Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

Insomniac Games' dynamic duo shines in their first handheld game.

I'm a big fan of the Ratchet & Clank franchise, so it was a no-brainer that I would try out Size Matters, even though it was released on the PSP and was developed by High Impact Games and not Insomniac. I can confidently report that High Impact did a tremendous job shrinking a Playstation 2 franchise onto a portable device. The designers there did an excellent job retaining the humor, gameplay, and art direction of earlier Ratchet & Clank titles, while adding a few new features. There are some control and audio issues, but overall Size Matters is a success, and one of the best games on the PSP.

Size Matters begins on Pokitaru, where heroes Ratchet and Clank are enjoying some well-deserved rest (they save the galaxy pretty routinely, after all). There they meet Luna, a young girl writing a school report on superheroes. Luna is summarily kidnapped by strange looking robots, and the heroes are forced to interrupt their vacation to save her and reveal an insidious threat to the galaxy. Unfortunately, the story is a little too predictable and too rushed. The characters, worlds, and jokes in Size Matters are as colorful as always, but the story falls flat.

Look at those gadgebots go!

But it's not like Ratchet & Clank is known for epic sci-fi storylines. It's known for its sense of humor, its awesome array of weapons and gadgets, and its unique gameplay, which combines platforming, third-person shooting, and light RPG elements. The gameplay in Size Matters is as good as ever. There are typical platform-heavy stages, and stages that require a clever combination of weapons and gadgets, but there are also many, many mini-games. The best of these are "Clank Challenges," where the robot sidekick Clank performs in one of three mini-games. One is like a robotic version of Gladiator, where several robots attack each other with lasers, sawblades, and battering rams. Another features robots vying to pick up gadgebots (small robots that perform a variety of tasks) and toss them into a force field. The best, though, is a Lemmings-style mini-game where the player navigates several gadgebots to safety by programming them in real-time.

The first of many armor pieces.

Another new feature in Size Matters is the ability to find armor (not just buy it) on the many planets Ratchet and Clank visit during the game, and mix and match armor sets. Certain suits of armor will provide bonus effects, like shock-wave, acid, and flame damage.

There are flaws in Size Matters, and these relate to the control scheme, and to some audio issues. High Impact Games had the unenviable job of moving Ratchet & Clank from the PS2, which has a controller with 10 buttons, two analog sticks, and a directional pad, to a Playstation Portable, which has 6 buttons, one analog stick and a d-pad. For the most part the transition went smoothly, with two big exceptions: 1) the camera is operated somewhat awkwardly with the shoulder buttons, and 2) players strafe by using the d-pad, which is inefficient and cumbersome.

Ratchet and Clank fight some nasty looking robots.

Audio is another problem. A lot of the sound effects and music in Size Matters sound tinny. Rarely, especially during busy fights, the audio cuts out completely.

However, those are rather small complaints compared with the excellence of the overall game. It looks good – sometimes better than its console counterparts – and comes packed with a healthy amount of content, including mini-games, upgradable weapons, and customizable armor. There are better Ratchet & Clank games out there, but for PSP owners Size Matters is a must.

Score: 8.5