The PSP was Sony's first foray into competing with Nintendo's dominance over the handheld gaming market. While it was not as successful as the Nintendo DS, it was a great piece of hardware in its own right with a noteworthy library. We're just sad its successor, the PS Vita was not as well received.
Many of the console's best games have already been ported to other consoles, either around the same time on the PS2 or years later on the PS3 and PS4. However, a few heavy hitters have yet to leave their handheld prison, making us wonder what these developers and publishers are waiting for.
10 Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Its successor, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, is more vital to the Metal Gear lore and plays better, but Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is still canon and a decent game. With a five year lull in the franchise since 2015's The Phantom Pain - we'd rather not talk about Metal Gear Survive - some re-releases are certainly in order. updating the gameplay and giving the visuals a facelift would help this quality title shine and earn the recognition it deserves.
9 Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
The compilation of Final Fantasy 7 encompasses a large variety of games. The only one most fans really care about is Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core. The game is currently unavailable in any other format other than UMD, making it fairly hard to access. With the Final Fantasy 7 Remake bringing Zack Fair back into the spotlight, one imagines his story will be retold in the near future. Even if they do new version of his story, we want Crisis Core to come back properly.
8 Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
The PSP is chock full of remakes and re-releases. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a remake of an old PlayStation game. This would not be the first remake of an RPG to receive yet another re-release - Star Ocean: The First Departure is now available on PS4 - so it is not an unprecedented move. It might seem funny to do a re-release of a remake, but that's what happens when a medium gets old enough. The unique exploration gameplay would help it stand the test of time.
7 Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Released in 2011, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a re-release of a 1995 turn-based tactical RPG. It is closely connected to Final Fantasy Tactics, but differentiates itself from it and other JRPGs with a more grounded story where dialog choices have a significant impact on the narrative. The plot is also way darker than most would expect from the genre and time period. While a remake is the dream, a simple re-release on PS5 or Switch would suffice.
6 Metal Gear AC!D
Unlike Portable Ops, Metal Gear AC!D and its sequel are arguably better tailored for the handheld device. The card-based combat is turn-based, meaning you don't have to be on your toes at all times to stay stealthy. All the same, we'd love to be able to play this game in the comfort of our living rooms.
The narrative is not canon, and Snake barely resembles the Snake from the mainline entries, but the bizarre genre shift feels apropos of Metal Gear's dedication to subverting expectations.
5 Final Fantasy Tactics: War Of The Lions
For years, fans had to satisfy themselves with the PS1 release of Final Fantasy Tactics before it was re-released on the PSP in 2007. In addition to quality of life improvements to the gameplay, beautifully drawn animated cutscenes are added to spice up the narrative. While fans are clamoring for a remake, at this point we'd settle for having the PSP version brought to consoles.
4 Daxter
Jak & Daxter has been out of the spotlight for a long time. After developer Naughty Dog embraced Uncharted, they left their PS2 era franchise in the dust. The series deserves a place in the gaming pantheon, however.
Oddly enough, none of the remastered collections of the series released for the PS3 and PS Vita had this PSP platform included. When they bring the series back, here's hoping they bring back Daxter as well.
3 Valkyria Chronicles 2
The first Valkyria Chronicles is a cult classic tactical RPG which perfectly mixes both turn-based and real time elements. There's really nothing like it. Unfortunately, the sales did not warrant a proper PS3 sequel, so it lived on handhelds for a while. The sequel was fortunately a success, and the third game, also for the PSP, never saw release in the United States. Why not bring these two games to modern consoles and localize the third one for fans in the west?
2 Jeanne d'Arc
It is difficult to underestimate the amount of classic RPGs for the PSP. Jeanne d'Arc might not have received as much love and recognition if it came out on PS2, but the unconventional setting definitely piqued PSP owners' interest. The gameplay is a solid turn based tactical RPG, but the story - a fictional retelling of Joan of Arc's life - makes it more memorable.
1 Final Fantasy 1, 2, And 4 Remakes
Final Fantasy 1, 2, and 4 received re-releases on the PSP. The graphics of these remain the most beautiful interpretations of the 2D sprites of the NES and SNES era. Especially when compared to the art style the games were given for the recent re-releases, these PSP titles are absolutely gorgeous. Not only would we love to see this art style come back, but Square should also give the same treatment to Final Fantasy 3, 5, and 6.