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With its technological muscle and large, wide screen, you might think the PlayStation Portable would be the perfect home for some killer first-person shooter action. So, where are all the games? Konami's Coded Arms, the first title to toss its name in the hat, manages a great effort. However, it also exposes some chinks in the PSP's armor.

Control your Appetite

The control conundrum is the first topic that has consumers curious. After all, we've become used to controlling our shooters with two analog sticks (if not a mouse and keyboard), and the PSP only has one. Coded Arms pulls a page out of the N64's playbook, letting you choose from among several configurations. While none are totally ideal, you should find at least one to your liking (the one using face buttons for movement is recommended). Not-so-subtle auto targeting aids you in hitting your mark; without it, you'd be better off throwing your actual weapon at enemies. Even though the control works, the loose analog will tick you off.

Coded Arms is set in that highly populated area known as "the future." Virtual military simulators have become virus-infested and unstable--which means the kids like nothing more than pressing their luck by exploring them. You're one of these bored youths, and your aim is to hack deeper into the system than anyone has gone before.

This cyber-theme really adds style to the game. While most stages are rooted in typical gaming environs--ruins, mines, etc.--there's plenty of sci-fi to flip the script. A city area is much more interesting with crackling circuitry and crazy neon lights. Combined with some tech-tastic enemy designs, Coded Arms has a decent graphical package. The audio is also one of its better aspects, including some amazingly realistic sound effects.

Kill…and Kill Some More

The way the game's levels were designed is one of Coded Arms' quirkiest aspects. Most stages are only a few rooms long, with no bosses or great revelations to be found. The likely reason is to avoid the minute-long load times plaguing other PSP titles like Midnight Club 3; but it still leaves a disjointed feeling when you play. Even on the bigger stages, the only real objectives are killing things and reaching checkpoints.

Blasting bio-bugs is a good ol' time, and Coded Arms gives you plenty of weapons to use, but we really need something else to do--especially without a story to keep you riveted. A good portable game is one that excels in short bursts; boring you in a few minutes isn't the same thing. Multiplayer adds some value, but is a side dish rather than an entrée. Coded Arms admirably solves the first-person shooter control beef on the PSP, but doesn't deliver enough of a compelling gameplay experience to take it to the top of the heap.