Getting a PSP in 2011?
 

I just noticed that the PSP 3004 has dropped in price a lot, so I ordered one for the sum of ~€100. Titles like Half Minute Hero and No heroes allowed sparked my interest. However, I'm getting second thoughts now. Are there any more "must have" titles out there. I play everything except racing and sport games.

I bought a PSP a year ago and I have so many titles to play.
Especially good on PSP are Strategy RPGs and other RPGs.

Here is a list of must-haves by genre (I played):

Strategy (including Strategy RPGs):

- Disgaea series (first 2 are remade for PSP, excellent games, I'm still on the first one and I'm not even close to finishing it although I have over 40hours gameplay)

- Final Fantasy Tactics (excellent title remade for PSP with awesome hand-drawn cutscenes although Disgaea is more fun to play this is still recommended)

- Valkyria Chronicles II (one of the best strategy games I've ever played)

- Worms: Battle Islands (hey it's latest portable worms, need I say more)

- Jeanne d'Arc (although I haven't played it I hear it's an awesome game in vein of FF:Tactics and Disgaea)

RPGs:

- Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

- Half Minute Hero (excellent parody of grinding JRPGs)

- Final Fantasy 1 & 2 remakes

- Crimson Gem Saga (korean RPG with an excellent turn-based combat system, I'd go as far and say that is the best classicaly made Asian RPG on PSP)

Action titles:

- Syphon Filter series (excellent mix of action and stealth)

- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (there's Portable Ops but you can skip it, I'd go as far and say this is the best MGS after the first title in the series)

- GTA Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories and Chinatown Wars (GTA Stories is more like GTA 3 but Chinatown Wars returns to overhead camera roots packed with arcade fun)

Platforming, Sidescrollers:

- Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (excellent remake)

- Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (an old ninteno hard classic)

- N+ (although I haven't tried it yet it was nominated for the best PSP game one year)

- Echocrome and its sequel Echoshift (excellent puzzle platformers)

- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (with hidden secret a full sequel - Rondo of Blood)

- Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (it's old skool Castlevania, need I say more)

Upcoming games:

- Valkyria Chronicles III

- Tactics Ogre

- Final Fantasy 4 remake

These are my personal recommendations, you should check out reviews and videos and see if you like them. If you need more recommendations ask away

This is a great list! I've already played Final Fantasy Tactics (5/5), Symphony of the Dark (4/5) and Disgaea (never got past "mid boss"). I also own Valkyria Chronicles on my PS3 and like it quite a bit. When I'm done with No heroes allowed and Half Minute Hero I'll first and foremost take a look at Jeanne D'Arc.

I recommend Pocketgamer.co.uk for reviews. IGN PSP section has some pretty good reviews also (and many more than pocketgamer)

Edit: I just checked No Heroes Allowed! I didn't know this game is on PSP and it seems awesome. Kinda like Dungeon Keeper series.
Thanks for bringing it up to my attention!

Apparently it's the third game in the series. I wonder if the other two are worth a look?

I did some (dungeon) digging (pun intended), it seems "No Heroes Allowed" is the 3rd game in the so called Badman series.

First title was renamed to "What did I do to deserve this, my Lord!" because of some legal issues. Sequel was "What did I do to deserve this, my Lord! 2" and I guess they finally realized the name of the game is too long so the third one is "No Heroes Allowed".

Judging by the reviews, sequels haven't really improved the original game although they are worth the 10$.
The game is really hard (that's what I like) and has an interesting ecosystem going on. Definitely worth a try.

I'm gonna probably get the 1st or 2nd game.

This series seems perfect for iOS

Yeah, I think I'll stick with the third game in the series. Just ordered Jeanne D'Arc for £30. That's pretty pricey for a four year old game is it not? Relatively hard to find too. No store that I could find in Sweden had it. Purchased it from a UK store.

Is there any way to play my copies of Final Fantasy 7 & 9 on my PSP that doesn't involve "jailbreaking" the device?

I could always buy them again as they're only SEK 90 a piece, but as I already own the games...

Well, you would have to install custom firmware on PSP and use PC to convert your PS CDs to image files so you can transfer them to your PSP. That is actually legal because you are using your own copies, unfortunately installing custom firmware isn't that easy.

Well, if you are desperate to play those games and don't want to fiddle with CFW they aren't that expensive (as you said).

P.S. I would wait a bit, maybe there will be a discount because there are more Final Fantasy titles on the way for PSP

If I was desperate I would just play them on my PS3 instead, but since I have a 46" LED it becomes really pix-elated. I was thinking the PSP screen would be better suited for it. It doesn't matter though. I was just curious to how it would look.

Btw, these titles you mentioned look very interesting. :)
Valkyria Chronicles II & III
Tactics Ogre
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

PSP2 will be out soon and the prices of old PSP's will fall drastically.

