MotorStorm was one of the most fun and long lasting PS3 launch titles, which spawned a sequel in Pacific Rift. The series is now coming to the PSP in the form of MotorStorm Arctic Edge, developed by Bigbig Studios, the team behind the Pursuit Force series. The enormous feel of the game was fully translated in the portable version and the fast paced racing action is just as fun as its console big brothers.

Arctic Edge looks great for a PSP game. Each of the game’s 12 tracks takes place in a different part of the Alaskan landscape, giving varied racing conditions from track to track, each of which can be run in reverse. You’ll encounter avalanches, collapsing ice bridges, and icy caverns where boosting is the only way to steer your ride. True to form, there are multiple routes on each track, some of which work best with different vehicle types. The single player Festival mode has over 100 events with additional Time Attack and Free-Play modes available in Wreckreaction. Both online and ad-hoc multiplayer is available, which is nice to see.

The small size of the PSP does bring a drawback to the game. Sometimes it’s tough to get a feel of what’s coming ahead of you for turns, jump, etc. due to the small screen size and reduced draw distance. It’s by no means a game breaker, but it changes your strategy. I got tired of some of the soundtrack, but I was able to load my own music from the PSP memory stick. The only other issue I had with the game is that camera angles on crashes sometimes weren’t the best as compared to PS3 versions of MotorStorm (it showed up stuck behind landscape elements about half the time).

I was a bit hesitant about MotorStorm Arctic Edge making the transition well to the PSP. Within minutes of playing the game, all fears went away and I was immersed in the Alaskan landscape. Arctic Edge will end up being the most played version of MotorStorm in my house, since the game works that well on the PSP. If you’re a racing fan or a fan of the series, definitely give this one a look.