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Additionally, all discs at NexWave Games are carefully inspected and assessed for quality. When discs arrive, we do not accept any that are so badly damaged that they are unlikely to work. We only accept discs with light scratches at most. Discs with scratches are then treated in our professional disc repair machine. By warming the disc and polishing it with soft brushes, these machines can remove a very thin layer from the disc. This removes the layer containing surface scratches and improves the disc’s readability. This ensures the disc works properly, even on consoles with ageing lasers that have difficulty reading games! Great news for the player.
Iron Man for PlayStation Portable
Iron Man for PlayStation Portable is an action adventure about Tony Stark and his flying combat suit. After being kidnapped, the weapons manufacturer escapes in armor he builds himself. Back home, he decides to take his own company's weapons out of enemy hands. You follow him on separate missions, fighting soldiers, vehicles and other threats. The camera looks over Iron Man from behind, showing both his armor and the targets ahead of him.
You alternate walking and hovering with faster flight wherever the surroundings allow it. Repulsor beams, bullets and explosives each have their uses; at close range, you can also punch. Between missions, you choose unlocked upgrades for weapons and armor. During combat, you also distribute the available energy. More power to the armor helps absorb damage, while extra propulsion makes you fly faster. An encounter therefore also involves choosing the right setting.
You play the story campaign alone. The mission menu lets you restart an unlocked assignment and view your results. There are three difficulty levels, and you can adjust the camera and flight settings. The game saves your progress after a completed mission; this requires a Memory Stick Duo. The story and missions are on the UMD. This is the 2008 PSP release, not the later Iron Man 2.
Region and language
Our PlayStation Portable games are European editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
You receive the physical UMD edition. You need a PSP with a UMD drive to play it; a PSP Go cannot play this disc.
Manual
Iron Man for PlayStation Portable includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Iron Man
SEGA and Marvel announced their Iron Man partnership on November 6, 2006. The agreement covered games based on both the comic-book hero and the planned theatrical films. The first project would tie in with director Jon Favreau's film, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film adaptation therefore gained its own accompanying game series while still in preparation. The game eventually arrived in 2008, around the same time as the first Iron Man film.
The different systems did not all use the same game design. Artificial Mind and Movement worked on the PSP release, while Secret Level made the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. At launch, SEGA itself highlighted the differences between systems. The handheld received a campaign with a camera behind the hero and controls using the PSP buttons. The Nintendo DS release instead used a different shooting setup with the touchscreen. One film title thus led to different games.
Iron Man 2 followed on PSP as well in 2010. For that game, SEGA commissioned a new story with help from comic-book writer Matt Fraction and made War Machine playable. The 2008 game tells the earlier transition from weapons manufacturer to armored hero. Its separate missions, suit upgrades and aerial battles were the way Tony's film adventure was translated to the portable PlayStation.
Similar games for PlayStation Portable
Iron Man 2 for PSP comes closest to the combination of a combat suit, shooting and flying. The sequel also lets you choose to play as War Machine and uses a new story within the films' world. Iron Man from 2008 begins with Tony Stark's captivity and his decision to disable his own weapons. You are therefore also choosing between his origin and a later adventure with a second armored hero.
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters on PSP also combines shooting, upgradeable equipment and a visible hero in three-dimensional environments. Ratchet alternates his guns with gadgets, jumps and separate sections featuring Clank. Iron Man concentrates those abilities in one suit whose energy you distribute. For Ratchet, new tools and platforming routes often determine how you progress; Tony mainly uses his weaponry and flight capabilities to achieve a mission's objectives.
God of War: Chains of Olympus on PSP also offers a separate story about a powerful hero, with battles and upgrades earned along the way. Kratos mainly fights with chained blades and magic among monsters from Greek mythology. Iron Man uses guns, missiles and technological armor in a modern cinematic world. While Kratos tackles enemies up close with combinations, Tony can also exploit distance and height.
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance for PSP also connects shooting action with a familiar film universe and separate assignments. Rianna Saren works with the security droid Zeeo, who helps defend her and open routes. Iron Man has one hero manage his own weapons, protection and propulsion. In Lethal Alliance, cooperation between two different characters determines the solutions; in Iron Man, these functions come from different parts of the same armor.
Prince of Persia: Revelations on PSP shares the combination of story, combat and traversing three-dimensional areas. The prince moves along walls, ledges and traps, using his swords when enemies block the way. Iron Man lets you approach obstacles from the air where possible and attack enemies with ranged weapons. In Revelations, the route revolves around precise climbing and jumping; Tony's combat suit gives height and firepower a different role.
