Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters scored very well on the PSP, but as a PS2 game it simply doesn't hold up as well. While the back of the box trumpets remastered graphics for the PS2, Size Matters still doesn't look as good or handle as well as any other PS2-based Ratchet & Clank game and so it's unclear why you would want to play this game as opposed to the superior Up Your Arsenal. Still, if you're fiending for some Ratchet & Clank action (and have played all other R&C PS2 titles to death), then you shouldn't have too much trouble wringing some enjoyment out of Size Matters... but you'd be better off playing it on the PSP.

Bigger Isn't Better

Part of the problem with Size Matters in its PS2 incarnation is that it moves sluggishly in comparison to prior Ratchet & Clank games. Ratchet in particular just doesn't seem to have as much get-up-and-go as he has in earlier titles and feels like he's been submerged in a pool of sludge. Not only does he seem to move slower than in previous games, but the controls seem to be mired in molasses... he just doesn't react as quickly and nimbly to your commands as he has before. On the smaller stage of the PSP, this labored motion didn't seem as obvious, but the larger screen real estate the PS2 version demonstrates a distinct lack of agility.

Ideally this would be offset by improved graphics, but Size Matters doesn't deliver on the promise of remastered graphics. Put simply, the game looks like a hyper-inflated version of the PSP game and there is almost no evidence that the textures have received any more attention than a cursory bump in resolution followed by a hasty smoothing filter in Photoshop. Size Matters doesn't look as crisp as previous Ratchet & Clank games, giving the overwhelming impression that the game is barely more than a warmed-over plate of leftovers.


A Bad Second Impression

Size Matters is still a fun game. It's got just about everything you'd expect from a Ratchet & Clank game, including loads of crazy weapons of mass destruction, tons of silly and addictive mini-games and even GIANT CLANK. The story is funny and the characters play their classic roles to perfection.

The trouble is that this game has already been played. It already came out a little over a year ago and was enjoyed by gamers all over the world. This new version offers nothing actually new at all, and as such seems like a significant throwback, especially when compared to previous Ratchet & Clank games on the PS2.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters actually looks better on the PSP, given the wider aspect ratio and native resolution the game was originally designed for. Add in the fact that the PSP version can be taken with you where ever you go and the PS2 version feels gimped and hamstrung.

While Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters was a hoot on the PSP, the move to the PS2 has done nothing to improve the game in general and serves as a great commercial for the PSP version more than anything else. Considering the fact that you could pick up the PSP version for ten extra dollars at your local game shop (or even cheaper used), we'd still recommend forking over the additional cash for the original game over this half-hearted port.