The biggest problem with Fight Night Round 3 for PSP is that they called is Fight Night Round 3. It gives the impression that production and licensing costs for this otherwise superlative franchise were spread across all platforms, with the least amount actually making it to the PSP version.

In fact, had EA dropped to the whole coat-riding, multi-sku marketing shtick and just called this Portable Pummel Round 1 and released it with "value" pricing, they might have had a critically commendable game here.

As it stands, FNR3 for PSP, while graphically impressive, is a hapless underachiever in most other respects. It conveys the pain of pugilism not with gameplay, but with load times conveying a sense of "Oh my aching battery, you're draining and I'm not even playing."

The sweetly scientific analog control of its console counterparts is all but missing in the PSP version, making it mostly about button mashing, further befuddled by the triple-jointed ergonomics of the PSP itself. If not aching fingers, the looming threat of load-time tedium just makes this impossible to play for any length of time, much less commit to a "career."

Fortunately, there are some great quickie fights to be found and a fairly rewarding exhibition mode that make FNR3 good for a go on the bus. Get out your sharpie and write PPR1 on the cover and you'll be satisfied with that.