On the control side of things, Namco has pulled of something I didn’t think they could. Using the analog stick to fly, the shoulder buttons to throttle, and the buttons to shoot things feel just as they should. Not once did I miss having two analog sticks so kudos to the devs.


In the right hands the PSP is a monster!
Then there’s the incredible graphics that almost, but not quite, mirror those of its PS2 cousins. From the beautifully modeled and textured aircraft, to the expansive ground below, everything looks incredible for a PSP game. Explosions look natural, cutscenes are well choreographed, and the anime art looks as good as ever. The HUD also fits nicely onto the PSP’s widescreen and somehow feels less obstructive than before. The sound features some great music as well as the trademark range of Ace Combat sound effects and the always present chatter from other pilots.

The multiplayer while well created and a lot of fun to play sadly has no infrastructure or internet capabilities. Though, if you can get together four people with PSPs and the game, excellent dogfights will ensue. Aside from straight up player versus player combat you can also participate in some really innovative co-op games. Here’s hoping all this and more makes it into the next PSP and PS3 Ace Combat games but in online form.


Play it anywhere!
Overall Ace Combat is an incredibly solid offering that takes everything you love about the series and puts it on a handheld. If you’re a fan of the series this is a must.

• Graphics
  
• Single player campaign
  
• Ad-Hoc Multiplayer
  
• Controls

• No Infrastructure/Online play
  
• Single player is short like the rest of the series