Dead to Rights PSP announced

Namco has revealed that its third-person gangbanger series Dead to Rights is going handheld.

Dead to Rights: Reckoning sees renegade cop-on-the-edge who's not afraid to break the rules Jack Slate thrust into the criminal heartland of Grant City, where talk is cheap, life is short and knock-off 32" WEGAs are yours for a one-er.

Jack's on a mission to rescue a kidnapped informant and bring down local crimelord Whisper, and he's got an all-new selection of lethal weapons and fighting moves to help him do it.

Plus of course his faithful doggy Shadow, who will "unleash savage canine fury" on all the low-down dirty pimps, dealers, gangsters and postmen he can find.

There's a new fighting system that features both melee and ranged attacks, slo-mo dives, disarm moves and special kill combos, and an advanced camera takes full advantage of the PSP's widescreen to let you track several enemies at once.

If you're still having trouble you can take control of Jack's canine chum and send him in to wrestle enemies to the ground and finish the attack. All together now: "Shadow, SIC BALLS!"

There's also a multiplayer mode for wireless deathmatches, but no word yet as to how many players can join in.

Dead to Rights: Reckoning is slated for a summer release in the States, with a European launch to follow whenever the PSP finally makes it over here.