Full PSPeed ahead for Ubisoft

It’s already scored success by picking up the excellent Lumines for release in Europe, but Ubisoft has revealed more of its line-up for the next six months. Key games include two which have been already released by Sony Online Entertainment in the US; puzzler FRANTIX and platform racing game GripShift . It will also release Namco’s role playing game Tales of Eternia before the end of 2005.

Other Ubisoft game series that will be making the jump to PSP in early 2006 include Prince of Persia, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, King Kong and urban vehicle combat game 187 Ride or Die .

But back to this year’s games. FRANTIX is a character-based 3D puzzle game, where you have to adventure through 150 levels in the quickest possible time while avoiding devious creatures, unique obstacles, dangerous hazards, and deadly traps. Despite being a racing game, GripShift also includes puzzle elements as you have to drive your way through some mad, mixed-up circuits with multiple routes, while collecting power-ups, avoiding traps (again), and performing huge jumps and loop-the-loops. You’ll also be able to design your own levels and share them with your friends via wi-fi.

As for Tales of Eternia, it’s actually a port of an old PSone game that was never released in Europe. Involving the usual complex stories and quirky characters of Japanese role playing games, it’s not exactly the best looking PSP game out there - it’s 2D for example - but will certainly fill a gap for fans of in-depth inventory fiddling and tricky weapons configurations who enjoy plenty of battles with colourful baddies.