Gran Turismo PSP Preview

Kris Erickson • Jun 3, 2009 • Comments (2)

Before Gran Turismo came along, racing games were mostly just a matter of holding down the B button and bombing through the curves. Video gamers didn't know anything about traction control, downforce, understeer or turbo lag until the developers at Polyphony Digital came along and brought their passion for motorsport to the Playstation One console. Fast-forward more than a decade, and the series has spawned several progressively better entries and shipped an astonishing 52 million copies altogether, making it the leading automotive simulator on any console.

The series has been so popular in fact, that when the Playstation Portable launched back in 2005, everybody thought it was a no-brainer that a miniature Gran Turismo game would launch alongside it. There was even a UMD printed with the GT logo to accompany early media photos of the PSP hardware. Yet, the game never materialized. Years passed, and our hope turned to bitter cynicism. What were the folks at Polyphony doing with all their free time, anyway?

Turns out that creator Kazunori Yamauchi wasn't just down at the pub -- he was actually working on an amazing portable entry in the Gran Turismo series.

Gran Turismo PSP will feature hundreds of cars from the history of motor racing.

Developed exclusively for PSP by the internal team of designers and engineers at PDI, Gran Turismo is built for optimal performance and fun racing excitement on the portable platform. Consistently setting the bar in terms of quality of design and physics technology with every product release, Gran Turismo on the PSP is no exception and offers an authentic and accessible racing product for the series' millions of fans and newcomers alike.

Gran Turismo features more than 800 vehicle models from the world's top manufacturers (over 4,500 total paint variations) and more than 30 tracks (60+ total layouts), including famous world circuits, city courses and other environments. Featuring exciting gameplay and game modes to suit all levels of play, Gran Turismo is a great introduction to the best-selling series for newcomers. Additionally, seasoned Gran Turismo fans will recognize the depth of content and unparalleled visuals the series is known for, including graphics running at a stunning 60 frames per second. Gran Turismo is truly a next-generation PSP title.

Players can progress and acquire cars in Challenge Mode throughout more than 100 events in, or they can explore different tracks and circuits in Arcade Mode. Additionally, players can race online in Ad Hoc Mode against up to 3 others (4 total) via the PSP's built-in ad hoc functionality. The first in the Gran Turismo series is the ability to trade and share unlocked vehicles with others online via ad hoc mode. This feature is not available in any other racing game on PSP.

Gran Turismo PSP Features:

• Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc. for PSP - Gran Turismo's debut on PSP is developed by the internal team behind the world's best-selling racing series.

• Over 800 vehicle models - Players can race their favorite vehicles from the top manufacturers around the globe, including Ferrari, Nissan, and more. The vehicle model count climbs to over 4,500 when the various paint configurations are included.

• Over 30 Tracks from Around the World - Famous circuits and some of the favorite environments from the Gran Turismo series have been optimized for racing on PSP.

• Share and Trade Vehicles with Others - For the first time in the Gran Turismo series, players can share and trade the vehicles they have acquired throughout the game with others via PSP's ad hoc mode. Certain vehicles will be acquired by trade only, so players will want to trade and share in order to virtually drive all of the meticulously designed vehicle models.

• Dynamic Vehicle Roster - Based on the amount of time Gran Turismo is played, the in-game calendar will change the dealer car lineup seasonally.

• Available via UMD and PlayStation Network - Offering convenience, choice and options for owners of the original PSP or the newly announced PSP go.