Blast Off is the second of Brisbane’s Halfbrick Studios’ Xbox Live Community games to be ported over as a PSP mini, with the first one being last week’s Echoes. As with Echoes, Blast Off is based on an incredibly simple concept that still manages to translate into some truly absorbing gameplay.

You play the part of a rocket ship pilot who’s on a mission to rescue lost astronauts floating in space. Quite why so many astronauts have got themselves lost in space is never explained!

After you launch the rocket ship from the home planet by pressing X, all you have to do is propel it towards the astronaut to rescue them. Only trouble is, it’s not so simple! The rocket is subject to the gravitational pull of any nearby planets or asteroids, and if you get too close to them you’ll crash and burn.

The other main challenge you face is the fact that you only have a limited supply of fuel and air, as indicated by the gauges at the bottom of the screen. Run out of fuel and you’ll be as helpless as the astronauts you’re trying to save, drifting until you run out of air.

Where the skill comes into play is in trying to steer your ship against, and sometimes with, the gravitational pull while also trying to get close enough to the astronauts to rescue them. It can be incredibly frustrating at times, but also a lot of fun. We’ll delve deeper into the finer points of the gameplay in the full upcoming review.

Overall first impressions are generally favourable –the graphics are vibrant and crisp, the music is suitably spacey and soothing and the basic concept is excellent. My main concern is the longevity factor, as I managed to unlock all Easy and Medium levels in a very short space of time. We shall see!