Back in 2011, Sony released the PSP’s successor, which was supposed to leverage the burgeoning portable gaming market (driven primarily by smartphones). The PS Vita was designed to combine the performance of a premium gaming console with the versatility of a smartphone. And it was definitely way ahead of Nintendo’s 3DS on pretty much every technological front.
Whether we’re talking about graphical fidelity or display quality, the 3DS is handily beaten by PS Vita. However, it still sold many more units than the Vita. Why is that?
For starters, the 3DS is a much more focused device- designed specifically for one thing, which is gaming. In contrast, the Vita was trying to be a console and smartphone simultaneously.
Anyways, the Vita does have some excellent games in its library. You can even hack a Vita and install RetroArch, which turns it into a portable emulation machine for 16- bit consoles.
Many people feel like the Vita is just a toy for JRPG fans, which is not true- it has everything from shooters to sports games. In fact, many of these games are ports of the best PS2 and PSP titles. And some of the PS Vita games look almost as good as PS3 games.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona is one of the most popular JRPGs in existence, with over a dozen games spanning various platforms over the past two decades. It originally started out as a spin-off based on Atlus’ Megami Tensei series. Persona should be right up your alley if you like turn-based dungeon-crawling mixed with some anime high school drama.
And for PS Vita gamers, Persona 4 Golden is easily the best JRPG. Golden is a remake of the original PS2 release with HD graphics, new content, and revamped UX features. Golden adds some new social link options, bonus endings, and more difficulty settings.
Final Fantasy X/ X-2 HD Remaster
You get two remastered games in this collection- Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. So, what’s new here? Firstly, the graphics have been updated to support higher resolutions.
Not just that, but new features like bloom and dynamic shadows have been included (in addition to upgrading texture quality). Water and lighting look better, plus several audio tracks have been rearranged for FF X. You also get content that was previously exclusive to the “International” versions of FF X and X-2.
International versions were only released in Japan in Europe, so it’s nice that this cut content is now included for a wider range of players to enjoy. Battle systems and gameplay are similar between the remastered and original versions of FF X/ X-2.
Rayman Legends
In 2011, Ubisoft decided to reboot their long-dormant Rayman license by releasing a sequel to the first three games. It was called Rayman Origins and featured a gameplay style similar to the original trilogy. Rayman Legends is the sequel to Origins, and it expands upon the story of its predecessor.
The events of Legends take place nearly 100 years after Origins. And everything revolves around the Bubble Dreamer, who has been having a lot more nightmares than ever before. Plus, the Magician has now turned into a group of Dark Teensies.
Tearaway
An indie platformer developed exclusively for the PlayStation Vita by Media Molecule. Rex Crowle- the graphic designer and director behind LittleBigPlanet, also worked on Tearaway. In fact, a lot of the game’s art and levels are inspired by a combination of papercraft and Rex Crowle’s doodles.
This game was designed to take advantage of Vita’s unique hardware. You can take photos of an object in your surrounding, and the game will use it as the texture for a character. Plus, you can push up through the ground using the rear touchpad to move objects around.
Spelunky
You know, spelunking is an actual hobby involving exploring caves and dens. You play as a spelunker in this roguelike 2D platformer. Your job is to go into caves and dig your way through all sorts of treasures and traps.
Within each cave, you can find everything from consumable items to maidens who need rescuing. And don’t forget the enemies- they can kill you pretty fast. Combine randomly generated levels with the lack of save points, and you end up with a game that can be frustratingly difficult sometimes.
Hotline Miami
One of Devolver Digital’s most famous products. Hotline Miami is a top-down shooter that’s filled with violence and fast-paced action. Everything about this game screams “1980s cop movie”, with a lot of characters and scenes clearly inspired by Miami Vice.
You play an unnamed hero who’s been getting tips from an anonymous source about the local Russian mafia. Once you get a coded message, you set out in your vehicle to massacre every thug in your sight at the appointed location. You start each level with your fists, gaining weapons and items from enemies.
TxK
TxK is an action game unlike anything else you’ve ever played before. In fact, it’s heavily inspired by a retro arcade game called Tempest 2000, which was released by Atari all the way back in 1994. Like its inspiration, TxK is a tube shooter.
