Top games for the new slim Sony PSP

Keep an eye out for...
Coming soon is Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, screeching to a halt on 7 September. Expect non-stop, fast-paced arcade driving. The fantastic Crazy Box set of mini-games that stormed the Dreamcast so many years back is also due to make a return. 

Monster Hunter: Freedom 2 (pictured) is an excellent-looking freeform adventure game, tasking you with roaming the lands to kill dangerous beasts for bounty. Already the best-selling PSP game ever in Japan, with its predecessor at number two, Freedom 2 also hits the UK on 7 September.

If you love Japanese-style RPGs, head to your nearest online importer and check out Brave Story: New Traveler and Final Fantasy II. Both offer classic anime-style graphics and lengthy, absorbing storylines -- perfect for long train journeys.

The PSP's wide screen and memory card slot make it a versatile portable media device and several downloadable fanzines have sprung up to take advantage. One such is Load, which offers games, music and film reviews and interviews, as well as competitions, all for the princely sum of nothing at all. Just download the images to your PC, put them on a Memory Stick and browse through them with the PSP's photo viewer.