After what can only be described as a mammoth development race, the PSP version of Gran Turismo has finally made it to the Weigh Bridge. The game is available now on both UMD and digitally from the PlayStation Store and features hundreds of cars alongside a ton of tracks. But is sheer quantity enough to justify the five year wait for this title?

Gamespot (75%) – “While it lacks a number of the features that the series was built on, Gran Turismo still has a lot to offer anyone who’s ever had a poster of a car up on his wall or dreamed of taking a supercar for a test drive. Gran Turismo is a game that’s likely to keep you coming back for more time and time again.”

EDGE Magazine (70%) - “Gran Turismo PSP offers little more coherency between events than the single race option that has always been present in the series. Far from being liberating, this bespoke arrangement feels like an anaemic reproduction of the Gran Turismo experience”

Eurogamer (70%) – “You could argue that you’re getting all the content you could possibly want and are then invited to explore it without restriction, and it’s certainly possible to enjoy the game like this. But…relying on players to make their own fun is either lazy or foolhardy. Coupled with archaic AI and the isolating absence of PlayStation Network support, this makes for a game that feels unfocused and regressive, despite its considerable technical and mechanical accomplishments.”

All of the reviews that I have read so far mention the game’s lack of a career mode negatively. Several also state that the four car limit that exists in every race is far too restrictive. If you can put up with that while on your travels then it looks like you will be rewarded with a faithful reproduction of the series as well as some of the best visuals ever delivered on a handheld.

Codemasters has confirmed to Chequered Pad that F1 2009 will have full support for Nintendo’s Gamecube controller when it is released for Wii in November. Despite being bundled with an F1-style “Wii Wheel” accessory, the game will support a multitude of options, including using the remote on its own, using the remote and nunchuk combo as well as the Classic and Gamecube controllers.

F1 2009 will not be the first game to be released with motion controls, however. Sony Liverpool experimented with this in F1 Championship Edition on PlayStation 3, and the option exists for users of both Dual Shock and Sixaxis controllers.

Codemasters is continuing its trend of releasing images of each circuit on the F1 calendar as the circus makes its way there in real life, and this weekend it’s the turn of Suzuka. The track is famous worldwide for hosting the Japanese Grand Prix and apart from a couple of years off in 2007 and 2008, it has done so every season in recent memory. It’s held in high regard by all drivers and is the only one on the calendar to feature a figure-of-eight layout. Check out the game screenshots and trailer featuring the track below: