How's your PSP Gaming Going + List of must-have PSP games

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Because you can't get in the zone that way.

[Menegrothx]

Most of the time I play my PSP lying on my back alone in a dark room, some times with the headphones on. While not as immersive as PC gaming, I find myself more immersed while handheld gaming (on modern handhelds, that is) than while playing on consoles. Whether you use headphones or not and more importantly how the game is designed are more important factors though. Sadly there don't seem to be that many ambitious handheld games out there. There really aren't that much handhelds games you'd play just to for the story/ambiance/experience. Many games feel like you're playing them because they're "good for handheld games". In other words God of War 1-3>Ghost of Sparta&Chains of Olympus, GTA Vice City>Vice City Stories, Uncharted 2&3>Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Silent Hill 2-4>Silent Hill Origins and so on. Especially now that we have PS Vita, I don't think it's because handhelds are graphically limited. PSP and maybe even the DS can graphically outperform many of those late 1990s games I find immersive, it's a matter of designing the game properly (and with keeping in mind the platforms strengths&weaknesses).

Anyways I'm going off-topic, but that's something that needs to be discussed imo. Although there are great JRPGs available on handhelds, handheld gaming is pretty much nonexistent in public discussion and even in game reviews. Why is that? Obviously there's a lack of AAA level (*) games, but I think that handheld consoles have by now surpassed the technical limitations of the past.
(*): I don't mean by this that "a game must have huge development team and marketing budget". Cultural impact and how much discourse the game generates are important. We've seen many indy games becoming widely known recently. When ever there is a major new game released like Last of Us or Bioshock Infinite or X-Com, it's like the whole internet talks about that game for some time. Even mods, indy games and small budget PC games like Kerbal space program, Amnesia and DayZ can become widely recognized. But we don't really see that on handhelds. When was the last time a handheld game had a big impact? Has there ever been one besides the Pokémon series? Like I said, with the exception of JRPGs, I feel that we are getting watered down versions of console games, rather than just games that are awesome.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

I feel you. To many developers, "Good for handheld" isn't the same as "good." And that's not okay.

Usually games that are designed for handhelds, rather than ported from bigger systems, are better.

[CavZee]

I would say corpse party is a superior psp horror game.

I should check these games out. Been on a bit of a handheld Visual Novel trip lately with 999, VLR, and the Ace Attorney series.

[MagOps]

Gunguinr, Peace Walker Lumines Star Ocean Trails are my personal picks.

[dust_hound]

I'm replaying Peace Walker atm- had forgotten how great it is! Looking forward to getting to the bit where

having slogged through a long corridor of troops, you then have the boss fight where you're getting blasted by a helicopter, while 'Heavens Divide' plays in the background- it was a totally epic moment for me.

I'm sort-of enjoying Gungnir, although finding it a little slow to get through each battle- likely i'm playing it rong.

[ninjainspandex]

I have Peace Walker but with the HD collection on the ps3 and xbox it's kind of obsolete isnt it?

[Valkyrie-Favor]

No, it's just as good as it ever was.

[ninjainspandex]

I have Peace Walker but with the HD collection on the ps3 and xbox it's kind of obsolete isnt it?

why play the psp version when you can play the HD version with two analogue sticks? I had control issues on the psp.

[Andavive]

I think in terms of RPG`s is really well served and it has a great deal of good remakes/ports.

Like Riviera or the Star Oceans. I also like Hammerin Hero, known as Gen San in Europe. And its quite import friendly for japanese games, lots of fighters/shooters.

Half Minute Hero is a must have no doubt. And Prinny xD