I told you I was going to do lists. Because I heart them. And this one is about the Playstation Portable - a gadget for which I have already professed my love (even though I'm about to begin an affair with the Nintendo DS...if any store will have them in stock for crissakes...). For a long time people complained that the PSP simply didn't have any good games - but at this point I think that is simply not true. While you can also use the PSP to watch movies, read web sites (like this one!) pdf and text files, listen to music and podcasts (and now internet radio) or look at photos - its main purpose is still gaming.
To that end, here's my current selection of the five games I feel make the cut for must own titles in any PSP gamers library.
Loco Roco - If you haven't played it, go and grab the demo here. This is an innovative puzzle game (or is it a puzzle platformer?) with great graphics, trippy music and funny sound effects. It's challenging, constantly entertaining with great level design and a unique quality that makes it impossible to play without smiling.
Jeanne D'Arc - While this might not be for everyone with its Anime style and semi-historical setting, Jeanne D'Arc is a great strategy title with tremendously addictive gameplay. Similar in many ways to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with fewer...slow spots. While the game is fairly linear, the story is actually quite engaging, using some terrifically animated cut scenes and surprising moments within the missions themselves. The turn-based combat also makes for good pick up and play, which is essential for a portable system.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Here's a game that is finding its way onto just about every platform; DS, Xbox Live, PS2 and it's eventually coming to PC. Puzzle Quest mixes the incredibly addictive gameplay of Bejeweled with the incredibly addictive gameplay of a great RPG. The story is solid, if not overly unique, but the gameplay itself is what will keep you glued to your PSP. One thing that is irksome with this title is that a bug that affects how companions work within the game has never been fixed. That should be inexcusable in this day and age. That one problem aside, this is another great game that can be played in bite sized chunks or for hours at a time.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - This is a remake of Rondo of Blood, which was never released in the US. It's a great looking 2d side scrolling game that reminds you why 2d games - and Castlevania games in particular - were once the biggest thing in gaming. The game keeps up the Castlevania tradition of being challenging enough to make you work for it, but not so much that you chuck your PSP out a window. You can also unlock the great PSX release Symphony of the Night...though I've yet to get that far. For my money, bringing a slew of great 2d franchises back to life was one of the best things handhelds (GBA Metroid and Castlevania goodness...) have brought to the gaming world.
Crush - I think what distinguishes a system are the original games that seem to be made so specifically for that one platform that it's hard to imagine playing the game on anything else. Crush on the PSP feels this way for me. It's a puzzle game, which suits handhelds quite well - but it's too graphically advanced for the DS. It uses a blend of 2d and 3d vantage points - which are under your control - in some really innovative and challenging gameplay that mixes platforming with puzzle solving and forces you to think in multiple dimensions at once. I've never played anything quite like it, and the game has an interesting story, tons of atmosphere and terrific art design to boot.
So there you go - five titles that will make you proud to own a PSP. All of these games are not only good games, but good value for the money. Puzzle Quest alone could last you weeks, if not months of gameplay. And this is not my exclusive list, and I'll present some more games in a later list that are a little less well known.
To that end, here's my current selection of the five games I feel make the cut for must own titles in any PSP gamers library.
Loco Roco - If you haven't played it, go and grab the demo here. This is an innovative puzzle game (or is it a puzzle platformer?) with great graphics, trippy music and funny sound effects. It's challenging, constantly entertaining with great level design and a unique quality that makes it impossible to play without smiling.
Jeanne D'Arc - While this might not be for everyone with its Anime style and semi-historical setting, Jeanne D'Arc is a great strategy title with tremendously addictive gameplay. Similar in many ways to Final Fantasy Tactics, but with fewer...slow spots. While the game is fairly linear, the story is actually quite engaging, using some terrifically animated cut scenes and surprising moments within the missions themselves. The turn-based combat also makes for good pick up and play, which is essential for a portable system.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Here's a game that is finding its way onto just about every platform; DS, Xbox Live, PS2 and it's eventually coming to PC. Puzzle Quest mixes the incredibly addictive gameplay of Bejeweled with the incredibly addictive gameplay of a great RPG. The story is solid, if not overly unique, but the gameplay itself is what will keep you glued to your PSP. One thing that is irksome with this title is that a bug that affects how companions work within the game has never been fixed. That should be inexcusable in this day and age. That one problem aside, this is another great game that can be played in bite sized chunks or for hours at a time.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - This is a remake of Rondo of Blood, which was never released in the US. It's a great looking 2d side scrolling game that reminds you why 2d games - and Castlevania games in particular - were once the biggest thing in gaming. The game keeps up the Castlevania tradition of being challenging enough to make you work for it, but not so much that you chuck your PSP out a window. You can also unlock the great PSX release Symphony of the Night...though I've yet to get that far. For my money, bringing a slew of great 2d franchises back to life was one of the best things handhelds (GBA Metroid and Castlevania goodness...) have brought to the gaming world.
Crush - I think what distinguishes a system are the original games that seem to be made so specifically for that one platform that it's hard to imagine playing the game on anything else. Crush on the PSP feels this way for me. It's a puzzle game, which suits handhelds quite well - but it's too graphically advanced for the DS. It uses a blend of 2d and 3d vantage points - which are under your control - in some really innovative and challenging gameplay that mixes platforming with puzzle solving and forces you to think in multiple dimensions at once. I've never played anything quite like it, and the game has an interesting story, tons of atmosphere and terrific art design to boot.
So there you go - five titles that will make you proud to own a PSP. All of these games are not only good games, but good value for the money. Puzzle Quest alone could last you weeks, if not months of gameplay. And this is not my exclusive list, and I'll present some more games in a later list that are a little less well known.
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