I was never a fan of the original MotorStorm. I didn't hate it or anything, but there was really nothing about the game that clicked with me. When Pacific Rift came out I was prepared to enjoy it, but the release was prefaced with Blackrock Studios' Pure, which managed to be a much better and more enjoyable game. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed. When MotorStorm: Arctic Edge was announced, my apathy for the series got the best of me, and I mostly ignored the announcement. After getting a chance to play the game at a recent Sony event, I know how wrong I was to write the racer off.

The original just felt like it was trapped in between a simulation and an arcade racer. This uncomfortable spot lead to gameplay issues that were unavoidable for the developer, who was trying to impress PS3 gamers while maintaining an entertaining title. With the PSP version, this isn't an issue. It just feels... right. Bigbig Studios, the developers of the handheld version, seem to have found the balance that the PS3 developers weren't able to hit, making it feel like a familiar, though improved, version of the PS3 hit.

Obviously, the graphics lack much of the visual fidelity the console versions were known for. Scaled down to the PSP's screen, however, it isn't much of an issue. It appears to be moving extremely fast, pushing a lot of power out of the PSP's processor, and delivering as good of a handheld experience as could be hoped in terms of visuals. Controls, too, are tight. When a shooting franchise (see: Resistance) is brought over the the PlayStation Portable, the lack of a second analog stick greatly hinders the experience. Racing games don't need that, and work perfectly fine with one - a point made crystal clear with MotorStorm: Arctic Edge.

It looks like it's going to have the same assortment of vehicles and tracks that made the others popular, meaning it will definitely be worth paying attention to for fans of the series. For everyone else? We'll see. I'm not at all a MotorStorm enthusiast by any means, but found myself greatly enjoying my time spent with the game. If that manages to hold up past the first impression is yet to be known. It's due out later this year, and we'll have more information closer to launch.