Unlike a top-down or 3rd person shooter, TxK puts you into a limited play area that’s shaped to resemble a tube. You can circle your character around this tube, rotating from one end to another. And enemies arrive in waves, on designated lanes.
It’s all about reaction speed and target selection with shooters such as TxK. Plus, there’s a banging techno soundtrack that really gets you in the mood for some fast-paced shooting action. You occasionally get powerups in TxK, something that is absent from its predecessor (Tempest 2000).
Severed
In Severed, you play as a one-armed female warrior known as Sasha, who lost her parents to a dragon attack when she was still a child. Now she wields a living sword and is on a crusade to rid the planet of all monsters, hoping to find that dragon who killed her family. Sasha can cut off parts of her enemy and plug them into a magical skill tree to gain bonuses and new abilities.
The gameplay is presented from a first-person perspective, but you don’t walk and aim simultaneously. Instead, you take one step at a time and execute foes 1-on-1. It’s all about recognizing your enemy’s attack patterns and weaknesses since each monster has its own quirks.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Danganronpa is a series of adventure games featuring quirky high schoolers, each of whom has their own specialty in a certain field. Every year at the highly exclusive Hope’s Peak Academy, talent scouts invite “Ultimate” students to join their school. Students are selected if they are the best in their country at a certain skill.
Once the students are selected, and in the academy, a magical evil bear called Danganronpa appears. He is the principal and tells the students that they will be forever imprisoned in this academy. Unless they can kill one of their fellow students and avoid getting caught, plus whoever catches the culprit has a chance of escaping.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
When Sony designed the Vita, they wanted to bring AAA gaming into your pockets. That’s why you see ports of famous big-budget games such as Arkham and Battlefield. One such attempt is Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which actually turned out to be really good instead of just another mobile port.
The gameplay is very similar to the full-fat PS3 Uncharted games. You spend most of your time in one of two states- platforming or cover shooting. The story for Golden Abyss is also well written with some high-quality cutscenes (Nathan has the same voice actor as normal Uncharted games).
Guacamelee!
It plays like a bog-standard action platformer with some slight RPG elements. However, that’s not the main charm of Guacamelee! Because the game takes tons of inspiration from Mexican culture. Its main character, Juan, is literally a Luchador who wears the characteristic mask and uses wrestling moves.
Combine the quirky main character with an excellent soundtrack, and you end up with a game that’s as memorable as it is colorful. Each boss fight is unique and motivates you to further progress the story. You also learn new abilities along the way that increase mobility and damage output.
Dragon’s Crown
Hydeland is a magical place with a mysterious past, filled with danger and adventure. You are a thrill-seeking warrior who journeys these lands in search of new challenges and riches. Along the way, you meet various NPCs who give you clues on where to go and what to do.
The gameplay is similar to that of a 90s 2D beat ‘em up. You defeat enemies using stylish moves and objects in your environment while also learning and upgrading your abilities in the process. There are various shops that sell and repair items.
Gravity Rush
In Gravity Rush, you play Kat. She’s a young woman who one day fell from the sky with no memory of her past and with the power to control gravity. She is now in the land of Hekseville, which is being terrorized by a race of monsters known as Nevi.
These creatures have crawled out of distortions in space-time, called gravity storms. And you have the power to stop them by using your ability to modify how gravity affects your body. Kat can walk up vertical walls and hang upside down, just like Spiderman.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
This is a remake of Odin Sphere, which was originally released for PS2 in 2007. Like many run-of-the-mill JRPGs, it features a fantasy land that’s far away from our own in some alternate universe. However, Odin Sphere sets itself apart from traditional JRPGs by using a 2D side-scrolling, beat ’em-up combat system.
Leifthrasir also incorporates RPG elements into its gameplay. World design is inspired by Norse mythology and Shakespeare’s work.
Velocity 2X
A highly dynamic vertically-scrolling space shooter in which you can walk out of your ship and into enemy bases. The game’s story is focused on ship pilot Kai Tana who was captured by a hostile race of aliens looking to experiment on her cybernetic body. She is freed by an ally and uses this chance to strike back at the alien army.
