"A better outting than most licensed games"

Graphics:

On PSP Screen 8/10
Graphics on HDTV 6/10

If you are playing the game solely on the PSP screen, they are fairly well done. The environments (indoor and outdoor) are diverse in texture work and polygon modeling. Overall the visuals are comprable to a mid-life Dreamcast title. If you are opting to play on an HDTV using the component cables however, the visual aspect sees a steep decline. The increase in display size will bring out the worse in the games textures and models. At best, the game will look like a late generation PSone title.

Gameplay 9/10:

The missions revolve around Tony Stark utilizing his Iron Man armor to hunt down weapons he created, that are in the posession of former contracts and known enemies. Most of your time will be spent destroying stock piles of the weapons. To break up the potential ennui of said circumstance, you will take on foes on foot and in the air. Unlike the console counterpart, you also spend time both indoors and outdoors (and on some missions, both). There are a few boss battles and side objectives to keep things interesting. Also to help maximize interest, the game offers players a fair sized lislt of weapons and techniques to employ during the game, including weapons that were not used in the film (pulse rifle, gatling gun etc).

Controls 7/10:

In the absence of a second analog stick, SEGA's Iron Man game returns gamers to the use of the "phantom analog." If that doesn't ring any bells, think Quake III Arena on the Dreamcast controller. The four face buttons of the PSP are now turned into additional directional buttons, to be combined with the analog stick, for movement purposes. They manage to flesh out the bulk of the functions found in the console title (booster flight, hovering, contextual actions) but most are usually done via double or triple button assignment. It doesn't make the game unplayable, but you may sometimes be hampered when attempting certain feets (such as hovering or dropping).

Story 9/10:

If you liked the film, then there isn't much to complain about in terms of the game plotline, as much of it is drawn from the film. For the sake of making the game flow better, minor aspects area altered, but they do not ultimately damage the film plot. In order to give the game a more cohesive play environment however, many new corporate and individual entities have been introduced (The Maggia). Of note, is the fact that the FMV's on the PSP game, are identical to the FMV's found in the console game.

Overal Score 8/10:

The game is no X-Men Legends of Spider-Man 2, but it accomplishes the task at hand, rather well. If you are an Iron Man fan, the game will probably score even more points with you. But if you are just a casual fan caught up in the cross marketing media hype of the Iron Man movie, you'll still enjoy yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/07/08

Game Release: Iron Man (US, 05/02/08)