The ten most anticipated pre-Christmas 2008 PSP releases

Christmas may be a time of celebration, gift-giving and general merriment but if the only console you own is a PSP then you're unlikely to be brimming with joyous feelings this Yuletide period.

Although Sony's handheld is gradually clawing back some market share thanks to some particularly profitable months in Japan, the sad fact remains that Nintendo's DS has the PSP well and truly beaten elsewhere in the world. A cursory glance within your local high street retailer tells a sorry story for hardcore Sony devotees – Nintendo's dual-screened wonder commands the lion's share of shelf space whilst the poor old PSP is finding it harder and harder to stand up to the never-ending flood of 'me too' DS software.

However, if you look hard enough you'll discover that there are some reasons to be cheerful this winter if you're a PSP owner. Okay, they're not as exciting as last year's reasons, perhaps, and the choice is certainly more restrained than 12 months ago. Still, we've thoughtfully compiled this list of games – all of which will be available between now and when Saint Nick squeezes his sizable girth down your chimney – so join us as we give you some inspiration for those moments when family members ask what you'd like to find in your stocking this year…

10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 Developer: Konami Tokyo Publisher: Konami Released: November 7th For many years Konami's PES was the thinking man's choice when it came to video game soccer action, effortlessly outclassing EA's more 'mainstream' FIFA with its intricate controls and staggering depth. However, the gaping abyss that once separated the two brands has closed – there was practically nothing to separate last year's entries. Konami has already confirmed that it intends to move Heaven and Earth to make this the best PES game yet seen, with a complete overhaul of control, AI and graphics. The inclusion of the Become a Legend mode – where you control a single-player as you lead them to glory – sounds suspiciously like FIFA 09's Be a Pro segment, but hopefully PES will distinguish itself in other ways. It'll have to if it plans on beating FIFA 09 on PSP.
9. WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009 Developer: Yuke's Publisher: THQ Released: November 7th Here at Pocket Gamer we may be mature enough to remember when the likes of Rowdy Roddy Piper and Hacksaw Jim Duggan stalked the squared circle, but that doesn't mean we can't get excited by the prospect of more contemporary wrestling action. Okay, so grapplers these days don't wear demeaning costumes and make a point of using their real names (Big Daddy will be turning in his grave – assuming he's got the room to do so), but the action is arguably more intense and hopefully that will filter down to this eagerly-awaited PSP title. From the sound of things this is shaping up to be a gradual improvement rather than an astonishing revolution, with the developer focusing on making what it already in place even better. Personally, we hope the team boosts the scope of the Career mode, which has been the focal point of earlier versions but doesn't quite contain the necessary depth to make it truly authentic.
8. Midnight Club: LA Remix Developer: Rockstar London Publisher: Rockstar Released: October 24th Coming from the same stable as Grand Theft Auto (well, the same publisher), the Midnight Club series is all about high-speed racing on a variety of dimly-lit street circuits. All the hallmarks of the franchise are here – shiny modified cars (no clapped-out Astras or Focuses, which kind of robs the game of vital realism if you ask us), twisting track designs and women wearing so little clothing it's a wonder they don't catch their death in chilyl night air. The PSP game is based on the home console version and while sacrifices have obviously been made in order to squeeze it all onto one tiny UMD, early indications suggest Rockstar London has done a superlative job of recreating the look and feel of the original game.
7. Need for Speed Undercover Developer: EA Black Box Publisher: EA Released: November 21st Yes, another racing title. Taking previous years into account it's highly probable that it will either be FIFA 09 or this that sits atop the PSP sales charts come Christmas morning. In terms of commercial performance the NfS franchise has dominated the gaming landscape for a fair while now, despite the fact that the quality of the games themselves has been questionable. NfS Pro Street was on the receiving end of a particularly nasty backlash from fans and this has triggered EA's decision to go back to basics with NfS Undercover. Fans of NfS Most Wanted will be happy to learn that this new game is based heavily on that particular instalment. As you might glean from the title, the plot sees you infiltrating an organized crime syndicate by taking part in illegal street races. Hmm. Not quite sure where we've come across that storyline before. If we don't think of the answer FAST we're sure to be FURIOUS…
6. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Developer: Amaze/Treyarch/ Shaba Games Publisher: Activision Released: October 24th Spider-Man fever may have abated slightly after the lacklustre third Hollywood film but the licensed video games still keep on swinging in. Boasting an all-new plot where evil alien Venom creates clones of himself and tries to take over the city, Web of Shadows sees our wall-climbing hero teaming up with various heroes and villains from the Marvel universe. Spider-Man also has the option to don his Symbiote suit (as seen in the movie) which imbues him with additional strength but comes with some regrettable drawbacks – basically he runs the risk of turning into the very thing he's trying to stop. Interestingly, the developer has confirmed that the game's conclusion will alter depending on which villains and heroes the player teams up with, and how much they rely on the added strength granted by the malevolent Symbiote suit.
5. Shaun White Snowboarding Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Released: November 14th EA's SSX series has had the entire snowboarding genre to itself for the past few years as interest in the subgenre cooled but Ubisoft's upcoming title might just steal away the crown. Emblazoned with the name of one of the sport's most promising new talents, Shaun White Snowboarding has been created with the intention of offering the player 'complete freedom' (although we're guessing that you can't decide to ditch the snowboard and play tiddlywinks instead). You'll be given the opportunity to decide where you wish to race and who you wish to compete against, with successful progress earning you cash which can then be spend on customising your boarder's 'gnarly' appearance. As is often the case with high-profile multiformat releases, the PSP version seems something of an afterthought, with the developer instead choosing to hype the Balance Board-compatible Wii version, but we're quietly confident that hitting the slopes with Shaun White – who we are duty-bound to point out is a bit a ginger-nut, hence the preposterous nickname 'The Flying Tomato' – will be both rewarding and fun.
4. Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant Developer: Radical Entertainment/Virtuos Publisher: Activition Released: October 31st Crash's last outing – the pun-tastic Crash of the Titans – actually surprised a lot of people by clawing back some of the crazy marsupial's battered reputation. This sequel builds on that sterling work by taking the core concept (assuming control of monsters by hopping on their backs) and expanding on it. You can now collect a number of different Titans and improve their abilities as you play, switching between them in real-time. The gameworld also promises to be less linear this time around as well, with a particular emphasis being placed on exploration and discovery. This could turn out to be one of the more entertaining PSP releases of the Christmas period, and the fact that it's all wrapped up in a gorgeous graphics engine certainly doesn't hurt its potential.
3. Tom Clancy's EndWar Developer: Ubisoft Shangai Publisher: Ubisoft Released: November 7th When a game has a title as grand as 'EndWar' you know it's going to be a bit more epic than your standard handheld release. Replete with furrowed brow and serious stride, Tom Clancy's latest military opus is a humourless no-nonsense affair, primarily concerned with high-tech conflict and futuristic gizmos. It's set during World War III and ties in with previous Clancy titles such as Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and Splinter Cell. The home console versions are looking pretty darned impressive and naturally some nifty condensing is going to be called for if the PSP version is going to retain the same scale and magnificence, but Sony fans can at least feel smug about the fact that such a title would be wholly impractical on the more technically humble DS. So there.
2. Football Manager Handheld 2009 Developer: Sports Interactive Publisher: Sega Released: November 14th Football management games and portable consoles are truly a match made in Heaven. The dangerously addictive nature of these titles means that mobility and convenience are paramount – being able to speculate on the transfer market whilst sitting on the toilet may not seem glamorous but when you're in the middle of particularly tense campaign you'll be thankful of such blessings. Sports Interactive has been gently massaging the series over the years and judging from recent reports, this latest handheld effort promises to expand and improve on what has gone before. While the PSP edition is sadly lacking the much-hyped 3D viewpoint showcased in the PC and Mac iterations, it should contain some of the other more substantial enhancements. And we suspect it won't fail to engross players any less.
1. LocoRoco 2 Developer: Sony Publisher: Sony Released: November If you've got this far and decided that driving or sports games aren't for you, and you're now looking at how much your PSP will fetch on eBay, come back. Sony has confirmed LocoRoco 2 will make it to Europe before Christmas (for a while it was looking doubtful). And that means that instead of selling your PSP, you should be persuading your mates to buy one. Why? Because it's obviously the sequel to LocoRoco, and LocoRoco is simply fabulous – a gorgeous, original and enchanting slice of video gaming that delivers one of finest experiences to be had on any of the current gaming systems. If you only buy one PSP game this Christmas (the world economy is in tatters, after all), make certain it's this one.