10 Console Games That Have Great PSP Versions

Highlights

• Sony’s first handheld console, the PSP, had limitations such as the lack of a right analog stick, which required developers to get creative with controls and porting console games.
• Despite some sacrifices, several games like Dante’s Inferno and Star Wars Battlefront 2 were successfully ported to the PSP, providing a console-like experience on the go.
• The PSP saw a range of genres, from beat ’em up games like Def Jam Fight for NY to action RPGs like Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance, showcasing the console’s versatility and offering a diverse gaming experience.

Sony’s first foray into the exclusive and illustrious realm of handhelds in early 2005 was not without its hiccups. The system’s lack of a right analog stick is chief among them. With fewer options for controls on a far less powerful unit, developers had to become creative when bringing a console experience down to size.

While some games were able to make the jump with very little changes to the core game as possible, most ports had to lose more than a few core features, modes, or even their entire story. Yet, it was done. And on a fair number of occasions, it was done with flying colors.

1 Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover

Metascore: 79

• Platforms: PSP
• Released: August 29, 2006
• Developer: AKI Corporation, EA Canada

To say Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover is a stripped-back version of the game’s console edition would be an understatement. Among other things, 4v4 brawls are no more, with fights being limited to 1v1s. The story is also given to players via text messages instead of cutscenes.

However, fans of the Def Jam series need not fret, as it still features the same brutal street-fighting beatdowns with the same roster of rappers as playable characters. There have also been some combat changes, with fighters able to rough up a downed opponent.

2 Dante’s Inferno

Metascore: 70

The PSP saw some seriously excellent hack-and-slash games gracing its screen. The port of Dante’s Inferno, for example, made a pretty impressive appearance on the handheld, managing to boil down the PS3 version with minimal losses.

Those losses are barely noticeable anyway, as players get everything else the console version did. From a serviceable story that follows Dante’s journey through the nine circles of Hell to save his beau Beatrice’s soul, to the game’s great, gory combat.

3 Star Wars Battlefront 2

Metascore: 69

Star Wars Battlefront 2 allows players to be transported into the various battles featured in the Star Wars franchise as soldiers varying in rank and class. Gameplay includes ground combat, dog fights, and the opportunity to take control of the various named heroes and villains from the series.

Battlefront 2 was given the PSP treatment, nixing the campaign in favor of some challenge modes. This version also leaves behind some maps, which is definitely a tough sacrifice for some superfans. Regardless, it’s a great option for taking these grand-scale battles on the go.

4 Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 Remix

Metascore: 83

Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 Remix came out about six months after its console counterpart, with that time allowing for the port to develop a bit of its own identity. However, the premise of a worldwide skating tournament between two teams still stuck around.

What helps THUG 2 stick the landing on PSP are its four exclusive levels: Santa Cruz, Atlanta, Kyoto, and Las Vegas, all accompanied by some new cutscenes. Skating onto the scene as well are some exclusive playable characters, including a Power Rangers stand-in, Voltraman.

5 The Warriors

Metascore: 81

The Warriors movie was released back in 1979, so it was already a welcome surprise when the game was originally released on the PS2 a quarter of a century later. It was even more surprising, then, that the game’s solid, beat-em-up action was ported to the PSP two years later.

The story goes that after a park-bound meeting ends in murder, The Warriors find themselves fighting their way through the NYC boroughs on their way back to their hideout. By the romp’s end, players will be wishing that the gang would come out to play again.

6 Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance

Metascore: 83

In Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance, players choose groups of four heroes to take on various missions, getting different bonuses by putting together comic-accurate teams. The PSP port of the game includes the original roster of heroes, along with some exclusive ones.

The series has always been a celebration of Marvel’s storied history, and in the PSP’s case, puts the power of dozens of different heroes in the palm of fans’ hands. As the first game in the series though, Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance wrote the script, and it sure is a fun one.

7 Tekken 6

Metascore: 82

Tekken has gone down in history as one of the most recognizable fighting games there is, and for good reason. This 3D juggernaut of a series nearly perfected the formula for the subgenre, confirming its dominance in the space with the Tekken 6′s port on the PSP.

Unfortunately, the game’s campaign, which sees Lars Alexandersson on a quest to defeat Jin Kazama, is absent in this version. Otherwise, the port’s great graphical fidelity, as well as the size of its roster, makes it a must-play for Tekken and fighting game fans alike.

8 Midnight Club: L.A. Remix

Metascore: 79

• Platforms: PSP
• Released: October 21, 2008
• Developer: Rockstar London

A lot was changed to allow the PSP to handle Midnight Club: L.A. Remix. The LA map is downsized, and the car roster is split between its two settings, Los Angeles and Tokyo. The PSP version of the game also couldn’t provide the same robust vehicle customization and detailed environments that a console could.

Luckily, much of the heart-pounding gameplay aspects that made this new era of Midnight Club great are present here. From the open world to police chases, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix is still the edgy street-racing simulator that the series had established up until this point.

9 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky

Metascore: 79

• Platforms: PC, PSP, PS3, PS Vita
• Released: June 24, 2004
• Developer: Nihon Falcom

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky tells an engaging story of a pair of siblings getting caught up in some political intrigue and governmental destabilization. Plot twists abound and the trademark mature themes of this game were carried through to the other critically applauded entries of the series.

The Trails games are known by enthusiasts as one of the most underrated modern RPG series there is. And TheLegend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is where it all began. The game was ported from PC to the PSP in Japan in 2006 before making its debut in North America nearly five years later.

10 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Metascore: 70

In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, players take a ride on the dark side by taking control of, arguably, the most powerful and brutal of Star Wars characters, Starkiller. Darth Vader’s apprentice is on a mission in this game to eradicate the remaining Jedi during the Galactic Empire’s reign.

The PSP port was derived from the PS2 and Wii versions of the game, with their differing missions, general story structure, and multiplayer. Something exclusive to the handheld version, though, is the cool “Historic Missions” allowing players to relive iconic battles from the movies.