Kai’s ship has teleportation powers which are important to dodge incoming enemy attacks. You duck and weave through enemy fortifications while trying to keep up with the ever-increasing speed of each level. And there are occasional side-scrolling ground combat sections in which Kai departs her ship to fight enemies with her rifle.
Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins is the 4th mainline game in this storied lineup, a modern reboot of the classic Rayman series. It features gameplay similar to that of the first Rayman, in which you go around various worlds freeing Electoons from their cages. This time, you’re accompanied by your friend Globox ( as well as two Teensies).
One unique feature of Origins is the seamless 4-person local co-op. In which your friends can jump in and out of a level at any time, without interrupting the progression in any way. Rayman Origins also adds new abilities as you move through the story, like wall-climbing and swimming.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
LittleBigPlanet is an indie gem and was created all the way back in 2008 by some British lads in a small studio (Media Molecule). The game is all about puzzle platforming and creating your own levels with others in the community. That’s right, and you can generate your very own stages.
Sure, you have the basic 2D platforming. But there’s also shooting, racing, swimming, gliding, etc. LittleBigPlanet lets you experiment and create your very own minigames that can be shared with everyone else.
Lumines: Electronic Symphony
Lumines combines falling-block puzzles with music and dynamic backgrounds to create an experience that is unlike anything else. This isn’t a rhythm game, nor is it like Rock Band/ Guitar Hero. You simply listen to music while arranging blocks of 2 different colors.
A vertical line called the “timeline” scrolls across your screen every second and erased 2×2 squares of similar color. If you hit the top of the screen with blocks, it’s game over. Electronic Symphony focuses on electronic and techno music, plus the entire theme of the screen changes with each song.
Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward
This is the sequel to the first Zero Escape game and follows a similar plotline. This time, the lead character is called Sigma, and eight other people have abducted him. They have all been trapped by an anonymous person who is forcing them to play a game for their lives.
Each individual is trapped in a different room and must solve puzzles to escape. The gameplay is divided into two sections- Novel and Escape.
The first mode is a visual adventure in which you see the story unfold and make decisions that will affect your future progression. In Escape mode, you solve puzzles by searching your environment for clues (point-and-click gameplay).
God of War Collection
Hey, would you look at that- God of War 1 & 2 are now playable on a handheld console! Amazing stuff on the surface, but how’s the actual experience if you’re playing this on a Vita? Well, the framerates are decent for the most part.
And graphics remain similar to that of the original PS2 versions. If you’re looking for the same quality as the PS3 remastered versions, you won’t find it here. Then again, we’re talking about a portable handheld with a quad-core ARM processor from 2011.
Joe Danger
Remember Hello Games, the guys behind No Man’s Sky? Well, Joe Danger is the first product they released. The game is a simple yet charming side-scroller that combines platforming with racing.
It features the titular “Joe Danger”, who’s an expert at doing dangerous stunts on his trusty motorbike. You’ll notice that a lot of this game’s excitement lies in its physics, combined with an array of ingeniously crafted obstacles for Joe to conquer.
Freedom Wars
Freedom Wars is a 3rd person-action RPG set in the distant future. Humanity, as we know it right now, will cease to exist, forced to live under the surface about 100,000 years from now. We deplete all of the Earth’s resources, and most of the people are wiped out by various pandemics, famines, droughts, etc.
People gather into city-states known as Panopticons. Each Panopticon functions as its own nation, with unique laws and customs. People are imprisoned just for being born and forced to serve impossibly long sentences that can be reduced if they participate in wars against enemy Panopticons.
Ratchet & Clank Collection
You get the first 3 Ratchet & Clank games, remastered with HD graphics and improved framerates. The gameplay and story remain unchanged. Most improvements are in the form of upscaled/ remastered content to fit modern widescreen displays.
Multiplayer support and trophies were added for Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal via the PlayStation Network. However, servers for this have shut down long ago.
Wipeout 2048
Wipeout 2048 launched as a release title for the Vita in 2012 and was a showcase for the handheld console’s impressive graphics processing abilities. It features highly detailed environments with fast-paced racing. The anti-gravity racing vehicles in this game are reminiscent of fighter jets.
