Portable power for petrolheads

Gran Turismo PSP brings the popular game to Sony's handheld.

If gamers are still pumped up after watching Bathurst on TV, you're in luck as this is the gaming petrolhead season.

On PSP, come two from Sony to keep you happy.

Gran Turismo (G) looks sharp on the PSP with 35 tracks and more than a massive 800 cars including manufacturers like Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota plus indulgences like Aston Martin and Ferrari.

Credits you earn based on difficulty, placing, performance and number of laps determine your car and circuit options. Your three competitors in Single Player mode are chosen automatically by the game against your chosen car and circuit and its normally a good match up. As always, much detail has gone in to ensure the cars' look and spec are like the real deal. Cornering and tires demand the use of the thumbstick.

It's running on a new graphics engine designed for the PSP system that delivers visuals at 60 frames per second. This is truly great-looking for the PSP but increases loading times.

I've spent so much time waiting and hoping for a knockout full GT on the next gen PS3, I hadn't realised how impressive a GT offering could be on the PSP!

It's been adapted so don't expect a career mode. There's three options for single player - time trial, single race and drift trial. There are tuning options but no vehicle upgrades and there are some pre-race options such as a cut-down Quicktune.

After you've driven around in single player event modes and purchased a heap of cars, I recommend you move onto the more interesting and varied challenges, of which there are 50 divided between nine difficulty levels to check your driving and handling skills, and a wad of credits for that next car purchase. They are all repeatable.

The control is good - handling seems a little easier on the PSP especially with the correct tyre choices, and when it comes to speeding and cornering don't think a hairpin bend is going to be any easier than on the bigger console..

Get a feel for it with this demo video

It's not online but with an Adhoc mode, think GT4 in your hand to play on the move. Awesome. Plus PS GT5 on PS3 in February

MadGamer rating: 8.5 / 10

I've recommended the new Motorstorm Arctic Edge(PG) before but if you're in a racing frame of mind, it's worth getting at the same time as GT for PSP.

This version tests your skills on the frozen ice caps of Alaska with some slippery and difficult terrain. Fans of the series will also find this impressive for the handheld.

There are 12 tracks, challenging races and multiplayer options including online.

Both these PSP shine on graphics audio and fun.

MadGamer rating: 8 / 10

The Mad Gamer