Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

UPC: 711719863328

Platform: PlayStation Portable

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.

Developer: High Impact Games

Category: Action

Style(s): 3D Platform

Synopsis: To save a schoolgirl named Luna in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, single-players must take control of two characters and adventure through numerous environments in the "Story" mode. Assisting gamers through the game is a variety of gadgets, weapons, and armor. Gadgets include the Sprout-O-Matic and the Swingshot, while enemies are destroyed using such weapons as the Bee Mine glove and the Acid Bomb. Gamers can equip and swap armor to create different upgrades and effects. For example, equipping full sets of matching armor can envelope Ratchet's wrench or spread freezing crystals. In the multiplayer arena, gamers can play through both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure connections, and there are several modes and hidden areas that feature multiplayer weapon upgrades. Players can go head-to-head in "Deathmatch" or cooperate in "Team Deathmatch" and "Capture the Flag." Additionally, a mode called "Iron Lombax" requires gamers to team up and complete objectives that include turning Martian cows into fast food. Players may accomplish this task by collecting the burger bound bovines honestly or by stealing them from your opponents. ~ Gracie Leach, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Registration Card

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

Following in the furry footsteps of Daxter on the handheld, Sony's Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters continues the endeavors of the feline-like Ratchet and his robot companion Clank in an intergalactic trek that finds the duo shooting baddies, hopping platforms, and solving puzzles. While many portable attempts at existing franchises often strip down features to shoehorn it on the platform, Size Matters proves size <i>doesn't</i> matter, at least when it comes to delivering a quality, console-style action game on the small screen. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters may be the fifth entry in the sci-fi series, but it marks a return to what made the original titles so memorable: the humor. Ratchet & Clank's mechanical and organic enemies are expressive creatures who will waddle, skitter, hover, or saunter toward players in groups of four or more, causing players to snicker to themselves before they start blasting them into nuts and bolts. Among the off-the-wall weapons are the "mootator," which transforms enemies into cows, the "bee-mine," which creates swarms of bees to attack nearby foes, and the "acid glove," which lets you throw globs of green goo that eat away at enemies. The storyline finds the heroes' vacation interrupted by the disappearance of a precocious girl named Luna. It seems she inadvertently stumbled upon some ancient relic, which sets the two on a journey to multiple planets to collect clues to her whereabouts. Each planet has a distinct theme, from scenic beaches and mysterious jungles to mechanical factories and surreal cities. Like the console games, the default perspective is set behind Ratchet as he moves across the 3D environments via the analog nub. The camera can be swiveled left and right using the shoulder buttons, with the face buttons used to jump, swing Ratchet's wrench, or to fire one of his equipped guns. Ratchet can also crouch, perform double jumps, and strafe with the directional pad. The controls are responsive, with aiming assisted by an automatic lock-on feature, but the one drawback is the unusually close camera. It's nice the developers wanted to show off the character detail, but it's frustrating when enemies are whacking at your posterior and you can't see them. Close quarters combat is dicey, but you'll learn to adjust by using specific weapons while making quick, circular motions with the analog nub. Other than its lighthearted approach and whimsical characters, what sets Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters apart from similar titles on the handheld is the amount of depth and variety. There are sky-boarding races to conquer, rail-grinding sequences, spaceship-shooting segments, four-player online support in three game types and on four maps, and more surprises. Even Clank gets some well-deserved time in the spotlight, with Lemmings-like puzzle sequences that involve players guiding (or tossing) multiple gadget bots across hazardous areas. Players should be warned that Size Matters is a challenging title, requiring more strategy than the typical shooter because of each gun's limited ammo and some rather hard-hitting enemies. Yet it's a challenge worth undertaking for fans of the series, who are sure to be impressed at just how close the look and feel of the game is to its console cousins. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.