Though Sony ceased hardware production of the PlayStation Portable back in 2014, 2021 brings digital purchases of PSP titles to a close, which means there is limited time for gamers to add PSP favorites to their collections. PSP games outlasted the original Universal Media Disc (UMD) format of the system, with many appearing on the PlayStation Network store for the discless PSP Go model, and later the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV devices, both of which were compatible with most digital PSP games.
While Sony pushed for interaction between its portables and home consoles during the era of the PSP and PS3, and the PS Vita and the PS4, the current generation has abandoned any such links, as Sony cuts ties with its portable legacy. Just as the PS4 marked the end of backwards compatibility with prior generation home consoles, the PS5 marks the end to Sony’s support for its portable systems.
Any PSP titles purchased and downloaded prior to the shutdown date of August 27, 2021, for Vita users can be re-downloaded later, according to Sony. The PSP titles on the PSN store range from $8 to $20. Several high-profile PSP games, like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, were only released on the UMD format and never sold on the PSN store. Many of the console’s best titles are still available digitally, however. These are some of the best games from Sony’s PSP that gamers can buy prior to the games being removed from the PSN store later this year.
Best PSP Fighting Games To Buy Before They're Removed
The PSP’s selection of portable fighting games still holds up very well, and often features the quintessential version of these franchises in some cases. The PSP exclusive Tekken game, Dark Resurrection, is not presently available on the PSN store., but these are the best PSP fighting games to buy digitally right now:
- Power Stone Collection: The Dreamcast’s two Power Stone games were gems, frantic but accessible arena brawlers that were every bit as chaotic as Smash Brothers, and both were collected on this PSP title.
- Samurai Shodown Anthology: Six of the 2D Fighting games that preceded the recent 3D Samurai Shodown game were included in the PSP anthology, ranging from the large roster and impressive graphics of Samurai Shodown 6, back to the series’ roots with the original title.
- Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX and Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower: The PSP received the definitive iterations of two classic Capcom 2D fighting series. With the most characters of any Street Fighter Alpha Series game, Alpha 3 MAX is a must-buy, and the same goes for the Darkstalkers franchise with Chaos Tower.
- Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus , BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2, and BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Portable: These 2D fighters from Arc System Works packed all the blinding speed and in-depth mechanics of their console counterparts into portable titles that played remarkably well, so fighting genre fans will definitely want to grab them before they're gone.
Best PSP Action Platformers To Buy Before They Are Gone
Many quality 2D and 3D platform and action games graced the PSP library. Some, like the God of War PSP titles, Chains of Olympus and Ghosts of Sparta, would later be ported to home consoles. These are a few of the best PSP signature titles, still available on the PSN store for now:
- Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles: This PSP title was a remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, originally released on the PC Engine, Japan’s version of the TurboGrafx-16. The inclusion of the entire Symphony of the Night game remains among the best unlockable bonuses in gaming history.
- Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, and Daxter: The Lost Frontier offered a traditional Jak and Daxter experience, scaled for the PSP, while Daxter allowed the sidekick time to shine in a solo game. Fans of this dynamic duo will definitely want to snag these titles before they're removed.
- Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank: Following the cue of the PSP Jak and Daxter titles, Size Matters presents a standard Ratchet & Clank duo game, while Secret Agent Clank changed up the formula, adding stealth segments handled as quick-time mini-games with Clank’s humorous foray into espionage.
- Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins and Mega Man Maverick Hunter X: These Capcom remakes featured 3D graphics, but retained the 2D side-scrolling gameplay of the originals. Maverick Hunter included a 30 minute animated film unlocked on completion, and Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins offered a much needed Novice difficulty option.
Best PSP Shooters To Buy Before The PSN Store Closes
The PSP had several good shooters for blasting on the go. These are a few of the best ones still available on the PSN store:
- Killzone: Liberation: The PSP Killzone game traded first-person for an overhead view, and the story bridges the gap between Killzone and Killzone 2.
- Resistance: Retribution: Much like the Killzone title for PSP, this portable Resistance game took place between the first and second main series titles and shifted from FPS to third person shooter.
- Armored Core: Silent Line Portable, Armored Core 3 Portable, and Armored Core Last Raven Portable: There are a few PSP entries in FromSoftware’s long-running mech series still available on the PSN store, for any fans of giant robot action.
- Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops: Unlike the PSP's Metal Gear Acid card-based games, Portable Ops used the same mechanics from Metal Gear Solid 3, and continued its story, following Naked Snake's conflict with the rogue FOX unit pursuing the Philosopher's Legacy.
Best PSP RPGs To Buy Before The PSN Store Closes
Many RPGs and tactical RPGs are ideally suited to portable gaming, and the PSP had a lot of great options to choose from. The best PSP RPGs on the PSN store currently include some titles unique to the PSP, and others that are the best version of multi-platform releases. As noted previously, the Final Fantasy 7 spinoff Crisis Core, and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep are not available on the PSN store, although the latter has been remastered in subsequent Kingdom Hearts collections, and the former is slated for a remake soon as part of Ever Crisis.
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions: The PSP version of Final Fantasy Tactics is arguably the best version, adding new characters, enhanced graphics, and an improved translation to the beloved PS1 tactical RPG.
- Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: PSP’s Trails in the Sky was the beginning of the Trails series of Legends of Heroes titles that has continued into the Trails of Cold Steel series. Though it can be difficult even for fans of Nihon Falcom’s games to track the series, since Trails is a subset of the long-running Legend of Heroes series, it is an easy game to pick up and enjoy on its own.
- Jeanne d'Arc: This PSP exclusive tactical RPG from Level-5, of Ni No Kuni and Dragon Quest 8 fame, combined elements of real world history with a battle between humans and demons, and a paper-rock-scissors style priority system that Fire Emblem veterans will pick up on quickly.
- Lunar: Silver Star Harmony: The Sega CD original Lunar title has received several remakes, but the PSP’s Silver Star Harmony was probably the best of them, adding new gameplay features, improved translation and dialogue, and the best-looking presentation this charming RPG classic has ever had.
- Valkyria Chronicles 2: The second of Sega’s tactical RPGs featuring guns and tanks, instead of swords and sorcery, migrated from a console release to the PSP. The portable-only sequel to the PS3 original advanced the story of the war between the Imperial Alliance and Gallia and included all the strategic intricacy of its console predecessor.
- Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and Persona 3 Portable: These PSP ports of the early Atlus Persona series games were excellent, and the portable version of the first Persona featured a much more coherent translation than the PS1 original. Persona 2: Innocent Sin is of special note, as the PSP version was the only localized version of the game, which was a prequel to the PS1's Persona 2: Eternal Punishment.
Anyone with a PlayStation Vita, or those who picked up the PlayStation TV during its short lifespan, can make the most of the final days of the PSN store’s PSP games sales to round out their library of some of the best portable games ever made. Once August 27, 2021, passes, finding long out-of-print UMDs and an older model PlayStation Portable with a disc drive will be the only way to purchase many of these portable-gaming milestones.