Originally debuting with quite a spectacular showing back in early 2005 for the PS2 and Xbox (and later a PC port), MX vs. ATV Unleashed took everything gamers love about the various off-road racing games and jammed it all into a single game for what resulted in one hell of a fun time. Now the gritty enjoyment that was unleashed upon console and PC gamers can be played on the go, for the first time in the series, with the release of MX vs. ATV Unleashed: On the Edge, a PSP rendition of 2005's off-road hit, co-developed by Rainbow Studios and Tantalus Interactive. As you'll read, On the Edge definitely has some problematic quirks that get in the way, but overall it's a fun off-road racer that should please genre fans.

Like the console and PC versions before it, On the Edge's best quality has to be its incredible abundance of content, including tons and tons of unlockable game modes, vehicles, tracks and customization gear. For the solo off-roader, the racing modes on offer include Supercross, Nationals, Short Track, Open Class Racing, Way Point Races, Super Moto and Hill Climb; trick-based Freestyle modes, including High Score Challenge, Combo Challenge, Big Air Challenge and a very cool Follow the Leader event that's tremendous fun; and finally a Free Ride mode for taking a quick spin around any of the game's sixty-plus tracks that you've unlocked (eight of which are brand new to the PSP). If multiplayer is the name of your game then On the Edge delivers plenty to love as well, with its 1-4 player Ad Hoc Wi-Fi support, featuring the same events and options to be found in the single-player Racing and Freestyle modes. Some people may be disappointed to hear that the game doesn't support online Infrastructure play, but the fact that it's missing doesn't detract from the game in any form or fashion - it just would have been nice to see it included.

Also similar to its bigger brothers, On the Edge brings together all forms of off-road racing and subsequent vehicle types, such as ATVs, MX bikes, dune buggies, sandrails, monster trucks and even tricked-out golf carts, and via the impressive physics system each of these different rides handles uniquely, with tight and responsive controls that make racing around the sensationally well-designed tracks quite a thrilling experience. Just like any other off-road racer, On the Edge, at its peak challenge level, requires that you learn the rhythm of each track layout and master the use of preloading your vehicle's suspension while traversing the bumpy environments, by pulling back on the analog nub prior to going up a hill or ramp and then pushing forward as you launch off the jump for longer airtime.

After you've mastered preloading, you'll then want to jump into the game's deep and intuitive trick system to pull off sick mid-air maneuvers. By pressing the triangle and/or circle trick buttons in conjunction with the right shoulder trick modifier button, you can perform over forty different trick combinations and show off to your competitors. While the trick system itself is great, when it comes to landing what you've managed to pull off in the air, On the Edge encounters some problems. Landing after a jump can be extremely difficult and frustrating until you get the hang of how to angle your vehicle according to the slope of the landing area, and if you're like me it'll take you a fair amount of time to learn the ropes. There's even a degree of trial-and-error involved, as memorizing track layouts and how to take each individual series of jumps plays a significant role in figuring out how to land properly. What is also kind of aggravating is your annoying vulnerability to collisions with other racers; virtually every single time you and an AI racer collide, you're the one to take the spill, while everyone else speeds on by - it's a rare occasion when you'll actually see your AI-controlled competitors crash.

On the Edge's other more severe drawbacks actually don't have anything to do with gameplay, but rather a few vital lapses in optimizing the experience for portable gaming. For starters, there is no auto-save feature whatsoever, which is a shocking omission considering that every single other PSP game I've ever played has had one in some form or fashion. When playing on the go, it's a bit of a hassle to have to exit a race and manually go into your profile and save what you've accomplished, especially if you're in a hurry to get in and out of the game. What makes this even worse are the painfully long load times, which turn navigating some of the menus and entering races into a test of patience; manually saving the game wouldn't have been nearly as much of an issue if the load times weren't so cumbersome. The PSP is notorious for its load time issues, but when it takes upwards of two minutes each time you enter and exit an event (one minute being the least), then there's a real problem on hand.

Putting a happy spin on the matter, the load times are at least somewhat justifiable, given the tremendous quality of the graphics that On the Edge renders on the PSP's gorgeous wide-screen display. This game is one of the few that you can actually favorably compare to its console sibling and come away feeling that it looks just as good. The vehicle and rider models sport remarkable detail and animation quality, especially the riders and their satisfying ragdoll crash animations, plus the tracks are creatively designed and large in scope. With all of this visual goodness, it's even more noteworthy that the game runs at a speedy clip, featuring a rock solid frame-rate without a hint of slowdown.

Alongside its detailed visuals, On the Edge makes good use of audio to heighten the experience. Engine sounds have the usual off-road whines and revs, all of which sound nice pumping from the PSP's speakers (or your favorite headphones), and the smashing crash noises and painful rider groans present a satisfying aural touch to your not-so-pretty racing moments. The game also makes tremendous use of licensing, with its great soundtrack featuring a jukebox loaded with tracks from a number of well-known bands, including the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, Papa Roach, Nickleback, Powerman 5000 and many more. Even if you aren't a fan of the music on hand, there's no arguing how exceptionally well it compliments the off-road nature of the game.

MX vs. ATV Unleashed: On the Edge is a fantastic bit of portable off-road racing action. It plays well overall (minus the tricky landing controls), looks awesome, sounds great and contains a whopping array of game options, modes and unlockable content to access. Unfortunately, it seems to have been released before it was fully ready, without receiving the proper performance optimization that was needed in bringing the game to the portable landscape with 100% satisfactory results, as is readily apparent by the ridiculous load times and the complete omission of an auto-save feature. On the Edge clearly has more upsides than down, and fans of the genre will not be disappointed by what the game brings to their handheld gaming rotation in any way - just keep in mind that you'll be forced to wait a long while to get to the good stuff far too often.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).