The Sony PSP launch is littered with familiar faces and popular game series, most notably Twisted Metal, and while the franchise has seen better days this latest addition, Twisted Metal Head-On, harks back to a time when the concept was fresh and exciting. It's a game that, despite a couple flaws, truly shines on the PSP hardware.

If you're at all familiar with Twisted Metal then you already know what to expect from Head-On. Incognito Entertainment didn't reinvent the wheel with this game. Rather, the developers crafted a very solid vehicular combat title that returns this series to its roots - and it's about damn time. You play as one of over ten twisted characters each with their own unique vehicle, including Mr. Grimm, Spectre, Roadkill, Shadow, Grasshopper, and, everyone's favorite homicidal clown, Sweet Tooth. You'll battle in several rather large arenas, the goal being to win the evil Calypso's tournament and earn the grand prize of a single wish.

The game begins with a totally sweet cel-shaded intro movie that really shows off (not only Incognito's talents) the stellar resolution of the PSP screen. Characters are displayed in all their glory, vehicles race at top speed, and things thunderously explode. It's the kind of thing you really need to see to believe, and once you do you'll notice that a crowd's formed behind you.

Thankfully the superb visuals don't stop there. The actual in-game graphics are equally jaw-dropping primarily because Head-On looks about as good as Twisted Metal Black. In addition to some of the levels being plain huge, everything moves at a consistent and blistering pace. All of the vehicles including Sweet Tooth's ice cream truck, Mr. Grimm's motorcycle, and Shadow's hearse look fantastic, and the levels are vibrant and a joy to look at. There are numerous environments to check out as Head-On takes you from Los Angeles to France, from parks to stadiums. Paris is a particularly pretty homage to Twisted Metal 2, but this environment (complete with Eiffel Tower) is actually larger than its predecessor.

Twisted Metal Head-On, much like the games before it, is all about speed. It moves with the same lightning quickness that most PC first person shooters do, so to be successful you're going to have to have some extremely fast reflexes and an itchy trigger finger. Each vehicle has a couple of weapons such as machine guns and missiles, and scattered about the environments are various pickups, some of which give you a slight health boost, while others outfit your ride with some sick bombs and other amusing toys. While you can't destroy everything, certain things, such as benches, statues, and fences can be run over and set on fire. It's a nice little touch that further enhances the experience.

While most of the game is solid gold, Head-On does have two annoying problems. First of all is the control. The best way to play is with the directional pad because it provides the most responsive control, but the same cannot be said of the game's analog setup. Pressing up accelerates and it's really difficult to maneuver, sort of like trying to drive a real car with an analog stick, or in the PSP's case, an analog nub that slides instead of tilts.

The second and really final issue I have with this game is its speed. The gameplay feels a bit twitchy, in part because it flies along faster than a descending comet. While I eventually adjusted to its ludicrous speed and was able to score some victories, initially I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. However, the more you play, the less it is of a problem.

What's not a problem is this game's multiplayer mode, an eight-player Wi-Fi blastfest that's a breeze to setup. The best part is the total lack of wires, and the PSP is sexy enough that you can stand far enough apart to feel extremely cool but at the same time close enough so your opponents can hear all of your trash talking.

While some may say Nintendo fumbled its DS launch, Sony has seemingly done an outstanding job putting together a solid first day lineup for its PSP, and Twisted Metal Head-On is a shining example of quality. Sure, it's more of the same, and if you want to talk innovation this game has very little to offer, but in a way an old experience has become somewhat new again. It's not the best PSP launch title, but Twisted Metal Head-On is very solid and worth checking out.

Our Final ScoreGood

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