PSP celebrates five years

We list our favorite games, and feel old

Text: Staff

Published 2010-03-25

Sony's PSP celebrates its fifth anniversary this year (oh dear, I feel old now). It's been a wild ride for the machine, it has had its ups and downs, and so far it's seen over 500 games released on UMD, around 50 software upgrades and four different incarnations - the original, 2000, 3000 and the PSP Go. All over the Internet, game sites are celebrating this year by listing their favourite games and we thought we wouldn't be worse so we decided to shamelessly steal the idea and do the same! Indeed, we have no shame at all.

Petter Mårtensson:

Lumines: The PSP's answer to Tetris, and one of those games I keep falling in love with over and over again. I forget about it, then I pick it up and become addicted all over again. Last time was back in 2006, living in Tokyo and me and my roommate both got hooked on it - the only problem was that I were the only one that actually had a PSP. Hard times. I'm actually starting to feel its pull now, as I write this...must remain strong. It's the perfect handheld game, just like Tetris was back in the day. I never did get into the second one, mostly because it didn't have any music that called to me.

Space Invaders Extreme: I loved Space Invaders on my Atari 2600 as a kid, and Space Invaders Extreme manages to capture the same feeling - while being absolutely mindblowingly crazy at the same time. It's one of those games that actually stays true to the original, while being nothing like it at the same time. The music, the effects and the intensity; great for trainrides, as long as your headphones keep the noise out. Countless hours have been lost to this wonderful shooter, and to this day it is one of my favourite games for both the PSP and the Nintendo DS.

Bengt Lemne:

Loco Roco: It's been a while since a regularly spent a lot of time playing my PSP, but one of the first games that I felt really used the system to its potential was Loco Roco. Simple controls, and no attempt to map a PS2 control scheme onto the device meant a fluid and entertaining experience. The beautiful design and imaginative level design had me coming back for more and the second game was also very entertaining. It's a shame that Loco Roco didn't appeal more to the audience that went out and bought PSP's. It deserves to be played.

Every Extend Extra: Simplicity is once again key in this title that took the concept from the freeware title Every Extend and built on it. I've spent hours and hours blowing myself up in order to create chain reactions. It's addictive and perfect for a portable gaming fix. I love everything from the sound design to the bosses. If you can find it, get it!

Vic Bassey:

God of War: Chains of Olympus: I'm a sucker for all things Kratos related, having bludgeoned my way through the first two instalments multiple times, so naturally it was hard to contain my feverish excitement when God of War: Chains of Olympus was announced and subsequently released. As a handheld title, it packs a punch, with its rising orchestral tracks, wonderfully charting the captivating story of Kratos' servitude to the gods. It also showcases the awesome processing power of Sony's handheld behemoth with jaw dropping set pieces that even today put some next-gen titles to shame.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Final Fantasy VII's much lauded handheld prequel is a wonderful crafted saga that charts the rise and demise of Soldier operative - Zack. Like most fans of the franchise, I voiced my concerns about the need for a sequel. Playing the game was like revisiting a long forgotten love. The game play which fused real time fight sequences with an intricate story against a backdrop of Nobuo Uematsu's iconic tracks left me emotionally drained as the game drew to its heart wrenching conclusion. Not many games are able to tug at the heart strings. This does and is a testament to the power of story in gaming and a worthy addition to the legacy of Final Fantasy VII.

And here's a bonus picture from Games Convention 2007, when me and Bengt had got our hands on a preview version of the then unreleased PSP 2000.

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