Pocket-sized pastime

Sports fans, rejoice. Sony's PlayStation Portable ($249) sets a new standard for hand-held gaming. Gone are yesterday's pedestrian graphics; expect rich 3-D visuals and stereo sound instead. Featuring a 4.3-inch widescreen monitor and PS2-style interface complete with thumb-sized control pad, the system is tailored to athletic simulations. Shaming friends at Tiger Woods PGA Tour or Gretzky NHL via built-in wireless connectivity not your speed? No sweat: The unit also plays movies and music, stored on 1.8GB universal media discs.

RELATED ARTICLE: Quick picks.

2FIFA Soccer (Electronic Arts, $49.99)

Wind your way toward the top of the Bundesliga or English Premier League while enjoying crisp commentary and eye-popping on-field views.

MLB (Sony, $39.99)

Intelligent opponents, a brilliant broadcast presentation and support for head-to-head showdowns will hit a home run with fans of all ages.

Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix (Activision, $49.99)

Customize a skateboarder, and shred metropolitan hotspots such as Las Vegas, Atlanta, Kyoto and Santa Cruz alongside up to three baggy-pantsed buddies.--Scott Steinberg

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