Celebrate the PSP's second b-day with its 10 best games
by Blake Snow 
{ Mar 16th 2007 at 12:55PM }
In commemoration of the PSP's second birthday here in the states on Mar 24, GamePro profiles 10 games they say you should either own or add to your library. LocoRoco and Lumines are at the top of the list including some honorable mentions. When the portable isn't flogging or trying to differentiate itself as a unique platform, it's busy
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
x876543 @ Mar 16th 2007 1:02PM
Top 10? That's 10 more games than I thought it actually had.
Simon @ Mar 16th 2007 1:08PM
Reading this list all-of-a-sudden makes me feel good about my purchase. Still need to give Lumines a try.
Genius @ Mar 16th 2007 1:10PM
I have quite a few, of those games. I actually own more games on my PSP than I do on my DS. Im not really into all those brain/puzzle games that seem to dominate the DS.
my PSP games right now are:
GTA Liberty City Stories
GTA Vice City Stories
Lumines
Tokobot
Ace Combat X
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Lemmings
Valkarie Profile
Burnout
Gradius Collection
Myke @ Mar 16th 2007 1:11PM
I hear the Game.Com is making a comeback...watch out Sony, Tiger is on the prowl...
crsh @ Mar 16th 2007 1:18PM
I've had my PSP for about 3 months now, I dig it as a portable media player, and as a gaming console as well.. if only there were more games for it tho. I have 5 of them, hand-picked for their excellence and/or good reviews, but the catalog of titles is direly lacking.
Where's all the stuff?
FrankTheCrank @ Mar 16th 2007 1:15PM
PSP sold better than the original XBOX which I beleive only sold 24 Million units.
Nice.
Dormammu @ Mar 16th 2007 1:22PM
The PSP really is at its best hacked. The power of it is insane and an inexpensive 512mb card will let you hold your entire NES, Genesis, SNES and Gameboy (incl. Advance) collections in the palm of your hand. I love my PSP!
windsof @ Mar 16th 2007 1:36PM
Lumines deserves to be number 1, i also consider it one of the best computer games ever.
moosey @ Mar 16th 2007 1:53PM
i could never get past the 2nd song in lumines :(
required @ Mar 16th 2007 2:12PM
crsh, you seem to be in need of help. Truth is the PSP has HUNDREDS of great games.
For starters, here is a list of ign's favorites: http://psp.ign.com/index/choice.html
RHP @ Mar 16th 2007 2:25PM
"PSP sold better than the original XBOX which I beleive only sold 24 Million units."
Worldwide, yes. If you look at the US only (which they're talking about above), the PSP has sold only as half as many units as the original Xbox.
Xbox US sales 14 million
PSP US sales 7 million
stafford @ Mar 16th 2007 2:19PM
A game not mention, DJ Portable Max, i know it's not released in the USA or Europe, but it's easily one of the best PSP games.
stafford @ Mar 16th 2007 2:19PM
A game not mention, DJ Portable Max, i know it's not released in the USA or Europe, but it's easily one of the best PSP games.
sheppy @ Mar 16th 2007 2:24PM
"i could never get past the 2nd song in lumines :("
Do the time trials. Seriously. I sucked at first then busted out the time trials, slowly getting better (it's amazing how you learn to throw together huge chains when you have 60 seconds to clear 60 blocks). Once I was done with that, I started getting to level 200, no problem. In fact, due to time trials, none of my friends will play against me in versus.
Kevin @ Mar 16th 2007 2:25PM
The top 10 games on the PSP are Nintendo games that people put on their PSP.
NeverSage @ Mar 16th 2007 2:34PM
@required
Hundreds of good games? Hmm... I don't even agree with these 10. They may be good games in themselves, but I'd rather not play half of them on a handheld system.
At the end of the article, Mr. Marbles says:
"The PSP may be comparably as powerful as the PS2, but it's still a handheld platform and it needs handheld games. Just because it doesn't have a touchscreen doesn't mean it can't have games that emphasize quick, unique fun like the Nintendo DS. Few people have the time and the place to play big, complicated action games on the go, so even though the PSP has the power to produce console-like experiences, doesn't mean it should."
I totally agree. If I got the GTA games, Metal Gear, etc I'd end up just sitting in my room and playing them. Why not just play them on a console? I'm sure they'd be good on a plane... but I don't fly enough for it to be worth it.
required @ Mar 16th 2007 2:49PM
NeverSage, it is okay to disagree with Mr. Marbles. I use the sleep function to act as a save of sorts when I'm on the run.
Also, keep in mind some folks like myself loath systems that require being tethered to a television. With the PSP I can sit on my couch in the living room playing in 16x9 AND I can do this anywhere I choose.
