2008 Woodie Awards
Pirates! and Puzzles promise fun for PSP
Billy O'Keefe / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Entertainment
SID MEIER'S PIRATES!
For: PSP
From: Full Fat/Firaxis/2K games
Rating: Everyone 10+ (Mild Violence)
If the PSP must be a haven for downgraded ports of console games, they should at least be games that do not choke on the system's limitations and portable nature. That's the case with Sid Meier's Pirates! which not only fits on the PSP but arguably belonged here all along.
Pirates! take a small but diverse collection of smaller games and melts them into one larger game, dutifully bridging the gap between mini-game collection and full-blown pirate simulator. What starts as a story of revenge eventually gives way to a free-roaming Caribbean adventure that you can enjoy on your terms and by any number of means; questing, assembling fleets, trading, taking out famed rivals, even dancing like no one is watching.
Each action is executed as a mini-game, with Pirates! dabbling in rhythm, stealth, real-time (and turn-based) strategy and more. (Resident Evil 4 fans will love the inclusion of quick timer moments when a rival crew's ranks need thinning prior to a sword fight with the captain.)
The task of miniaturizing Pirates! fell into the laps of Full Fat, a developer with a bizarrely uneven track record. Fortunately, this one goes into the "win" column. It looks good, plays great, keeps the load times down, and makes the right moves to offset the Playstation Portable's diminished control capabilities.
That's good news for any port of any game, but it's especially nice this time around. While Pirates! shined on the Xbox and PC, it also laid bare, like any other collection of mini-games; its susceptibility to repetition during long play sessions. But one platform's problem is another's selling point, and the ability to wake the PSP up, engage in a couple of small games, check on the status of your pirate empire and put it back to sleep, makes Pirates! an ideal and rewarding fit for a portable that can handle its ambition. Having almost every video game genre in your pocket is not too shabby, either.
For: PSP
From: Full Fat/Firaxis/2K games
Rating: Everyone 10+ (Mild Violence)
If the PSP must be a haven for downgraded ports of console games, they should at least be games that do not choke on the system's limitations and portable nature. That's the case with Sid Meier's Pirates! which not only fits on the PSP but arguably belonged here all along.
Pirates! take a small but diverse collection of smaller games and melts them into one larger game, dutifully bridging the gap between mini-game collection and full-blown pirate simulator. What starts as a story of revenge eventually gives way to a free-roaming Caribbean adventure that you can enjoy on your terms and by any number of means; questing, assembling fleets, trading, taking out famed rivals, even dancing like no one is watching.
Each action is executed as a mini-game, with Pirates! dabbling in rhythm, stealth, real-time (and turn-based) strategy and more. (Resident Evil 4 fans will love the inclusion of quick timer moments when a rival crew's ranks need thinning prior to a sword fight with the captain.)
The task of miniaturizing Pirates! fell into the laps of Full Fat, a developer with a bizarrely uneven track record. Fortunately, this one goes into the "win" column. It looks good, plays great, keeps the load times down, and makes the right moves to offset the Playstation Portable's diminished control capabilities.
That's good news for any port of any game, but it's especially nice this time around. While Pirates! shined on the Xbox and PC, it also laid bare, like any other collection of mini-games; its susceptibility to repetition during long play sessions. But one platform's problem is another's selling point, and the ability to wake the PSP up, engage in a couple of small games, check on the status of your pirate empire and put it back to sleep, makes Pirates! an ideal and rewarding fit for a portable that can handle its ambition. Having almost every video game genre in your pocket is not too shabby, either.
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