The stunning first instalment in the series was originally ported with typical aplomb to Sega’s Naomi-based Dreamcast system, and was instantly pronounced by those in the know as something of a “killer app”. The simplicity of the gameplay and sheer fun factor meant it was a perfect game to enjoy one on one with a mate, yet the single player mode contained enough secrets and innovative extras (such as VMU mini-games) to hold interest once the party had finished. A sequel surfaced a year later, which added more characters, more outlandish weaponry, even more intricate planes of combat, and an absolute scream of a four player mode. Despite overcomplicating matters and diluting the purity of its predecessor, it was still a mighty fine game which received a rapturous response.

Strangely, apart from a few cameo background appearances in Capcom vs SNK 2, the beautifully designed Power Stone world and its denizens were abandoned by Capcom, presumably never to be seen again.

Thankfully, Capcom of late seem to be on a one-developer mission to capture the hearts and minds of all gamers, retro or otherwise, forever. Numerous compilations of much loved oldies, dramatic re-imaginings of beloved moments in games history, and superlative new fare meant that when Power Stone Collection was announced for the PSP we were delighted, but not surprised. A compilation of both games, with the possibility of a load of extras thrown in, and the convenience of playing whilst evacuating your bowels. Capcom, we truly salute you.

And what we have been treated to are near-flawless versions of both games. The graphics are bright and colourful, just as you would expect from the PSP. There is the slightest whiff of jagged edges and dodgy background textures, but these are mostly irrelevant given the fast paced action and the overall level of quality. Controls are intuitive, something you cannot say too often in the context of the notoriously uncomfortable device, and it remains a pleasure to roam around the exceptional, multi-layered arenas, throwing everything from giant wooden beams to flamethrower licks of death at your adversaries with a simple, uncomplicated button set up. The screen ratio has been altered to suit the PSP screen, and works tremendously well. Despite the stretching and pulling, it still looks ship shape and whizzes along at a right old lick with no squished up characters or pesky borders.

And the gameplay, ahh, the gameplay. It is still as streamlined and simple as it ever was, and it remains a rare thrill chasing your opponents around the excellent variety of stages, using a plethora of items to get your mitts on the sparkling gems within. It seems even more thrilling that a big, grown up arcade machine from the not too distant past is running on a handheld no bigger than a grilled ciabatta.

“Rellcome to tha Powaaaa Stone ruuuurld!” is the poorly intonated rallying cry, the precursor to the stunningly effective battles within. The premise is straightforward – you control your selected character, and are able to perform three basic actions – attack, jump and grab. The aim is to deplete the energy bar of your opponent, by using your own manual attacks, the weapons and pieces of scenery that you can grab and utilise, or by collecting the titular Power Stones which randomly appear on the playing field; collecting the whole set allows your charge to transform into their uber-powered, death-dealing alter-ego, capable of carrying out two devastating super attacks. The frantic dash to grab the stones is edge-of-the-seat stuff, and the feeling of unleashing hell on your opponent is only rivalled within the genre by some of the more outlandish and difficult to execute super moves in brawlers like The King Of Fighters and the Capcom “VS” games.

The weapons themselves are incredibly varied with guns, bombs, swords, lasers and furniture all featuring prominently. Power Stone also features arguably the best example of a bonkers chase scenario with a big hammer since Tom & Jerry went crap and started speaking.

Movement around the stages is fluid and the way background items can be manipulated or used to your advantage gives an outstanding sense of freedom and turns you into a chop-socky daredevil, vaulting off walls, swinging around pillars and kicking inanimate objects across the playing field at your enemies. The second game includes stages that actually evolve as the clock ticks down, with one particular battle beginning on a huge craft in the sky, and continuing in freefall as the ‘Stoners plummet through the sky.

All seems proper rosy so far.

Let us hold on a goddamned second, though. A perfect port of an old multiplayer favourite is all very well if you are or were a fan of the original games, which we here at NTSC-Uk undoubtedly are. What exactly does the UMD offer to someone new to the series? Not a great deal unfortunately. Ad hoc multiplayer mode is available, but limited. There is no true online option, meaning that in order to enjoy four player shenanigans (easily the highlight of the second title), one needs to find three like minded mates and three further copies of the game to get it awwwn. There is more chance of obtaining a reasonably priced PlayStation 3 than this ever occurring in the wild (i.e. outside of a dedicated gaming meet). Much like the splendid Gokumakaimura or the retro compilations the developer has bestowed upon us, this title is also unlikely to make much of a dent into the consciousness of your average casual gamer, and this, it could be argued, is a symptom of their own abandonment of the franchise.

The simple fact is that for the (full retail) price of this game, you could buy yourself a cheapo Dreamcast, copies of both titles, and the necessary controllers needed to initiate multiplayer thrills. Hell, you would probably have enough left over for ten Bensons and a big bottle of Lambrini. Of course, to the long time fans who already own a Dreamcast, the game allows you to play one of your all-time faves on the move, and that will be the only real reason to pick this up, unless you live or regularly fraternize with a clutch of rabid, PSP-owning Power Stone fans and don’t like controller cables (we are not ruling this out, it is worth adding).

All in all, despite what may seem like a whole plethora of negatives, this remains a superlative action title that deserves to be afforded your respect and your PSP battery life. The conversion is excellent, and the game plays just as well as it ever did, ranking right up near the very top in the pantheon of similarly styled games like Smash Bros, Poy Poy and Kung Fu Chaos. It is just a crying shame that the online capabilities of the console were not properly harnessed, and that there is a shocking lack of any real extras for those who already own the original versions.