Summary
Nintendo and Sony used to compete with a handheld console, and PlayStation’sPSPactually held some reasonably good games. Whilst in today’s market, Nintendo is known as the king of the handheld console thanks to the Nintendo Switch, the time betweenPSPand DS was one of competition, where each year a new game would be released on the handheld to be remembered fondly, with the likes of iconic franchises debuting in the palm of players' hands.
ThePSP was a milestone for handheld consoles, giving gamers the power of a PlayStation in their hands. Although largely confined to history now, a total of 1,370 games were released for PSP during its lifetime, many of which gamers fondly remember to this day, but what were the best PSP games of each year, from its debut to its final year?
12Wipeout Pure – 2005
Metascore: 88
There was a great deal of excitement surrounding the PSP upon its release, with a string of brilliant games lined up for its first year. Gamers were thrilled to play titles from established franchises, and whilst 2005 was easily the best year for the handheld, some famous games were not optimized to the best of their ability. Luckily, Wipeout Pure was able to race to the top.
Although it’s a tight race,Wipeout Pureis often considered the best PSP game of 2005. Releasing the latest game on a brand-new console was the perfect way for Studio Liverpool to celebrate thetenth anniversary of theWipeoutseries. Set in 2197, players pilot futuristic anti-gravity ships as they participate in high-speed races. As with previous games in the series, a range of weapon pick-ups can completely change the tide of the game, and with eight different ships to master, there was plenty in this game to prove to gamers that PSP was a promising console.
The second year of the PSP’s life was a fairly big one for the new console, and PlayStation continued to invest big into the handheld with familiar franchises. Yet, despite all the fun that could be had from titles found in 2006, there was something about a fighting game that just resonated so well with gamers, especially when such power could be within their hands.
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrectionis more than just a simple port of the PS2 game from the previous year. It builds on the original by adding new stages, more options for customization, new moves for some characters, twelve additional ranking titles, and three new characters, each with their own backstories. As with allTekkengames, the focus is on fighting.Players select from a diverse range of charactersand participate in a one-on-one fight with an opponent. Following on from the end ofTekken 4, this game’s story follows the fifth King Of Iron Fist Tournament.
Tactical RPGs are a great joy to many gamers, featuring the likes of turn-based combat and progression that will reward them for decent gameplay and innovative thinking in order to progress. One such title wasFinal Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions. Whilst the franchise has existed in many different genres, a tactical RPG like this belonged on the PSP.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lionsis also one of the best Square Enix games of 2007. It quickly solidified itself as the pinnacle of tactical RPGs at the time, offering players a narratively rich story and engaging gameplay. Although an update of the 1997 original, this one boasts improved graphics, cinematic cutscenes, and additional job classes to make it the best way to play this game.
Picking up the Blades of Chaos once more, Kratos takes his vengeful conquest against the Greek Gods and their mythology of monsters to the handheld system of the PSP. It’s always great to see big franchises from the main consoles enter the handheld market, andChains of Olympuswas no exception and easily holds strong as one of thebestGod of Wargamesout there.
An action-adventure hack-and-slash set in Ancient Greece with characters based on its contemporary mythology; what’s not to love? For this adventure, Kratos sets off to stop the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, from using Titan Atlas to destroy the Pillar of the World. The gameplay should be familiar to regularGod Of Warfans as players take control of Kratos to dispatch hundreds of enemies with his famous Blades of Chaos. Thanks to the exciting gameplay and impressive graphics,God Of War: Chains Of Olympusremains one of the best PSP games.
Although 2009 saw the popular releases of bothRock Band UnpluggedandLittleBigPlaneton the PSP, this was a year dominated by action. However, the thirdGrand Theft AutoPSP exclusive was the year’s most acclaimed game, as it seems that gamers and critics alike can’t get enough of the mayhem and crime-filled streets of aGTAgame.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Warsis the thirteenth game in the hugely successful series. Set after the events ofGrand Theft Auto 4, the player takes on the role of Huang Lee, a young member of the Triad, as he tries to reclaim his late father’s stolen sword. Although largely similar tootherGrand Theft Autotitles, this one has some differences. Players still explore the open world of Liberty City but from a more top-down perspective. There are also additional activities available, such as buying and selling drugs for profit, and more varied ways to steal cars, requiring players to use a screwdriver, hotwire, or hack into more expensive cars.
