Pyroblazer hovers onto PSP

The anti-gravity racing genre is one that the fantastic WipEout series has enjoyed dominance over since the days of the original PlayStation, and never more so than on PSP.

It looks, however, that finally a decent contender may be about to scream onto Sony's handheld, leaving a trail of scorched retinas and perplexed physicists in its path.

Pyroblazer, which is being jointly developed by Candella and Eipix, (and is also getting a Wii release) is set on the fictional planet New Apeiron and promises tracks spread across a range of contrasting environments. The vehicles, known as Blazers, are armed to the teeth to begin with and can be upgraded until they are armed to the eyebrows as you progress through the game's Championship mode (there's a Quick Race option, too).

So far, so WipEout, though from what we've seen, it looks like the emphasis here is more on combat than racing. The trailer available on the game's official site shows off bouts that look as much like epic space dog fights as they do races. There is a six way online multiplayer mode mooted, too, which is pretty much a must for any racing title these days.

Stylistically, Pyroblazer is going for an epic space sci-fi vibe as opposed to a hip and trendy techno one and visually seems to have some serious mettle, with everything moving along at a fair old click while incorporating plenty of special effects and track side detail. The ships themselves a are a tad uninspiring, resembling hulking interstellar garbage trucks, but that may end up suiting the combative nature of the game.

Pyroblazer is so far without a publisher, but given how promising it's looking at the moment, we're hopeful that it'll be snapped up soon. Preferably by a company that will give it a European release. Click 'Track It!' to stay on top of any fresh details.