Post by The Chupster on Sept 15, 2007 14:12:41 GMT -5
First off, lemme start by saying that I didn't even know this game existed.
I make it no secret that I really haven't kept up with the PSP at all until I recently bought one. I figured I'd never snag one because they're expensive and I couldn't stomach the thought of paying $30-40 for what amounts to a portable port of a game.
Now that I have one (with the custom firmware
), I'm finding that if I'd actually spent some time with one, I would've definitely bought it a lot sooner.
Yes, a lot of the games are sub-par. Yeah, more than the majority kind'a suck. But then, you run into one that transcends everything you ever thought about handheld gaming.
Twisted Metal: Head On is one of those games.
I'm going to assume you know about Twisted Metal, the franchise that came out of nowhere to become one of Sony's earliest (and biggest) successes. The first 4 were released on the PS1, though they should've stopped at 2; after TM2, the original team was replaced and the follow up, 3, was definitely a lackluster effort. New characters and settings just didn't have that darkly comedic feel. 4 was even worse, featuring the worst framerate of the bunch, to the point that it was almost unplayable. You couldn't land an accurate shot because of the chugging, grinding framerate, and the reason for said framerate was a mystery considering that the graphics for the game took a dramatic turn for the crap.
The PS2's Twisted Metal Black sold well and garnered some praise, but to the steadfast, it still wasn't really Twisted Metal. The next game, Small Brawl, was a return to the PS1 and was more of a cutified version of the franchise, but being released on a dying platform didn't do well, so y'know.
So now, we have Twisted Metal: Head On, which is also being released with extra levels on the PS2.
This game is the successor to the Twisted Metal legacy. No doubts there.
Essentially, the game is a remake of the second game, but with more characters and levels. Bosses are awesome, it controls well given the PSP's less-than-ideally-spaced controls, and overall, it's just awesome. If you've had a favorite character in the series, it's likely they're in here (though some apparently have to be unlocked, but you'll fight them). The levels are once again based on national themes, and the France level in particular is incredibly similar to the one in TM2, but so much better.
Graphics are great, sound is adequate (some of the vehicles' motors seem to be a little underpowered), control is great, everything's kosher. Matter of fact, the only downside I can find to the game is the PSP's small screen- it really doesn't let you see enough of the screen (and for those of you with slimlines, don't think that playing it on your HDTV is going to help; the camera needs to actually be pulled back and up just a tad). But this is a seriously small gripe for what is an excessively excellent game.
So if you have a PSP, get it. If you have a PS2, when it comes out, get it. Maybe Twisted Metal is back for good, and supporting it can only help out (like enabling ports to the PS2). But if you dig Twisted Metal, there's no way you should pass this one up.
I make it no secret that I really haven't kept up with the PSP at all until I recently bought one. I figured I'd never snag one because they're expensive and I couldn't stomach the thought of paying $30-40 for what amounts to a portable port of a game.
Now that I have one (with the custom firmware
), I'm finding that if I'd actually spent some time with one, I would've definitely bought it a lot sooner. Yes, a lot of the games are sub-par. Yeah, more than the majority kind'a suck. But then, you run into one that transcends everything you ever thought about handheld gaming.
Twisted Metal: Head On is one of those games.
I'm going to assume you know about Twisted Metal, the franchise that came out of nowhere to become one of Sony's earliest (and biggest) successes. The first 4 were released on the PS1, though they should've stopped at 2; after TM2, the original team was replaced and the follow up, 3, was definitely a lackluster effort. New characters and settings just didn't have that darkly comedic feel. 4 was even worse, featuring the worst framerate of the bunch, to the point that it was almost unplayable. You couldn't land an accurate shot because of the chugging, grinding framerate, and the reason for said framerate was a mystery considering that the graphics for the game took a dramatic turn for the crap.
The PS2's Twisted Metal Black sold well and garnered some praise, but to the steadfast, it still wasn't really Twisted Metal. The next game, Small Brawl, was a return to the PS1 and was more of a cutified version of the franchise, but being released on a dying platform didn't do well, so y'know.
So now, we have Twisted Metal: Head On, which is also being released with extra levels on the PS2.
This game is the successor to the Twisted Metal legacy. No doubts there.
Essentially, the game is a remake of the second game, but with more characters and levels. Bosses are awesome, it controls well given the PSP's less-than-ideally-spaced controls, and overall, it's just awesome. If you've had a favorite character in the series, it's likely they're in here (though some apparently have to be unlocked, but you'll fight them). The levels are once again based on national themes, and the France level in particular is incredibly similar to the one in TM2, but so much better.
Graphics are great, sound is adequate (some of the vehicles' motors seem to be a little underpowered), control is great, everything's kosher. Matter of fact, the only downside I can find to the game is the PSP's small screen- it really doesn't let you see enough of the screen (and for those of you with slimlines, don't think that playing it on your HDTV is going to help; the camera needs to actually be pulled back and up just a tad). But this is a seriously small gripe for what is an excessively excellent game.
So if you have a PSP, get it. If you have a PS2, when it comes out, get it. Maybe Twisted Metal is back for good, and supporting it can only help out (like enabling ports to the PS2). But if you dig Twisted Metal, there's no way you should pass this one up.
