Tomb Raider Anniversary to strut onto PSP

We're very used to companies dusting off old games to make new versions. This year's Tomb Raider Legend title, for instance, took the latest version of Lara Croft's dungeon romping and wildlife popping series onto PSP some ten years after her 1996 debut.

But it's one thing to bring an idol of yesteryear to today's marketplace. It's quite another to just tart up the original and re-release it with a bit of fancy make-up.

And to be honest, we weren't quite sure what Eidos had planned when we first heard about Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary.

Due for release in 2007 (so this is the big, erm, decade-plus-a-bit anniversay), the game will be released on PSP, PlayStation 2 and PC (version pictured), and Eidos is describing it as a 'totally new 2006 adventure for Lara'. Except that two lines later, the press release says it will 'faithfully preserve the elements that made the original Tomb Raider such a classic'.

So which is it: a modern revamping or a bit of cheeky grave robbing? Thank goodness Eidos' Kathryn Clements is on-hand to clear things up.

"Over the years we've had literally thousands of requests to re-make the original Tomb Raider for today's gamer," she says, keeping us on tenterhooks.

"We have gone a step further, we have taken the original story and made a completely new version for Tomb Raider: Anniversary."

Aha!

"We are re-telling an incredible story using today's technology."

We see.

"We've taken all of the key moments from the original game and put them into the context of a brand new Tomb Raider adventure, which will make fans of the franchise extremely happy but also attract a completely new audience."

Got it. Thanks Kathryn!

Still, one wonders what exactly Eidos thought it was doing with the half a dozen other Tomb Raiders that followed that 1996 original. But never mind, if the girl can keep up her current return to form, we won't be complaining.

So far the only confirmed 21st Century modernisation seems to be some exposed hipbones, thanks to lower-slung hot pants visible in the single screenshot released.

But then, we've only seen her from one angle so far. Perhaps she's also had her lips done. Click 'Track It!' to keep up-to-date with Lara's ongoing cosmetic surgery.