Even though the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Vita weren’t the runaway success stories that Sony was hoping for, they still had a good library of games. More specifically, they had a very impressive selection of RPGs and JRPGs, much like their rivals in the Nintendo DS and the 3DS.

The smaller systems meant that developers didn’t need the huge budgets that were required of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to tell a great story. Instead, RPG and JRPG fans were getting fantastic games that catered to all kinds of niches in the genre in the palms of their hands. For fans, the JRPG genre is broad and complex and covers a variety of systems that worked perfectly on handheld machines like the PSP and the Vita. Unfortunately, many of these hidden gems are going to be removed for good when Sony closes its PS3, Vita, and PSP stores for good. So grab some of the best before it is too late.

10 Valhalla Knights 3

Developed by K2 LLC, Valhalla Knights 3 was published in the West in 2013 by XSEED Games. It’s a team-based arena RPG where the player creates a team of seven warriors featuring seven classes to pit against another team of seven warriors in single-player or online battles.

There’s a solid character-building mechanic and has gameplay that’s well suited to handheld devices. Unfortunately, Valhalla Knights 3’s mission mode and story content feels very bare-bones and lacking in imagination. However, it’s the multiplayer aspect of Valhalla Knights 3 that makes it fun with the 7 vs. 7 battles fought in real-time.

9 MeiQ: Labyrinth Of Death

Released in 2016, MeiQ: Labyrinth of the Death is a dungeon-crawling RPG developed by Compile Heart who are better known for their Hyperdimension Neptunia and Record of Agarest War series. The gameplay is an old-school dungeon crawler that’s reminiscent of Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey series on the Nintendo 3DS.

It doesn’t quite have the same level of quality and polish as Etrian Odyssey games and the art style doesn’t quite take MeiQ beyond a simplistic but it’s an entertaining RPG that’s fun for fans of the genre.

8 Demon Gaze

Released in 2014, Demon Gaze is a dungeon-crawling RPG developed by Kadokawa Games and published and translated by NIS America for Western audiences. Like MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death it’s a dungeon crawler with old school mechanics but the narrative is more compelling.

For fans of the dungeon-crawling genre, Demon Gaze is very addictive and offers its players tons of content and gameplay. The visuals and character designs are colorful and brash and the combat is challenging enough to please even the most hardcore RPG fans.

7 Growlanser: Wayfarer Of Time

Released on the PlayStation Portable in 2012, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time is the fourth entry in the long-running strategy RPG series. It was developed by Career Soft the same developer that created the Langrisser series. Its combat system allows the characters to move freely on the battlefield and commands are dealt on an active-time-based system similar to the Final Fantasy series.

As with previous entries, there are dating sim mechanics where the player’s character can improve or totally ruin a relationship with others based on the dialogue choices they make. There are also character-specific side quests that reveal their backstories and unlock one of 40 possible endings.

6 Disgaea 3: Absence Of Detention

Released on the PlayStation Vita in 2011, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is an enhanced port of the PS3 original. Even though it’s also available for the PlayStation 3 the turn-based tactical RPG’s mechanics, gameplay and visuals are much better suited to handheld systems like the PlayStation Vita.

In addition, Absence of Detention features brand new characters, story missions, and an improved interface making it the definitive version. The game’s humor and characters are an acquired taste when compared to similar titles like Final Fantasy Tactics but Disgaea is of the deepest and most content-rich titles ever made.

5 Freedom Wars

Released exclusively for the PlayStation Vita in 2014, Freedom Wars is an action RPG in the same vein as the Monster Hunter series. It was developed by Sony’s Japan Studios and deserved more recognition than it got as one of the best Monster Hunter clones and console exclusives on the system.

The production values were outstanding with great visuals, sound design, and audio tracks. Freedom Wars is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where “Volunteers” are forced to fight for freedom by hunting down giant monsters called Abductors. The combat is fast, exciting, and very dynamic in terms of what be done thanks to its zip line grapple mechanics.

4 Soul Sacrifice Delta

Released in 2014, Soul Sacrifice Delta is a digital-only action RPG developed by Sony’s Japan Studio. Delta is both a follow-up and an expansion of the original Soul Sacrifice that released a year prior making it the definitive version for fans.

Soul Sacrifice is something of a Monster Hunter clone but thanks to its unique saving and sacrificing mechanics it manages to stand on its own. Delta adds a brand new faction and story content based on the Brother’s Grimm Fairytales.

3 Muramasa Rebirth

Released in 2013 for the PlayStation Vita, Muramasa Rebirth is an enhanced port of Muramasa: The Demon Blade which released on the Nintendo Wii in 2009. It was developed by Vanillaware who have become known for their unique RPGs, stunning art design, and outstanding storytelling with games like Odin Sphere and the incredible 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

Muramasa is a 2D action role-playing game with artwork inspired by Japanese paintings from the Edo period. The gameplay is both old school and modern by melding the complexities of action and RPG mechanics in ways that engaging and addictive.

2 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Released on the PlayStation Portable in 2011, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is one of the finest tactical RPGs ever made. It was created by the same team the developed Final Fantasy Tactics and share many of the same mechanics, tone, and art design.

Just like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre is a grid-based tactical RPG with a deep storyline and well-developed characters. Better still, it has a branching storyline with very different endings based on the player’s choices throughout the game. The PSP version also allows players to go back and revisit important points in the story and make different choices rather than being forced to replay the game from the start.

1 Jeanne D’Arc

Released in 2007, Jeanne d’Arc is a tactical RPG developed by Level-5. Level-5 is the same studio that created Dragon Quest VIII and the Ni No Kuni series. It’s a fantasy RPG that is loosely based on the Joan of Arc story and the Hundred Years War.

It’s a grid-based tactical RPG where the battles take place on an isometric map. Like other games in the genre, it’s challenging but as a whole, Jeanne d’Arc is far more welcoming to newcomers and isn’t bogged down by overly complex and unforgiving mechanics.