25 Best PSP Hidden Gems

Hexyz Force for PlayStation Portable is a traditional RPG taking place in the world of Berge. This world has two sides to it, one light and one dark. Accordingly, the player will be able to choose between two different protagonists at the game's beginning. In the light scenario, the protagonist is a shrine maiden by the name of Cecilia, whereas the dark part's hero is a knight called Leevan. Depending on this choice, the setting, story and characters will change fundamentally.

Burnout: Legends takes the most explosive moments of the popular Burnout series of racing games, mashes them together and adds some new surprises -- giving you the best racing experience to come out for the DS. Use your car as a weapon and battle your way to the front of the pack - by taking out rivals and instigating spectacular crashes. Speed, depth and destruction are waiting for you, in the game of on-the-go automotive anarchy.

Japan's most successful PSP title, Monster Hunter Portable 2G, is heading to Europe and US. Renamed Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, this latest installment in the epic Monster Hunter series delivers over 500 hours of gameplay spanning some 400 missions. Added with previously unreleased monsters, weapons and missions and you have the biggest Monster Hunter game to date.

Using the Ad-Hoc connection players can adventure with up to three friends for a savaging multiplayer hunting party. From devising the strategy to executing the attack, players will need to work together in order to hunt down the ferocious beasts and progress through the wide range of quests on offer. Players will be rewarded for their use of deep fighting combat systems, encouraging them to seek out the more experienced hunters and team up in order to learn from their experience.

Even in single player mode Hunters won't be alone thanks to the introduction of the new AI Felyne feature. Accompanying players on quests your furry ally will helping them battle monsters and gather extra resources.

Birth by Sleep is an action roleplaying game that introduces a gameplay aspect called the Command System, which allows players to customize a Command Deck with techniques and abilities that they can perform at will, called Deck Commands. Performing ordinary attacks and Commands fills a gauge displayed above the command deck that, when certain requirements are fulfilled, activates a Command Style that changes the player's basic attack command with the "Surge" command, which racks up powerful combos depending on what Command Style is activated. Filling the gauge with certain requirements a second time causes the character to change into an even higher level Command Style, which replaces the "Surge" command with the more powerful "Storm" command.

Senjou no Valkyria 3: Unrecorded Chronicles, usually referred to as Valkyria Chronicles III, is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third game in the Valkyria Chronicles series and was released on January 27, 2011 exclusively in Japan. An expanded version of the game, subtitled Extra Edition was released in Japan on November 23, 2011. The game features an opening song Moshimo Kimi ga Negau no Nara sung by Japanese singer May'n.

Occurring in the same time frame as the first game, Valkyria Chronicles III is a side story that follows the exploits of an unwanted and castigated Gallian Army squad during the Imperial invasion of 1935. Contrasting the previous games' bright outlook and recognition for their protagonists, Valkyria Chronicles III explores the themes of being outcast and the search for redemption. As described by its catchphrase, the game tells "The tale of nameless soldiers who, on the verge of despair, changed history."

The game was the first in the series to not officially be translated into English by Sega. However, an unofficial fan translation for the Extra Edition was eventually released in December 2013.

Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is a role-playing video game for PlayStation Portable developed by SuperVillain Studios and published by 2K Games in 2006.

Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D-arena fighting game with RPG elements featuring 20 characters, heroes and villains, from the first 10 final fantasy games summed by the god of discord and the goddess of harmony to fight over the fate of the world.

Patchwork Heroes is an Action game, developed by Acquire and published by SCEA, which was released in 2010.

Daxter is a platformer developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), it serves as a midquel set between Jak II and Jak 3 from the Jak and Daxter series.

The game follows Daxter, a comical ottsel, as he works as a pest exterminator in Haven City while searching for his captured friend, Jak. Gameplay focuses on platforming, combat, and gadget-based puzzles, with Daxter using unique tools like a bug swatter and spray gun to defeat enemies. It features detailed environments, engaging minigames, and the series' signature humor.

A remake version of the Super Famicom game Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, released on PlayStation Portable. The North American and European versions keep the original Title: "Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together".
The PSP remake presents several changes compared to the previous releases. New characters and events are included, and the script has been re-translated. Most importantly, the remake severely downplays the effects of a character's death in battle, giving players extra opportunities to keep characters alive even if their hit points have been reduced to zero in battle. The previous releases permanently eliminated characters once their hit points had been reduced to zero in battle. The remake also adds a crafting system and completely revamps the experience system, giving experience to all the party members after a battle, instead of giving it to single party members after executing individual actions

