The Vita’s an exciting piece of tech, but any launch system has holes in its launch lineup. Here are six suggestions for which downloadable PSP titles to enjoy, especially if you didn’t have that system and just now have the chance to play them.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Trails in the Sky was our PSP Game of 2011 for a reason. It’s that rare gem that hearkens back to the heyday of JRPGs and still manages to feel fresh and modern. It has a great roster of characters and manages to tell a pretty good tale without many of the usual overused plot devices. If that’s not enough for you, the art style should make the transition to the Vita screen extremely well. If there’s only room for one PSP RPG on your Vita, this should be it. – Shawn Vermette
Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X
Take the best Mega Man title, redo-it in 3D with some great voice acting, add in some bonus content and release it on a handheld. Maverick Hunter X is a remake done right, and one of the better platformers on the PSP. It’s a great choice to tide you over during the Vita’s launch if Rayman isn’t your thing, or are waiting for something else. – Gerry Pagan
Persona 3 Portable
This is considered to be the best version of Persona 3 for many reasons. The improvements to the gameplay are much appreciated (especially being able to directly control your party members) and the addition of a second story featuring a female protagonist gives fans who have played the game already a reason to jump back in all over again. If you’re looking for a lengthy RPG to play on the go, you won’t want to miss out on P3P. – Andrew Passafiume
Patapon 2
If you missed the PSP, the series you most sorely lacked was Patapon. The rhythms are great, but they accompanied an action-strategy experience that was engrossing and cool. The second game added an extra layer of depth and refined a bit from the first game, and it’s generally considered the series’ high point. We’re unlikely to see a fourth game in the series after a middling third installment, so this is the best option you’ll have for a long time. – Graham Russell
Half-Minute Hero
Taking your basic RPG concepts and breaking them down into “thirty second” chunks is the best thing about Half-Minute Hero. Very few games have even attempted a concept like this, but here we have an RPG that does it and does it with surprising excellence. I classify it as an RPG, but the core gameplay might work better if you look at it like a puzzle game. You have thirty seconds to attempt to stop a villain from destroying the world, so you must grind to the appropriate level, buy new equipment, and get ready for the final battle in less than thirty seconds. You can refill your time, but it still moves at a breakneck speed regardless. You’ll be surprised by just how addictive it can be. This is one of those games that shouldn’t be missed out by anyone, even if you’re not a fan of RPGs. – Andrew Passafiume
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
The Lunar series is known for telling a more personal tale than many other RPGs of the time. While we’ll likely never get another entry in the series, this relocalization and port allowed us to enjoy the first game in the series all over again. With great characters, great music, and a story about love and valor, this is definitely a title any fan of RPGs should play. – Shawn Vermette
What do you think of our picks? Are they spot-on or way off base? Chat with us in the comments!
