| It's time
to hit the streets with the PlayStation Portable (PSP), and here are
two titles that offer up some portable thuggery.
"Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories" (Rockstar, Rated M for Mature)
A game for those who hate where they live. Step into the tattered shoes
of Toni Cipriani, a wiseguy who returns to Liberty City after being in
exile for killing a made man. Far from being a mere add-on, this "GTA"
is a whole new chapter, rife with the blatant irreverence and sweet
gameplay that made the franchise famous.
The smaller screen of the PSP is a perfect
fit for Liberty City, once again portrayed as a moral-free death zone
where none of the inhabitants carry any redeeming qualities. This is
the game's subtle way of justifying any mayhem that befalls them.
Visually, the game actually looks and moves better than "GTA III" for
the PlayStation 2. The characters carry that signature blockish look
that fans have grown to adore, and driving around the city might fool
you into thinking that you were playing "GTA III" itself.
In term's of gameplay, Rockstar has decided to keep it simple.
Gone are the character-building elements that you saw in "San Andreas"
-- players need to only stick to the original formula of carrying out
strange and violent missions throughout the city. Within the first hour
you'll be snapping pictures of hookers being chased around by a man in
a diaper. There's plenty of blood and profanity to go around as well,
but it's hard to deny that this new GTA is the PSP's first truly
must-have title. If anything, check it out for the pure evil that is
Toni's mom.(4 stars)
"The Con" (Sony Computer Entertainment America, Rated T for Teen)
Two words: Load times. There's a good chance that players will spend
more time staring at loading screens than actually breaking jaws in
this fighting game that had a chance to be a contender on the small
screen.
It's got the elements of a solid fighting title -- the chance to
customize the look and moves of your character (if you don't choose a
pre-created one) a wide array of styles and a range of interesting
characters.
What the game lacks is depth. Despite the many fighting styles it
employs, trading blows feels too simple. There were a couple of times
where I just button-mashed my way through an opponent. There's also a lack of
interesting backgrounds. Games like "Street Fighter" and "Mortal
Kombat" gave us tables to break or spiked ceilings (or in the case of
"Soul Calibur," just beautiful landscapes), but "The Con" has none of
these.
However, it does have the wholly mesmerizing concept of gambling.
You can do things like bet on yourself, but making the fight close so
you can cover the odds. Or, you could be totally devious and bet on
your opponent, letting him stomp your guts out. The different ways to
play this are worth checking out if you really don't mind loading
screens, which seemed to happen every 10 seconds. (2 stars). Source: DailyBulletin
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