Saturday, November 30, 2013
So you've got a new Vita...
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Over the last few days, there were some fantastic holiday deals
to be had on Sony’s Vita handheld. If you were one of the lucky ducks that
swooped in for some savings, you might now be wondering… “Well, what do I play
on it?”
Got you covered. Although this isn’t an exhaustive list (and
of course, tastes vary) there is a ton of great gaming to be had on the system once
you realize you’ve got five marketplaces to browse: In addition to the Vita’s
native software, it also offers selections from the PSP, PSOne, PS Mini and PS
Mobile libraries.
By the way, with all the games you’re sure to be downloading,
you might find that you run out of space fairly quickly. Although Sony still hasn’t dropped the price
of their proprietary memory cards, a good thing to remember is that it’s
incredibly easy to backup Vita software in order to make room for new stuff. Just use the included USB cable and hook it up
to a PC, PS3 or PS4. The media manager
software that comes on the Vita is totally painless to use, and makes these
backups a snap.
So what do I recommend? Here are some selections in
alphabetical order…. If @Gamecritics has a review for the title in question, the link is
included. If not, there’s a brief description from me!
An underappreciated action-platformer that delivers solid action and a peek at Satan's penis.
Build your own castle and demolish your opponent's!
Often cited as one of the best RPGs of oh, I dunno, all time.
A long-forgotten Capcom fighter with loads of robots.
Monster-on-monster action in this classic Capcom fighter.
I don't really need to explain these, do I?
An experimental game of eating and evolution.
An Amelie-flavored adventure through the air.
The speediest JRPG that's ever existed.
Be the cutest ghost haunting the cutest town.
A psychotic mask-wearing murder spree.
Episodic Professor Layton-lite with an adorable aesthetic.
A heroic robo-rabbit leaping miles into the air.
An uber-tight platformer with a tear-jerking ending.
A heavily Japanese boss-rush game with esoteric style.
Another set of games which need no introduction.
First-person action with a crossbow that shoots animals. As ammo.
Take down huge enemy airships by cutting them to pieces.
A JRPG murder-mystery starring a female reporter in modern times.
A surprisingly competent brawler on par with Smash Bros.
A true RPG where battles occur on a puzzle board.
A space-based station sim using tetrimino shapes.
Character-heavy third-person platforming with an agile edge.
A side-scrolling Roguelike platformer that's tough as nails.
Humorous blob-rolling action.
A fantastically creative game, and the best use of Vita hardware EVER.
Naughty Dog's classic platform adventure series before Uncharted was born.
The breakthrough point-and-clicker set in a post-zombie world.
Anthropomorphic shapes with unforgettable personality.
The city's empty and you're a hungry Pomeranian. Go!
Surreal platforming and evil pigs. Also, lots of pink.
Nathan Drake does battle in a Magic: The Gathering format.
Futuristic racing that goes... Well, it goes pretty fast.
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…And there are hundreds more that I didn’t list here, so the next time someone tells you that the Vita doesn’t have
any games, laugh right in their face as you dive deep into Sony-flavored handheld bliss.
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Posts
Great list. I follow you on Gamecritics and really value your perspective as someone with real-life obligations that mean you have to be a bit choosy with games. Is there any place where all your reviews are listed, whether for GC or another publication?
I don't know if enough has been said about how great the Vita is for people with demanding schedules. Being able to instantly pause and resume a game at any time, being able to get every game digitally so you don't have to waste time going to the store, etc. And the right stick for camera control is better than an HD remake for already great PSP games like Monster Hunter.
Hey Gathercole - Thanks for reading and thanks for the kind words!
All of my published reviews are at Gamecritics, except one or two random one-offs here and there. the last one was Killzone Mercenary linked above.
As for the Vita... AGREEEEEE.