiplayer part for you. Perhaps I would even be able to forgive the step backwards then. As it is though, Liberty City Stories is one of the best games for the PSP as long as you fit the “Mature” category.

4 Rock-stars out of 5

So you haven’t used your PSP for gaming since Liberty City Stories, you say? Well power that baby back up and prepare for the hand cramps, because Syphon Filter Dark Mirror is here. Whether you are a fan of the series or you just enjoy good gameplay, you’ll be happy you spent the cash for this one.

Saving the world, as usual

“Surely you can’t be serious?! Little ol’ me is going to save the world?” Ok, so it isn’t exactly original. ...]]> The first killer app for the PSP

So you haven’t used your PSP for gaming since Liberty City Stories, you say? Well power that baby back up and prepare for the hand cramps, because Syphon Filter Dark Mirror is here. Whether you are a fan of the series or you just enjoy good gameplay, you’ll be happy you spent the cash for this one.

Saving the world, as usual

“Surely you can’t be serious?! Little ol’ me is going to save the world?” Ok, so it isn’t exactly original. The same stories have been told over and over again since the days of ancient Greece. But who honestly cares if it works? Dark Mirror is such a rehashing where you stop the baddies from completing their evil plans. Melodrama abounds, especially during the final boss’s monologue. Could someone please tell him this isn’t Metal Gear Solid! (Some might find it interesting, however, that some of the same voice actors from MGS are present for Dark Mirror.) Even the media favorite phrase “WMD” is used liberally, but just like in high school, once hip phrases are used by the general public, the “in” crowd wouldn’t be caught dead using it. EVERYONE knows video game violence is the new fad. The story does have some moments of glory though that fans will certainly enjoy.

Singleplayer gameplay

You’ll use a nice variety of weapons including the ever-popular tazer guns, grenades, sniper rifles with special purpose darts, and even flare guns for “emergencies.” Nifty gadgets such as IR goggles and night vision are not only useful in different situations, but reward those willing to look for various extras. Replaying missions will unlock more weapons and levels and finding all the hidden evidence unlocks different behind the scene extras making Dark Mirror very replayable. Enemy AI is good, but more importantly, your actions may allow for different outcomes of each level. I found myself extremely enjoying playing the same missions using stealth one time and Rambo tactics another time just to see what would be different. Overall, there is no better singleplayer game for the PSP–once the awkwardness of controlling a 3rd person shooter on such a small platform is overcome.

Multiplayer

Here, the game falters slightly. Online play is supported by statistics and ranking, which convinces some that this is the only part of the game worth playing. Issues arise, however, when new players try to find a decently balanced game. High ranks are unwisely given too many bonuses, allowing them to further whoop on the lowbies. And heaven forbid that the high ranks would willingly match up against another high rank… that might screw up their perfect stats. This unbalance is a major turn off for the newcomer and will be the suffocation of the online game. The good part of multiplayer comes if you are lucky enough to know people. You can form a clan to work together and help each other rank up. There is also voice communication, but good luck trying to find a headset sold anywhere (I’ve spent a month looking everywhere in a 100 mile radius). Multiplayer slightly disappoints. I was lucky enough to beta test the multiplayer for this game, and it was the most enjoyable beta test I’ve ever been in. It’s confusing to me that the final product was such a let down.

Final thoughts

The total product is no let down though. Singleplayer is excellent and overshadows the problems with multiplayer. Not only is this the best shooter on PSP, it is quite possibly game of the year for this platform. It is no question then that Syphon Filter Dark Mirror receives a well earned 5 out of 5

…and don’t call me Shirley.