The five essential PSP Christmas 2007 releases

There are some who say that if you've left if this late to do your Christmas shopping, you deserve all the anxiety you suffer.

But that's simply not our attitude, and not only because we've been known to get everyone's presents in one go, on December 24th.

Besides, you've probably already have all of your presents wrapped and ready. All except that handheld title you promised yourself you'd get your sister/brother/partner/husband/wife (not the same person, presumably – delete as you see fit).

Or perhaps what you're after is something to have at hand to provide the necessary escape for those moments when having the family around for the festive season gets a little too much.

Compiled below in alphabetical order, then, are five PSP gaming stars we feel shouldn't be overlooked this Christmas. We've deliberately kept the selection to October-December European releases and, like our approach with DS, we've tried to reflect a wide-ranging set of experiences.

See what you think – hopefully there's something you hadn't previously considered. And good luck braving the crowds.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness Developer: Koei Publisher: Koei Looking for a strategy RPG? Well, you're now reading about what is arguably the finest example of the genre. Remarkably, Disgaea on PSP improves on the PlayStation 2 original game (itself widely regarded as the leading SRPG experience) and delivers as deep and innovative a tactical experience as you can wish for, while remaining accessible to complete genre newcomers.
Football Manager Handheld 2008 Developer: Sports Interactive Publisher: Sega A dangerous choice, given that a quick five-minute dip into Sports Interactive's brilliantly executed football management world is likely to evolve into a couple hours without you noticing. Cue burnt turkey, crying children, irate in-laws, and, possibly, the local fire brigade. Oh well, you could always dive back in and make all the problems go away.
Silent Hill Origins Developer: Climax Publisher: Konami Granted, any game that begins by suggesting that you should play it in darkness and with the headphones turned up isn't the most obvious festive season choice. But we're hardly traditionalists here on Pocket Gamer, which is why we'd strongly encourage you to consider stepping into this very solid slice of portable psychological terror.
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow Developer: Sony Bend Publisher: Sony Why scour the Radio Times for action adventure flicks this Christmas when you can star in your very own? The Syphon Filter franchise makes its second appearance on Sony's handheld and it's even better than its first excellent attempt, Dark Mirror. And that effectively means it's the most compelling covert ops-based handheld thriller you'll play this winter.
WipEout Pulse Developer: Sony Liverpool Publisher: Sony The PSP is hardly short of racing titles, it's true, but when it comes to the sub-genre of hover racing, it's hardly overrun with alternatives. But it's quality, not quantity that matters, and in this respect the latest WipEout doesn't deviate from its lineage, delivering the handling dynamics we've come to love within a gorgeously polished and hugely rewarding experience.