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Any bit of tech that's designed to play video games is not remembered fondly by the gaming community because of its combination of glass, wires, buttons, circuitry, and other electronic gubbins. And nor is it defined by its services, firmware, or marketing strategy.
Nope, any console worth its salt gets firmly lodged in the minds and hearts of the public due to its library of games. These games are, after all, the reasons we purchase a system in the first place.
When you imagine the Game Boy, your mind conjures up Tetris andSuper Mario Land. When you wistfully recall the PSP, you start talkingMonster Hunter or LocoRoco. With the Gizmondo, you immediately think of... well, my point exactly.
So, what picture is painted in our mind when someone mentions the Vita? Which games are intrinsically connected to Sony's handheld one year into its life? And what does all that tell us about the quality of the system's library of titles?
Read on to find out...
Escape Plan - New stories
Escape Plan features small chunks of passive storytelling. Which is perfect for the device. This is, therefore, how you tell a strong story on a handheld device.
No trudging into epic narrative territory, and no need to sacrifice the unique controls of the system for which the game is designed.
Frobisher Says - A dangerous personality
When the Vita debuted, there was this palpable feeling that, given the power of the system and Sony's willingness to take risks, games on the Vita could do anything, provide any experience.
Its unhinged brat lead, combined with the madcap mini-games, madeFrobisher Says a fitting testament to this creative excitement.
WipEout 2048 - Changing times
If a games company is gonna go out, it might as well go out in style. Cue Studio Liverpool's WipEout 2048.
This is one of the very best racing games of the last five years, with more content than you can shake a futuristic looking stick at. It wasn't enough to prevent one of Sony's most critically acclaimed studios being closed after the lacklustre commercial response to the Vita, though.
SunFlowers - Free-to-play does work on traditional consoles...
It's scientifically impossible to have a bad day after playing SunFlowers.
Why? Well, if the upbeat visuals don't get you smiling, and the vice-like grip of the flower-growing gameplay doesn't hold your interest, then the fact that all of this is free absolutely will.
Treasures of Montezuma Blitz - ... but traditional freemium games don't
The tepid reception to this match-three puzzler on Vita spoke volumes. Mainly that the assumption that the same rules of mobile freemium gaming apply to a handheld that's not constantly connected to the internet is patently flawed.
Sluggish start times compound the misery, and that's not good enough for an otherwise-competent Bejeweled clone.
Rayman Origins - 2D or not 2D? That's a valid question
As with the PSP, Sony championed the Vita's ability to push a silly number of polygons about a screen big time. BIG time.
In Rayman Origins, however, we find that the Vita's ability to present a crisp and smooth 2D visual extravaganza should not be sniffed at either.
MotorStorm RC - cheap games
This is how you do budget gaming. In fact, it's one of the strongest examples of a low- / mid-tier priced game on Sony's powerhouse portable.
A couple of quid gets you a brilliant top-down racer, with plenty of social hooks tied in. Plus, when you're finished with the main game, there's a bunch of DLC waiting for you.
Ridge Racer - not-so-cheap games
Cost is still an undeniable issue on the PS Vita Store, mind. Nowhere is this more obvious than with Ridge Racer, a great-looking game that sadly featured just a handful of tracks.
Of course, there was a wealth of DLC on hand to purchase on day one, though, too. Was it shameless of Namco to put it out like this? Not quite. Was it in any way good value? Nuh-uh.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita - A portable PS3
Though the Vita is simply not as powerful as a PlayStation 3, the idea of providing a home console experience on the go is an admirable one, and LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is the realisation of this.
Aside from being on a smaller screen, it looks indistinguishable from the PS3 version, with full-featured multiplayer and an expansive level creator up its sleeve.
Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game - Inferior ports
It's by no means a bad game, but Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game on Vita is a massively disappointing experience when compared to the home console version.
All the power under the hood of the Vita is for nought if developers don't take the time to use it. The fact that several key scenes from the big boy edition are conspicuous by their absence here only serves to highlight that issue.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - Controls no one wants
Oh, come on, developers!
Yes, it's all very well coming up with a neat idea about how you can implement touch controls into your game, but when it causes the pace to slow to a crawl because rugged adventurer Nathan Drake needs to polish an old pot, you're missing the point of these new ways to play somewhat.
Call of Duty: Black Ops - Declassified - Victims of hype
Declassified represents one of the lowest points in the Vita's relatively short lifetime. In truth, we saw so little of Declassified before it was released that we became slightly suspicious. We were right to be concerned: it's pants.
Yet Sony and Activision decided to hype it up continually, rather than focus on the altogether more polished Resistance: Burning Skies.
Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection - We want collections
Another missed opportunity. I mean, why are there not more collections like this for the Vita?
This clump of genius from the mind of Hideo Kojima has more value stuffed in it than a gold bar filled with rare gems and lined with unreleased Beatles lyrics. But where are the rest of the PS3 collections for the Vita? Eh?
