Summary
Handheld gaming has come a long way from the Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and, of course, the Nintendo Game Boy. While handhelds got their start back in the 1980s, Sony’slegendary PlayStation Portablefrom 2004 was arguably one of the biggest turning points for portable gaming.
But it’s no secret that these “on-the-go” devices could only be so powerful due to their size and price point. So when it came to the big franchises, creating smaller “spin-off” editions of their mainline console releases was usually the way to go, and luckily, the PSP library was chock-full of them.
While it had seen previous releases on handhelds like the Game Boy Advance,Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleepwas the first PSP installment for thewidely-loved Disney-crossover seriesfrom Square.
The game follows the action-oriented, hack-and-slash gameplay that is traditional for most other entries in the series. Its plot is uniquely split between different scenarios, one for each of its three main characters: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. Despite being the series' only PSP release,Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleepended up being a success worldwide among fans, solidifying its place as a great spin-off for Sony’s portable device.
TheMetal Gearseries needs no introduction at this point, being one of the pioneers in the stealth genre since the 1980s, thanks in large part to the many design concepts ofHideo Kojimaover the years.
Come 2006,Metal Gear Solid: Portable Opswould be the series' debut on Sony’s recent handheld, and it surely impressed. The game takes place in the 1970s, and this time follows Naked Snake, aka “Big Boss”, as he is in the midst of fighting off the revolting FOX unit they were once a part of. The gameplay followedthe series' familiar formula, with the unique twist of being squad-based instead of the usual solo-only, allowing players to form and manage their own team. The game was naturally well-received, even getting an online-focused expansion in 2007 withMetal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus.
Being one of the biggest RPGs of all time,Final Fantasyis yet another series that needs little in the way of explanation. Its entries have spanned across nearly every big Nintendo or Sony console over the past few decades, including the PSP withCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.
The game is set seven years prior to the events ofFinal Fantasy VII, and surrounds the main character, Zack Fair, as he searches far and wide for other lost members of the elite “SOLDIER” group. Its action RPG formula of gameplay doesn’t seem like anything new for the series, but the standout part was how the game was available entirely on the go. Offering a very similar experience to that of its console counterparts, all packed onto a handheld, it makes this spin-off one definitely worth checking out forFinal Fantasyand PSP fans alike.
TheGod of Warseries has always been known for bringing some of the best in large-scale, mythological combat to Sony’s consoles since the PlayStation 2. The question is: how would such massive battles fare on a smaller, less-powerful handheld console?
Despite seeming far-fetched,God of War: Chains of Olympusshowed it could, in fact, be done, and remarkably well at that. Fans know the drill here: take on the role of Kratos as he engagesin grand-scale, action-packed battlesagainst a whole slew of creatures from Greek mythology. Winning PSP Game of the Year in 2008, the game brought a near-identical experience to its mainline console releases, not to mention showing off some remarkable graphics and scale for the PSP, let alone a spin-off title.
TheJak and Daxtergameswere some of the go-to platformers on the PS2, and finally saw their first spin-off and PSP release withDaxterin 2006. But this spin-off took a bit of a different approach than the rest of the ever-popular series.
Where the mainline titles usually focused on Jak, this portable spin-off puts his title sidekickDaxterin the spotlight. Players take on the role of the comedic ottsel character with his new job as a bug-exterminator in Haven City, all the while searching for Jak along the journey. The gameplay spans across various missions with the traditional 3D platforming and puzzling mixed in. It proved to be a welcome addition to the franchise, mirroring the same fun gameplay and charming artstyle as its console releases, but all impressively wrapped up in one portable package.Daxterwould go on to become the tenth best-selling game for the PSP, also being considered by many to be one of the most legendary titles for the equally legendary handheld.
Rockstar’sworld-renownedGrand Theft Autoseriespractically established the genre of open-world crime games, creating some of their most ambitious 3D titles during the sixth generation of gaming. But having all of that on the PSP seemed nearly impossible. Alas, they made it happen withGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Storiesin 2006.
Following Vic Vance, a side-character fromthe originalVice City, as he tries to build a criminal empire from the ground up with the help of his brother, Lance. The experience featured the same fun gameplay, hilarious characters, and massive scale as any of its mainline console releases. It was even ported to the PlayStation 2 a year later in 2007, only further proving that the spin-off title was of comparable quality to the full main-line games. While its other spin-off predecessor in 2005 was just as great,Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Storieshas to take the cake due to the sheer scale and amount of content it offered, making it one of the greatest PSP spin-offs of all time.
