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.
"Adell anchors a sequel with even bolder absurd humour and an irresistible playable Axel. Two hundred unblushing hours, an endless Item World; NIS America delivers the most accomplished portable Disgaea yet."
"Futuristic ships at extreme speeds on circuits laced with magnetic grids; the WipEout visual shock signed Studio Liverpool. Pulse pushes the sensations one notch further, a blazing electronic score, the pleasure stays intact on PSP."
"The Kiwami edition enriches Toukiden with new characters, Oni and Mitama, making it the most complete version. For Japan-side fans, Tecmo Koei delivers the deepest and most generous demon-hunting on the PSP."
"Tartarus, the Shadows, the Personas and high school life combine into a masterpiece, with the brand-new female protagonist as a considerable bonus. Atlus delivers one of the most beautiful JRPGs ever made on a handheld, Asian release included."
"The sequel piles on dozens of circuits, Time Attack and Survival modes, and a considerably wider lineup of rides. Namco Bandai sets the bar high, and Ridge Racer 2 stands as one of the most beautiful arcade racers on the console."
"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 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."
"Daxter as a pest exterminator could have been a throwaway idea; it turns out to be one of the PSP's best platformers. The dreamlike minigames pay tribute to classic cinema and Josh Mancell's score is genuinely remarkable."
"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."
"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 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."
"Kratos searches for his brother Deimos through the realm of Death, and the Flames of Chaos refresh the gameplay nicely. Ready at Dawn arguably delivers the PSP's most beautiful game; that level of intensity remains unmatched elsewhere on the system."
"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."
"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."
"Vice City under the 80s sun in hand is already huge, and the Empire Builder mode adds a delightful strategic layer. Vic Vance earns his stripes; Rockstar brushes excellence on PSP."
"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."
