PSP: Past, Present and Future (Part 1)

Enigma777

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Edited By Enigma777

The NGP has lit the internet on fire, so I figured it was time for a little retrospective. This is a look at some of my favorite PSP games of old, the current state of the platform and it's near future.

My first PSP was a black launch model. I woke up at 6:30am to go purchase it with money I had been saving since I first heard about it. My first game was Metal Gear AC!D, a free copy I won from Dan Shoe of EGM and Bitmob fame. Also I'm one of the 6 people in the world who bought a PSPgo, and I even went as far as to re-buy most of my UMDs in digital form (not as stupid as it seemed back then when you consider the NGP's backwards compatibly debacle). So yes, you can say I'm a fan.

Note: Since this blog has become so fucking long, I've decided to split it into several parts for your sake as well as mine...

The Past

Lumines

While most of the initial PSP launch-game lineup was tepid at best, one game stood above the rest. Probably the best puzzle game I've played since the original Tetris, I've put in more hours in Lumines and it's sequel than I'm willing to admit.

Killzone Liberation

Liberation was the first real game that made me realize just what kind of a deep experience PSP games could offer. I probably logged-in over 200 hours into the online multiplayer, complete with voice chat and clan support. I spent the better part of a year playing nothing but this game. Also it gets a nod for one of the biggest bastard bosses in videogame history. I'm looking at you Cobar!!!

Wipeout Pulse

Moa Therma White!

Monster Hunter Freedom

Before Long Swords were their own weapon class and before you had a helpful farm to where you could collect materials, there was MHF. The game that started a revolution in Japan was hard, tedious, suffered from obtuse Japanese design decisions and had ridiculously long load times. Still, I did not mind loading the same mission for the 50th time in a roll just so I could collect some more Herbs because it was such a new experience. It's shame to think that thanks to it's popularity and success the series had done little to evolve forward -- 2 full-fledges sequels and a smattering of expansions later and there's still not even proper Infrastructure support! But no matter what the franchise has become now, MHF will still hold a special spot in my heart... just like the memory of my first Kut-Ku kill.

Daxter

The first game from fledging studio Ready At Dawn, it was but a taste of the greatness the studio would achieve later on. A fun platformer, it showed a new side to the beloved PS2 franchise. Shame that Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier was nowhere near as good (who was the idiot who thought that Dark Daxter was a good idea?!).

Jeanne D'Arc

From the masterminds at Level-5, this game came out of nowhere and quickly cemented itself as one of my all time favorite SRPG's after FF Tactics. With a deep combat system and an interesting story that is based on Joan of Arc, it was a blast to play.

Patapon

By far one of the coolest original IPs to come out of Sony's Japan Studio. Watching your little Patapon army march to the beats of your drums is an almost ethereal experience. Their unflinching loyalty is truly inspiring, especially when you consider that they're often facing beasts 30 times their size. The sequel was even better, improving on every single aspect of the original. Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon!

Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles

One of the better values when it comes to video games. You get a completely reworked version of Rondo of Blood, the original game and it's sequel, Symphony of the Night, all in one package. Devilishly hard, it was extremely satisfying to beat this game. Also it's the closest you can get to a proper HD 2D Castlevania game, since Harmony of Despair was a huge letdown.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

After a bunch of stinkers, I had lost all hope that Square Enix could make a decent game again. Alas, they proved me wrong when they released this back in 2007. Lo and behold, it was an amazing and intricate experience that served as a much-needed prequel to the beloved FFVII. You could finally understand the motivations of characters like Cloud and Sephiroth, as well as how the world got into the state it was. It also featured a new battle system that was a breath of fresh air and fun to play with. I can't talk about this game without mentioning the ending. Probably one of the best endings out there, no other game has had such an emotional impact except for Red Dead Redemption. If you love FFVII and Advent Children and you've never played this game, you are doing yourself a huge disservice!

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness

Dood! I missed out on this game back in the PS2 days, but I'm so gratefully that NIS remade it for the PSP. A great SRPG, it's crazy and funny and ridiculous in a way that only Japanese games can be. Featuring a fantastic cast of characters and some of the best voicework I've ever heard, I became an instant fanboy of the entire series. While the sequel is not as good (I blame Adell - that whiny little cunt), it has spawned multiple sequels and several spin-offs. Prinny: CIRBTH? is another great game in the same universe, even though it has some of the most evil level design ever and I tore a lot of my hair off in frustration. Super Meat Boy is a piece of cake compared to it.

God of War: Chains of Olympus

It's GOW. In the palm of your hand. And awesome. COO showed that PSP games can not only approach console games, but also exceed them. It's only real fault is it's length, clocking at about 6 hours. Also, it has my favorite GOW side weapon - the Gauntlet of Zeus! Hopefully someday they will bring it back...

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

If you only ever play a single PSP game, make sure it's this one. My favorite handheld game by a long shot, it has so much content crammed into it that it blows my mind. Kojima took the best parts from MGS3 and 4 and made sweet, sweet love to them, then sprinkled some bacon bits on top just for extra measure. The story is riveting, the gameplay phenomenal, it's gorgeous and has one of the best co-op modes I've seen in a video game. But that wasn't enough so he added epic bosses, your own customizable bipedal walking tank of nuclear destruction, a compelling base-management system and the ability to shoot down a flying dragon with a rocket launcher. Yea, it's that awesome.

There's a lot more games I want to add to this list, but I feel like it's long enough as it is, so I'll save them for next time. You may wonder why I omitted some of the more recent games (like Ghost of Sparta or P3P), and that's because I'm still working my way through them. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!

13 years ago

Enigma777

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#1 Edited By Enigma777

The NGP has lit the internet on fire, so I figured it was time for a little retrospective. This is a look at some of my favorite PSP games of old, the current state of the platform and it's near future.

My first PSP was a black launch model. I woke up at 6:30am to go purchase it with money I had been saving since I first heard about it. My first game was Metal Gear AC!D, a free copy I won from Dan Shoe of EGM and Bitmob fame. Also I'm one of the 6 people in the world who bought a PSPgo, and I even went as far as to re-buy most of my UMDs in digital form (not as stupid as it seemed back then when you consider the NGP's backwards compatibly debacle). So yes, you can say I'm a fan.

Note: Since this blog has become so fucking long, I've decided to split it into several parts for your sake as well as mine...