Gran Turismo makes it to the PSP!
It’s quite unbelievable, really. I bought my PSP in October 2005, preparing for the huge event that was to be Gran Turismo on a compact gaming device. Needless to say, I was let down, as were many, many other avid fans of the genre. Most people are fooled just once. Not me. I bought the PS3 special package that included GT5 Prologue, once again with the implicit understanding that a full version of the game would be released in a very short timeframe following that purchase. That was about two years ago.
There’s good news for those who still care to be excited about the Gran Turismo franchise. A preview of the final game for the PS3 was shown in August and a release date set for early 2010. And today, after four years of waiting, Gran Turismo for the PSP has finally been announced!
Amazingly, the game will be available on a UMD, making it available to owners of older PSP models. Here’s the blurb from the official website:
Massive content including over 800 cars and 35 tracks with 70 layout variations, can now be enjoyed on the PSP “Playstation Portable” anytime, anywhere. That’s what Gran Turismo for PSP is all about.
Led by cars like the ’74 Lamborghini Countach LP400, there are many models making their first appearance in the series. As for the tracks, there is the popular Nürburgring, and a dirt track that can be driven by 4 players simultaneously.
There are many new innovations such as the single races where the player can nurture their personal AI driver, head to head racing using the Adhoc mode of the PSP, and trading and sharing of cars. The popular drift trials are also included in the game.
GT on the PS3 is absolutely awesome and one of my favourite titles on that platform. From the screenshots and the preview movie, the portable version looks just as good. I just hope that I can still find my dusty PSP in the cupboard somewhere…
and then, I hope it still boots up…