Wild Arms XF is a 2D turn-based tactical role-playing game, creating a gameplay experience somewhere between Dungeons & Dragons and chess. Players are given control of a small squad of characters (six or less) and placed on a grid-based map resembling a geographical location (a swamp, a town, a river), upon which they fight battles to progress through the game. As with most T/RPGs, positional advantage can be critical to victory, and players are encouraged to outmaneuver their enemies as well as outgun them. The game emphasizes positioning and maneuvering by the inclusion of "Formation Arts," which increase attack damage when an enemy is surrounded by your characters in a line, a triangle or a circle. Wild Arms XF is a member of the small subsection of T/RPGs whose battlefields are based around hexagonal tiles instead of squares. "Combination Arts" return from previous Wild ARMs titles, allowing characters to target an enemy in a waiting state and then deliver their attacks simultaneously with the next ally to attack their target. If the player succeeds in executing an uninterrupted series of commands, the damage inflicted upon enemies will increase significantly. On the other hand, the enemy gets the same advantage.

You have 00:30 seconds to save the world!

Prepare for the fastest, most frantic gameplay ever! Conquer over 100 levels totaling more than 20 hours of gameplay, 30 seconds at a time!

Challenge the missions on your own or connect wirelessly for blazing-fast, head-to-head competition!

You can play as a rookie cop battling five different gangs spread throughout Capital City in Pursuit Force. The game features 30 cases for you to close, using 55 different vehicles and 25 types of weapons. Each gang has a unique boss and lieutenant with their own specialized vehicles and missions. Taking down gangs fills up your justice bar, which can be used to slow down time for key stunts, fill up your life, or repair your vehicle. The game features Hollywood-style chases and gunfights to keep the action going during missions.

It follows the efforts of a Japanese "bancho" (delinquent) and his efforts to become Japan's top bancho by beating up all the other regional banchos during a field trip.The game takes place on a school field trip to the fictional city of Kyouto. Focusing on Takashi, a bancho of the same school, unwillingly goes with his class as he is told that he will fail the school year if he does not attend. He meets up with his best friend and loyal ally, Yohei, and soon meets with other friends as well riding on the train. When they arrive to Kyouto Station, Yohei accidentally knocks into another bancho. After a swift fight between Takashi and The bancho, Takashi learns that all schools are visiting Kyouto for one week and there are 47 banchos in all fighting together in a contest seeing who is the "toughest guy in all of Japan". Takashi, now persuaded to stay with his class, takes on the challenge to be the toughest guy in Japan. Between fighting the 47 Banchos, he must also deal with the Shinsengumi of Ikeda who are the strongest shabazos of this town and none pleased with the arrival of so many Banchos threatening their town.

On a day that starts out like any other, an 11-year-old boy's life is changed forever when his friend Miki suddenly collapses from an unknown illness. Without the means to save her, he grows increasingly distraught when suddenly, a strange voice offers him a second chance: "Beyond the door you can change your destiny!" He soon leaves the real world and journeys to the world of Vision, where, as a novice "Traveler," he will surmount myriad ordeals in hopes of ultimately meeting with the Goddess of Fortune to have a single wish granted.

Final Fantasy Type-0 is set within Orience, a land divided between four nations or "Crystal States". Each nation has crystals of power based on the Four Symbols, which are in turn their national emblems. The Dominion of Rubrum uses the Vermillion Bird Crystal, which controls magic; the Milites Empire controls the White Tiger Crystal, containing the power of science and weapons; the Kingdom of Concordia uses the Azure Dragon Crystal, containing the power of Dragons; and the Lorican Alliance is home to the Black Tortoise Crystal, containing the power of shielding. Each nation has an academy, or Peristylium, to research and protect the country's respective crystal. The crystals have the ability to mark humans as their countries' servants. These servants, called l'Cie, are branded with a symbol and are given a "Focus", a task to complete. While blessed with long life and the ability to transform into crystal, l'Cie are cursed to lose their memories over time. The people of Orience also lose their memories of the dead, so they will not be held back by any past regrets and continue strengthening their souls through conflict, a mechanism put in place by the crystals for the convenience of the deities who crafted them. The main aim of many characters is to become Agito, a legendary figure who will appear and save the world from Tempus Finis, an apocalyptic event that will destroy Orience.

In CRISIS CORE, players can experience the D.M.W (Digital Mind Wave) system, which enhances the real-time battle system, allowing players to unleash special attacks or call upon various FINAL FANTASY summons. Players can also witness graphics and CG cutscenes coupled with voice acting in a 16:9 widescreen presentation, made possible by the PSP system hardware.

