Tokobot

This is more like it, this is what we want to see on PSP (indeed on any pocket gaming device): quirky, original and undeniably appealing gaming.

For a start, it features robots and you simply can’t go wrong with those. Tokobots, as it turns out these are known, are tiny helper automatons thousands of years old, the last remaining vestige of a race vastly ahead of its time. Recently excavated from their resting place by scientists, they soon attract the attention of unscrupulous parties who see the minute mechanoids as their ticket to world domination.

That’s mostly because Tokobots don’t just stand around dusting shelves and cooking dinner. When in groups they can join together to create ladders, swings and gliders or, if they’re really in the mood to impress, they’ll merge to become a far larger, far more powerful robot, such as a metal samurai or a block-lifting crane.

As Bot, you're responsible for trying to put a stop to the evil plan and you’ll discover this versatility first-hand. You begin with six Tokobots but as the puzzling challenges facing you increase in difficulty, you’ll inevitably have to find additional helpers in order to progress.

If the pressure gets to be too much, you can retire from the Story mode for a while and engage in one of the minigames on offer. Either way, Tokobot’s lovable eccentric qualities should be just what the PSP needs. The game is due for release in March.