KEY POINTS:
A couple of golden oldies have re-emerged on PSP just in time for Christmas.
Wipeout, the futuristic hovercar-racing game, was one of the first successes on the original PlayStation with adrenaline-charged races accompanied by techno music and powerups with tricky spiralling tracks. We are now eight games into the franchise and the makers have not lost any of the core fun from the game after so many releases.
Wipeout Pulse (Sony, rated PG) still gets you charged up and roaring your hovercraft-type cars round at break-neck speeds through hairpin corners, tight bends against other racers. But the single player experience has been kept simple and fun.
Another great franchise release PSP game for Christmas is the next version of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegrade Squadron (Lucas Arts, rated M), a big improvement over PSP's earlier Battlefront II. If you've played any of the earlier out-of-this-world Battlefront series you'll know how good the shooters are and how cool Lucas Arts can make a game.
This is an original take on the story and while the single player battles are good, this one also includes online play - great for a game at a wireless hotspot or in transit.
Other PSP options for Christmas include:
Ricky Ponting 2007 Pressure Play (Codemasters, rated G): If you're lazing on the grass in a park catching some sun over summer, playing a PSP cricket game on the fly couldn't be easier.
It's hard to go wrong with The Simpsons Game (EA) which you can play your favourite Simpsons characters as if you were actually playing an episode itself. So much humour packed into Springfield.
Another from EA is Medal Of Honour: Heroes 2. Wartime heroic action downsized for the smaller consoles.
When it comes to Nintendo consoles, Mario is never far away.
As I reviewed yesterday, Super Mario Galaxy will be the hottest Wii game for Christmas but for those with a DS, comes Mario Party DS (Nintendo, rated G) with over 70 fun mini-games and five themed game boards. Besides Mario, you can play as Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Wario and Waluigi.
Also out from Nintendo is Naruto Ninja Council (rated PG), based off the Cartoon Network series. Yet another title that's sure to keep you entertained for with over 40 missions and lots of biff but not too much variety.
The Simpsons is also out on DS and should be on some mobiles too.