Yes, but I'm afraid that the PSP2 will be dead on arrival. I'm not even sure about the 3DS. Anyway, I've already bought one... :)

No Heroes Allowed, dear God is that game hard but sooo awesome!

English translation is done incredibly good with various references to maaany games, movies and JRPG tropes.
Excellent!
Now I wish I knew Japanese and get the original version, I wonder how good that one is!

The game is so simple yet so deep! I hope upcoming PC title Dungeons will manage to be equally fun! It's strange that there aren't many more Dungeon Keeper styled games

I'm still in area 1, I'm picking away at the tutorial levels to get better.

Tutorials are really good, what would have we done without them.

Anyways, had a pause from NHA by playing Super Meat Boy (dark worlds). I guess I really like Nintendo Hard games :)

I also have Super Meat Boy, but I'm only in the "Salt World" Chapter 3. I encountered the save game bug and it annoyed me enough to leave the game be.

I've finished the first nine basic tutorial levels and the first advanced one. I'm not sure, but the advanced levels doesn't give you enough information to solve them straight away. Lots of trial and error on my part. Trying to create 99 moss now... :crazy:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/27/the-sony-psp2/

All hail the new PSP 2

Yeah, I saw that. Maybe it won't be dead on arrival. That's some sexy hardware. Still it's at least a year before it arrives at store shelves and the initial lineup doesn't look that interesting to me. That could easily change though. I can't say I've been an early adopter with the PSP. :)

Do Vagrant Story, Grandia, Final Fantasy 7 & 9 and Abe's Oddesey/Escape hold up by todays standard? I'm thinking of maybe giving them a shot on my PSP.

If you don't mind bad graphics they are classic as ever!

P.S. If anyone will be giving away PSP2 just let me know xD

Depends on what you mean by "bad graphics". I love the style of Half Minute Hero, but I don't fancy early 3D engines (Simon 3D)...

Exactly, 3d engines ... Final Fantasy 7 looks really bad. But then again you have to see for yourself. Metal Gear Solid looks horrible with it's jerky models but I still can play it for the 1000th time because the gameplay is that good.

If you played those games before and you like them enough to play again then I don't have to tell you to go play them. Just go and play :)

If you haven't played some of those titles then definitely check out the gameplay videos and see if it suits you.

The problem is buying them again for PSP with the money you could spend on games designed for PSP you haven't experienced yet.

Just ask me if you are looking for a game in specific genre so you don't have to replay titles you already played.

E.g. I really recommend Crimson Gem Saga - Korean made game (for PSP, later ported to iOS) in vein of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger

I already own FF7 & FF9. The first I haven't played for twelve years, but I liked it back then. The second I just own, but I've barely tried it on my PS3 where it looks barely ok on my 46" LED.

However you make an excellent point regarding me wasting money on games I have already have played (I haven't played Grandia, Abe's or Vagrant Story though).

Basically I like games where I don't have to grind too much. I don't really like random encounters either, but I can stomach them if there aren't too many of them. Final Fantasy games have too many of them and while I could handle that twelve years ago I don't really have that patience any more. I also appreciate being able to save often (PSP software suspend does however seem to solve it for me) as I nowadays have a kid to take care of and need to be able to put the game down at any time. Also a good captivating story to motivate me through the grind is also a plus. :)

Examples.

Like: Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy 7 (mostly due to the story line), Chrono Trigger, Grandia 2, Persona 3

Dislike: Final Fantasy 4, Dragon Quest 4, Pixeljunk Monsters (there are better TD games out there)

So apart for Crimson Saga what do you recommend? I've already bought Jeanne D'Arc, Patapon 2, Peace Walker, Half Minute Hero and No heroes allowed. Most of them I got dirt cheap as the PSP seem to be dying in my country...

Then I think Crimson Gem Saga is what you are looking for.

Story is interesting, there are no random encounters - you see all enemies on screen and if they don't see you when you engage them you get a surprise attack (it can happen to you also), there is some grinding but most enemies can be overcome by exploiting weaknesses, each character has skill trees and there are "team" skills which require parts of your team to perform a combo move.

I think with these games you have and CGS you are set to play on PSP for a long time.

Edit: There's also remake of Persona 3 (I think it's called Persona 3 Portable). I'm not sure if it's out yet in English but I've heard it's a great remake.

Opinions about Crimson Gem Saga seem to vary. I've heard good stuff about Ys Seven too. Persona 3 sounds great, but I'll hold off for Persona 4 instead. :)

Is there going to be a P4 for PSP? Is seems P3 for PSP is pretty good, with the options of playing a female main character.

I'm loving my PSP a lot, but buying games on UMD feels like a waste as I won't be able to play them on NGP. :frusty:

I haven't understood this "create a US and JPN account" to be able to download games from other regions that EU.

