Twisted Metal: Head-On

"One of my favourite games from one of my favourite series..."

Twisted Metal: Head On is possibly one of my favourite portable games ever. Twisted Metal is also one of Sony's longest running franchises, and one of their most successful. The strongest area of this game, in my opinion, is the wonderful online features, but I'll get to that later.

The storyline is no different in this addition to the series. Calypso holds his Twisted Metal tournament, and you get to pick a character and try to win the tournament. Whoever wins gets one wish from Calypso, and while I won't spoil the wishes for you, I can tell you that each wish somehow gets horribly corrupted. Each character has their own ending, and it's interesting to see what happens to them.

The gameplay is wonderful. This game plays like every other Twisted Metal. The thing is, it might feel different than the Dual Shock, and the analog stick can get irritating at times. But nonetheless, the game just plays just like the other Twisted Metal games, and that's a good thing. There are many weapons and specials, and a vast variety of levels to go to.

The graphics are amazing for a portable game, especially considering that it's a launch title. You can see all the little details in the landscape and everything. Now, the graphics might not be as good as those on the PS2, but they're definitely better than PS1 graphics. That's an achievement coming from a reviewer like me, since I hardly care about graphics. But this game's graphics are an amazing feat for a portable game.

This game's music is also very good, but not something I'd listen to all day on my MP3 player for example. The music usually fits the mood, and some tunes are even a little catchy. The sounds are wonderful, and give you a good feeling inside when you kill your opponent while hearing those huge explosions.

The multiplayer in this game is definitely the game's strongest point. You'll never get tired of playing online, as there are so many different options possible when playing. There is also a chat feature, but you probably won't be using it to socialize a lot, as one person in the room will be shouting "START! START!" over and over again. There is hardly any lag, and the online is easy to set up. All you need is a router, and it works with every router from what I've heard.

This game has a TON of re-playability due to the online mode, which you will never get tired of. There is also, of course, playing through story mode with each character to find out what happens to them and what their wish is.

Overall, this is a must have for PSP, especially if you like the Twisted Metal series. Definitely one of the best portable games I've played, and not too shabby for a launch title. I'd suggest renting it to see if you like it, but if you love the Twisted Metal series like me, this is a definite buy.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/24/06