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With how successful the Ratchet & Clank (R&C) series have been for the Playstation brand name, it didn’t take long before someone in the Sony hierarchy decided, “Hey, how about a game with Clank as the main character?” A smart initiative no less, as fans of R&C (myself included) have been clamoring for a Clank-centric episode ever since the bubbly logic-smitten, Scooby-Do laughing tyke was first ever introduced. Hey, if Daxter can have one, why can’t Clank? High Impact Games answers the call, and with already one full-fledged R&C handheld title under their belt (Size Matters), you’d think Secret Agent Clank (SAC) for the Playstation Portable would be a solid no-brainer. In many ways, it is. But other times, maybe more often than not, it doesn’t shake the unnerving feeling that this futuristic, 007-spoofing adventure is strictly for R&C buffs only. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But you know, for it’s namesake, there’s shockingly quite a bit of playable segments that don’t even center around Clank. His buddy Ratchet, arrested for a felony he didn’t commit let alone remember, is along for the ride along with bumbling hero wannabe Captain Qwark, who happens to be getting ready for his new autobiography. The alternative perspectives help to flesh out what would be considered a rather plain Saturday morning cartoon fare, and the series’ writing and comedic talent doesn’t skimp either. David Kaye and Jim Ward do a mighty fine job of portraying their Clank and Qwark counterparts respectively, so there’s little to disappoint when it comes to the game’s overall charm.

The different characters are also introduced to break up the monotony in gameplay styles. While it’s very much rooted in its R&C mechanics of circle-strafing and blasting, how they’re handled for each character is what divides the difference between SAC and previous outtings. Clank, for example, has an assortment of his own spy-themed gadgetry and mandatory stealth sequences that play out like Quick-Time Events. Ratchet acts very much like he’s supposed to be, with his usual arsenal of weapons (some of which appeared in Size Matters) but is mostly confined to fight out in trapped-filled gladiator arenas consumed by waves of baddie cannon-fodder and doesn’t emphasize much on the exploration aspects from older titles. Qwark is all about being a goof. True to his character’s nature, his levels are depicted in hilarious recollections of his supposed heroic exploits and are very much action-based sans the fancy toys of Ratchet or Clank. More on that later.

Additionally, there are multiple mini-game moments that suffice to further add even more variation, like playing as the Gadgebots (Clank’s personal robotic assistants), snowboarding, hovercrafting, rhythmic gamuts, on-rails shooting as Giant Clank and more. Thing is, as good as these ideas might sound on paper, they can feel awfully unpolished at times. Take Clank’s stealth takedowns, for instance. While it’s ridiculously easy to sneak up behind an enemy brute, actually executing a takedown seems too much like positioning guesswork. Keep trying until you inadvertently foil up, and every grunt in the area will be coming to lay a smacking and it’s back to the last checkpoint for you. Then there’s the rhythm sequences, where you’re required to press the corresponding buttons on screen to trigger the next set of corresponding buttons on screen until the whole thing just goddamn finishes already. They can be fun to watch, but less fun and annoying if you mess up as many times as I did.

Shooting is very much what makes up the de-facto for any and all R&C games, and SAC is no different in that regard. You’ll get the regular hodge-podge dose of artillery, sauced with the added “Secret Agent” flavor for extra goodness. Props to anyone at High Impact who came up with the Tanglevine Carnation. A deployable Venus Flytrap that munches on whatever that dare crosses its path is a shoehorn for instant pleasure. It’s a shame more effort couldn’t have been done with Ratchet’s segments. They’re not terribly difficult to go through, but they’re not terribly entertaining either - save for the optional missions in where Ratchet will have to dodge incoming hazards while keeping his towel on in the prison shower (and you can only do those so many times until the novelty wears off). But the real show stealer has to be Quark. He’s had playable events in latter games before, but they just don’t even begin to compare to the off ball zaniness represented in SAC. Flying Mecha Godzilla, ninjas with beams coming out of their eyes, butterfly dogs, and saving nuns. Captain Blasto only wishes he was this badass.

While some of the issues that have plagued Size Matters persist (hello camera), that shouldn’t stop anyone else from checking Secret Agent Clank out. It looks good, sounds great, and will take about 10 hours to complete if you want to unlock all the hidden achievements and extra goodies packed in (no multiplayer this time around). Really though, how many original PSP games do you find floating around these days? Newcomers and skeptics, download the official demo here and then decide. Long-time devotees, this should already be spinning in your UMD trays, like, yesterday.

7.5 / 10

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