Twisted Metal: Head-On

Twisted Metal: Head-On brings the series back to its roots after the experimental detour of Twisted Metal: Black, and does so for the first time in a pocket-sized form. Players once again fight to have their wish granted by Calypso in an arena full of weaponized cars, with the story set between the events of the second and third entries, explaining some gaps in the saga's chronology, including the fate of characters who reappear in the numbered entries.

Development was led by studio Incog Inc. Entertainment, formed by part of the former Incognito Entertainment team, and the goal was to bring a fully-fledged experience to the PSP without major compromises in content compared to home consoles. Controls were adjusted for the handheld - aiming uses buttons instead of the second analog stick, which the original PSP lacked, and the graphics were optimized to run smoothly on less powerful hardware, even at the cost of smaller, less detailed arenas. Multiplayer supported battles between multiple players over an ad-hoc network, which was a rarity on a handheld console at the time, and also included online arenas via the publisher's own infrastructure, making it possible to play against strangers even without other consoles being physically nearby. The vehicle roster combines returning classics from the earlier entries with several new additions designed specifically for this installment, and the story mode splits the campaign between several playable characters, each with their own take on why they got involved in the fight for a wish in the first place. The music and sound design stick to the style of previous entries, just adapted for output through the handheld's speaker, and the overall pace of matches remained practically unchanged compared to home consoles, despite the smaller display the game runs on.

Why play it: For PSP owners who wanted a full-blooded Twisted Metal experience on the go, and for series fans interested in the story connections between the second and third installments of the saga.