15 Best PSP Compilations

Samurai Shodown Anthology packs six classic Samurai Shodown games, and by the time you reach Samurai Shodown IV the roster is up to 40 characters. SNK has a name for generous PSP compilations, and this one is no different. The downside is some baffling slowdown that keeps the games from being truly arcade perfect, though it never kills them.

The games run from the original Samurai Shodown to Samurai Shodown VI. That is hours of playtime for anyone who likes 2D fighters. Slowdown aside, it is the easiest way to carry a whole fighting series around, and it is the one to grab if you already know the games. Players who like 2D fighters keep recommending it.

A handful of really great 2D fighters came out on the PSP, and this collection stands out for its value. Rather than port a single King of Fighters game to the handheld, SNK put the trilogy of King of Fighters '95 to '97 on one UMD. The sprite work looks great at the PSP's resolution.

The four-button layout of King of Fighters also suits the PSP's face buttons, which is more than most fighting games could say about the handheld. Three games is a lean package next to some on this list, but it is a tidy one. If you only want one SNK fighter series in your pocket, this is a clean way to get it.

Activision Hits Remixed is based heavily on the Activision Anthology from the PS2. Activision Hits Remixed puts over 40 Atari 2600 games on a single UMD, and the remixed in the title is a misnomer, because the games themselves haven't been altered. Leaving the games unaltered is a good thing for retro fans. Pitfall and Pitfall II are both on the disc.

You thumb through a virtual collection of 2600 cartridges to pick one, and every game gets save states. There is even a menu soundtrack from the 1980s for the nostalgia. The best trick is game sharing: one UMD can send a game to another player's PSP so they can be Player Two. Who knew a 1980s cartridge collection would be the most social thing on the system?

SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 is a quick way to turn a PSP into a 1990s arcade, with Neo Geo fighters such as King of Fighters '94, beat 'em ups like Sengoku, Metal Slug for run-and-gun and Last Resort for shooting. The number of high-quality games makes it an excellent value. Art of Fighting is on the disc too.

Sengoku and Shock Troopers are on it as well. It is one excellent sampler of why arcade fans revere SNK. The slowdown in some of the titles is the letdown in an otherwise excellent collection. Players keep it on their lists of the PSP's classic compilations, usually right next to the Sega and Capcom ones.

EA Replay may be the most diverse compilation on the PSP, and it came from EA of all publishers. The company cherry-picked its early 1990s catalogue, so alongside the sports games you get Road Rash, Wing Commander, Ultima VII and Haunting Starring Polterguy, a bizarre isometric game in which you play a ghost scaring a family out of their house.

EA may be synonymous with sports games, and basketball, football and hockey are all represented here. Desert Strike and Jungle Strike are both on it too. Players are split on it. Some call it a lot of fun and buy it for Road Rash alone, and others tell you not to bother.

No video game system is complete without a Namco collection of some sort, and this is the PSP's. Despite the odd title, Battle Collection is a pretty thorough compilation of Namco classics, riddled with overlap thanks to numerous versions of Pac-Man and Dig Dug. The four Arrangement games are updated with new visuals, audio and even gameplay. Galaga and Galaxian are on the disc as well. So are Rolling Thunder and Tower of Druaga.

Most of the games can be game-shared with a friend who doesn't own the UMD, although the shared versions are limited to single levels. That is a pity, but a free second player is still a free second player. Players still recommend it for retro arcade fun.

Reloaded is basically a portable version of Capcom Classics Collection Volume 1 from the PS2, with 19 arcade games on the UMD, among them 1942 and all three Ghosts'n Goblins. Some of that number is padding, since it includes three versions of Street Fighter II and two of 1943.

The emulation of these arcade games is fantastic, though. Any fan of 1980s and 90s arcades should own it. The King of Dragons and Knights of the Round are on the disc too. Players usually recommend it together with its companion, Capcom Classics Collection Remixed. That sequel disc holds 20 more Capcom arcade games, with classics such as Final Fight and Strider.

Extended Play is a mixed bag, but you can't complain about the number of games. Like the console Midway collections, it has strange emulation issues with the sound and graphics, and the UMD is fairly barebones. There are plenty of high-profile, worthy games in there.