Coded Arms is a visually stunning first-person shooter that places the gamer in the role of a computer hacker who infiltrates an abandoned virtual reality system. Originally created as a combat training simulator to prepare for an alien invasion, the VR system was shut down during development after a major flaw was discovered. Unbeknownst to its creators, the simulation program continued to evolve on its own, turning into a vast and brutal VR world populated with virtual alien invaders, dangerous computer bugs and the VR system's own security bots. Arm yourself with an assortment of weaponry and battle these enemies through the virtual landscape.

• Multiplayer modes for 4 players
• Immersive single player mode
• Weapons and power-ups collected in single-player mode stay with you in multiplayer
• More than 30 weapons including assault rifles, pulse weapons and rocket launchers
• Multiple game worlds with randomized levels

Gladiator Begins is developed by GOSHOW for the PSP and is a prequel to Colosseum: Road to Freedom. Create a gladiator and fight for your life in the Roman Colosseum.

The game is an action role-playing game described by Square Enix as a "cinematic action RPG". Director Hajime Tabata noted that the gameplay and plot are intertwined due to a newly introduced ability called "Overdive," an ability that lets the player switch bodies with one of their team members, allowing them to control friendly NPCs. Teammates can be ordered either to target specific enemies or to defend themselves in combat. The player is able change their controlled character in real-time, intermixed with their combat actions. The game is played over-the-shoulder, comparable to games such as Resident Evil 4, Dead Space and the Mass Effect series. An array of different costumes will be available for Aya to choose from throughout the game, but only after they are unlocked by completing the game in various difficulty modes. Clothing in the game deteriorates due to battle damage, revealing Aya's skin to various degrees.

The PSP releases are a port of the original Japanese PC game with the rhythm bar removed. The 2015 release is a remasted version of the original PC game. The game had to be remade for the 3DS, 'Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure'. It is a port of the remastered version that has been changed to better fit the systems controls and use the 3D feature.

"Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is a fantastic Action-RPG from leading Japanese developer Falcom (Developers of “Ys” and “Zwei” among other classics) featuring real-time combat, stunning 3D graphics, tons of fully voiced characters and mini-games , 90+ items, multiple endings, a rocking soundtrack, 35+ hours of playtime, and more.

Originally released outside Japan on Sony’s PSP, Mastiff is proud to bring a fully localized and updated version of Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure to Windows and to offer it through Steam with a full set of Steam specific features including Achievements, Trading Cards, Big Picture and Cloud Save."

Black Rock Shooter: The Game is an action role-playing game and based on the Black Rock Shooter franchise created by Huke. The players take on the role of the eponymous Black Rock Shooter. The game is divided into several missions in which the player must clear objectives to progress. On the main overworld, BRS can explore the available areas and look for certain items. Battles begin when the player comes into contact with an enemy on the overworld. During a battle, BRS can aim and shoot with her rock cannon at enemies, block against attacks, and sidestep to avoid them completely. If the player fires the rock cannon or uses the sidestep too much in a short time, the system will overheat, leaving the player vulnerable to attack until it cools down. Throughout the game, players can earn abilities that can be equipped to BRS and used in battle, each with their own cooldown periods. These include offensive attacks such as a powerful blast, a sniper rifle, or support abilities that can increase BRS' stats such as her attack or defense. Certain sections will also see BRS ride a motorcycle, in which she can attack enemies on either side of her or use weapons to fire in front of enemies.

Set among a variety of colorful 2D backgrounds, Patapon unfolds through more than 30 missions with more than 20 different environments, where players are tasked with outfitting the Patapon army, collecting resources, and using strategy to grow the tribe into a devastating fighting force. Incorporating various button-timed drumbeats in real-time to control the Patapons, players will strategically traverse through each environment, battling enemies each step of the way. The game presents a variety of warrior types such as archers, infantry, cavalry, and more that players can unlock, along with a wide selection of more than 100 weapon and shield upgrades, allowing players to customize their forces throughout the funky adventure.

Jeanne d'Arc is a tactical role-playing video game loosely based on the story of Joan of Arc and her struggles against the English occupation of France during the Hundred Years' War in the early 15th century.

The game has an amount of historical accuracy when it comes to the cast of characters, and contains many who were contemporaries and allies of Joan of Arc. This contrasts starkly with the many fantasy elements of the game, such as characters possessing magical armlets that give the wearer special abilities, and the suggestion that King Henry VI of England was possessed by demons and used them to aid his armies in destroying France during the Hundred Years' War.

In Dead Head Fred, players take on the persona of private detective Fred Neuman. Savagely murdered and then resurrected in a bizarre scientific experiment, Fred is without his memory or his head! The game immerses players in the vicious action as they collect, upgrade and switch heads on the fly to strategically fight malformed mutants, ghoulish gangsters, and maniacal mob bosses in a unique and compelling story of revenge and redemption.