2010 was a good year for the PSP, and more grand franchises embarked on the handheld console. Not only were gamers immersed in new entries into worlds likeGod of War, but they were brought back into the exciting Hideo Kojima franchise, with a brand-newMetal Gear Solidentry to continue the story of Naked Snake’s rise into Big Boss, withPeace Walker.
Following twoMetal Gear Acidgames andMetal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, this was the fourthMetal Geargame released on the PSP and thelatest in the stealth-focused franchise. It takes place in Costa Rica in 1974 as the player takes on the role of Snake commanding a group of mercenaries. Players are given a score for each completed mission, with more points awarded for stealth and taking out enemies non-lethally. Mother Base also acts as a central hub for players to recruit soldiers, develop new equipment, and more. Despite critical acclaim, this title didn’t see the commercial success that many expected, possibly due to a newer console on the horizon.
Despite the release of the PS Vita, and a slowing down in games for the PSP itself, players still were gifted with greatness, and a decent game for those who enjoy the strategy genre wasTactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.
This remake of the tactical RPG which had originally come out on the SNES in 1995 features much of the same gameplay as the original, complete with turn-based battles and character classes. However, Square Enix added some new elements, such as equipment crafting, multiplayer, and additional cutscenes to expand the story of the civil war in Valeria. Inspired by the success ofFantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions, Square Enix even reassembled much of the same crew to create another excellent game.
5Velocity – 2012
Metascore: 87
The year of 2012 was difficult for the PSP. One year after the release of the PS Vita and a year before the PlayStation 4’s release, gamers could see a noticeable decline in the number of games released for the PSP, but Velocity was still an enjoyable experience, even if the selection was limited.
Also available on both the PS Vita and PS3,Velocityis a futuristic shoot ‘em up. Set in 2212, a star collapses into a black hole, leaving surrounding spaceships without any power. It’s up to the player to use the Qurap Jet and its teleporting abilities to rescue stranded ships and defend themselves from the Zetachron aliens. Players navigate the Quarp Jet throughout the game, using bombs to defeat enemies and solving puzzles to rescue spaceships. Although simple in its concept and resembling more of an arcade game, it’s endlessly fun and addictive.
When Sony launched the PS4 in 2013 and continued releasing a slew of games for the PS Vita, it became clear that the PSP’s days were numbered. Nevertheless, developers still developed a few notable games over the course of the year, withClass Of Heroes 2taking the top spot.
Like its previous game,Class Of Heroes 2is a dungeon crawler RPG where players make their way through dungeons and take on hordes of enemies in turn-based combat. While some criticized the grind-based leveling and graphics from the previous game, the developers worked hard to make the sequel even better. Nevertheless, it took four years to translate and release this title outside of Japan, with only 200 physical copies made by Video Game Plus.
3Invizimals: The Lost Tribes – 2014
Metacritic User Score: 8.0
The beginning of the end for the PSP, and 2014 didn’t have much to warrant a great game, but luckily, North American audiences could get their hands on the third game in theInvizimalsfranchise, withInvizimals: The Lost Tribesbursting onto the handheld console asa creature-collecting series of gamesthat makes use of the PSP’s optional camera attachment for augmented reality.
Although it might seem like a simple gimmick today, this use of augmented reality was very much a precursor to popular mobile games today likePokemon Go. The story picks up three years after the previous game, tasking the player with recovering Kenichi’s diary and rescuing him. However, besides augmented reality, what also makes this game stand apart from others is how the cutscenes are all live-action with real actors, making it a particularly unique game for the PSP.
