Top 10 PSP Games That Are Still Worth Playing

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re talking about the 10 PSP Games That Are Still Worth Playing.

PSP was a solid start to a career in handheld gaming for Sony. Plenty of excellent titles made their debuts on the platform, and these are the ones that still hold up today.

What was your favorite PSP title? Share with us in the comments below!

Some games are just impossible to play while in a foul mood. “LocoRoco” sees players tilting the world with the L and R buttons in order to guide an adorable blob to the end of a course. Really, it’s a simple platformer, but it’s one filled with an incredibly charming personality. The upbeat music, cute characters, and occasionally goofy humor will certainly put a smile on your face, and it was this lighthearted atmosphere that made us so happy to see this title make its way onto PlayStation. And yes, there is a sequel in case you need more blobby fun.

Yeah, that “Secret Agent Clank” spin-off was not the game we were looking to play on Sony’s first handheld. Thankfully, we already had a “Ratchet & Clank” in 2007 that was almost like the platformer-shooter we’d been playing on PS2. Admittedly, it does suffer from lack of dual analog sticks and might make things frustrating for some players. However, “Size Matters” was good enough in replicating the main games’ formula while delivering a solid bite-sized experience with weapons new and old. Considering this wasn’t made by Insomniac, it really was a decent game from High Impact Games and one we’d be more than willing to return to!

“Patapon” is a bit of an odd concept for a rhythm game, but there is a satisfying loop that keeps us marching our tribe through danger. Using a mystical drum, players guide their Patapon through treacherous lands and help them wage war against opposing clans, hunt for food, and fight ferocious beasts. Don’t let the cutesy appearance of the Patapon fool you, though! “Patapon” gets challenging between having to constantly stay on beat and managing your clan’s actions. So, there might be a bit of a learning curve, but once you grasp it, the game is entertaining through and through. Two sequels would launch in 2009 and 2011 and are equally worth your time.

We would never have expected to see a “Tetris”-esque game on a Sony console. And yet, Q Entertainment brought us a puzzle game we couldn’t get enough of. Whereas “Tetris” wants you to clear lines, “Lumines” wants you to create squares out of blocks with similar colors. (Trust us, it’s way harder than it sounds.) In addition to the challenging gameplay, “Lumines” boasted excellent sound design, from its arcade-like sound effects to the invigorating music. The game became such a hit that sequels are still churning out for it to this day, and you can play a remaster of the original on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch!

It’s hard to imagine a GTA game on a handheld, especially given how big the franchise has become since the fourth main game. (Then again, “Chinatown Wars” would come to Nintendo DS in 2009.) Of the few we’ve gotten to play, “Vice City Stories” was arguably the better of the handheld GTA titles. There’s just something about Vice City’s layout that we enjoyed more, and the goal of having to build your own criminal empire was an awesome concept! It was also great revisiting the multiplayer mode introduced in “Liberty City Stories”. With a unique spin on the GTA formula that would shape future titles, “Vice City Stories” is just too good to pass up.

The “Final Fantasy” franchise holds a massive library of wondrous stories, and of them all, “Final Fantasy VII” is the one we still can’t get enough of. So, being able to go back to the world of Midgar and learn more about Zack Fair was enough reason to grab “Crisis Core”. What we got was an incredible action-RPG with a captivating origin story, an engaging combat system, and music as rich as any other “Final Fantasy” composition. If you didn’t get to experience this on PSP, don’t fret - the games plot will eventually be featured in the mobile compilation game “Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis”.

“Peace Walker” deserved better, and we aren’t saying that because of poor reviews. On the contrary, it was highly praised for excellent visuals and ability to bring the “Metal Gear Solid” experience to handheld with little to no sacrifice. It featured a plot that was captivating until the end, and there was a ton of incredible content to enjoy long after the main campaign was over. All that in mind, it was sad to see the game underperformed in sales. In hindsight, this isn’t all that surprising given people weren’t playing PSP all that much by the time it launched. You all missed out!!

Under any other circumstance, this version of “Persona 3” would have just been a straight port and nothing more. But this is Atlus, we’re talking about - a studio that, time and again, has gone above and beyond even when it didn’t have to, which is why “Persona 3 Portable” was so awesome. Having adapted certain parts from “Persona 4’s” combat system and giving players a choice between genders, it was almost like playing a brand new installment. Sure, it was a tad pricier than most PSP games, but you were getting way more bang for your buck and a fantastic story you wouldn’t forget!

Clank may not have been given a good title to call his own, but our favorite ottsel sidekick found solace in his own game. Surprisingly, it was remarkably well-made! “Daxter” puts you in the shoes of Jak’s sidekick as he makes his mark in the world of...pest control? Don’t worry, it’s still the same action-platformer “Jak” fans will be familiar with; it’s just that you’ll be fighting a lot of insect-like enemies with a modified bug swatter. The sound design and controls are top-notch here, and it provided a unique enough experience to differentiate itself from the other “Jak & Daxter” games without shoehorning old ideas.

Part of the PSP’s success was due to its ability to almost replicate the home console experience. One title to showcase this feat was “God of War: Chains of Olympus”. Albeit shorter than its home console predecessors, “Chains of Olympus” managed to bring the same level of visual fidelity and the same gameplay we’ve come to know and love. Honestly, it’s still amazing how the PSP can handle the chaotic action with little to no struggle! Simply put, this is a “God of War” every fan ought to play, and the same can be said about “Ghost of Sparta”.