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ModNation Racers Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

ModNation Racers Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Inspiring the Next Generation

As one of the franchises Sony is banking their future on, ModNation Racers has been by far one of the most anticipated games of this or any year for Sony fans. The PS3 version was great (as expected), but the PSP version has seemed like an oddball in all of the MNR hype over the past year. Nobody knew what to expect, and given its $30 price tag (most major PSP games are priced at $40), many people expected it to be a highly dumbed down version of the flagship PS3 version.

ModNation Racers screenshot

However, I’m a bit surprised to report to you that those fears are unfounded. The PSP version is shockingly fleshed out, and it is just as good if not better than the console version (dollar-for-dollar).

The easy move for Sony would have been to package a simple arcade racer under the ModNation Racers banner. But, they’ve taken the tough road, and have managed to put together the same great mix of creation and racing as on PS3. That’s right; Sony has accomplished the monumental task of fitting ModNation Racers’ (PS3) fantastic creation system onto the PSP. Not only is the level creator astonishingly well realized on PSP, but the character and cart creators are here too.

Just as in the console version, these toys are a ton of fun to play around with. And the incredible ease of use of all the creation systems is astounding. Fully-fleshed out tracks can be created in minutes and look almost as good as the ones created by the professionals. The only irritating part of this comes from the character and cart creations segments. A huge percentage of the content you could add to your racers is walled off to begin with. You have to earn the right to customize your things. It’s an interesting and effective way to convince people to keep playing, but in a game that hangs its hat on customization, it seems odd that they would forcibly prevent you from doing so.

ModNation Racers screenshot

The reason this becomes a big issue is that this is, by far, the best part of the game. There is a ton of fun to be had in experimenting with all of the different themes and accessories. The racing by comparison is lacking. That’s not to say it’s absolutely wretched, though. It’s definitely a fun kart racer, but it can be frustrating at times. The PSP has a slew of awesome racing games already, so there’s little excuse for a first-party Sony game not to succeed with flying colors in this genre.

Yet the racing itself is occasionally beset with problems that one wouldn’t expect from a game so obviously lavished with care and production value. First and foremost, most karts don’t handle very well. You’ll spend far too much time struggling to stay off the walls and make accurate turns. Drifting is a possibility, but due partially to the PSP’s control system, it just doesn’t work all that well.

ModNation Racers screenshot

The racing isn’t all bad, though. It’s fast-paced, which leads to a lot of exciting moments, and the tracks are interesting with oodles of obstacles and ramps to spice up each race. The ramps are particularly fun, as MNR employs a light trick system that awards you points for doing simple tricks like spins in mid-air.

ModNation Racers screenshot

Visually, the game is really good looking. The cartoony art style runs throughout the game, but it works so well (especially considering this is an arcade racer) that it’s hard to even notice. For the most part, this is another department in which the PSP version is a scaled-down replica of its big brother on the console. They’ve managed to keep a large amount of the visual style’s soul intact, and while it doesn’t stack up against the best the PSP has to offer (by design), it’s still quite good.

Ultimately, ModNation’s greatest achievement is that is blends its creation modes into the campaign mode. So, you’re not just racing all the time, you’re also eased into the creation process. Many people shy away from large, intimidating level creators due to the harsh learning curve. However, ModNation takes it slow and introduces things to you at a casual pace. The best thing this game accomplishes is that it invokes your creative side even if you didn’t know you had it.

If they had just included the level/character/kart creator as a bonus, the majority of players would never touch it. In this case, though, players are given a steady introduction that may very well prove that some players have a great interest in level/game creation. It’s a great system. I can’t help but wonder if we’ll look back 30 years from now and see how ModNation Racers and its spiritual cousin, LittleBigPlanet, birthed an entire generation of game designers.

Despite some weaknesses in the driving sections – which you would think would be a deal-breaker for a racing game – the overall package is still very much worth it. There may be a bit of precision missing in the controls, but that is greatly alleviated when you’re cruising along a beautifully realized vision of your own creation. Even if there was no racing at all, this would still be a game worthy of your dollar. The level creator is a giant leap forward for community created content, and I greatly hope that Sony continues with this philosophy of game design.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.1 Graphics
ModNation doesn’t aim for the stars with graphical quality, but it’s cute and the look fits with an arcade racer. 3.0 Control
The PSP is pretty well suited for racing controls, but we never felt fully in control of our kart. Drifting is pretty tough to pull off. 3.7 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Good voice work and an energetic soundtrack keeps things interesting. 4.4 Play Value
At $30, there is a ton of great content available in this version. It’s such a good value that we have to question whether or not this is even better than the PS3 version. With the full level-creator experience and a racing campaign on top of that, this is a great package for your money. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Full single-player storyline with over 25 outrageous tracks.
  • Explosive weaponry and power-ups.
  • Online and offline multiplayer mode competition.
  • Design your own track, character, and kart.
  • Share all of your creations with the community.

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