Old game franchises don’t fade away. They just get smaller.
As portable gaming has become more powerful, it also has turned into a home for wayward console games.
“Sid Meier’s Pirates!” and “Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters” on Sony’s PSP and “Diddy Kong Racing” on the Nintendo DS take games we’ve seen before, trimmed them to portable size and sent them back out to share some of the original fun.
While none of these games counts as a port – a copy of an original on a new game system – each sticks to the formula laid out by its predecessor, creating a fraternal twin that, while not identical, is unmistakably in the family. If you loved the parent, you’ll enjoy the offspring.
The move from consoles to portables might appear as a craven effort by publishers to squeeze as many extra pennies as they can out of their intellectual properties and gamers’ interest. But they also offer a convenient way to keep a popular set of game characters and settings alive as technology advances.
When “Ratchet” first hit the PlayStation 2, it featured graphics and game play as good as the system could offer. These days, compared with the power of the PS3, the original “Ratchet” runs a little clanky. Shrunk down for the PSP, the missing detail and polish disappear on the miniaturized screen, and the original glee of smashing waves of enemies with an arsenal of crazy weapons comes gushing back out.
Similarly, “Pirates” was a revolutionary game when it sailed onto the PC in 1987. A major overhaul of the game in 2004 for the Xbox helped bring it up to current standards. Still, its minigame format seemed to be from a different era. Brought to the portable, the idea of short and simple interactive activities makes sense again. Portable gaming has always thrived on bite-size fun.
“Diddy Kong Racing” on the Nintendo 64 was an effort to pump a little more life into the console by spinning off one of the best party games created – “Mario Kart.” For 10 years, Diddy would pop up in various titles, but never in a starring role. Now with the return of his racing game, it’s like having an old friend over for a visit.
For each of these games, all the trimmings required to fit a console game onto a hand-held platform come at a price. “Rachet’s” fluid, run-and-gun style of play becomes somewhat awkward on the PSP, and “Pirates”‘ endless pauses to load data slow down the action. Even “Diddy’s” classic fun feels pinched on the small screen.
Sometimes, you have to give a little to get something little.
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Getting up and going
Here are three new video game releases for hand-held devices:
“RATCHET & CLANK: SIZE MATTERS”|For Sony PSP|$39.99|
Rated E for everyone
“SID MEIER’S PIRATES! LIVE THE LIFE”|For Sony PSP|$29.99|
Rated E for everyone
“DIDDY KONG RACING DS”|
For Nintendo DS|$29.99|Rated E for everyone
