hile it would be easy to write this series off as a crass marketing opportunity for Def Jam, the fact is that it has become one of the best brawlers on the market, and in many ways has eclipsed some of the WWE titles that obviously inspired it. Along with great gameplay, the franchise also made a good use of its license, incorporating hot new hip-hop tracks alongside legendary rap characters like Slick Rick and Flavor Flav.

This PSP version, as its name suggests, is largely based on Fight for NY, the last console Def Jam title, and sticks very closely to that game’s blueprint. In some ways, this is a good thing, as the graphics and gameplay are finely honed and in many ways even better than those of its predecessors. You can still learn new moves and fighting styles, and there is a useful reversal move that adds some timing and strategy to the mix. Also, you can now pull some “dirty moves,” like throwing sand in your opponent’s face to stun them. Even better are the new animation sequences that begin matches, getting you right into the action. Honestly, it plays and looks every bit like a console title, although I’m not fond of the action on the PSP’s shoulder buttons, which feel stiff and mechanical in comparison to the PS2’s.

While it certainly maintains the good things about the original, the fact that so much of this material is recycled does minimize the impact this title might have had (although the changes in the career mode are welcome). By now, some of the old songs feel pretty outdated (Shawnna? Stuff from Method Man’s ill-fated Tical 0 album? No thanks!), as do the clothes and other unlockables. Hip-hop moves fast, and Def Jam seems to have lost its cutting-edge appeal.