Game reviews for the Sony PSP were mostly in favour of the hardware’s power and ability to deliver the best gaming console experience in a handheld device. The Sony PSP was Sony’s first foray into handheld gaming, and the powerful hardware, crystal clear LCD screen and exciting range of launch games made a big impact on the gaming world and solidified the position of the Sony Playstation Portable brand atop the handheld gaming niche.

The PSP enjoyed continued success throughout its lifetime, including a number of hardware revisions. One of the later PSP hardware versions was the smaller console titled the PSP GO. It removed the UMD slot and forced gamers to embrace digital downloads to get their gaming fix. There were some notable PSP GO games released, but the handheld suffered from slow sales.

Many of the popular console game genres were found on the PSP, such as first person shooters, puzzle games, adventure titles and even music rhythm games. The only genre that seems to be lacking in titles is the casino game category, but the PSP web browser offers a solution; You can experience playing the best slot games online by finding sites such as Slots.com that provides free access to  the best online slots games.

This article will help PSP and PS Vita owners discover some hidden gems, and learn which PSP games are considered to be the all-time classics.

Daxter

Daxter was one of the early PSP releases and still stands as being one of the showcase games for the system. It provides a challenging yet fun 3D platform experience that closely rivals the graphics and sound of the PS2 titles.

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge

The Motorstorm series is well-known on the PS3 system, where the adrenalin fueled racing action guaranteed it a place in top 10 racing lists across the board. The PSP Motorstorm game shares the same pedigree, and is a fantastic mobile racing game.

Jeanne d’Arc

Jeanne d’Arc is a stylish Role Playing Game (RPG) based on the life and tales of Joan of Arc. The in-depth RPG gameplay, charming graphics and challenging aspects of the game made this an instant classic on release in 2007 and it still holds up well today.

Hard Rock Casino

The casino genre may be limited on PSP, but there are a handful of good poker games and the excellent Hard Rock casino title to satisfy the urge to play 3d slots or join in a variety of casino games. Online slot reviews gave the game good scores, and casino fans will enjoy the chance to play slots on a handheld.

Tekken 6

Tekken 6 was a huge sales success for the Sony PSP and the handheld title packed in all of the story-lines, game modes and amazing graphics of the home console version. Reviews across the board, from smaller sites to larger media outlets praised the Tekken 6 game and claimed it to be one of the best mobile fighters available.

Killzone: Liberation

Killzone: Liberation is based on the world found in the PS3 first person shooter series, but delivers an isometric top-down view to create an ideal shooter game in a portable handheld console. The short missions were perfect for mobile-gaming sessions, and the Killzone history, graphics and sounds were faithfully recreated on the powerful PSP hardware.

Rock Band: Unplugged

The Rock Band craze was seemingly unstoppable at its peak, and the series received an excellent outing in the Rock Band: Unplugged game for PSP. One big advantage to playing the PSP version of Rock Band: Unplugged was that no expensive plastic instrument peripherals are required, unlike the home console games. It’s a masterful test of dexterity, memory and speed, and has great downloadable content (DLC) support from the publisher.

Lumines II

Lumines is a sublime music puzzle game that blends a block puzzle game dynamic with catchy electronic tunes. The graphics and sound are oozing with style, and the sequel beats the original due to the added missions and variety of custom skins available. Both titles are excellent though, so grab either one if they are available.

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2

Hot Shots Golf is a well-loved golf franchise, and fans flocked to the portable version on PSP. Under the wacky characters and psychedelic presentation is a surprisingly full-featured golf game. It’s full of unlockable content, secrets to be found and different skills to master, all of which combine.