How to make a PSP game

So just how do you create a PSP game from a PC or console game that is accustomed to being on the bigger screen? We've got an industry expert to tell us all about it - Steve Lycett is a producer at Sumo Digital, which specialises in shrinking games down to PSP size while retaining their appeal and playability. Read what Steve has to say in this issue. Click here to read the full PSP Development column now!

How to make a PSP game
How do you go about bringing a full-sized console game to PSP? It’s pretty much like working with any console plat form. Just smaller. The first question is how much of the existing code and assets can be reused? PSP, like PS2, has 32MB of system memory, but for PSP we really only have 24MB of memory to play with as 8MB is used up by the system to run the XMB menu. So that’s a measly 24MB you’ve got to hold everything!

Even though PSP has the biggest handheld screen yet, fine detail can get lost, so we judge where we really need it. Say for OutRun, most of the time you’re looking at the car, road and traffic so that needs the detail. Scenery back from the track will never be seen up close though, so we can reduce the tex ture and model detail there. Click here to continue reading the full PSP Development column now!

HGZine is a full, free to download magazine dedicated to Sony PSP and Nintendo DS gaming. This issue includes over 30 pages of games coverage, all written by professional UK games journalists. The information on this page refers to just one part of the whole magazine, which features the reviews of Lunar Knights, Phoenix Wright, Price of Persia: Rival Swords, Spectrobes and many more PSP and DS games. Additionally we have the complete roundup of every Final Fantasy game coming to the handheld platforms and 20 things you never knew about Harvest Moon. There's loads more too, and it's all enhanced with video and multimedia. Simply click to download and you will get the complete magazine.

Please note that this magazine is an enhanced PDF file and is therefore designed to work primarily on the PC using Adobe Reader 8. We do not currently produce versions to display on mobile platforms, such as the PSP, as sadly we would have to remove a lot of the interactive functionality from the magazine.