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The Highlight Reel: PlayStation Vita

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Despite being neglected horribly by Sony after less than stellar sales in the west and subsequently being labeled as a “legacy” system, the PlayStation Vita has had more than its fair share of great games. But like any other video game system, there are a ton of titles out there, both good and bad. Are you interested in getting your hands on a Vita, but don’t know what games are worth paying attention to? Do you already have one, but are looking for something new to play? Well, this feature will be taking a look at what Sony’s latest handheld has to offer, by compiling a “best of” list, of a sorts. a highlight reel, if you will. Although a simple “top 10” could suffice, I’d like to go a bit more in depth, so that a wider variety of games get their time in the spotlight. While of course not everyone will love all the games listed, due to personal preference, I personally believe that each of these games are at least worth a try, and are the pinnacle of what this specific console has to offer! So let’s get to it!

Note that this isn’t an end-all-be all list! This is just a jumping off point for those to get started with! Also, each game will be kept to one specific list, so certain titles (we're looking at you, Persona 4!) don’t just dominate the entire thing. As a bonus, if there is a GBAtemp review available, I will link to it, so that if you're interested, you can get a bit more information on a specific game.

Best Indie Games

Due to the extra horsepower that the Vita boasts over the 3DS, Sony’s portable has flourished with numerous indie titles, many of which feel perfectly at home on a handheld system.

10. Axiom Verge (GBAtemp Official Review)

9. Salt and Sanctuary (GBAtemp Official Review)

8. Rogue Legacy (GBAtemp Offical Review)

7. Steamworld Dig/Heist

6. Guacamelee!

5. Spelunky

4. Velocity 2X/Ultra (Official GBAtemp Review)

3. Bastion

2. Binding of Issac: Rebirth

1. Shovel Knight

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Best First Party Titles

While Sony Interactive Entertainment did not get too involved Vita projects after the initial launch, there still were some solid releases for those first couple of years.

5. Tearaway

4. Wipeout 2048

3. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. Killzone: Mercenary (Official GBAtemp Review)

1. Gravity Rush
One of the most unique takes on platforming, SCE Japan's Gravity Rush is a beautiful game, with a lot of style. The game manages to make good use of the Vita's features, while refraining from feeling gimmicky.
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Best Visual Novels

Japanese games work absolutely perfectly on the Vita, and thanks to Japan, you’ll not only see a lot of JRPGs, but visual novels as well. Luckily, a number of localization studios have translated these interactive novels for the English-speaking public.

10. Psycho Pass: Mandatory Happiness (Official GBAtemp Review)

9. Amnesia: ~Memories~ (Official GBAtemp Review)

8. Norn9: Var Commons

7. Corpse Party: Blood Drive

6. Xblaze Code: Embryo

5. Root Letter (Official GBAtemp Review)

4. Code Realize: Guardian of Rebirth

3. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2: Goodbye Despair) (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. The Nonary Games (Zero Time Dilemma) (Official GBAtemp Review)

1. Steins;Gate (Steins;Gate 0) (Official GBAtemp Review)
A top-form visual novel in every way. A compelling narrative, lovable characters, and beautiful art make Steins;Gate one of the best in its genre.
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Best Ports

Just like any other handheld, ports of older classics come in droves, and the Vita is no different. It’s a marvel to have the ability to take PS2-era games on-the-go!

10. God of War Collection

9. XCOM: Enemy Unknown Plus

8. Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3

7. Jet Set Radio

6. Ratchet and Clank: HD Collection (Official GBAtemp Review)

5. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Official GBAtemp Review)

4. Sly Cooper Trilogy

3. Final Fantasy X/X-2

2. Muramasa: Rebirth

1. Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection
Kojima's stealthy action game makes a perfect fit on handheld, with the Vita version boasting solid visuals and performance.
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Best Online Play

Sometimes playing singleplayer just isn't enough. When you need a multiplayer fix, you can turn to these games!

5. Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (Official GBAtemp Review)

4. Hot Shots Golf

3. LittleBigPlanet

2. Minecraft

1. Freedom Wars

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Best Salad Mix

This is for the games that don’t really fit into their own category, yet still deserve mention in some form or another.

10. Dariusburst Chronicles

9. OlliOlli (2)

8. Warriors Orochi 3: Ultimate

7. Resogun

6. Sonic All Stars Racing: Transformed

5. Pixeljunk Shooter

4. Yomawari Night Alone (Official GBAtemp Review)

3. Severed (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. Rayman Legends

1. Dragon Quest Builders

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Best Rhythm Games

And of course, we cannot forget the fantastic rhythm games available to play. Here are the best of the best:

5. Persona 4: Dancing All Night

4. Taiko no Tatsujin V (GBAtemp Fan Translation Project)

3. Superbeat XONiC (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. IA/VT Colorful (GBAtemp Fan Translation Project)

1. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F2nd (The Diva series in general)

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Best JRPGs

The bread-and-butter of this system. While AAA western development was lacking, that didn’t stop Japanese game studios. This is definitely the strongest part of the Vita’s library.