There are four types of ships, each with unique handling and performance characteristics. You can get power-ups during each race which can grant shields and weapons.
Disgaea IV
If you’re a fan of JRPGs with tactical turn-based combat, definitely check out Disgaea IV. Even if you haven’t played any of the previous games in this series, there should be no trouble following Disgaea IV’s story. Most games have standalone plots and characters following a similar theme (set in the Netherworld).
Ys: Memories of Celceta
If you’ve experienced the Ys series before, Memories of Celceta will be a nice addition to your playlist. It is canonically the 4th game in the Ys timeline, set between Ys II and Ys: The Oath in Felghana. While Disgaea is for JRPG fans who like turn-based tactics, Ys is designed to attract the action RPG crowd with its real-time combat.
Rogue Legacy
Want a good roguelike dungeon crawler? Rogue Legacy puts you in randomly generated dungeons and your trusty sword, which you can use to hack through enemies. Gameplay is similar to that of an old-school 2D side scroller.
However, the unique feature of Rogue Legacy is its genealogy system in which you spawn a successor after dying. This successor is usually cursed with some kind of disability- dyslexia, colorblindness, dwarfism, etc. And these disabilities actually affect how your character plays the game.
Dragon Quest Builders
What if you took the very first Dragon Quest game and mixed it with Minecraft? You’d get a JRPG sandbox with lots of gathering and building mechanics. Well, guess what- Dragon Quest Builders is set in Alefgard, which is the world from the first DQ game.
And you take upon the role of a builder who must reconstruct the once beautiful lands now that everything has been destroyed. A day/ night cycle exists, with stronger monsters appearing during nighttime. Your hero must eat and sleep in order to stay healthy.
Minecraft
It may look blocky and cartoonish, but Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all time for a reason. It’s easy to pick up, has tons of content, and can be customized to fit each individual’s needs. This is the OG “sandbox” video game and still the best in its genre as it gets updates and new players regularly.
Soul Sacrifice Delta
Delta is an updated version of the base Soul Sacrifice which was released for PS Vita in 2013. In Soul Sacrifice, you play as a young man who’s unknowingly captured by an ancient evil sorcerer called Magusar. But just as you’re about to get sacrificed, a magical book appears before you.
Within this book, you see memories that detail fights between your captor and his enemies. You can relive these old fights that teach you the strengths and weaknesses of Magusar.
The game has a save/ sacrifice system for both enemies and allies. This lets you make a choice that either restores health (save) or rewards you with a new powerful spell (sacrifice).
Mortal Kombat
This is actually the 9th mainline Mortal Kombat game, which was designed to function as a soft reboot of the entire series. In Mortal Kombat, Raiden plays through the events of the first 3 games. He travels into the past to warn his younger self about Shao Khan and the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Graphics in Mortal Kombat look more like old-school 2D games than modern 3D ones. And that’s a deliberate choice, signaling a throwback to the old Mortal Kombat games (it also helps maintain a smooth 60fps on the Vita).
Killzone: Mercenary
Killzone games are released exclusively for Sony’s PlayStation consoles and arrive pretty early in the console’s lifespan. They are characterized by stellar graphics and fast-paced FPS gameplay. Although not revolutionary, these games certainly hold a special place in the hearts of PlayStation fans.
Mercenary is the 5th Killzone game and is based around some events that take place during the first three games. Critics were impressed by AAA-quality graphics on a handheld console. And the narrative isn’t half-bad either. It’s easily on par with that of old Battlefield and CoD games.
Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours
A shoot ‘em up game with some interesting characters and deep lore. Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviors is an updated port of Dariusburst, another chronicle, which itself is based on the original Dariusburst game. You pilot a space fighter aircraft called the Silver Hawk, which can be upgraded with new weapons and shields.
The Walking Dead: Season One
Episodic games aren’t really my thing, but in this case, I’m willing to make an exception. Since this game is based on the popular TV series of the same name, no, it doesn’t replay the events of the actual TV show.
Instead, this game is based on the Walking Dead comic books. It features the same characters and tells the story of Lee Everett. He’s a university professor who recently murdered the man his wife was cheating on him with.
