At one point, the MotorStorm series was PS3 exclusive, between the original release and the Hawaiian themed sequel, Pacific Rift. However, Sony reconsidered, and now PSP owners can hit the open road with MotorStorm: Arctic Edge. Even though it has less content than the first two games, we still enjoyed the ride.

While not as gorgeous as its predecessors, Arctic Edge still has plenty of thrills.Click to see more images of the game.

Instead of the Tropics or the West Coast mountaintops, Arctic Edge takes place in the Alaskan slopes. You'll have to contend with 12 race tracks filled with ice-covered dangers, including slippery roads, collapsible bridges, bobsled tracks, avalanches and sub-zero pools of water. Each setting has multiple paths to take. Some are higher up, which is good for lighter vehicles, such as ATVs and motorcycles. Others go through tunnels and around slopes, and are perfect for vehicles with good traction, such as buggies and trucks. No matter what vehicle or track you choose, you're in for a down-and-dirty run for first place.

One cool feature that isn't in the previous MotorStorm games is Photo Mode. Here, you can take a picture of your car anytime during a race, which you can then turn around and send to your PSP-owning buddies to rub it in their faces. It's a terrific addition.

As you proceed through the game's single player mode, new events and vehicle parts unlock. You'll be able to rack up ridiculous points and upgrade your vehicles with customizable stickers and other parts, making them perform a little better on the road. There's a wide assortment of tournaments to play through, and the challenge picks up with each new race. However, on occasion, computer controlled drivers do stuff that's a little off-kilter, like ram into walls or foolishly slide right into you instead of keeping up speed.

A way to remedy that problem is to play with other people. Arctic Edge supports both AdHoc and Infrastructure for up to eight players, so you can hop into a race locally or online with ease. The multiplayer races start quickly and run very smoothly, so you won't have to worry about bothersome lag or slowdown. Furthermore, you can post your best racing times to online leaderboards and see how you fare against the rest of the MotorStorm racing community.

A wide assortment of vehicles means there's something for everyone.Click to see more images of the game.

The big question is how MotorStorm: Arctic Edge plays. After all, the PSP's set-up is fundamentally different from the DualShock 3 controller. Well, good news. It handles great. Turning with the analog nub is a breeze, and you'll get into the aggressive style of driving that MotorStorm provides after just a couple of laps. Using boost will become second nature, and you'll even adapt to your surroundings, keeping an eye out for favorite shortcuts and plowing fellow players into an ice wall with your Snow Cat and Snow Plow vehicles.

Visually, Arctic Edge is a step down from previous MotorStorm games, but it's still attractive. The tracks feature intricate designs, with turns, jumps and tunnels to navigate as you keep an eye out for opponents. What's really great is the attention paid to the vehicles. These are mean-looking rides, especially when you crash into a wall and watch it flip over six or seven times. We also like the game's intro movie, which is similar to the ones in the first two games. It really gets you pumped for the adventurous trek that lies ahead.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge has a pretty good soundtrack, consisting mostly of alternative rock tracks that blare in the background as you skid around the ice. The engine noises are good, but never to the point of annoying, and the other effects, such as the crashes and the honking of horns, serve their purpose.

Even though it doesn't look as good as other MotorStorm games, we're happy with the way Arctic Edge turned out. The controls are easy to learn, the presentation is solid and the crashes and stunts are just as fun as ever.

Review courtesy of Modojo.