Invizimals is a unique game for the PSP that utilizes the PSP camera.  The idea behind Invizimals is that you look around your house and neighborhood to capture Invizimals, which are invisible creatures that are only visible to those using a PSP camera.  With the paper trap that’s included with the game, players can catch seek out, find and catch these Invizimals, and then use them in battle.

The game developers seemed to realize that they need to do a good job of explaining all of this to gamers to make it feel natural, and they’ve done a great job in building the flow of the game to slowly teach you about Invizimals, and how everything works.  In the game, a Japanese scientist appears to be speaking with you via Webcam as he explains and teaches you how Invizimals work.  He introduces to you to a few friends around the globe, and before you know it, you not only feel like you’re interacting with folks around the world, but you’ve also got the hang of how Invizimals works.

Using the PSP camera, you seek out objects and colors around your house, which the game “scans” to determine if there’s an Invizimal that needs to be captured.  Once an animal is ready to be caught, you simply need to lay down the trap on a flat surface, and perform a few timed button-presses and some “interactive” actions with the Invizimals, such as scratching its tail, looking it in the eyes, or even just quickly bringing down your hand to catch it.  Catching Invizimals does require some degree of coordination, and we found that younger kids weren’t quite ready for the precise movements.

Once you capture Invizimals, the idea is to use them in battle against other Invizimals, which can be controlled by the “computer” player, or by any friends who also have the game and a PSP with a camera.  Fighting is obviously an aggressive activity, but the attacks and characters are all very cartoony.

The combat system definitely requires more than just random button pressing.  You’ll need to carefully time your attacks and defenses against your opponent to make sure you come on top.  Attacks do damage to the “life” meter, while every action you do depletes your Invizimals stamina.  Fights end up being a bit of a strategic balance between keeping both life and stamina meters as full as possible.

Although it’s primarily a single-player game, there’s great fun to be had in the exploration element of Invizimals.  It’s really neat how the game uses the PSP camera to bring your home or environment into the game, either as the hiding places for the Invizimals, or the background for the Invizimal battles.  Aside from the exploration, the game is about these animals fighting each other, so you need to be aware that there is a focus on aggressive activities with Invizimals.  We definitely recommend Invizimals as an innovative PSP game that can be enjoyed together with your kids, even if it is for over-the-shoulder gameplay.