The PlayStation Vita’s a fantastic system. A beautiful bright screen, two analog sticks on a handheld, and plenty of additional features (touch screen, touch pad, gyrometers, etc) all make it worth owning. The problem? It sure doesn’t have a lot of AA/AAA games for players to buy. Sure, there are indie games, but that won’t keep a platform afloat. Here are three games that should come to the Vita.
3) Ape Escape
A game series that hasn’t got much love over recent years from Sony is Ape Escape and with a lack of good games for kids and adults alike, it could easily fit the bill as a puzzle platformer that has you nabbing as many apes as possible in a device called the Time Net.
I remember playing as a kid and loved it, and while this may not be considered AAA in today’s standards, back on the original PlayStation, it was one of the system’s hallmarks; it was the first game to use the DualShock’s rumble systems and the left analog stick. The game also had plenty of personality with its variety of apes. Another cool aspect is that the developers kept throwing in new gadgets to try, and each one drastically changed the gameplay formula in a cool way.
A new game on the Vita could revitalize it as a portable series with its touch screen and gyroscope features to figure out new puzzles. Ape Escape also has some really fun mini-games included.
2) inFAMOUS
A Vita game set between inFAMOUS 2 and inFAMOUS: Second Son with a co-op focus would be awesome on the system. Think if Monster Hunter and inFAMOUS had a child. The Vita is a great way for those to collaborate either offline and online, especially that each system comes with a microphone. The system’s online systems are also pretty stable. A mission structure for this inFAMOUS game would be great for a pick up and play portable experience.
It could take place after the evil ending of inFAMOUS 2, which has the conduits taking over to find the 1 in a thousand conduits that can be saved from the virus. There could be a mission structure, and some conduits could stop them in their path which require four people (or other characters as AI) to use their powers. The enemies would be the military,and the conduits who try to protect the humans. There could also be multiple classes (fire, ice, neon, smoke, lightning, etc). The touch screen would be a great way to pinpoint certain areas in the open world, and certain mini-games, including graffiti or saving conduits who have been captured.
A new entry in the series from a studio like Sony Bend would be great for the Vita. It needs more high profile games from Sony’s catalogue and inFAMOUS would fit the bill nicely.
1) Persona 3 [Golden]
Persona 4 Golden’s my favorite Vita game, hands down. The game’s top-notch with in-depth characters, an addictive Pokemon-esque collecting system, a rocking soundtrack, an engaging story, and creative art design. Persona 3 just didn’t have the spark that I loved about Persona 4 Golden. I’m currently playing the Playstation 2 version, and it does not give you the option to select moves for your teammates. Yeah, it’s based on relying on the computer.
There was another version for the PSP and that allowed for players to select the moves for all the characters in the party, but it does not have the fully realized 3D world within it. There’s only an image of the area, and you have to point and click to explore the city rather than seeing it in a third person angle (in the dungeons, however, there are 3D sections so there is a lack of consistency).
The PSP version also gives players the ability to choose male or female, which the PS2 version does not have. Another issue I have with Persona 3‘s that you cannot begin social links with your party members at the beginning – only fellow classmates. Part of the magic of Persona 4′s getting to know the party members well, after all.
With a Vita version of Persona 3, they could fix all these issues and throw the best of the PS2 and PSP versions into a single game. They could give us a 3D world for all of Persona 3, add an option to control all of the party members, and allow you to speak to all of your party members at the beginning – all while creating new songs and remastering a few, in-game assets to make Persona 3 even better than it is now.