As the zombie outbreak occurs, Lee manages to rescue a small girl called Clementine. The game is about the relationship between these two as well as the people they meet along the way.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Like all other Danganronpa games, you start with a group of high schoolers getting into Hope’s Peak Academy. There, a magical teleporting bear traps them and mentions that the only way to escape is by killing a student and not getting caught. Your character transitions between school life and class trials.
In school life, you spend your time like a regular high schooler. Taking lectures, making friends, eating at the cafeteria, flirting, etc. Class trials happen once a student dies, and it’s your job to find the killer (or conceal yourself if you did it).
Shovel Knight
One of the retro-themed indie games to cause a sensation back in the early to mid-2010s. Shovel Knight is about a medieval knight who fights his enemies with a shovel. You visit castles, villages, and jungles filled with all sorts of treasures.
Along the way, you’ll meet NPCs who give you new quests and clues. You can also buy upgrades to your skills and health/ attack at villages.
MotorStorm RC
It’s like a discount version of DiRT Rally. MotorStorm RC features tracks from previous MotorStorm games along with a wide collection of vehicles and challenges. MotorStorm RC blends short, sweet, adrenaline-pumping racing moments with attention to detail.
Every part of your car is rendered in jaw-dropping detail for what is essentially a mobile racing game. Vehicles sound gritty and realistic. Plus, the background music tracks compel you to drive fast with their upbeat tone and ear-thumping bass.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
This is one game I don’t know how the developers managed to port for a handheld console equipped with an anemic mobile ARM processor. Still, Criterion did a pretty good job with their Vita port. The graphical effects are clean, even though Vita’s resolution isn’t all that impressive.
Framerate is steady with no discernable drops or hitches even during tense police chases with over a dozen cars on the road. And while the game itself isn’t as thrilling as the original Most Wanted, it’s still a decent experience for NFS fans.
Bastion
A unique action-adventure in which you control a kid through his journey inside a sky city. Your hero’s journey is narrated by an overhead voice who provides context on what’s happening around you. The art style and character design are inspired by hand paintings.
The alleyways, stone sculptures, trees, and weapons are all beautiful to look at. You can execute special attacks using black tonics found in the play area. The kid picks up an important item at the end of each level, after which the whole place starts to fall apart.
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
A kart racer in which various Sega mascots compete against each other to see who can post the best times on a race track. It’s basically Sega’s answer to Mario Kart, but with a few neat additions. Like the ability to transform your vehicle into a boat or plane depending on the terrain.
You have boosters for a temporary burst in speed and the ability to execute stunts mid-air for bonus points. Weapons can be picked up and deployed. These range from swarms of killer wasps to giant snowballs.
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation
This is a spin-off game based on Assassin’s Creed III. It’s also the first Assassin’s Creed game to feature a female protagonist- Aveline de Grandpre. You relive her fight against the Templars in New Orleans during the late 18th century (right after the French and Indian War).
Liberation plays like all other Assassin’s Creed titles, with an open world and stealth-centered action. It makes good use of all the Vita hardware, including its gyro and touchpad. Aveline can dual-wield and use her signature blowpipe to take down enemies stealthily.
Borderlands 2
The Vita port of Borderlands 2 was followed by lots of excitement, anxiety, and eventual disappointment. It’s not exactly a bad game. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have put it on my list. In fact, it’s the best Borderlands experience you can get on the go unless you own a modern portable PC such as the Steam Deck.
The issue with this port was its significantly downgraded graphics and poor framerates when compared to PC/ console versions. Borderlands 2 is a pseudo-open world AAA game with tons of characters on the screen at any given time- enemies, party members, NPCs, etc. Add all the shooting and explosion effects on top of that, and you can see why Vita’s processor would struggle.
Unit 13
Remember Zipper Interactive guys? This is the studio that Sony acquired after their success with SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs for the PS2. Zipper started out with flight and mech simulators, moving on to shooter games featuring spec ops squads.
Unit 13 is similar to their SOCOM games, in that it’s a 3rd person cover shooter with cinematic set pieces. You can customize your guns and use a wide variety of gadgets, explosives, etc. during each mission. The missions themselves can vary between all-out action, stealth, or a combination of the two.
