BUZZ! BRAIN OF THE UK
That crazy Buzz is back with yet another quiz, this time for the PSP. Last year's Master Quiz didn't translate to the PSP too well, as the lack of the buzzer controllers and the need to either pass your PSP around or find other people who own the game removes some of the party style fun.

So, what will Brain of the UK offer, and can it improve upon Master Quiz? David Simpson investigates by going into the game show as a contestant to quiz Buzz on his latest release...

RESISTANCE: RETRIBUTION
The Resistance series has finally made its way to PSP, an inevitable move given the success that Sony triple-A franchises like Killzone and God of War have seen in recent years.

And like these other franchises, Retribution bridges the gap between the two PS3 games, explaining what happened in Europe following Nathan Hale's uncovering of the Chimeran conspiracy. It sounds like it should work but is that enough to secure it as a game that fans of the series need to own?

MANA KHEMIA: STUDENT ALLIANCE
Game releases on PSP seem to be few and far between compared to other platforms - and good games are fewer still, so finding a great RPG for Sony's handheld is something of a challenge.

Mana Khemia attained reasonable success on the PS2, so we were hoping that this portable conversion would build upon that, fixing a few flaws to provide an even better experience. Sadly however, while the gameplay itself isn't too bad, some major technical issues conspire to ruin what could have been a great new PSP RPG...

BUZZ! BRAIN BENDER
Ah, that crazy Buzz, with his plastic hairdo and wacky phrases. Love him or hate him, you can't deny that his quiz series is an awful lot of fun with friends and family.

Now, however, Buzz is branching out, attempting to add another string to his bow - as though general knowledge on a range of topics wasn't enough, he's gone even more cerebral and decided to host the PSP's answer to Brain Training. The question is, just how high can his IQ be? Read on to find out...

STAR OCEAN: SECOND EVOLUTION
The first properly next-gen Star Ocean is little while away just yet, so what better time than now to replay an old classic or experience the very pinnacle of the franchise for the first time?

There are problems of course but they're nothing next to the new life that all the updates have given to The Second Story. Excellent presentation, a great story if you can get past the pacing and some particularly lovely updated graphics make Second Evolution a stop well worth taking on the J-RPG train that seems to finally be rolling in earnest for the first time this generation.

LOCOROCO 2
The original LocoRoco was a delightful breath of fresh air amid a release slate as sparsely populated as the dire-looking landscape of the PSP now that the sequel has arrived, but LocoRoco 2 is only a slight improvement on the original and its enfranchisement has stolen some of its charm, not to mention its uniqueness.

Still, it's pretty, approachable, and more of the same isn't a bad compromise when the original was so great. Series newcomers will surely have a blast but if you've been around these parts before then there's nothing new to see.

R-TYPE TACTICS
R-Type was one of the best and most memorable shooters from the Eighties and it's spawned a fair few decent sequels. Tactics is the latest of these, and it shoots the tried and tested formula into bits. It talks the talk - it looks like a side-scrolling shooter - but does it walk the walk?

The answer is "yes", but it's an entirely different journey than you might be expecting - R-Type Tactics is, as its name suggests, not a shoot 'em up but rather a turn-based strategy game, and a great one at that...

PLAYSTATION NETWORK COLLECTION - PUZZLE PACK
Don't expect this budget-priced collection to entice hesitant gamers into the arms of the PlayStation Network, but as a collection of budget portable games, the Puzzle Pack succeeds as though by accident.

Go! Puzzle threatens to derail the whole affair with a trio of dull clones, but Go! Sudoku is an expansive and adequate simulation and Lemmings, well... Lemmings is awesome, especially with its level editing tools and an effective means of sharing your creations. One for the puzzle fans? Find out within.

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009
Christmas is on the way again and that means we're at that time of year when the world and Ian Wright release a deluge of those hilarious footballing cock-up DVDs with clips of strikers missing open goals from a yard and referees falling over.

It also signals the return of all the sports tie-ins, including the latest version of Pro Evo to hit the PSP. With FIFA putting in a strong performance of late, can PES hang onto its reign any longer? Read on to find out...

PRINNY: CAN I REALLY BE THE HERO
Dood! Can I really be the hero, dood?
Sure, dood!
But how, dood?
Just run along, jump about a bit, attack a few enemies and explode, dood! Simple!


If only it were that simple though - read on to find out why this gorgeous looking side scroller hides old-school frustration beneath its shiny art style, and whether or not it's enough to ruin the experience... dood...