15. World of Final Fantasy (Official GBAtemp Review)

14. Trillion (Official GBAtemp Review)

13. Grand Kingdom

12. Ar NoSurge

11. Dungeon Travelers 2 (Official GBAtemp Review)

10. Stranger of Sword City (Official GBAtemp Review)

9. Lost Dimension (Official GBAtemp Review)

8. Demon Gaze

7. Shiren the Wanderer

6. Digimon: Cyber Sleuth

5. Hyperdimension Neptunia (series) (Official GBAtemp Review)

4. Atelier Totori (Atelier series in general)

3. Trails of Cold Steel (II) (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (Official GBAtemp Review)

1. Persona 4: Golden
Quite possibly one of the greatest JRPGs that you can experience. The Vita port of Persona 4 not only adds balancing in terms of gameplay, but adds new scenarios and characters, making Golden the absolute definitive version of the game.
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Best Action-RPGs

Do you prefer other styles of games that aren’t turned-based or as text-heavy? These games set themselves apart from the JRPGs by having more action-based combat and gameplay, instead of the calmer turned-based typical JRPG style.

10. Akiba’s Trip (Official GBAtemp Review)

9. Adventures of Mana

8. Toukiden Kiwami (Official GBAtemp Review)

7. God Eater 2: Rage Burst

6. Freedom Wars (Official GBAtemp Review)

5. Soul Sacrifice: Delta

4. Dragon’s Crown

3. Tales of Hearts: R (Official GBAtemp Review)

2. Ys: Memories of Celceta

1. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir (GBAtemp Official Review)
Leifthrasir is an improvement of the original Odin Sphere in every way imaginable. If you were a fan of the original game, love beat-em-ups, or just want a game with solid combat, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a must-play.
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Best Exclusives

Many Vita games have made their way to other systems, be it PC or PS4. And while that’s fine, some people are interested in pure exclusives. What from the above is an experience you can only get on a PlayStation Vita? The answer is in the following:
​
5. Freedom Wars

4. IA/VT Colorful

3. Tales of Hearts R

2. Ys: Memories of Celceta

1. Persona 4: Golden

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With a strong existing library, and even more huge titles on the way in 2017, the PlayStation Vita has more than proved that it's thriving, and still has a long life ahead of it!

So, what do you think? Did I miss any titles that you think deserve to be on here? What did you think of this article? Is there a specific system you'd like to see featured next? Let me know! :yaypsp:
 
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DarkWork0

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pedro702 said:
you miss the point of remote play dont you? remote play is to play the game without using the screen basicaly making it handheld mode being it wiiu gamepad,handheld mode or vita stream, you basicaly stream the game to handheld mode, if i would stream for a phone and then using an actual bt controller what would be the point?

remote play is for sitting on the couch or being on bed and playing the game, if i had to use the smart phone screen as a screen and an actual remote i couldnt play confurtably on off tv gameplay because you would need to lay the phone up on some surface and then using an actual controller, for that it might as whell just use the tv lol.
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What are clip on bt controllers?
 
Chary

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cvskid said:
In no particular order

Dead or Alive 5+, Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax/Ignition, Blazblue Chrono Phantasma Extend, Mortal Kombat 9, Injustice Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition,

Street Fighter x Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Skullgirls 2nd Encore, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, and Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!!.

Guilty Gear is a digital only title while Skullgirls you can't do 2 player ad hoc for some odd reason. Even if you are in the same room as the other person and you both have ps vita systems you are forced to go online in order to play against each other.
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I really did want to make a fighting game tier as well, but that genre is a bit outside my wheelhouse. I know there was a Blazblue game on there, and UMVC3, but I wasn't aware of a Guilty Gear game, or SFxT, and Skullgirls totally slipped my mind! Thanks for the list, if I ever do a revision to this, I'll definitely have to research more of the genre.

gnmmarechal said:
What's the difference?
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;)
 
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cvskid

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Chary said:
I really did want to make a fighting game tier as well, but that genre is a bit outside my wheelhouse. I know there was a Blazblue game on there, and UMVC3, but I wasn't aware of a Guilty Gear game, or SFxT, and Skullgirls totally slipped my mind! Thanks for the list, if I ever do a revision to this, I'll definitely have to research more of the genre.


;)
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No problem at all. Your list is a great help for people wanting to get into ps vita and i agree with everything on the list. :)
 
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Foxi4

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DarkWork0 said:
What are clip on bt controllers?
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They're some of the nerdiest things on the planet that are neither comfortable nor very effective at their intended purpose. The one thing that's not missing from my gaming experience is having to use a Rube Goldberg machine to control my video games. It's a shame that no company seems to be able to create an appealing gaming-oriented phone with strong specs for native games and good streaming capabilities. Sony came pretty damn close with the Xperia Play, but it wasn't quite right.
 
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Great list! The Vita is definitely one of my favorite consoles.

I got a 3DS and a Vita close to each one's launch and the 3ds was great, but few games kept my attention for very long. The Vita on the other hand had a bunch of games that I spent more than 100 hours on.

I definitely got more use out of my Vita and I'm still using it.
 
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codezer0

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Literally, the only game for the thing I care enough to play is katamari. The only other game I knew about was borderlands, and that ended up being terrible on the Vita, based on reviews.
 

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