I suggest you give it a try. As I said, it's a great system and yes it has hundreds of great games and a whole lot more such as web (with flash), video (via stick or UMD), mp3 (with visualizers), location free player, rss feeds, photo viewer, cool accessories (camera, gps) and so on.
oGMo @ Mar 16th 2007 3:13PM
While I'd probably put LocoRoco as #1 and Lumines as #10, that's mostly due to my own genre preferences. (But it's still like putting Tetris as the #1 gameboy game...)
That said, Hot Shots Golf, Gurumin, and Monster Hunter Freedom should probably in at *least* the honorable mentions.
@NeverSage:
The problem is the PSP's power is its own worst enemy. No one expects console-quality games from the DS or GBA, so you will never see a review that says "compared to the Cube version". Most reviewers have a hard time with this on the PSP: it's either "not like the PS2 version" or "not a portable experience". You can't have it both ways, but somehow, everyone seems to *want* it both ways.
Fortunately I think people are starting to see stuff like LocoRoco and come around.
NeverSage @ Mar 16th 2007 3:28PM
@required
I actually do own a PSP. Had it since launch. And I can see where you're coming from, I just don't feel the same way. I prefer the more handheldish games for my PSP and DS.
What would be amazing is if they released nearly identical games for console and PSP. Where you could play it on your console, put your save file on your PSP, and play it on the road.
Joshua @ Mar 16th 2007 3:28PM
Well, I saw two games on that list that interested me even in the slightest bit. Although I've hardly played a game in the series, if I had, I'd want MGS: Portable Ops, and LocoRoco looks like it might be some fun.
Perhaps Lumines, but I generally don't like puzzle games, especially falling block puzzle games. As for the rest of the games, I'm not interested in sports or racing games, and I will not buy a console or portable shooter if it could be better on the PC.
David @ Mar 16th 2007 4:33PM
Wait... it had ten games for the system?! Why didn't that news get reported!?
navstar @ Mar 16th 2007 5:04PM
I'm sick of all this "PS2 power" that the PSP supposedly claims. First, there is no anti-aliasing and secondly, the screen only has 1/4 of the pixel of a normal NTSC TV screen.
It's more of a portable Dreamcast than anything. But I suppose the Sony market-droids don't do their job unless they are exaggerating claims of Sony game hardware.
syco @ Mar 16th 2007 5:11PM
So basically Locoroco and Lumines.
Oh, wait, I can get Lumines for the PS2.
So it's just Locoroco.
I remain unimpressed.
required @ Mar 16th 2007 6:11PM
http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/03/16/the-first-2-years-psp-has-sold-better-in-the-us-than-ps1-ds-m/
Nayl @ Mar 16th 2007 6:21PM
If you'll look on the wikipedia page you linked to you'll see it has SHIPPED 25 million units but only actually sold around 11 million.
Rootbeer @ Mar 16th 2007 6:23PM
I was surprised that "Mega Man Powered Up" didn't even make honorable mention. That's one of the few PSP exclusive titles that interests me at all.
But then, my infatuation with a remake of a 2D platformer from 1986 might say more about me than about the PSP game library.
Shane @ Mar 16th 2007 6:32PM
Nayl,
I looked at the wikipedia page and I don't see anywhere that it has only sold about 11 million. You expect me to believe that there are 14 million PSP's just sitting on shelves?
I would estimate that the PSP is pushing 20 million sold. Nothing to back that up but based on the fact that retailers are still buying them seems to say that they can be sold.
Shane @ Mar 16th 2007 6:37PM
Nayl,
I looked at the wikipedia page and I don't see anywhere that it has only sold about 11 million. You expect me to believe that there are 14 million PSPs just sitting on shelves?
I would estimate that the PSP is pushing 20 million sold. Nothing to back that up but based on the fact that retailers are still buying them seems to say that they can be sold.
Nayl @ Mar 16th 2007 8:35PM
Shane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh_generation_era#Handheld_systems
kihadat @ Mar 16th 2007 10:22PM
"more than any other non-Nintendo handheld to date."
So it's sold more than the Neo-Geo, Gizmondo, and N-Gage. Good job, PSP.
Feanor @ Mar 16th 2007 11:44PM
Just ignore all European sales, eh. Good stuff.
Extinction @ Mar 17th 2007 4:13AM
"Top 10? That's 10 more games than I thought it actually had."
No wonder ppl hate the PSP, they are as uninformed/stupid as you.
PSP launched with more than 10 games, in fact, it launched with more games than the DS had in total at the time. Not only that, but there has never been a time where DS had more games.
And if you check gamerankings.com, metacritic.com, gamelemon.com, and ign.com, they all show PSP as having more higher rated games than the DS
NeverSage @ Mar 19th 2007 5:11AM
"And if you check gamerankings.com, metacritic.com, gamelemon.com, and ign.com, they all show PSP as having more higher rated games than the DS"
I hear this alot. That the PSP has a higher percentage of top rated games than the DS. But for some reason this fact means nothing to anyone except the PSP loyal. Anyone want to explain why? I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm serious.