Well, they could have quite easily called this addition to the stable ‘ATV: You Took Your Sweet Ass Time To Get Here’, or words to that effect. Why are we bitching right off the bat you ask? Well this charming little bruiser of a racer was released in the US a mere, oh, year and a half ago. It’s just the usual bit of business where those that come from the land Down Under are the last cab off the rank. Next they’ll be telling us that JFK got shot! Orright! We’ve said our piece, had our whinge and now we’ve got that off the old chest we might even tell you a bit or two about the game. Let’s move on now shall we?

The first thing we’ve got to mention is that this has some pretty awesome cross platform capabilities. If you’ve got yourself a copy of the pretty decent ATV Offroad Fury 4 on PS2, you can swap customised circuits, trading cards, upgrades and vehicles. You can also get leader board info, access chat rooms and read news. We love it. It’s just a great way to breathe a little extra life into your PSP and PS2 and get some more bang for your buck. More developers should take note.

The gameplay offers little new for this established franchise. It’s the stock standard mix of MX bikes, ATVs, rally cars, trucks and buggies, with a racer for every taste. The cars respond suitably, and the bikes, ATVs and buggies are a lot of fun for those adrenaline charged jumps, with the trucks, as usual, being the weakest link. The high-flying death-defying tricks make a return as well, with even some of the simple moves looking pretty damn sweet on the old PSP.

Speaking of looks, this is one sexy babe. It’s rare that a handheld outstrips a next gen colleague (MX vs. ATV something something) but this really looks the part. We’d even go so far as to say it’s the best of its kind in this format.

There are few surprises in the modes on offer.