SteamWorld Dig
There’s this weird little town called Tumbleton on the western frontier where adventurers from all parts of the country show up to test their luck and strike gold. You are a little steam-powered robot called Rusty, and your uncle Joe left you with a deed to his mine in Tumbleton. So you go there and decide to do some digging in the hopes of striking treasure.
But the path to gold is filled with enemies, traps, and other hindrances. You will find a deep network of tunnels sprawling all over the Tumbleton underground. You need to acquire new tools from the village and upgrade your skills in order to push deeper.
Dead Nation
It’s like a top-down version of Left 4 Dead, in which you shoot up hordes of zombies on city streets and acquire upgrades at checkpoints. You can choose between a male or female protagonist and pick up weapons/armor that are secured in boxes. Along the way, you’ll find shops where you can use the currency gained by killing zombies to purchase HP, armor, weapons, etc.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
The Arkham series of games from Warner Bros. defined an entire generation of open-world action RPGs. It inspired several copycats who lifted its freeform combat style that appeals to casual players yet looks incredible on the screen. And Arkham is also a gift to Batman fans who had never seen a AAA batman game with this level of production before.
Arkham Origins Blackgate delivers on all the aforementioned fronts by serving as a companion game to Arkham Origins. In a way, it’s also a sequel. The gameplay is similar to that of Origins, with a 2.5D graphical style.
Resistance: Burning Skies
After watching some gameplay footage of Resistance, you’d never believe that it came from the same guys who created Ratchet & Clank. This game is set in an alternate universe similar to that of our own. Except in this timeline, an invasive alien force attacks Earth and transforms humans into hybrid super-soldiers to do their bidding.
These aliens are called chimera, and their goal is to depopulate humans from Earth by draining its fighting force. A small group of fighters called the Resistance is the last line of defense between these aliens and the remainder of humanity. Burning Skies is about a New York firefighter called Tom Riley who assists with the fight against Chimeras after the liberation of Britain in 1951.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
This is a sequel to the first Hotline Miami game. In which the protagonist Jacket slaughters Russian Mafia members after receiving tips on his answering machine from an anonymous person. Hotline Miami 2 is based on the events of the first game and features some of the same characters.
It plays very similarly to its predecessor, i.e., a top-down shooter with wall-to-wall action. You open rooms, scan hallways for ambushes, and use caution while approaching every encounter. Keep in mind the fact that one or two bullets are all it takes to die.
YS VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
A story about the adventurer Adol who’s on a ship from Xandria to Eresia, but on the way his vessel gets attacked by a giant sea monster. He wakes up on an old, uncharted island called the Isle of Seiren, which is filled with all sorts of wicked creatures. He tries to search for survivors and finds a noblewoman along with a fisherman who managed to escape the shipwreck.
Along with these survivors, Adol is looking for a way to get off the island while surviving from creatures inhabiting it. Meanwhile, Adol has visions in his head of a strange person from far back in time who seems to be connected with the island and his future.
Super Meat Boy
A living cube of meat is trying to rescue his girlfriend “Bandage Girl” who’s been kidnapped by a jar-dwelling fetus wearing a tuxedo. Despite the wacky characters, this game is definitely inspired by Super Mario Bros. The gameplay is quick and intuitive, with threats at every turn, requiring lightning-fast reflexes and decision-making.
Meat Boy leaps across walls and runs through traps made out of nails in a journey to rescue his girlfriend. Each stage is memorable, from hospitals to factories (and even hell itself), with a unique art style and specially designed traps that suit the theme of the level.
Darkest Dungeon
Your hero has inherited from their ancestor a massive estate. Upon reaching the location, you examine the building and find a massive underground dungeon. Your ancestor used to be an adventurer who spent all his time exploring the underground dungeons, digging deeper to unearth its secrets.
