It can be scary when your favorite franchises leave the nest. Ratchet, that name-taking Lombax with an attitude, and his pal Clank—the most cuddly robot EVAR—are getting ready for their first adventure not on the PlayStation 2, but don't start scouring the net for PS3 auctions just yet. Ratchet and Clank's first non-PS2 romp won't be on the PlayStation 3. They're going portable in Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters. However, the jump to a new system isn't the only frightening change in our beloved duo's newest outing: Size Matters isn't being developed by the series' creators, Insomniac Games. Instead, Ratchet and Clank will be under the care of new developer, High Impact Games when they board the PSP train.

Trouble in Paradise
After four years and as many games on the PS2, Ratchet and Clank are in dire need of a well-deserved vacation from their galaxy-saving antics. It's no secret that Ratchet has a little selfish streak in him, so he has no qualms taking time off for some fun in the sun. However, it's just not meant to be. Before Ratchet and Clank can hit their quota of mimosas and beach blanket bingo parties they're roped into a bit of evil robot bashing so a little girl can snap some heroic action shots of Ratchet. Of course, Ratchet would never let a fan down; his ego just wouldn't let him. As fate would have it, as soon as Ratchet makes good on some heroic hijinks, his little fanling is abducted! It's up to Ratchet and Clank to sort things out, but they're going to get more they bargained for when they begin to unravel a nefarious plot and rediscover the ancient race of inventors: the Technomites!

Size Does Matter
Size Matters may fit in your portable Playstation but you better brace yourself for a full sized dose of Ratchet and Clank. In fact, if it wasn't for the lack of a second analog stick, you could easily forget that you're playing on a portable system. With a look that's very reminiscent of their first three adventures, Clank is back where he belongs: strapped to Ratchet's back! Ratchet himself starts out looking a like how we found him in his original adventure, but he'll be donning all kinds of different armor—which you can customize for individual areas—that he comes across during his adventures. In no time, Ratchet will be outfitted in some snazzy robot busting gear and he'll need it.

Hilarity? Check!
Yes, diehard fans, the series trademark humor doesn't seem to have been lost in the translation to the PSP. In fact, this should sum it up: peg-legged, Hawaiian shirt wearing robots with spring loaded boxing gloves. You get the picture. All the fun from the console games remains intact on the PSP. Even the monkey-brained Captain Qwark can't say no to a good time.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Ratchet and Clank game without some truly one-of-a-kind weapons. You might recognize a few of the weapons from Ratchet and Clank's PS2 adventures like the Agents of Doom, but there are also plenty of all-new weapons to choose from like the Bee Mine Glove, Acid Bomb Glove, the Scorcher, the Lacerator, and the Mootator. Sound like fun? You bet!

It's Not The Size That Counts, It's How You Control It.
This go 'round, Ratchet's most dangerous enemy might not be the hoard of robots trying to make Lombax kabobs, but rather the PSP hardware itself. The lack of a second analog stick (or nub as it were) can make moving around awkward in Size Matters. To compensate, Size Matters uses the triggers to control the camera. While not exactly optimal, it does work. Changing the camera from "passive" to "follow" really made the difference as I introduced some robots to the business end of Ratchet's wrench. Despite the hardware limitations, Size Matters remains fun to play, so you'll be able to concentrate on having fun instead constantly dealing with frustrating camera issues.

It looks like Insomniac's baby is in good hands (if you look closely you'll find more than a few ex-Insomniacs at High Impact Games). The return of playable Clank levels and possibly more Captain Qwark adventures (pretty please!) round out this entry in the Ratchet and Clank series. PSP owners, get ready to don those Lombax ears you've been keeping in your closet. This adventure, built from the ground up for the PSP, is looking to be a must-get, especially for those of us needing to bulk up our less than sizeable PSP libraries, because size does matter.

- teal