In Memory of the PSP
I decided to make this in response to finding out that Gamestop is phasing out the PSP by September 1st, and to me it's pretty saddening. I always found the PSP to be the handheld version of the Sega Dreamcast or the Nintendo Gamecube, a great platform with a solid library that didn't do well as it deserved. For all it's shortcomings I had very fond memories of the handheld to the point where I consider it my favorite platform, with lots of games I loved to play where ever I went.
Valkyria Chronicles 2/3
Even if it was disappointing to see the series transitioning from console to handheld, the next two Valkyria Chronicles games were still excellent follow-ups to the first game, though it was still disappointing that the 3rd game never got a localized release
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops/Peace Walker
MGS had a pretty strong presence on the platform, whether it be the AC!D games or the PS1 rerelease of the first game and VR Missions, but these two games were the MVPs, with them greatly expanding Big Boss's story
Final Fantasy
The PSP saw tons of love from the Final Fantasy series, recieving a lot of remasters from many of the older games such as the first two, the Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection(including the new "Interlude"), a PSP enhanced port of FFIII, and an updated version of Final Fantasy Tactics(complete with added story, new characters, new weapons, and online features; though the slowdown unfortunately brought it down a bit)
Crisis Core/Type-0
The series also saw some new games as well, one being a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, which follows events surrounding Cloud's friend Zack Fair(who I found to be much more fun and likeable). The other was Type-0, a game that was part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series(which somewhat made it connected to FFXIII in some way) and shared similaritie to Crisis Core's gameplay. The game on the PSP was never released in the US unfortunately despite strong praise. Thankfully remasterd releases will come to the PS4/Xbone, which includes a localized release
Dissidia
The PSP also saw a spin-off fighting game called Dissidia, and a fighting game with a surprising amount of depth. The games mainly featured the main protagonist and antagonist of the first ten FF games(while the sequel Duodecim included the leads from XI, XII, and XIII, as well as a few support characters). The best way for me to describe it was that it was DBZ with FF characters, with tons of over-the-top and fun fights and a pretty hectic story
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep
BBS is another solid prequel and my personal favorite in the Kingdom Hearts series, which follows 3 new protagonists whom all have ties to several characters in the other series. Anyone who loves Kingdom Hearts should not skip out on this gem
Megaman Powered Up/Maverick Hunter
The Megaman series also got some love(something that unfortunately doesn't happem anymore). Maverick Hunter X and Powered Up are some of the best remakes I've played, with them both adding a ton of things to make them feel fresh while sticking true to the original game. It's a shame that they didn't do better, as it would have led to their series getting the same treatment as these two. I can only imaging how great it would've been to see a Powered Up 2, or a Maverick Hunter X4
Tons of Capcom Classics
Along with Megaman, Capcom gave the PSP a ton of strong support bring out some of the most strong titles such as Darkstalkers, Ghost and Goblins, Street Fighter Alpha 3(my fav. SF game) as well as the popular Dreamcast fighter Powerstone
Monster Hunter
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Monster_Hunter_Freedom_Unite.jpg
Even though the PSP wasn't such a big seller in the US, it was a force to be dealt with in Japan, an it wouldn't have been possible without the Monster Hunter series, one of the most popular franchises in Japan with a cult, but vocal following in the West
Persona
http://www.otakustudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/perpsp.jpg
With the success of Persona 3 and 4 on the PS2, Atlus wanted to give fans a chance to relive the original games, releasing remasters of the original game on the PS1 as well as the never released in Japan Persona 2: Innocent Sin. The PSP also saw another version of Persona 3, which included the ability to play as a female protagonist and included new dialogue and interactions with the other characters
God of War
Sony released two games of their insanely popular God of War series, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta. Both were excellent games that managed to successfully transition from console to handheld while keeping everything people love about God of War intact. Chains of Olympus also gets bonus points for getting me to actually like Kratos
Syphon Filter
After a fairly mediocre PS2 game, Sony decided to bring the Syphon Filter series to the PSP, deliver possibly 2 of the best games in the series(well, after 2 of course). These two games were great follow ups of the PS1 games and successfully brought modern controls to the series despite them being on a limited platform
It's also worth noting that the PSP was a goldmine for other JRPG titles, and the handheld was also easy to hack which made it popular for a few people, as hacking it would allow them to play emulators and PS1 games that weren't availible on the PSN. PSN also worked well on it as it gave people the ability to play several download only titles as well as the ability to watch movies(also availible on UMD movies), tv shows and listen to music, making it a great portable multimedia device
What did you think of the system? Did you have any fond memories? Any games you loved that I forgot to mention?(I know I missed a ton of great games on it)
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