the PSP shortlist

larry, what the fuck is this shit?

it's unfortunate that the PSP gets as much flak as it regularly does. lots of people seem to think of it as a lesser vita and not even the vita gets enough respect - but that's another list entirely

the truth is there's a lot of cool PSP games and the purpose of this list is to put a spotlight on the console's most interesting titles. not everything here is an endorsement - i don't give two shits about psp god of war - this is more of a general resource. if i feel it has an audience, then on it goes

notes will be for recommendations and clarifications. one entry per series - i don't want to artificially clutter things. games with multiple ports will be included if the other versions are either on DS or they're significantly less accessible in general

The 3rd Birthday
The 3rd Birthday
i haven't played this but i get the vibe that y'all are just whiny about it - and my gut's usually right
7th Dragon 2020
7th Dragon 2020
see also: 7th dragon 20202-ii
Archer Maclean's Mercury
Archer Maclean's Mercury
see also: mercury meltdown
Armored Core: Formula Front
Armored Core: Formula Front
see also: the other armored core portable games (i don't know why you'd want to play them over their ps2 counterparts though)

there's a few different versions of formula front. the english release includes direct control (which is dumb given the concept of the game, but it's there) and the 'international' release is the one with the most content
Black Rock Shooter: The Game
Black Rock Shooter: The Game
Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light
Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light
Brandish: The Dark Revenant
Brandish: The Dark Revenant
Burnout Legends
Burnout Legends
see also: burnout dominator
Buzz!: Master Quiz
Buzz!: Master Quiz
MEET 'N' FUCK KINGDOM, STEVE!
Carnage Heart EXA
Carnage Heart EXA
if you're familiar with armored core formula front, then think of this as a significantly more hardcore form of that

it's a sequel to a niche ps1 game that's all about mecha programming. if that sounds cool to you, then give it a look
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Coded Arms
Coded Arms
see also: coded arms contagion

i find this series especially noteworthy for being the only(?) fps on psp that figured out how to not control like absolute piss. face buttons to move and thumbstick to aim works perfectly
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
reunion is different enough. i say stick to the original. better voice acting and the dedicated dodge button is unnecessary
Crush
Crush
Cube
Cube
Daxter
Daxter
Dead Head Fred
Dead Head Fred
Death Jr.
Death Jr.
see also: death jr. ii
Digimon World Re:Digitize
Digimon World Re:Digitize
expanded port on 3ds
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
DJMax Portable
DJMax Portable
see also: the other games. i don't feel like listing them. bear in mind some of the international versions have a shitty autocorrect feature. go for the jp releases where that's applicable

you're probably better off playing respect or trilogy but hey - these ones are much easier to access
Echochrome
Echochrome
Echo Night: The First Voyage
Echo Night: The First Voyage
has a fan translation
Enigmo
Enigmo
i had this shit on ios and it slapped for an incredible machine clone
Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra
Exit
Exit
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy Type-0
not ugly as shit like the remaster, but supposedly has a worse translation. pick your poison
Frontier Gate Boost+
Frontier Gate Boost+
has a fan patch for menus
Generation of Chaos: Pandora's Reflection
Generation of Chaos: Pandora's Reflection
see also: generation of chaos, aedis eclipse

cool real-time-with-pause gameplay which is not found in the rest of the series

don't get to see that very often outside of the growlanser series
Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyaku-nen no Toki
Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyaku-nen no Toki
has an english translation
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
when you're a fan of this series you kinda have to take what you can get. if you're on a real psp with cfw, then you can rebind the controls with the right plugin (see my note for 'coded arms')

if you're on an emulator this is obviously less of an issue. just bind the face buttons to a stick if you want. the game's designed in a way that's clearly aware of its clunk, but it still feels pretty shitty
Gitaroo Man Lives!
Gitaroo Man Lives!
expanded port
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus
see also: ghost of sparta
Grand Knights History
Grand Knights History
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
see also: vice city stories, liberty city stories
GripShift
GripShift
Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time
Growlanser IV: Wayfarer of the Time
Gundam Battle Universe
Gundam Battle Universe
not officially localized, but the majority of the game is already in english
Gungnir
Gungnir
has a switch port but it's only in japanese
Gunpey
Gunpey
egoraptor recommends you don't play this game. he claims it "fuckin' sucks balls"
.hack//Link
.hack//Link
has a fan translation
Half-Minute Hero
Half-Minute Hero
has expanded ports on 360 and pc, but they're a little different. balancing changes and a few missing quests prevent this from being invalidated
Hammerin' Hero
Hammerin' Hero
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd
see also: project diva, project diva extend
Hexyz Force
Hexyz Force
Ikki Tousen: Eloquent Fist
Ikki Tousen: Eloquent Fist
see also: xross impact

both are untranslated beat em ups, but you can play them without understanding japanese
Jeanne d'Arc
Jeanne d'Arc
Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
Killzone: Liberation
Killzone: Liberation
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
has ports now, but it's too much of a flagship title for me to exclude
Kingdom of Paradise
Kingdom of Paradise
Knights in the Nightmare
Knights in the Nightmare
Kurohyou: Ryuu ga Gotoku Shinshou
Kurohyou: Ryuu ga Gotoku Shinshou
see also: kurohyou 2
Last Ranker
Last Ranker
has a fan translation which currently covers all text that isn't story
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet
completely different from the ps3 version
LocoRoco
LocoRoco
see also: locoroco 2, midnight carnival
Lumines
Lumines
see also: lumines 2