I'd play the Jak and Daxter games again in a heartbeat, but I guess Sony thinks I won't. Pity.
Michael Jackson: The Experience HD - The home of handheld rhythm-action
Who knew that the big, bright Vita screen would be home to a smart way of controlling rhythm-action games?
Not I. But this early Vita release from Ubisoft proves that it's a viable platform to entertain the (increasingly-niche) crowd of music game fans.
See also: DJMAX Technika Tune.
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention - Failing to capitalise on the PSP's successes
JRPGs have given the PSP a genuine boost in the sales department on more than one occasion during its life, and there are still a few games in the genre heading for Sony's grizzled handheld veteran in the next few months.
So, why are there so few JRPGs on the newer system? The Vita needs aMonster Hunter, and it needs a Final Fantasy, and it needs them both now.
Rebel - The potential of PS Mobile
It's hidden away on the PS Vita Store, and it's totally underdeveloped, but PS Mobile has the potential to be a potent weapon in Sony's battle with both Nintendo and Apple.
PS Mobile titles are smaller; require less investment of time and money from both makers and players; yet can still take advantage of the tech benefits of the Vita and PlayStation Certified mobile devices.
Rebel is one of the best - go take a look.
Persona 4 Golden - Where's the PS2 emulation?
Persona 4 Golden goes to show that PlayStation 2 games are still wonderfully enjoyable even as we enter the PS4 era.
So, where's the option to buy these old gems digitally in the store? The PlayStation 3 has them; why can't the Vita? A wasted opportunity, I'm afraid.
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation - Pushing a few boundaries
It'd be stretching a point to suggest that the Vita has smashed social conventions in gaming, but it has at least taken a small step forward with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.
Ubisoft's commercially successful, black female-starring shank-'em-up proves that not all hit video games have to star grunting Caucasian bozos.
Big Sky Infinity - Indies rising
Big Sky Infinity, along with Retro City Rampage, Surge, Sound Shapes, and so on, has given encouragement to the indie Vita developer scene.
The Vita still lives in a walled garden, of course, and the barrier to entry is far higher than it is on iOS or Android, but the Vita is miles ahead of its predecessor in terms of support and quality from smaller studios.
PulzAR - AR gaming
Though Nintendo had early success with Face Raiders and a few AR based mini-games on 3DS, it's the Vita I most readily associate with experiments in augmented reality gaming... even beyond mobiles.
PulzAR is a solid choice here, though Reality Fighters and Monster Radarall make use of this clever environment-twisting tech.
Nope, any console worth its salt gets firmly lodged in the minds and hearts of the public due to its library of games. These games are, after all, the reasons we purchase a system in the first place.
When you imagine the Game Boy, your mind conjures up Tetris andSuper Mario Land. When you wistfully recall the PSP, you start talkingMonster Hunter or LocoRoco. With the Gizmondo, you immediately think of... well, my point exactly.
So, what picture is painted in our mind when someone mentions the Vita? Which games are intrinsically connected to Sony's handheld one year into its life? And what does all that tell us about the quality of the system's library of titles?
Read on to find out...
Escape Plan - New stories
Escape Plan features small chunks of passive storytelling. Which is perfect for the device. This is, therefore, how you tell a strong story on a handheld device.
No trudging into epic narrative territory, and no need to sacrifice the unique controls of the system for which the game is designed.
Frobisher Says - A dangerous personality
When the Vita debuted, there was this palpable feeling that, given the power of the system and Sony's willingness to take risks, games on the Vita could do anything, provide any experience.
Its unhinged brat lead, combined with the madcap mini-games, madeFrobisher Says a fitting testament to this creative excitement.
WipEout 2048 - Changing times
If a games company is gonna go out, it might as well go out in style. Cue Studio Liverpool's WipEout 2048.
This is one of the very best racing games of the last five years, with more content than you can shake a futuristic looking stick at. It wasn't enough to prevent one of Sony's most critically acclaimed studios being closed after the lacklustre commercial response to the Vita, though.
SunFlowers - Free-to-play does work on traditional consoles...
It's scientifically impossible to have a bad day after playing SunFlowers.
Why? Well, if the upbeat visuals don't get you smiling, and the vice-like grip of the flower-growing gameplay doesn't hold your interest, then the fact that all of this is free absolutely will.
Treasures of Montezuma Blitz - ... but traditional freemium games don't
The tepid reception to this match-three puzzler on Vita spoke volumes. Mainly that the assumption that the same rules of mobile freemium gaming apply to a handheld that's not constantly connected to the internet is patently flawed.
Sluggish start times compound the misery, and that's not good enough for an otherwise-competent Bejeweled clone.
Rayman Origins - 2D or not 2D? That's a valid question
As with the PSP, Sony championed the Vita's ability to push a silly number of polygons about a screen big time. BIG time.
