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 I figure a stupidly long titled game needs a stupidly long titled review. David Jaffe, I want you to know I'm putting you on notice. Your game is really good but the title really really sucks ass and is too long. I'm docking you a tenth of a review point for it's lameness.
Change of plans
I just got off the phone with Sony customer service. I was going to write a nice review for this game detailing it's pros and cons. Instead I'm going to rant a bit on how Sony's customer service sucks ass. Maybe by the time I get to the bottom of this article I'll have vented enough to score it.
[rant]So I bought this game brand new last night for $19.99 from a major chain retailer. Got it home and opened it to find that there was no included artbook or download code for the soundtrack. Stewed on it a bit, played the game, and figured I'd sort it out the next day.
After unsuccessfully locating a software specific support site on the web, I decided to hunt through the manual for the 1-800 number. The first 10-15 minutes were spent waiting on hold while listening to generic background music with one of the songs having the chorus line "Don't make me wait too long". Obviously someone has a sense of humor at that call center.
Over the course of the 45 minute call, I was asked questions, put on hold again several times and finally received my answer and suggested course of action. If I mailed them proof of purchase, shipped the $19.99 game and it's contents back to California from New Brunswick and waited without my new title for no doubt at least a couple of weeks, they'd repackage my game with the artbook and download code and send it back.
So to summarize, If I spend $10 shipping a $19.99 game back to Sony, they'd repack it and send it back to me instead of just sending me the missing items after I had faxed them the proof of purchase.
No wonder prostitution is a growing industry. You don't have to wait for what seems like forever to get fucked. That's 45 minutes + that I'll never get back. [/rant]
Back on topic:
Giving credit where credit is due, for a budget title and for being a PSP port, they did a great job bringing this to the PlayStation 2. The gameplay is incredibly fun, smooth 60fps even in 2 player play. The "Lost Levels" are really great, though it's a sad story when you find out why Twisted Metal: Harbor City was cancelled in the first place and why these had never seen the light of day.
If you haven't played the PSP version before, think of it as a quasi-Twisted Metal 2 remade and enhanced. It has the old feel, the same attitude and addictiveness as well. Not the nicest looking game out there, but colourful and easy on the eyes, much more so than TM:Black's darker tone.
Lots of bonus features, some good some bad. A great documentary on the series with interviews from key members, extremely cheesy ending movies that were cut from Twisted Metal 1, and an odd gameplay mode where you run around an empty asylum/junkyard as Sweetooth collecting factoids and concept art. As for the other bonus stuff, well Sony has decided that I can pay half the cost of a new game or forget about it so I have no opinion on how good the songs or the artbooks are.
As it stands, it's a fun budget title that any shooter/Twisted Metal/car combat gamer should own. For the low price of $19.99 it's a good deal even if you feel like that Matador in the post underneath this one because of what you may be missing. 
Tan's score 8.4/10
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