There’s one problem- he unknowingly opened up a portal to some alternate dimension. And now, all sorts of hideous, hellish monsters are pouring out of the dungeon. Since you’re the new owner of this mansion (and its dungeon), you gather a group of mercenaries who will assist you with closing this portal.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
The Marvel vs. Capcom series is an arcade-style all-stars brawler in which mascots/ famous characters from both teams duke it out with each other. You select two teams of 3 characters each, who fight three separate one vs. one battle. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is an upgraded version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with remade graphics and UI.
Some of the character selection screens and HUD elements have also been tweaked to bring a more comic book-centric vibe. Some fighters have new moves and animations. You have 3-button combat with light, medium, and heavy attacks.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Released in 2013, this is the last Sly Cooper game PlayStations users played (the series has been dormant since then). Thieves in Time was developed by Sanzaru, while previous entries had been made by Sucker Punch. This time, the titular master thief and his gang of anthropomorphic animals are trying to chase down a time-traveling saboteur who is rewriting Sly’s family history.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Plus
Enemy Unknown is a reboot of the XCOM series and based on the original 1994 game (X-COM: UFO Defense). You are a special agent within the international paramilitary group known as XCOM, defending Earth from an invading alien force.
Battles are turn-based and set within urban locales. You try to achieve all objectives while minimizing civilian casualties and recovering alien tech for reverse engineering.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Sony probably saw the success of Super Smash Bros. and said, “Hey, we need something just like that”. And the result is PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. The game is exactly what it sounds like- a multiplayer arena brawler featuring popular characters from various PlayStation games.
This is a platform fighting game in which your goal is to knock the enemy out of bounds. Four players can be on stage at any given time, and combat is done with three buttons + directional input. Characters in the game are taken from God of War, Uncharted, Sly Cooper, etc.
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
It’s a compilation of old MSX2 Metal Gear games and the PS2 Metal Gear Solid titles. You also get Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which was originally released for the PSP in 2010. Changes in the HD collection include higher resolution support (and widescreen aspect ratios), along with 60fps.
The PS Vita version supports trophies and is a great way to experience all these old stealth masterpieces on the go. Vita’s screen and touchpad are used to zoom in/ out and switch weapons.
Resogun
A simple yet addictive shooter in which you control a fighter aircraft equipped with upgradeable lasers and bombs. There are five stages with unique themes, each divided into three sublevels with bosses. You literally run around in circles as you rotate on a fixed circular plane while fighting enemies approaching from both sides.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Well, is Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth worth your time? It’s certainly one of the best monster-raising JRPGs and is based on a very old franchise with tons of lore. You play from a 3rd-person perspective, controlling the main character who can summon and capture Digimon.
These guys are like Pokémon, and you can improve their stats through training. Digimon can fuse with each other to create new creatures, which can then evolve even further.
World of Final Fantasy
A spin-off that features characters from both old and new Final Fantasy games. Grymoire- the world of this game is pieced together from various famous locations found in mainline Final Fantasy titles. This world is inhabited by Mirages, monsters who can be tamed.
You control twins Lann and Reynn, who have the power to control these Mirages and use them in battle. There are towns, dungeons, jungles, etc. in which you find quests and treasures. Combat is done through the classic Final Fantasy ATB turn-based system.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
The first Revelations is set after the events of RE 4, featuring Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield. They are trying to apprehend the masterminds behind a bioterrorist org that threatens to contaminate our oceans with the T virus. Revelations 2 is the sequel and is set after the events of RE 5, with Claire Redfield as the main character.
Conclusion
When Sony designed the Vita, they really went all-in. It had Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G connectivity. Even the Nintendo Switch, a modern handheld console, had limited Bluetooth functionality upon release (it was eventually updated). On top of all this, the Vita even had a rear touchpad that functioned a lot like the touchpad on a PS4 controller.
This touchpad was rarely used outside of some niche games (for example, you could swipe on it to zoom in with a sniper rifle). The Vita also had full media playback for all sorts of music and video files. It even had two cameras- one on the front and another on the rear.
Sony added support for apps such as Netflix, Skype, etc. Keep in mind, guys, this is a console released back in 2011. Oh, and the original Vita (PCH-1000) used an OLED display.
Later, they swapped out the OLED panel for a regular LCD to cut down on costs and make the Vita cheaper for gamers. It also increased battery life at the expense of color depth and viewing angles.