Defender, Gauntlet, Joust and Klax are all here. Paperboy and Rampage are on the disc too. Its trump card is the first Mortal Kombat, which had been left off the console releases, and many of its games have an ad hoc multiplayer mode, and many of its games have an ad hoc multiplayer mode. It is not the tidiest disc on the list, but the lineup carries it.

Ys I & II Chronicles remakes the first two games of the series, with the graphics redrawn in hand-drawn 2D and a newly rearranged soundtrack. Returning fans can switch back to the original music or use alternative character art, and the remake adds four difficulty levels and a time trial mode.

Ys is a critically acclaimed series, and this remake is billed as the definitive version of where it all began. Two games on one disc is a good deal for anyone curious about the series, and a nice way in if you have never touched an Ys game. Players who want RPGs on the PSP keep pointing to it, usually next to the other Ys games on the system.

Gradius Collection puts five classic Gradius games on one UMD, and they all look terrific on the PSP's widescreen. The five games are Gradius, Gradius II, Gradius III, Gradius IV and Gradius Gaiden. It is one of the most complete Gradius releases to date. Before it, PlayStation fans had to import pricey Japanese versions of Gradius, Gradius II and Gradius Gaiden.

Shoot-em-up fans get a lot to like here. Few handhelds have had a better home for side-scrolling shooters, and this disc shows it off well. Having all of them together at a low price is great news for shoot-em-up fans. Music and movie galleries round it out. Players keep it on their lists of PSP essentials.

Fare Wars combines Crazy Taxi and Crazy Taxi 2 and adds multiplayer to the series for the first time, so you can ram another cab to steal its passengers. Both games only run at 30 frames per second, against 60 in the other versions, and some glitches and clipping came along too, and some glitches and clipping came along too. Sega's PSP disc has the only port of Crazy Taxi 2 outside the Dreamcast version, which is awesome.

The jump button is a great mechanic. Arcade games are always great ideas for handheld systems. Then there are the shoulder buttons. Crazy Taxi has a habit of making your hands hurt after a while, and on a PSP it's even more painful. Players still slip it into their lists of PSP favourites anyway.

The Complete Collection holds enhanced ports of Final Fantasy IV and its sequel, The After Years, plus a new scenario, Final Fantasy IV Interlude, set between the two. Everything was redrawn in 2D for the PSP's 16:9 screen, and the soundtrack got a new arrangement. The package was sold as the ultimate role-playing experience, twenty years after the original game.

It came out in Japan on March 24, 2011, and in other markets in April. It also adds bonus game features. For an RPG fan, a whole story arc on one UMD is hard to beat, and it is the longest ride on this list. Players list it among the PSP's best turn-based RPGs.

Sega did a great job compiling its 16-bit games, and the PSP release shows what it looks like when done correctly. Sega Genesis Collection has nearly 30 games from every major genre, some of which need unlocking. All three Genesis Phantasy Star games are on it, which should be worth the price of admission on their own, and it brought Super Zaxxon to the US for the first time.

Sonic, Ecco and Shinobi all make multiple appearances. Ristar and Shadow Dancer are in there too, and so are Vectorman and Vectorman 2. Extras include save states and ad hoc multiplayer. Players still recommend it as one of the PSP's must-have classic collections.

The word collection is slightly misleading here, since the UMD only holds two games, Power Stone and its sequel. They are 3D arena fighters in which you pick up tables, chairs, rocks and bombs and fight with them, and if you collect three Power Stones your character transforms into a stronger version of themselves.

Fans of the Dreamcast multiplayer fighters will be thrilled to get their hands on it. Ad hoc mode supports up to four local players, which makes it the closest thing the PSP has to a party brawler. Unlockables include characters, stages, artwork and music. Two games sounds light, but they are the two that matter. Players still recommend it.

Metal Slug Anthology includes seven nearly arcade-perfect Metal Slug games. The seven games are the six numbered Metal Slugs and Metal Slug X. Metal Slug 6 is the only one based on the actual arcade game, while the others are emulations of the Neo Geo AES versions, and you can play them together over an ad hoc wireless connection.

If the Neo Geo Pocket Color is your favourite handheld, this disc could change that. The extras go further than most, from art galleries to a readable interview with several of the games' designers, on top of those soundtracks you can rip. It marked the series' 10th anniversary. Players keep it on their lists of PSP must-plays.