BlazBlue sparked on PSP

One of GameSpot's Best Fighting Games of 2009 is getting an updated version on a new platform. Aksys Games today announced that it will release BlazBlue Portable for the PSP in March.

Based on last year's critically well-received Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 fighter BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, the new PSP edition of the game will include "every frame of animation" from the original, according to Aksys. The handheld port will also carry over the console game's assortment of arcade, story, versus, score attack, and training modes.

Fans of the series hoping for something new will also be treated to a few PSP-exclusive additions. First off, every character in the game will now be playable in regular and "unlimited" versions, with new abilities. The unlimited versions of each character will be available in the game's new Shop mode, where players can not only build out the roster of fighters but also purchase new character illustrations.

The game will also feature local multiplayer action for up to four players. While the fights will remain one-on-one, two extra players will be able to follow the action as spectators waiting for their turn to spar.

Finally, BlazBlue Portable introduces a new Legion mode. A twist on the traditional fighting game survival mode, Legion lets players recruit a party of up to 20 fighters and conquer a map full of enemy armies.