For those quick handheld trips, this is simply atrocious. It understandably has a lot to load with such a large area and immense graphical detail, but this doesn't seem like it was optimized at all. Races occasionally don't even last as long as the load times. Every move, every selection, and press of a button needs to be thoroughly thought out to ensure it's important enough to wait for.
It's a real shame too, because the racing portion of the game is wonderful, with strong AI, bass pushing music, and great cities to drive through. Play times will vary based on the titles user controlled pace, but if you play for 10 hours, at least three of those will be spent looking at a loading screen. If you're patient, this is the second best racing title on the PSP, just behind Ridge Racer. If you're not, stick with Namco's game.
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