Comic books seem all the rage today (Batman, Spiderman, Watchmen), and so too are all things retro (Street Fighter IV, anyone?). So why not mush them pleasantly together? That seems to be the thinking behind Vogster Entertainment’s upcoming PSP title, Unbound Saga. This “updated” classic brawler takes place within a comic book world, but has shiny modern (well, portable modern) graphics. If you’re a fan of brawlers and own a PSP, chances are that this title will fit well in your collection.

Viewtiful Joe 2 takes the core tenets of great brawlers and expands upon them, serving as a reminder that 20 years isn’t enough to sap innovation and fun from a genre. While the old school design philosophy might prove unappetizing to casual gamers, genre fans and the hardcore should appreciate the fresh take on brawler mechanics and discovering the internal logic that makes the game tick.

From time to time, there are great pronouncements of death in the gaming world. The Dreamcast is dead! Adventure games are past! 2-D gaming is no more! Some of these revelations are more apocryphal than others, but it is certainly true that 2D games have fallen out of favor among the home consoles.

It comes as no surprise, then, that a 2D brawler appearing late in the PS2’s life cycle was heralded both as the last great game for the PS2 and the last great 2D game. While Odin Sphere meets and exceeds these standards in visual presentation and audio, the actual gameplay is forgettable.