Sony has pretty much given up on the handheld gaming market, but back in 2005, it felt like strong competition for Nintendo. Releasing the PlayStation Portable as a competitor to the Game Boy Advance, the PSP had the advantage of the strength of PlayStation’s great IPs behind it
While it was discontinued back in 2014, many look back on the PSP and its library of games fondly. The first mainstream handheld to feature an analog stick, the PSP was one of the earliest devices to offer home console experiences on the go.
If you’re interested in picking up a PSP, check out our list of the ten best PSP games of all time.
10
The 3rd Birthday
Ostentatiously the third game in the Parasite Eve series; The 3rd Birthday shares little with its previous two counterparts. It’s an unusual mix of genres; combining a third-person shooter with an RPG, and trying to reinvent the series alongside it. The 3rd Birthday was released ten years after the last Parasite Eve game, but still features series protagonist Aya Brea.
It feels like a sci-fi Resident Evil game, as Aya uses her Overdrive power to travel to the past and take out monsters called the Twisted. Issues with the camera control dragged The 3rd Birthday down for a game that was released late in the PSP’s life. However, it remains exclusive to the handheld to this day, and is not one to miss out on.
9
Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together
A new remaster was recently announced, but many people have never experienced the joy of the original Tactics Ogre remake on the PSP. If you hear that it was originally a JRPG made for the SNES, and the team that went on to make Final Fantasy Tactics, then you should already know just how good this game is.
It’s a complex turn-based battle system, where even your movements on the world map determine the flow of battle. With mechanics like altering weather effects, it is commonly known as one of the best examples of the genre. Pair all this with a moving story, and you’re on to a winner.
8
Jeanne d’Arc
Jeanne d’Arc is a tactical RPG based on the story of the French historical figure of the same name. While developer Level-5 has since gone on to create a number of successful RPGs such as Ni no Kuni and Yokai Watch, this was the game that started the studio on its journey.
Using rock-paper-scissors-style elemental strengths and weaknesses, the gameplay was simple to grasp at a basic level, but was filled with nuance for RPG experts to enjoy. What really made Jeanne d’Arc special was how it told the historical story with plenty of fantastical twists. One that was sadly never ported to another system despite its popularity.
7
Lumines
Good rhythm games need to be hypnotic, with each beat drawing you in even further. Lumines perfected this not only with its changing trance beats, all blended seamlessly together like a DJ’s set, but also with the beat of the levels and the changing of the lights.
Developing Lumines was a risk. Mixing Tetris-style gameplay with a rhythm game was something that had never been done before. The key difference between Lumines and Tetris – and the reason why the soundtrack is so instrumental to the game – is that layers only disappear with the beat. Learning how to place your pieces, so they can connect with the perfect timing, is what sets Lumines apart.
6
Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
As probably the most popular Final Fantasy game of all time, those who finished FF7 were eager for more. Crisis Core is a prequel to the original game, telling the story of Aeris’ former boyfriend Zack. In FF7 we heard parts of Zack’s story from Cloud, who finds out his memories have been mixed up with his former co-worker’s. This left fans curious about the soldier’s past.
In Crisis Core, we experience the struggle of Yuffie’s clan in Wutai, the incident with Cloud at Nibelheim, and all the events leading up to the beginning of FF7. A remake is coming out this year, and it is a must-play for FF7 fans.
5
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
The story to Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was highly praised, but the ambitious way in which it used the PSP hardware is what made this game stand out from the rest. This third-person shooter allowed up to eight players to enter a game together and even discuss tactics via voice chat.
Considering the game was later ported to PlayStation 2, you can imagine how rare online gameplay like this was at the time. Further, the fact that it could support eight players simultaneously on such a small handheld, while still running smoothly, was seen as a modern miracle.
4
God of War: Chains of Olympus
While God of War is an established and well-known series that many people think they have played all the entries in, there are two games that often get overlooked: Ghost of Sparta, and Chains of Olympus. And just like the Uncharted game on PSP’s successor, PlayStation Vita, these are worth your time too.
Chains of Olympus is thought of as the better of the two, and is essentially bringing that AAA home-console-style game right into your hands. Are you really a true God of War fan if you haven’t played these two entries which run flawlessly on PSP?
3
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Step aside Vice City Stories, because when it comes to playing Grand Theft Auto on a portable console Chinatown Wars is king. It was well known controversially for its drug-dealing mini-game, where you could earn money by dealing heroin, but this is not the only thing that made it stand out.
It is the slickest looking handheld GTA with changes made to adapt it for the smaller screen. This was not some lazy adaptation, a lot of work went into making this the best experience possible for handheld users. Featuring a whole new story set in Liberty City, fans were eager for more.
2
Persona 3: Portable
While most people are familiar with the Game Awards nominated Game of the Year, Persona 5, die-hard fans of the series often call Persona 3 the best it has to offer. It was the first Persona game to add the high school simulator into the game, which is often fans’ favorite part, and it has one of the best soundtracks, cast of characters, and storylines.
You may find it a little on the tricky side – in particular the final boss which can take real-life hours to take down – but in many ways, this is a strength. Focusing more on the RPG side of the story, fusing Personas and getting stronger partners, can be the most enjoyable part. Oh, and one of your teammates is a dog holding a dagger. Fantastic.
1
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
As one of the greatest series of all time, it’s no surprise that a Metal Gear Solid game would top this list. Both Peace Walker and Portable Ops were made specifically for PSP, but Peace Walker is considered the better of the two, earning a perfect score from Japanese magazine Famitsu.
Peace Walker lets you play as Big Boss as he runs operations down in Columbia. One of the earlier entries in the Metal Gear Solid timeline, it gives a lot of details as to the background of many of the main series games.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
