At last, it's here!!! Having recovered from the mental episode that ensued when I heard rumours of Konami planning the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 5 to incorporate the PSP platform, I now have the game in my possession and plan to bang in 40-yard screamers from all manner of locations. In recent years, the Pro Evolution series has stepped forward to comfortably don the mantel of Football Simulation King, leaving the likes of FIFA and other competitors wondering what to do to with themselves. Regarded as the footballers' video game, the addictive gameplay could potentially cause zombie-like PSP players to be flooding our streets over the coming months.

With regards to gameplay, this PSP version provides much of what we are already falling in love with on the earlier release across all major platforms. The new momentum feature means that any quick turns on the ball need to be timed correctly. This also affects tackling: hold down the X button to close down, as on previous versions, and you'll probably find that committing fouls becomes a lot more frequent. On the other hand, sliding tackles can now be performed a lot more cleanly in positions where you used to experience frustration with unusual sliding directions causing bookings and red cards.

Pro Evolution has always been a topic of discussion regarding the extent to which the controls are explained. Many a beer-fuelled night has been spent debating the ins and outs of shooting, as well as the art of taking free kicks. Over the several iterations of this title, more and more guides are becoming readily available (www.pesfan.com has some very helpful hints and tips on all aspects of the game). Expect to need several days of transition from the console version, should you be a seasoned Pro Evo fan, but you'll soon agree that the changes made are for the best; whereas previous versions had angles that experienced players would know not even to attempt shooting from, it appears that the potential is here to score from anywhere on the pitch, should you be bold enough to try.

And try you will, because some of the goals you can produce on this game will lift the hairs on your neck and have you playing through hours of boring goalless draws just in the hope of witnessing the spectacular. There are also some great little changes; the goalkeeper can now hurl the ball over-arm down the field, allowing for far quicker counter attacks. Off the ball injuries now take place, which produces an exclamation mark in the top right of the screen, instructing the player in possession to put the ball out of play so that the injured player can receive treatment. It would appear that the Japanese are unaware of good sportsmanship however, as, should you kick it out, you won't immediately get the ball back.

But no doubt the majority of people reading this are already fully aware of the splendour that is Pro Evolution Soccer 5, and are more interested in the changes that have taken place during the transfer from console to portable. The appearance of the game hasn't suffered much at all; in fact, it's fair to say that anything I don't mention can be assumed to be as per the PS2 counterpart and the quality of the graphics on Sony's handheld wonder is nothing short of astonishing.

Unfortunately, either this title was somewhat rushed to the PSP or the Sony Portable simply isn't as capable as we once thought. However, going by the recent release of Liberty City Stories, it would appear that it is more than capable of providing the most complex of titles with most, if not all, of their features. The first disappointment I came across was that there is no Master League option. This is a major downfall for what is probably growing as the game's best feature. On further investigation my disenchantment grew, as I discovered that you are limited to an exhibition match or a league. The leagues are still enjoyable for the diehard fans, but of course with just one season and no room for signings, it seems somewhat pointless and lacks the appeal to play it for long periods of time.

The infamous edit modes have been hindered also. Pro Evo is now a pioneer for the link between the PSP portable and the PS2 console, providing the ability to exchange option file data between the two machines. This is another feature of this game that had so much potential but failed to deliver what was swimming around in our fantasies prior to release. It seems its only saving grace is that recent injunctions from individuals at the English Football Association has meant that www.pesfan.com has ceased providing the option file that corrects all the kits, names, logos etc. Having said that, when transferring data it became apparent that the kit design and colours are intrinsic to the game itself, therefore despite the sponsors and so on being added, some of the kits still lack the authenticity.

However, with these elements removed we're still left with what is arguably the greatest gameplay ever witnessed within the realms of football simulation, hindered only by some mild indications of lag during certain passages of play. For example, a ball floated into a packed penalty box slows the play down to a slow motion replay speed and in a game like this it can cause difficulty in judging high balls - as yet I have been unable to score a free kick.

Despite my rather critical review, it would be an outrage and totally unjustified for me to dissuade any PSP owners not to buy Pro Evolution Soccer 5 on PSP. It's worth having just for any moment when you have ten minutes to spare and fancy a quick blast of this award winning title. Of course, with Pro Evolution going portable, we also now have the perfect platform to show off our saved moments to all fellow gamers. It's still a great game and despite the genuine disappointment from it missing some of its most loved features, I don't regret buying it at all. If you want a football title for your PSP then buy this one, play it until you're bored with the game variations available, then lie in wait for other PSP users and spring a challenge on them. Barring a massive heart failure from the challenge, you'll be playing for hours on end!

Reviewed by Rob Byron for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).