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It's a given then that the graphical presentation would be the most impacted element of such a transition. Test Drive Unlimited on the console offered some excellent tropical scenery and lovely car models. The PSP offering does the same, but with less CPU power comes trade-offs. The vehicles resemble much of what you might expect for the PSP. The models themselves are nicely done, but they're not as crisp and visually sharp as one would want. The island itself loses some graphical flair, although I will state that the diverse lighting effects will help transition those who have spent a fair amount of time with the Xbox 360 version.

Expect to see gloomy clouds, blue skies and tangerine sunsets. Those are the most appealing aspects of the graphical presentation. Atari touts the fact that the game streams the island on the fly, meaning that you won't see any load screens unless you're entering a race or one of the many shops that you find scattered throughout Oahu. Car sounds are again standard fare for a PSP racer. In fact, it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell these portable racers apart when comparing engine sounds and such. The music however offers plenty of variety in the form of radio stations, which include rock, techno, etc. When cruising, you can press the down arrow of the digital pad to bring up a menu allowing you to select your tunes and there is even an option to take your favorite songs from each station and create a custom play list.

Back on the topic of streaming, Atari speaks the truth. Unfortunately, there is a slight hiccup or delay each time your car passes into a zone that needs to be loaded on the fly. This might seem innocuous, but the small delay can play havoc when you're involved in a tight race. Another issue is pop-up. While many PSP gamers are used to the fact that pop-up occurs in most racing games, there is an added problem here. Random traffic can sometimes be difficult to spot until it's right on top of you. When this occurs, it's difficult to avoid hitting other vehicles. While your car may not take damage, slamming into another vehicle slows you down and allows the competition to get the upper hand. You get used to this after a few hours of play, but it is a bit frustrating in the early stages.

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Where the entire package really shines is in game play modes and options. While others constantly strive to make the line between single and multi-player gaming transparent, Atari has done an admirable job with Test Drive Unlimited. If you have access to wireless internet you can log into your created account using ad-hoc or infrastructure racing. As in the console game, you can drive for miles and miles across the island and participate in races against the AI and you will also encounter other human players whom you can race at any time.