PSP owners, or at leastwell, the ones who got one because they thought it would make a kick-ass gaming machine, have had little to crow about since the system's release. Though it was touted as the next evolutionary step in handheld gaming, the PSP's library is more like a history lesson, as it's overflowing with sequels to established series or simple rehashes of older titles. As questionable a strategy as that may be, for once it works in our favor as the old PS1 game MediEvil gets a facelift and is reborn as MediEvil Resurrection. Hooray for grave robbing!

Calling MediEvil Resurrection a remake of the original MediEvil is a bit misleading. Some of the original content has been shaved off, and a few mini- games have been added in its place, but for all intents and purposes, it's the same gamething. Long ago, in the fantasy land of Gallowmere, the evil sorcerer Zarok did what evil sorcerers do, and tried to take over the world. Fortunately for the forces of good, Sir Dan Fortescue was on hand to rally the troops and save the day, though the brave knight himself sadly fell on the field of battle. That's how the history books tell it, anyway. The truth is that Sir Dan was a complete coward who got shot in the eye before the fight even got underway, and it's more luck than anything that ended up punching Zarok's ticket. Still, folks love a hero, and Sir Dan was just the dead guy to fill the bill. Staying true to the Bad Guy Manifesto, Zarok has returned, and with all of Gallowmere's heroes moldering in their graves, it seems that there's nothing that can stop him.

But really, what fun would that be?

Since the word "Resurrection" is right there in the title, it's shouldn't come as too big a surprise that Sir Dan is quickly up and around, despite his extremely deceased state. Little more than bones and armor, (poor guy doesn't even have a lower jaw, not to mention that eye he's missing), Dan is eager to make up for his cowardice on the battlefield the first time around and live up to the heroic reputation he accidentally earned.

Getting MediEvil on Your Arse
At its heart, Resurrection is a simple hack and slash, as Sir Dan slices and dices his way through Zarok's lumbering footsoldiers. As is typical, each weapon has a slow and a fast attack, assigned to the square and the X buttons, respectively. Winding up a slow attack results in a much stronger blow, but leaves Dan open to attack, while the fast attacks do far less damage but leave Dan in a better position to get out of the way. Each weapon that Dan discovers has its own roster of combos and moves, but there's really no overwhelming need to stray too far from simple button mashing. At first, the only weapons to choose from are a simple club or short sword, but as Dan progresses through the game, Gallowmere's fallen heroes offer him assistance in the form of their weapons of choice, including spears, a long sword, and a giant hammer. Each weapon has its pros and cons, as well as secondary uses, such as the hammer's ability to knock through walls andor floors, or the club's rather handy flammable nature. The AI isn't the smartest ever made, but it's certainly good enough to get the job done withand the enemies cominge in a nice variety of ghosties and ghoulies. To make targeting a bit easier, a green dot flies ahead of Dan's field of vision, handily turning red when an enemy is within range. This is rather cutely explained away in the game by blaming it all on tiny green flies that are eager to help Sir Dan's noble cause. Pressing the R button when the flies turn red locks on to the target, opening up strafing possibilities, especially handy when using a projectile weapon. To lock on or not to lock on is ultimately up to the player's personal preference, because strafing works just about as well as simply hacking and dodging.

The camera in Resurrection comes as a wonderful surprise because, get this, it actually works. I never felt like I couldn't see everything I needed to at any given moment as it silkily glided just over Dan's shoulder. The controls fare well, too, with the button commands for combat and jumping being tight and responsive. Movement, on the other hand, tends towards mushiness. The analog control is a bit too loose and the D-pad is a bit too tight, so getting Dan to go where he's supposed to can be frustrating at times, especially on levels where one wrong step sends him plummeting to his doom. It's not a gamekiller, but it can make maneuvering through a field of enemies harder than it needs to be.

The graphics of Resurrection may not put too much of a strain on the PSP's abilities, but that doesn't mean the game isn't just plain gorgeous. The blocky polygons of the original have been replaced with smooth models and buttery animation. The environments are large, sprawling affairs, nicely detailed and with a personality all their own. Pay particular attention to the lighting, because it helps set the scene in remarkably subtle ways. Torchlight flickers in dank dungeons, moonlight shines on shambling animated corpses, green ooze glows like party favors at a rave. The Stain Glass boss (yes, I know it should be "Stained," but that's their mistake, not mine) is a true thing of beauty, both inspired in design and delicate in execution. Also a bit of a badass, so players would be wise to stay light on their toes in front of him.

As Dan explores the land of Gallowmere in his efforts to thwart Zarok's evil plans, he finds various mini-games with which to earn tokens and coin of the realm. Once found, the games are then accessible from the main menu so that players can take a crack at them whenever they like, though only for fun and not for profit. The games themselves are well executed, but as is usually the case, some are just plain more fun than others. Two of them are available from the get-go, however: a shooting gallery and a rat-squishing game. They're not exactly going to win Game of the Year, but they're a fun little diversion and challenging enough to take a fair amount of skill, so that beating each new difficulty level feels like a genuine achievement.

Although the gameplay of Resurrection is really nothing new, what sets it apart from other titles of its ilk is its humor. This game is hysterical, from beginning to end. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, and the voice acting (or, in Dan's case, mumbling) is top end, high-quality stuff. Even the narration during the loading screens is funny. Oh, and speaking of loading screens, not only are they few and far between, they're very short, definitely a rarity among PSP games. Celebrate!

MediEvil Resurrection, despite being dug up from Playstation vaults of yore, is a welcome addition to the PSP library. The action is solid, the mini-games are fun, the graphics are just plain stunning, and it's the best laugh I've had since I saw Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Players who already played and beat MediEvil may not feel compelled to retread old ground, but for anyone who missed their chance back in the late 90s should definitely snag this for some on the go goodness.