Namco has been working with its existing franchises quite a bit more recently than they have in the past. By the end of this year, Tekken, for example, will have seen three arcade releases or updates, one PlayStation 2 title, one PlayStation Portable release and one PlayStation 3 release within a two year time span. But Tekken is not the only series that Namco is showing some love to. The Ace Combat series has seen several releases over the past couple of years, and now Namco Bandai is preparing a PSP release by the way of Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.

We took a quick look at the game in a brief session with Namco Bandai, and so far things are looking up for Ace Combat fans. The game will feature a completely original story that does not pull from the same universe as the console games. This should offer a fresh taste for fans of the series, and help to separate the console and handheld titles.

Another new aspect of Ace Combat X is the ability to play against friends on a single screen. Past Ace Combat titles have featured multiplayer, but every single one of them forced players to use a split screen format for obvious reasons. With the system link feature available in the PlayStation Portable, Namco can allow up to four players to use their own screen for a full view of the action. Ace Combat X will feature head to head dogfights as well as team-based multiplayer modes. However, there will only be support for Ad-Hoc multiplayer, with no online mode planned.

The licensed planes in the Ace Combat series will make a return, in addition to several all new Namco-made planes. Ace Combat X will also allow players to customize and upgrade the Namco-made planes by adding parts and features. Unfortunately this ability won't be available for the officially licensed planes, but it's nice to see Namco expanding with the ability to upgrade the new planes.

Rounding out the list of features in Ace Combat X is the ability to use multiple camera angles. While this is not new to the Ace Combat series, it's still a nice feature to have with the ability to view the action fro the cockpit, in a third-person viewpoint, or in first-person with the HUD. Additionally, the single player mode will offer branching missions and AI that will change and react to how you play.

After our quick look at Ace Combat X, the game is looking to satisfy fans of the series who own a PlayStation Portable. With an expected Fall 2006 release date, look for more information on Ace Combat X in the near future.