Sony’s Playstation Vita was released in 2011 and was the follow up to the Playstation Portable. The system had many great features like a multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, the first handheld with dual analog sticks, LCD screen, and more - this thing was packed with tech.
Unfortunately, the Playstation Vita was not a massive success which might be the reason Sony decided to leave the handheld market entirely. While there wasn’t a lot of third-party support for the system, there were many indie games that were brought to the Playstation Vita. To give some attention to Sony’s most recent and possibly last handheld, here are the top 10 games for the system based on Metacritic scores - one game per franchise for variety’s sake.
10 Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (Metascore 86)
Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is a visual novel starring many literary and historical figures. Some of the figures you will run into are Van Helsing, Impey Barbicane, Victor Frankenstein, Arsène Lupin, and Count Saint-Germain.
The story centers around Cardia who is isolated from the world around her and abandoned in a mansion to prevent the spread of the deadly poison within her that destroys anything she touches. In her Isolation the Royal Guard break in an attempt to capture her when she is suddenly saved by Arsène Lupin and they set out to find her father.
9 Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (Metascore 86)
In Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack you play as an apathetic mutant blob going through side-scrolling stages and devouring everything in your path.
As you collect things you grow in size, many of the game’s obstacles are linked to the size of your mutant blob so you must collect different collectibles around the level until you can proceed. Many of the levels have puzzles that are physics-based to break up the platforming action. Controlling the blob is used with the traditional d-pad or analog stick but also with touch controls.
8 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Metascore 86)
The Playstation Vita had many compilations of remastered Playstation 2 games with games like the Jak and Daxter Collection, Ratchet & Clank Collection, and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. The Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster brings together some of the only direct sequels in the Final Fantasy franchise.
Final Fantasy X marked the series’ first dive into the 6th generation and included voice acting for the first time. It was also the first game in the series to have fully 3D backgrounds as opposed to prerendered backgrounds found in previous titles.
7 Tearaway (Metascore 87)
Tearaway came from the creators of the LittleBigPlanet and acted as a sort of tech demo for the Playstation Vita as you would use its front and back touch screen and more to control the game and guide the character through levels.
In Tearaway, you play as a messenger on a mission to deliver a message to you, the player. You can choose to play as a boy name Iota or a female named Atoi. Everything in the game is made of paper which creates a unique art style that really stands out.
6 Guacamelee! (Metascore 87)
Guacamelee! is a Metroidvania based on Lucha wrestling and Mexican culture and mythology. There is also a large emphasis on combat and combos which gives the game a beat em’ up feel. You traverse the world and find different upgrades to help you get to once inaccessible areas such as a double jump and the ability to transform into a chicken.
The game wears its influence on its sleeve with your power-ups coming from Choozo statues, an obvious reference to the Metroid series’ Chozo statues. Guacamelee! was followed up with a sequel called simply Guacamelee! 2
5 LittleBigPlanet PS Vita (Metascore 88)
The LittleBigPlanet series started off on the Playstation 3 in 2008 and is a platformer with an in-depth game creation tool. While the game does provide a single-player experience, the game really caught on due to the game creation tool that would allow you to create games and share them with others as well as try other players’ games.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita retains the creation tools from previous entries but adds more based around the Playstation Vita’s touch screen and other tech features such as the motion recorder, touch sensor, touch tweaker, touch cursor, and more.
4 Rayman Origins (Metascore 88)
Rayman Origins is the first game in the series to return to the 2D platforming that was used in the original game for the Playstation called simply Rayman opposed to a 3D platformer like most other games in the series.
Rayman Origins offers up to four-player gameplay which you can do but connecting the Playstation Vita to the internet. You can play as Rayman, Globox, or one of the Teensies, as the game progresses you can unlock more costumes to customize the way you look, however, they offer no difference in gameplay.
3 Spelunky (Metascore 88)
Spelunky is a very difficult 2D platformer that offers four different stages, all with four parts to them. You are given a limited amount of ropes and bombs that can be used to break through parts of the level, elevate yourself, avoid enemies, or collect treasure.
Once you die, you are sent back to the start of the game but can bring money, ropes, bombs, or other objects the end of one of the levels 3 separate times in order to unlock a shortcut. As you progress through the game you are forced to go through every level without dying in order to truly beat the game and get a high score.
2 Velocity 2X (Metascore 90)
Velocity 2X is both a shoot ‘em up and platformer that focuses primarily on speed. It was developed and published by FuturLab and released for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.
In both the shoot em’ up and platforming sections, you can dash through levels with a short teleport that will go through walls and other obstacles to ensure that you keep your speed. While the platforming sections are fast in their own right, the shoot em’ stages are incredibly fast and frenetic, taking quick reflexes and thinking to get through.
1 Persona 4 Golden (Metascore 93)
Persona 4 Golden is an upgraded port of Persona 4 for the Playstation 2 that adds new content and some quality of life improvements to help it play a little smoother and more quickly than the original game. This is the fourth game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona games and was recently ported over to Steam.
Persona 4 takes the combat found in games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest but adds in a friendship and dating sim that really helps you connect with your friends and the world around you.
NEXT: 10 Awesome Games You Can Play On Your PS Vita For Free, Ranked (According To Metacritic)
