The PSP put a home console in your pocket, with the UMD format and big hits: God of War Chains of Olympus, GTA Liberty City Stories, Monster Hunter, Persona 3 Portable. This Top 50 gathers the best of Sony's handheld, re-tested and re-ranked by RomWize, each title with its re-evaluated score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"The European Persona 3 Portable edition by Zen United, with the female protagonist and all the magic of Tartarus in English. Atlus delivers one of the most beautiful JRPGs ever made on a handheld; indispensable in the PSP catalogue."
"Toni Cipriani returns from exile and Liberty City's underworld pulses exactly like it does in GTA III, on a PSP screen. Rockstar delivers an ambitious prequel, with a six-mode ad hoc multiplayer that genuinely shakes things up."
"Gabe Logan dives into an inside-job betrayal, and Sony Bend adds underwater combat and a pleasant ad hoc co-op. The scenario grows in complexity, and Logan's Shadow stands as one of the PSP's major tactical shooters."
"The Dark Resurrection edition enriches Tekken 5 with Lili, Dragunov and an online Ghost Mode. Thirty-two fighters, 3D visuals among the PSP's best; Namco Bandai delivers one of the most technically impressive portable fighters."
"The Korean edition of Persona 3 Portable, with the brand-new female protagonist and all the magic of Tartarus. Atlus delivers an unforgettable JRPG and the Korean release opens it in a local language; a real localisation win."
"Tapping the rhythm to push a tribe of black dots forward is one of the most brilliant ideas ever born on a PSP. Monumental bosses and a tribal score make Patapon an utterly unique hypnotic experience."
"The add-on disc that grafts Burst content onto the original God Eater, only useful for owners of the base game. Handy for day-one buyers, but newcomers are better off with the complete edition."
"Okabe and his friends rig up a phone that sends messages into the past, and it grows into one of gaming's great alternate histories. 5pb. delivers a rigorous, devastating visual novel; the Japan-only release genuinely frustrates."
"The definitive cut of Final Fantasy Tactics with voiced cutscenes, two FFXII guest characters and a rebalanced ruleset. The grandeur of the Ivalice story has lost none of its bite; an all-time tactical landmark."
"Reid and Farah meet Meredy and set out to stop the Grand Dast Calamity between two planets. European Tales of Eternia on PSP remains an ideal doorway to the Tales saga, with Sakuraba's sublime score and a dense scenario."
"Ratchet and Clank face robots of every size on varied planets in a portable adventure surprisingly faithful to the console entries. High Impact Games delivers a genuinely successful 3D platformer; ideal for fans of the formula."
"OutRun 2006 in Ferraris along sunlit coastal roads; the arcade madeleine par excellence. Fifteen official Ferraris, adorably kitsch Heart Attack challenges, Kawaguchi's score; a sunlit Sega that fits the PSP perfectly."
"A live-photo group narrative that pulls the player into eight real hours of Shibuya and refuses to let go. The way the five protagonists' fates intertwine is written with rare precision; visual novel craft at its peak."
"Sackboy lands on PSP with a full level editor and online sharing; a small technical miracle. The side-scrolling felt-and-cardboard levels keep every ounce of charm, perfect for creative types on the go."
"A Joan of Arc as a light-warrior fighting demons; Level-5's narrative daring shines from the very first hours. The turn-based tactical is crystal clear and historical figures meet the magical with rare grace."
"A branching battle map with multiple routes and an aircraft customisation loop that gets seriously addictive. For a first PSP Ace Combat, the work Namco put in still impresses and the replay value holds up."
"Class Zero's student soldiers live through a war that erases the dead, and the melancholy hits hard. Real-time combat across fourteen leads, magic and summons, and Ishimoto's sublime score; an unsung narrative peak on PSP."
"The hunting game that long stood up to Monster Hunter on PSP, with hybrid God Arc weapons and monumental Aragami. Bandai Namco crafts a stylish post-apocalyptic tableau and the four-player co-op runs like a dream."
"The sequel expands the universe with fresh colourful biomes and Moja to take on, without losing any of the first game's magic. The songs stay spellbinding, the LocoRoco even more expressive; a generous, radiant follow-up."
"The first two Ys remastered on a single UMD; a treasure for Falcom fans. Three sound arrangements to choose from, two graphics modes, expanded scenario; Ys I & II Chronicles offers a precious historic Japanese dive."
