Technology: Bang-up games for your buck
So you've finally put away enough pennies to buy that PlayStation Portable ($300) and a few games. Which titles give you the most bang for your buck? That depends on your tastes: sports games or shoot-'em-ups, adventure tales or fast cars? Here are a few standouts to help with your decision.
Wipeout Pure ($40). This futuristic racing game—the newest installment in the Wipeout series—delivers gorgeous designs of hovercrafts and racetracks along with fluid, fast-paced action. It's a little tricky to learn how to maneuver your vehicle at such fast speeds at first, but it helps that you can blow your opponents away with lasers. (Apparently, in the future, road rage rules.) And the wireless capabilities let you race eight other nearby PSP owners (who also have the game) simultaneously.
NFL Street 2: Unleashed ($50, for all ages). For those who like football but don't have the time or energy to learn the seemingly infinite control options it takes to become a true master of Madden Football, NFL Street 2 is as good as a two-point conversion following a touchdown. The NFL superstars in the game are familiar, but the action—which encourages players to dash up walls and bounce passes off lampposts and cars—is almost an entirely different sport. Plus the controls for passing, receiving, and calling plays are easy to learn.
Metal Gear Acid ($40, for ages 17 and older). If you're a serious fan of the sneak-up-on-them and take-them-out action of the popular Metal Gear video-game franchise, this episode may not be exactly your thing. But it is an amusing take on the series, adapted so it's easy to play on the go. Instead of maneuvering the hero, Snake, with the thumb pad and buttons, players essentially take part in a card game with the computer. (Your cards direct Snake's actions, while the PSPs control guards and other enemies.) Once you've both played a card, the outcome is re-enacted onscreen. For example, choose to hide, and you might get a picture of a guard walking by. It sounds less exciting than the "Intruder alert" alarms and sneaking about that's the Metal Gear series' trademark, but the format is easier to play while you're on an airplane or commuter train—or a meeting (just keep the PSP under the table). Now that's really sneaky.