The Most Overlooked PSP Games - Part One

Don't you hate it when someone says there's no games for a specific system? Unless they're talking about the N-Gage or the Phillips CD-i, I can't relate to this. You think these people would have suffocated by now-- what with their heads buried in the sand. Tonight's platform of choice is the wonderful PSP-- home to many overlooked games. I'm not immune this to either-- I've not played many of the unsung greats either! The following is a quick run-down of the PSP games I've played that I think other people may have missed out on.

Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee series

It's astounding that a handheld title could trump a console entry in content, specifically Open Tee 2 to Out of Bounds. It had twelve courses compared to Out of Bounds' paltry six, and you don't have to fool with micro-transactions either. The challenge mode had loads more variety, and you could actually outfit your golfer with any selection of hair, headgear, clothing, and accessories to make your own original creation. You even have online play with tournaments-- just like Out of Bounds-- the difference is that you don't have to pay sixty bucks to have a copy of Open Tee or Open Tee 2!


LocoRoco series

Marketing limited to print and online ads combined with the quirky and cute nature of the series doomed LocoRoco and its stupendous sequel to retail mediocrity. Both games are twenty dollars new, and they're the same price as they were at launch, so it's surprising that these titles didn't sell more than they did. Regardless, it's a fresh franchise that doesn't resort to trying to make itself cooler than it actually is (see: Jak 2 and on). With a simple control set-up that's easy for anyone to use yet tough to master, LocoRoco is a series that deserves more attention.


Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

While the Castlevania series has flourished-- if a couple hundred thousand is flourishing-- on the DS, this remake of Rondo of Blood had to deal with the PSP's primary problem-- pirating. The Dracula X Chronicles was three games in one: a remade Rondo of Blood, the original Rondo of Blood, and a retranslated version of Symphony of the Night. The whole presentation was top-notch with gorgeous 3D models and environments, and it's a real shame that this one was overlooked by so many.


Mega Man: Powered Up and Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

Mega Man is among my favorite franchises. I can do without the Battle Network-styled Star Force games, but mostly Mega Man is all good. Beginning with Mega Man Powered Up, it was a 3D remake of the original Mega Man with two new robot masters, Time Man and Oil Man. By far the coolest addition besides being able to play as all eight robot masters was the ability to create your own themed stages using various construction, enemy, and level packs. Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was the remake of the original Mega Man X with added cinema, reworked levels, and the option to play as the menacing Vile (Vava). Both games hurt me because I really really would like sequels to these games. Imagine Mega Man 2 and Mega Man X2 turned to 3D...


Star Ocean: First Departure and Second Evolution

I've no idea how these two sold (I will not use VGFartz-- see what I did?), so I'm just going by word-of-mouth and message board activity. The original Star Ocean came out for the Super Nintendo, and it was never localized to North America. Meanwhile, Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a remake of the Playstation One classic, The Second Story. Both games have better framerates, added cutscenes, story segments, and other bonus goodies ripe for the picking.

That's not all, folks. Look for further installments of "Most Overlooked" in the near future!