In Rayman Origins, however, we find that the Vita's ability to present a crisp and smooth 2D visual extravaganza should not be sniffed at either.
MotorStorm RC - cheap games
This is how you do budget gaming. In fact, it's one of the strongest examples of a low- / mid-tier priced game on Sony's powerhouse portable.
A couple of quid gets you a brilliant top-down racer, with plenty of social hooks tied in. Plus, when you're finished with the main game, there's a bunch of DLC waiting for you.
Ridge Racer - not-so-cheap games
Cost is still an undeniable issue on the PS Vita Store, mind. Nowhere is this more obvious than with Ridge Racer, a great-looking game that sadly featured just a handful of tracks.
Of course, there was a wealth of DLC on hand to purchase on day one, though, too. Was it shameless of Namco to put it out like this? Not quite. Was it in any way good value? Nuh-uh.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita - A portable PS3
Though the Vita is simply not as powerful as a PlayStation 3, the idea of providing a home console experience on the go is an admirable one, and LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is the realisation of this.
Aside from being on a smaller screen, it looks indistinguishable from the PS3 version, with full-featured multiplayer and an expansive level creator up its sleeve.
Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game - Inferior ports
It's by no means a bad game, but Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game on Vita is a massively disappointing experience when compared to the home console version.
All the power under the hood of the Vita is for nought if developers don't take the time to use it. The fact that several key scenes from the big boy edition are conspicuous by their absence here only serves to highlight that issue.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss - Controls no one wants
Oh, come on, developers!
Yes, it's all very well coming up with a neat idea about how you can implement touch controls into your game, but when it causes the pace to slow to a crawl because rugged adventurer Nathan Drake needs to polish an old pot, you're missing the point of these new ways to play somewhat.
Call of Duty: Black Ops - Declassified - Victims of hype
Declassified represents one of the lowest points in the Vita's relatively short lifetime. In truth, we saw so little of Declassified before it was released that we became slightly suspicious. We were right to be concerned: it's pants.
Yet Sony and Activision decided to hype it up continually, rather than focus on the altogether more polished Resistance: Burning Skies.
Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection - We want collections
Another missed opportunity. I mean, why are there not more collections like this for the Vita?
This clump of genius from the mind of Hideo Kojima has more value stuffed in it than a gold bar filled with rare gems and lined with unreleased Beatles lyrics. But where are the rest of the PS3 collections for the Vita? Eh?
I'd play the Jak and Daxter games again in a heartbeat, but I guess Sony thinks I won't. Pity.
Michael Jackson: The Experience HD - The home of handheld rhythm-action
Who knew that the big, bright Vita screen would be home to a smart way of controlling rhythm-action games?
Not I. But this early Vita release from Ubisoft proves that it's a viable platform to entertain the (increasingly-niche) crowd of music game fans.
See also: DJMAX Technika Tune.
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention - Failing to capitalise on the PSP's successes
JRPGs have given the PSP a genuine boost in the sales department on more than one occasion during its life, and there are still a few games in the genre heading for Sony's grizzled handheld veteran in the next few months.
So, why are there so few JRPGs on the newer system? The Vita needs aMonster Hunter, and it needs a Final Fantasy, and it needs them both now.
Rebel - The potential of PS Mobile
It's hidden away on the PS Vita Store, and it's totally underdeveloped, but PS Mobile has the potential to be a potent weapon in Sony's battle with both Nintendo and Apple.
PS Mobile titles are smaller; require less investment of time and money from both makers and players; yet can still take advantage of the tech benefits of the Vita and PlayStation Certified mobile devices.
Rebel is one of the best - go take a look.
Persona 4 Golden - Where's the PS2 emulation?
Persona 4 Golden goes to show that PlayStation 2 games are still wonderfully enjoyable even as we enter the PS4 era.
So, where's the option to buy these old gems digitally in the store? The PlayStation 3 has them; why can't the Vita? A wasted opportunity, I'm afraid.
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation - Pushing a few boundaries
It'd be stretching a point to suggest that the Vita has smashed social conventions in gaming, but it has at least taken a small step forward with Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.
Ubisoft's commercially successful, black female-starring shank-'em-up proves that not all hit video games have to star grunting Caucasian bozos.
Big Sky Infinity - Indies rising
Big Sky Infinity, along with Retro City Rampage, Surge, Sound Shapes, and so on, has given encouragement to the indie Vita developer scene.
The Vita still lives in a walled garden, of course, and the barrier to entry is far higher than it is on iOS or Android, but the Vita is miles ahead of its predecessor in terms of support and quality from smaller studios.
PulzAR - AR gaming
Though Nintendo had early success with Face Raiders and a few AR based mini-games on 3DS, it's the Vita I most readily associate with experiments in augmented reality gaming... even beyond mobiles.
PulzAR is a solid choice here, though Reality Fighters and Monster Radarall make use of this clever environment-twisting tech.
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