I recently picked up a PSP 3000 :) It came bundled with GTA: Chinatown Wars, LittleBigPlanet and Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier, though I traded the last two for Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.

The first game I played through was God of War: Ghost of Sparta, which is absolutely phenomenal. I'd say it's better than the first God of War and probably on par with the second, though I've yet to play God of War 3.

I also downloaded 3 PSN games -- A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks!, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Tekken 2 (PS Classic).

A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! is an excellent little game if you're into vertical schmups. You earn money to buy permanent upgrades and special weapons for your ship. It's a great formula. Pac-Man CE is, well, Pac-Man with flashy graphics. It's a lot of fun. I bought Tekken 2 more for a trip down memory lane. I used to play it to death when I was younger.

I found the main game in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles to be alright, but I've unlocked Symphony of the Night, which is 10 times better.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (Limited Edition) is coming in the mail this week, and I really want Persona 3 Portable but I'm going to have to import it.

I love picking up a system late in its life-cycle so I can play all the games I've missed over the past 5-or-so years, and for cheap, too.

Oh, and The 3rd Birthday is high on my Most Wanted list as well :devil:

Yeah, there are some really nice games coming up. Tactics Ogre is top on my PSP wishlist but I'm still playing MGS5: PW and Valkyria Chronicles 2. Then there's Disgaea 1 & 2. I simply don't find time to play them all fully and they are so awesome!

I'm currently playing Tactics Ogre and while I'm only a couple of hours in, it already beats Final Fantasy Tactics and Jeanne D'Arc. Amazing game.

I just got a PSP last year, and I must say that I really like it, even though the software library is nowhere near as good as the DS library. These are the games I have:

God of War: Chains of Olympus - I got this one with the unit for free, and my honest opinion is that it looks incredibly good, but that is also all it has for it. I don't really like the braindead button-mashing of the God of War-games, and I feel they try to hard to appeal to a juvenile audience, and this game does not feel like an exception to me.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles - First game I bought, and what a great game. Here you get for the first time in the west the original Rondo of Blood (not that sh*t Vampire X), which is in my opinion the best of the old-school Castlevania-games with great leveldesign, branching paths, multiple characters, lots of secrets and very challenging gameplay. And its all remade with beautiful graphics! I would say this is reason enough to get this game, but the package also include the original Turbografx CD-version, AND Symphony of the Night. Symphony of the Night, while not my personal favorite, is often regarded as the best in the series and one of the best games of all time, and it is a great must-play game for any gamers. Great package stuffed with awesome content!

LocoRoco 1 & 2 - I don't quite know how to describe these games. I guess they are plattformers, and in a way they remind me of the We Love Katamari-games for the PS2. The gameplay is not that challenging if you are not prepared to collect everything (then on the other hand, it gets really challenging), but the levels are diverse, the music is great and the humor is fantastic. Also the gameplay is really easy to learn but pretty hard to master. Definitely recommended.

Half-Minute Hero - Another fantastic PSP game that i recommend to everybody with a PSP.

Tactics Ogre - The best strategy RPG for the Super Nintendo that unfortunately never came to the west, nuff said. If you like strategy rpg's (and why wouldn't you when you have a PSP) then this is the best one to get.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops - I had really high hopes for this game based on the reviews it got and my general love for the series, but I feel that the controls are simply to clunky for it to be enjoyable. Also, the story is a bit unfocused and there is to much other stuff the game asks you to do that I haven't really gotten into. I might like this more after a while though.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - I have not played it as I want to finish MGS: PO first.

Other games I will be getting includes: Persona 1-2 remakes, Final Fantasy Tactics Remake, Patapon 1-3, The Third Birthday and possibly a few others.

Might also be getting Digaea, Jeanne D'Arc and Pirates if the version for PSP is good. Anybody know anything about that?

Yes they are all good.

I love Disgaea and Pirates (if you mean Sid Meier's Pirates) is almost the best version of Pirates - PC being the best, but PSP version comes close (they improved on PC version, only thing holding it back is small screen)

I haven't played Jean 'D Arc, but they say if you love Disgaea and FF:Tactics you are gonna love that one.

Persona remakes started mediocre but improved quite a bit. Apparently Persona 3 Portable is among the best games on PSP.

Over the summer I'll probably also start with Persona 1 - 2 remakes.

Currently I'm playing Zettai Hero Project - Nippon Ichis take on roguelikes with many parodies of rpg tropes and their own Disgaea series.

After that I'm going after Tactics Ogre, Persona remakes or Ys remakes.
Actually there are quite good games on PSP, especially from SNES era that didn't come out of Japan.

P.S. Final Fantasy 4,5 & 6 (my favourite) are out!

The price is dropping because it's being replaced. http://us.playstation.com/psvita/
http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming...evealed-962996

It's a hand held with better stats than my PC :frown: