Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Review

So far the PSP is a car lover's dream with more than five racing titles available on launch day, and whilst the PSP ownership looks forward to the debut of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories later this year Rockstar has launched onto the Sony handheld with a port of the PlayStation2 version of its street racing title, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition.

And what a port; this game has everything featured in the home console versions, the cars, the music, the open street racing gameplayâ?¦the loading times. To be fair the home consoles did suffer from the longer than usual loading times, which always threatened to distract from what was (and continues to be) the greatest street racing title to date, it's just that the PSP takes a little bit - and only a little bit - longer to load up the various races.

For those gamers not au fait with the home console version, DUB takes place across three US cities synonymous with the automobile and street racing: Detroit, Atlanta, and San Diego with the premise simple enough - race around the open streets using Nitrous Oxide and a collection of special moves in order to win money and customise a whole host of licensed vehicles including Choppers.

Development of the PSP version was the responsibility of Rockstar Leeds, with consultation from home console developers Rockstar San Diego with the result that Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition on PSP is (like Tony Hawk's Underground 2 and TOCA 2 before it) about as direct a port of the original title as possible. All of the cars, modding options, music, races, cities and multiplayer options are available on the PSP - quite frankly it's astounding that Leeds has managed to accomplish that feat alone. Taking advantage of the PSP's wide 16:9 screen the studio has made sure that the various dials, gauges and maps are as large as they possibly can be without causing too much distraction. The control system has been well ordered to fit the restrictions of the PSP resulting in an intuitive gameplay experience, though the minor re-positioning of changing the camera position in the Options menu may niggle some.

Visually the game is as good as the PS2 version, with little being lost in the translation; the speed effects utilised in the home console versions once again helping to create the sensation of driving at breakneck speeds and the DUB endorsed modifications a are just as detailed as they were before. Some of the textures may look a little simpler in the handheld version but when the car being driven is going at 200mph around the streets players aren't able to notice - hardly something to whine over. The cities are also missing a pedestrian population, but again this a superficial gripe and certainly doesnâ??t affect gameplay.

One of the key features that made the original home console editions what they were was the extensive music collection, and gamers will be pleased to here that the mix of rock, hip hop and indie returns on PSP so whether it's Kasabian or Marilyn Manson, DUB Edition has the track for you. The MC3 sound effects library also make an appearance on PSP, although in both instances the audio performance is much improved if listened to via the headphones or external speaker stand.

Being based on the PlayStation2 version, the option to create routes as in the Xbox equivalent is obviously unavailable, however Midnight Club 3 does have the multiplayer gametypes available to play with up to five other players via ad hoc Wi-Fi and the lifespan of the game (though DUB enthusiasts will probably end up spending most their time tinkering in the garage.) Capture the Flag, Tag, Paint, Ordered Races, Circuit Races, Track Races, and plain old Cruise are all available to compete and show off the latest modded vehicleâ?¦

If you weren't a fan of the home console version then don't expect to like Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition on PSP, but for fans armed with Sony's handheld this is another must have title for the new platform. A complete recreation of the original's depth of races and modifications (and high speed fun) with allowances made for the smaller screen, DUB looks set to enjoy a new lease of life in the portable world.