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Even though Electronic Arts isn’t bringing the mega popular Madden NFL title to the PlayStation Portable at launch, the company is bringing another popular football title out, NFL Street 2 Unleashed.

Unleashed is very similar to the NFL Street 2 that recently released for the consoles, except for the fact that the game is scaled down to the PSP and has a number of added features. Beyond that though, Unleashed is close to being a port of the popular football street title.

Graphically, the game moves quick at what EA is saying is approximately 30 frames-per-second and it sure looks like it as we have seen gameplay close to the final build. A couple of months back, questions were raised on whether the game would be able to play up to that speed, but we can tell you now that it certainly does. Of course, player details aren’t quite up to par from their console counterparts, but graphically the game is still very impressive. The game does fit all twelve players on the small PSP screen and graphically it still looks good. You’ll also notice close-ups look pretty close to their NFL counterparts between plays and finally the game also sports endzone dances and more.

Once you get to in-game options this is where the real fun begins. Unleashed features the training mode that allows you to go through all the basics like passing, running and defense and thank goodness for those who’ve played the game before, yes you are able to skip the tutorials or view what you’d like. The game also includes career mode, titled Own the City, where you create-a-player and join a team as you battle other teams in the city.

NFL Street 2 Unleashed also includes a slew of minigames for those on the go who don’t have time to play a full game. The nine games that are also available through WiFi play include returning games like crush the carrier, open field showdown and jump-ball battle as well as two-minute drill that allows you to score as much as possible in two minutes and then your opponent tries to beat your score. Also the street slalom where your player goes through obstacles, the four-on-four game and the style standoff that lets you battle it out against your competitor in a dance contest.

Besides the added minigames, EA has included two of the original NFL Street environments, those being the Courtyard and the Pit. Another addition they have also included is classic teams and classic players like Jerry Rice when he played for the 49ers.

The only drawback for NFL Street 2 Unleashed right now is the load times, which are rumored to be quite long. Hopefully the team from Electronic Arts can knock them down a little bit before the title’s release.

NFL Street 2 Unleashed certainly looks to be a must-have game for football fans, and especially those who like the NFL Street franchise. The game is essentially a port of the recent NFL Street 2 title, but with added features like WiFi play and extra minigames that should keep players busy whether they are on the go, or have a little more time. NFL Street 2 Unleashed isn’t Madden, but will definitely fill the void at launch for football fans looking to get their fix in the off-season.