Need for Speed: Most Wanted -- 5-1-0 [PSP]

Need for Speed is the oldest continuously updated racing series out there. Its prevalence is best illustrated by the fact that this is its second appearance on the eight-month-old PSP. Harkening back to the days of NFS: Hot Pursuit, in Most Wanted you find yourself on both sides of the law. While crime does indeed pay, the dividends may not be enough to make this a standout racer on the packed PSP highway.

At its heart, this is the same type of Need for Speed you've seen over the past few years: Get a stable of tunable cars, pick from different race types, and earn a reputation as the ruler of reckless driving. It's not just your rival racers that you have to worry about, though; the 5-0 is all over the place, and will take interest in you if you're breaking the law. As you really can't win a race without at least a few minor traffic infractions, you'll be meeting with Johnny Law quite often.

The cops definitely add an element of excitement to Most Wanted's gameplay -- you have to not only finish ahead of the competition but also avoid being busted. Police cars are relentless in their chase, and can easily outrun whatever hooptie you're driving. You must use the fork-filled roads to your advantage to try to shake them long enough to take the checkered flag.

It sounds fun, right? Well, it is. However, it's also a detriment to the game in some ways. Often, they'll cost you an objective necessary to progress in career mode -- especially the more linear time trial races. Since career mode is the only way to unlock new cars and tracks, this puts the brakes on a lot of enjoyment in the game -- odd, because EA is usually good at letting you pick and choose what to play in its games.

Most Wanted is replete with other modes to immerse yourself in, too. Outrun has the sole objective of escaping the po-po; while tuner takeover slaps a badge on you, and has you chasing down do-badders. Both of these have several stages to participate in. If you don't like those, customize your own race. Also, multiplayer is packed with options, and should provide a lot of head-to-head fun.

Graphically, Need for Speed looks good, but doesn't really separate itself much from the pack -- especially since the sense of speed isn't astounding (the impetus for adding cops to impede you, perhaps?). The environments are darn pretty, though, and load times aren't an issue. EA Pocket Trax provides some great music, as usual, and even a trippy screensaver if you just want to listen to the tunes. The sound effects do a good job of putting you behind the wheel.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 is a solid racer that should appease driving enthusiasts across the board. It controls decently, has some good tracks, and looks and sounds like you'd hope a PSP racer would. The problem is that its main selling point -- the police dynamic -- is as much a negative as it is a positive, leaving it without a real means of distinguishing itself. With a ton of great PSP racers on the market already, it's tough to recommend this over Ridge Racer, Wipeout Pure, or others unless you have an intense love for or hate of law enforcement.