Handheld video game machines have finally grown up with the PlayStation Portable from Sony Corp.

That's no slight to Nintendo Co., long a purveyor of kid-friendly Game Boys and, more recently, a cleverly interactive and affordable dual-screen model.

The PSP, however, has the edge with its versatility, raw power and chiseled good looks.

Like some diminutive monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey," the PSP looks as if formed from a single black slab of plastic. And if the sleek design doesn't grab you, wait until you turn it on and see the sharp 4.3-inch liquid crystal screen.

The $250 PSP Value Pack, which goes on sale in North America on March 24, includes the PSP, stereo headphones, a 32-megabyte Memory Stick Duo, battery and charger, a wrist strap and soft carrying case.

Included are two of Sony's proprietary 1.8-gigabyte Universal Media Discs. One is a sampler of music, movies and video games. The other is the movie "Spider-Man 2." The UMDs, about the size of a silver dollar, were a snap to load into the 10-ounce device.

About 24 games, each in the $40 price range, should be available when the PSP launches. UMD movies are expected to cost about as much as DVD movies, though you won't be able to drop a UMD into a DVD player, as the two formats are incompatible.

With a 16:9 aspect ratio (meaning it looks like a movie screen) and a resolution of 480 by 272 pixels, the PSP's crisp, bright graphics are spectacular. Watching "Spider-Man 2," I felt as if I was holding some artifact from the future, amazed I was able to enjoy a feature film on such a small screen without squinting.

Glare was a problem, especially outdoors. Get used to seeing your face on the screen.

There's a cleaning cloth included, and good thing: the glossy black exterior is easily smudged marring the otherwise gorgeous appearance. On such a pristine surface, even tiny bits of dust and grease really stand out.

The PSP has been described as a PlayStation 2 console that fits in your hands, and for the most part it's true. But you can't play PS2 games on the PSP, and vice versa.

It may be the most expensive portable games system available, costing $100 more than the dual-screen Nintendo DS, but it's also by far the most powerful. I played two games from Sony's 989 Sports division, "Gretzky NHL" and "World Tour Soccer." Indeed, they looked almost but not quite as good as similar games I've seen on the PS2.

The buttons will be familiar to anyone who's used a standard PS2 controller. It's a good, clean layout that's easy to hold and use even after several hours. Music and picture viewing options are listed in the easy-to-navigate menu system, but they're definitely not a priority.

Sony doesn't supply the required USB cable to transfer pictures or songs from your computer, nor is there any included software to organize such files. I had to drag and drop individual files, a tedious process. And it didn't take long to fill up the measly 32 megabytes. Saved games also are stored on the memory cards, further pinching their capacity.