Best PSP Games

Buying games is a commitment – especially with the huge number of excellent titles available on store shelves. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best games for the PSP right now so you don’t have to stand in the game aisle and base your decisions off of box art. Be sure to check back for future updates and new releases.

God of War: Ghost of Sparta is unquestionably one of the best-looking games on the PSP, and veteran developer Ready at Dawn seems to have used every trick it knows to make the game vivid, smooth and richly detailed. The gameplay is stellar, the visuals are beautiful, and it brings a few original touches to the gameplay as Kratos travels to Atlantis, Sparta and, finally, to death’s domain in another vicious, rage-fueled stomp through the more monstrous side of Greek mythology.

Read the God of War: Ghost of Sparta review
Watch God of War: Ghost of Sparta videos
View God of War: Ghost of Sparta screenshots

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is huge, diverse and beautiful. While the game has a traditional story-driven stealth adventure at its heart (which can be played with up to four players all controlling Snake clones via wi-fi), there’s also a pretty robust resource management sim, too. Even though it falls short of the invention, epic set-pieces and brilliant boss battles seen in Snake’s console titles, this is still comfortably the best handheld Metal Gear out there.

Read the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
 review
Watch Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
 videos
View Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
 screenshots

Valkyria Chronicles II is a deeply strategic, tactical RPG that puts players in engrossing battles with gameplay and a plot that are totally newcomer friendly. The story stands well on its own with some cool character cameos from the first game. Well-made tutorials and the gentle increase in the complexity and difficulty of battles perfectly balance the experience – it’s never too fast to confuse newbies and not too slow to bore veterans.

Read the Valkyria Chronicles II review
Watch Valkyria Chronicles II videos
View Valkyria Chronicles II screenshots

A colossal, value-filled package that sets a new gold standard for both PSP strategy RPGs and remakes in general, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together gives PSP owners a reason to dust off their old portable. The insane level of character customization, mature branching storyline, and classic gameplay are brilliantly re-created to modernize this excellent 16 year-old game. 


Read the Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together review
Watch Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together videos
View Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together screenshots

The presentation may have changed from previous console releases, but the addition of an entirely new female-focused path through the original story offers new conversations and relationships while losing none of the addictive dungeon crawling or social juggling of the console versions. Persona is still one of the benchmarks for amazing localization and voice acting. Despite it having been released twice already, this is still an adventure worth playing through again.

Read the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable review
Watch Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable videos
View Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable screenshots

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is a full-featured Kingdom Hearts entry for the PSP that truly succeeds in feeling like a substantial evolution for the series. The new combat system has been wonderfully overhauled into something the series can be proud of, shedding the simplistic hack-and-slash button mashing and delivering the deepest and most rewarding combat systems you’re likely to find on a handheld. With three different playable characters that add significant replay value, those who love to plunge deep into the realm of King Mickey need look no further.

Read the Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep review
Watch Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep videos
View Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshots

There’s a great amount of affection for the platforming genre that shines through in Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! with cleverly devious stage and boss design, excellently done 2D sprite animation, catchy music, various “gimmicks” and hidden secrets, and the charming sense of humor that NIS is known for. If you can make it past the old-fashioned controls and have the will to face its relentless challenge, Prinny 2 is an operation worth engaging in. Just remember that throwing your PSP out of frustration is a bad idea.


Read the Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! review
Watch Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! videos
View Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! screenshots

Equal parts love letter and roast to the beloved RPG genre, Half-Minute Hero
 is a crazy mix of WarioWare-style speed gaming and old-school earnestness. With a sprinkling of pop-culture references and its self-deprecation it's definitely one of the most original games we've played on the PSP even if it is a short trip.

Read the Half-Minute Hero
 review
Watch Half-Minute Hero
 videos
View Half-Minute Hero
 screenshots

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is an interesting take on a lot of well-worn ideas - never exceptional, though usually a lot of fun. Turning the traditionally slow paced RPG franchise and creating a fast-paced action fighter is a refreshing deconstruction of the sort of games Square Enix has been churning out for years, and a notable entry in one of the world’s longest running franchises.


Read the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy review
Watch Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy videos
View Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy screenshots

Patapon 3's simple art style and charming toe-tapping music do a lot with a little to make a fun on-the-go rhythm game. The visuals are crisp and charismatic featuring tons of expressive flourishes, but don't let the simple premise and presentation fool you – this is not a casual game. This is a game that teaches you to swim by tossing you in the deep end.

Read the Patapon 3 review
Watch Patapon 3 videos
View Patapon 3 screenshots