Game Details
| Size | 513 MB |
| Region | USA |
| Genre | Adventure, Open World,Third Person SHooter |
| Format | 7z / ISO |
| Year | October 10, 2006 |
| Console | PSP |
Gun: Showdown (2006) is the expanded PSP port of the gritty 2005 Western hit Gun. While the console version was developed by Neversoft, this handheld “Director’s Cut” was handled by Rebellion (the Sniper Elite team), who managed to cram the entire open-world experience into the PSP with several exclusive additions.
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Voice Cast: Features a Hollywood-heavy cast including Thomas Jane (Colton White), Kris Kristofferson (Ned White), Ron Perlman, and Lance Henriksen.
What’s New in “Showdown”?
Since the PSP version arrived a year after the consoles, it was bolstered with extra content to make up for the lower resolution and single analog stick.
Key Exclusive Features:
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5 New Story Missions: These “lost missions” fill in gaps in Colton’s journey, including a bank robbery and taking down a moonshine ring.
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The “Rogue” Horse: Unlike the consoles where you often swapped horses like stolen cars, in Showdown you have a loyal horse named Rogue (or Bandit) that you can summon anywhere by whistling.
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Quickplay Modes: Short, arcade-style mini-games designed for handheld play, including Quail Hunting, Bear Hunting, and Dynamite Run.
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New Weapons: Introduced Mines and Throwing Knives (for stealth) which weren’t available in the original release.
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Wireless Multiplayer: Supports up to 6 players via Ad-hoc. It includes standard Deathmatch alongside Multiplayer Poker (Texas Hold ’em) and “Golden Cross.”
Gameplay & Controls: The “Second Stick” Problem
The biggest hurdle for Gun: Showdown was translating a dual-analog shooter to a console with only one nub.
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Control Scheme: By default, you move with the analog nub and aim with the Face Buttons ($\triangle$, $\square$, $\times$, $\circ$). It takes some getting used to, but it mimics the “C-button” aiming from the N64 era.
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Quickdraw Mode: Pushing Up on the D-Pad triggers a first-person slow-motion mode. This was a lifesaver on the PSP, as it provided an auto-lock feature that made aiming much less frustrating during chaotic shootouts.
Short Review: A Gritty Portable Classic
The Good
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Technical Achievement: To see a fully open-world New Mexico and Kansas—complete with a seamless transition between towns—on a 2006 handheld was staggering.
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Superior Storytelling: The writing (by Randall Jahnson) and the voice acting remain some of the best in the Western genre, rivaled only by Red Dead Redemption.
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Brutal & Mature: It doesn’t hold back on the violence or the “dirty” reality of the Old West, including the series’ signature (though controversial) “scalping” mechanic (which was actually toned down/removed in some regions for the PSP port).
The Bad
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Performance Issues: The framerate can get “choppy” when there are too many riders on screen or during heavy explosions.
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Control Learning Curve: The lack of a second stick makes horse-riding and shooting simultaneously a very “thumb-heavy” chore.
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Sparse World: To keep the game running, the towns are noticeably less populated than the PS2/Xbox versions, making Dodge City feel a bit like a ghost town.
Screenshots