all-timers for the falling block genre here
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
i'd highly recommend the ps1 version, but if you hate working designs and you're content with rpgs playing themselves, there's this
Mega Man Powered Up
Mega Man Powered Up
see also: maverick hunter x
Metal Gear Acid
Metal Gear Acid
see also: ac!d 2, portable ops, portable ops plus, piss walker
Mimana Iyar Chronicle
Mimana Iyar Chronicle
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
hd port on ps3
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes
see also: ultimate ninja heroes 2-3, ultimate ninja impact, legends akatsuki rising, kizuna drive
Neverland Card Battles
Neverland Card Battles
No Heroes Allowed!
No Heroes Allowed!
see also: the badman series (this is the third game)
Patapon
Patapon
see also: patapon 2 and 3
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
see also: p2 innocent sin (play that first), p3 portable, persona 1

this is the best version of p2ep now that the fan translation exists. spare yourself the painful maya and tatsuya voices from ps1
Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity
Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity
see also: phantasy star portable; pretty sure that 2 infinity is the exact same game as 2 but with more content
PoPoLoCrois
PoPoLoCrois
original ps1 version is translated as well and seems to be more highly recommended
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
see also: prinny 2

there's a switch port, but that's exclusive enough to keep this on the list imo
Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos
Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos
Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.
Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.
see also: rengoku 1

roguelike action game. vaguely reminiscent of armored core in the sense that you're actively changing out your mech's parts
Resistance: Retribution
Resistance: Retribution
Secret Agent Clank
Secret Agent Clank
see also: ratchet & clank size matters
Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja
Shinobido: Tales of the Ninja
see also: the sequel on ps vita
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
ps2 version is censored
Tales of Eternia
Tales of Eternia
see also: tales of the world radiant mythology, tales of phantasia nariki dungeon x (has a fan patch for menus)
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side Premium 3rd Story
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side Premium 3rd Story
has a fan translation. other games are translated on ds
Tokobot
Tokobot
has an expanded port on ps2
Ultimate Block Party
Ultimate Block Party
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Valkyria Chronicles 2
see also: valkyria chronicles 3
Wipeout Pure
Wipeout Pure
see also: wipeout pulse
WTF: Work Time Fun
WTF: Work Time Fun
Yarudora Series Vol. 1: Double Cast
Yarudora Series Vol. 1: Double Cast
has a fan translation. interesting fmv game
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 3
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 3
see also: tag force 1-2

or don't - apparently they're a lot worse
Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3: Kowareyuku Machi to Kanojo no Uta
Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3: Kowareyuku Machi to Kanojo no Uta
better known as disaster crisis 3. has a fan translation

14 Comments


6 months ago

Love this list - Just started playing Burnout Legends and have been looking for more PSP titles worth checking out

6 months ago

hard vouch for half minute hero but is there a problem with its pc port to include it here

6 months ago

@apocynadeae i kept it for a combination of it being especially significant to the system + the windows version being different, rebalanced, new art, etc.

6 months ago

forgot to write a note specifying that though, which i just did

6 months ago

God I remember Buzz being everywhere in the late 2000s. Not sure if it ever had a ps3 entry or not.

6 months ago

Also since you have Mercury on here, I highly recommend you check out Archer Mcleans Pool for the Gamecube. Haven't played it yet myself but it's one of the few "hidden gem" gamecube games that is still relatively hidden.

6 months ago

My only gripe with the PSP is the little nub stick. I think it was last year, I bought Medal of Honor heroes, and trying to play it with that damn nub was painful.

6 months ago

the three original project divas should also be here, most of them are fire

6 months ago

gitaroo man lives its also a must on the console

6 months ago

Dissidia 012: Duodecim Final Fantasy is a must-have. Valkyria Chronicles 2+3 also deserve a mention due to 1+4 being the only ones readily available on most platforms.

6 months ago

@toasterninja pool's not at the top of my interests but i'll give that a look sometime. thanks

@postwar added all of those. gitaroo man was left off on purpose as it's a ps2 game, but i didn't realize live was an expanded version with some new content

@hooblashooga thanks - i had both of those open in separate tabs and somehow forgot to add them. good eye

6 months ago

yeah the 30MH thing makes sense, I never played the original version but I put a lot of hours on the pc port and its multiplayer; one of those games I forget about but when reminded I can really reccomend it.

For Knights in the Nightmare id probably put a note for Gungnir since it's only got a japanese-only switch port iirc alongside Knights's, and the psp has every Dept. Heaven game making it the best version for all of them (Yggdra's pc port aside but theyre negligible differences)

6 months ago

@apocynadeae good call - i just gave it its own entry. i know dept. heaven is technically a series but i'll consider it more akin to final fantasy since nothing seems to be directly connected and they're not numbered. i feel that'll prolly minimize confusion

6 months ago

(not that ff games aren't numbered - but x has nothing to do with xiii, so on so forth)


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