Sony’s potent portable might still be in its infancy, but it’s definitely looking like the slickest way (visually, at least) for on-the-go play this year. Perhaps its lineup didn’t blow us away with original franchises or a slew of hot new games coming right up this summer—and there’s still not much for role-playing fans to look forward to—but the PSP’s future remains quite promising. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo, Burnout Legends, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories are just a few of the big names with broad appeal that are coming to the system this year. Then there’s cool stuff like the action-RPG Monster Hunter Portable and offbeat shooter Infected for something a little different. Sure, most of these games can be played on home consoles, but when the PSP ports look and play as great as they do, you might find yourself opting for the handheld versions altogether. Plus, more games are finally playable online through wireless hot spots and such; we’re glad to see developers utilizing this cool technology. So while this year’s lineup may not have exceeded our expectations, overall, PSP gamers won’t be disappointed with their choices.

Notable Games

A quick look at the major titles heading to PSP in the months to come. (Games noted with an asterisk are confirmed to have online functionality.)

September

Burnout Legends

*Madden NFL 06

MediEvil Resurrection

November

The Sims 2

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects

Fall 2005

The Godfather

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

*Infected

*Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition

Pursuit Force

*SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo

Virtua Tennis

Late 2005/Early 2006

Street Fighter Alpha 3

2006

Daxter

Metal Gear Ac!d 2

Viewtiful Joe VFX

Monster Hunter Portable

Report Card: B

Strengths:

+ Lots of triple-A franchises

+ A wide variety of genres will soon

be available

+ Several games use Wi-Fi capabilities

Weaknesses:

- Where are the role-playing games?

- Not much to look forward to during the dog days of summer

Overall:

A respectable showing with the diverse array of titles gamers want. Still, we’re waiting for that one big game. GTA, perhaps?

PSP: Land of Liberty

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories—it’s the one probably most of you PSP owners have been waiting for. Like the title says, this portable piece of controversy is set in the same metropolis as GTA3 (PS2/XB). And from looking at the screenshot above, it seems you’ll be assuming the role of a new antihero. Want more info? Then check out the August issue of our sister pub The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, which hits newsstands on July 5.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.