Juiced: Eliminator review

With enough respect, you'll even start fielding requests from rookie riders to join your crew, which is a mixed blessing. You can recruit up to four other computer-controlled racers, and once enlisted, you can enter them in race events. But their skills need to be cultivated, which takes tons of time. If you have the dedication to stick with it, you'll net yourself some extra respect and cash, but the rewards are seriously outweighed by the sheer frustration of trying to train a greenhorn.

Then again, training yourself to win races isn't much easier, thanks to the game's clunky controls. The PSP's analog nub ends up being a liability, making really fine-tuned movements nearly impossible (and hairpin turns that much more difficult to navigate). Basically, the controls themselves feel too loose, making things like cornering an adventure in frustration.

Continuing the trend of disappointment is the actual race tracks themselves. Incredibly boring design makes for some truly uninspired racing experiences, and you'll probably find yourself unable to really tell the tracks apart. The bland look of the tracks - gray is overused - certainly doesn't help, but the visuals for the cars are actually really detailed. You'll get some nice motion blur when hurtling down the track, and while the PSP's screen is small, you can usually see even the tiniest modification on your car well enough.