Core Design unveils PSP puzzler

The first evidence of Core Design's labours since it was "refocused and restructured" in the aftermath of Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness has come to light this week in the shape of "Smart Bomb", a PlayStation Portable puzzler which involves defusing bombs.

Core, which publisher Eidos has set to work developing concepts for the Sony handheld, will see its first PSP effort signed off in time for the European hardware launch - whenever that turns out to be.

Smart Bomb pits the player against a series of sophisticated AI bombs, which are split into tiers that must be disabled in order to get at the detonator in the core. There's no word on the actual mechanics of the puzzler right now, but we do have some screenshots.

It seems the main thrust of the game will be a single-player story mode, the background to which we'll happily paraphrase for you here: in response to an unknown force using "AI bombs" to hold the world to ransom, the Global Defence Network sets up an elite reaction force - the Bomb Disposal Unit - led by Colonel Cage and rookie Michelle Grace, which uses a prototype VR system to defuse them.

Cage then vanishes amidst speculation that the VR system has malfunctioned, and the bomb threats dry up - until now! Badum. With ten years past and Grace now in control of the unit - and your VR system training - it's up to the BDU to once again put an end to this threat, which has all the hallmarks of the original crisis.

There will be two other single-player modes - arcade and challenge - along with a four-way multiplay mode to cap off the package. We'll bring you more as we hear it.