(Editor’s note – please check out my newest, up-to-date list of the 100 best Vita games ever made!)
100. Invizimals: The Alliance & Invizimals: The Resistance
Sony’s AR-centric monster-raising franchise isn’t something that ever appealed to me as I thought the gimmicky gameplay would put me off – and indeed there were times it was very frustrating – but overall the campy story and strategic battles kept me engaged enough to see them through to the end.
99. Level 22Â (review here)
In the nexus of quirky ideas, Level 22 has to be right up there – a stealth game where your goal is to sneak to your desk after you overslept without your boss noticing. It’s completely bizarre and a bit on the short side, but a surprising amount of fun while it lasts.
98. J-Stars Victory Vs+ (review here)
While I was disappointed by the ultimately same-y fighting and shallow main adventure mode, it’s hard to deny that J-Stars is a decent amount of fun and surprisingly a game I’ve returned to repeatedly after putting it down. If you like watching Shonen Jump characters duke it out with each other in over-the-top battles, you’ll be sorted with this one.
97. Invoker’s Tournament (review here)
Holding the crown of Vita’s only MOBA (and one of a handful of F2P games on the platform too), Invoker’s Tournament does nothing to think outside the box or innovate the genre. yet I found myself surprisingly engrossed for hours on end. For just a few quid you can buy a decent character and XP boost and have a fun time blasting through a season, making it worth inclusion on this list.
96. Run Sackboy! Run! (review here)
Another free-to-play game that’s definitely worth your time, Run Sackboy! Run! is, as the name suggests, an endless runner, but one that makes surprisingly good use of its source material – retaining the same whimsical charm, bright colour palette and beautiful music and mixing it in with addictive high-score chasing gameplay.
95. Dead or Alive 5+
Vita isn’t exactly short of fighting games, but there’s little in the way of 3D fighters out there since Tekken decided to take a day off while Sony’s handheld was around. Enter Dead or Alive 5+, an absolutely stunning port of Koei-Tecmo’s premier series that looks an absolute treat and plays surprisingly well too (even if the story is completely naff).
94. Deemo: The Last Recital (review here)
Rhythm games aren’t exactly my bag, but the beautiful tunes and touching story in Deemo made me stick around far longer than most. The gimmick of Vita’s touch-screen acting like a piano is actually really smart and there’s a tonne of content here (even if it’s not the most up-to-date version anymore), making it worth a try if you’re a fan of the genre.
93. Xenoraid (review here)
10tons were one of my favourite developers on Vita and Xenoraid is definitely one of their better efforts – a single-screen shooter where you take down waves of enemies and collect parts to upgrade your ships (the gimmick being that you have four ships that you can switch to at any time!)
92. Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus (review here) & Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
Tamsoft’s brawler duo have more fanservice than you can shake a stick at, but underneath all that there’s some surprisingly interesting characters and deeper than I expected hack ‘n’ slash gameplay that often requires timing and thought to succeed. Shinovi is the better of the two, but they’re both worth checking out.
91. Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition (review here)
While it’s sadly long gone from the PlayStation Store by this point, if you managed to grab Duke Nukem for the year it was available you’d be treated to a brilliant version of one of the all-time classic first-person shooter games that still manages to be a solid amount of fun today.
90. WE ARE DOOMEDÂ (review here)
Vita has done surprisingly well for twin-stick shooters and WE ARE DOOMED is yet another feather in its bonnet – not as polished or content-rich as some of the games out there, it still provides a chaotic blast of fun and its eye-catching artstyle really pops on the Vita’s OLED screen.
89. The Unfinished Swan (review here)
At one time, Sony were incredibly keen on investing in quirky indie games such as Journey and Papo & Yo, many of which never made their way across to Vita – but thankfully The Unfinished Swan did. Playing as Munroe as he throws paint over a kingdom, it’s completely bonkers but a hell of a lot of fun.
88. Paranautical Activity (review here)
Probably more notorious for the drama that occurred with Gabe Newell and the game’s presence on Steam as it is for being a game in its own right, Paranautical Activity is a rogue-like first-person shooter with a unique underwater aesthetic that’s definitely not for everyone, but the time I spent with the game was a lot of fun (it has a brilliant soundtrack too).
87. Gun Gun Pixies (review here)
The first import game on my list, Gun Gun Pixies is a crazy third-person shooter from Compile Heart where you play as miniature aliens who invade a girl’s dormitory to learn about the human species. It’s as lewd as you’d expect but there’s actually a really fun game underneath that’s well worth checking out whether you speak Japanese or not!
86. Superdimension Neptune vs. SEGA Hard Girls (review here)
Another Compile Heart game, this time an RPG featuring the cast of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series whose dimension crosses over with the SEGA Hard Girls in an enjoyable RPG. There’s little tweaks to the formula that started way back in 2013 with Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth 1 here that make it very much worth checking out, plus an enjoyably wacky story to boot.
85. The Last Blade 2 (review here)
One of SNK’s most under-rated games, taking place at the end of the Bakumatsu era in Japan, The Last Blade 2 is a nuanced fighting game that offers some brilliant weapons-based combat and a very unique cast of characters. It’s gorgeous too and has been ported with care to Vita by the brilliant team at Code Mystics.
84. Reverie (review here)
One of the nicest surprises of 2018 came from little New Zealand indie studio Rainbite in the form of Reverie, a cutesy Zelda-esque adventure following a young boy named Tai as he gets into adventures during his summer vacation. Bright, cheery and tonnes of fun, the game oozes style and charm.
83. Lichtspeer (review here)
If you’d have told me a game about throwing spears at a variety of bizarre enemies to appease German Gods would be among my favourite titles on Vita, I would never have believed you – but that’s exactly what Lichtspeer delivered, an addictive, funny and wacky high-score chasing adventure.
82. Tachyon Project (review here)
Aping the formula that made things like Geometry Wars and Super Stardust such a success, Tachyon Project brings a number of its own ideas to the table to create a polished and definitely under-rated twin-stick shooter on Vita.
81. SteamWorld Dig (review here)Â & SteamWorld Dig 2
The team at Image & Form should be commended not only for creating two of the most addictive 2D platformer/metroidvania games on Vita, but filling them with lovable characters that just so happen to be robots too. SteamWorld Dig 2 is definitely the better of the duo, but they’re both undoubtedly worth checking out.
80. Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy (review here) & Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy
If there’s one Japanese developer that really caught me off guard with their Vita support, then it’s Experience Inc – a little known developer of dungeon-RPG’s who flourished on Sony’s handheld. They decided to bring their Cross Blood series to Vita and I’m so glad they did – although the games are somewhat archaic and difficult, they’re also surprisingly deep and addictive once you get into them.
79. Uppers (review here)
XSEED might not have thought it was worthwhile to localize this deliquent brawler (at least until this year, where it seems the title is being ported to PS4) but that’s definitely a mistake on their part. Uppers is completely over-the-top and sees young men smash each other into pieces to impress girls – it’s shallow, but definitely enjoyable while it lasts.
78. Dynasty Warriors Next (review here)
While it unfortunately got caught up in the Vita’s launch rush of having to use every hardware gimmick in one way or another which drags the package down somewhat, the rest of Dynasty Warriors Next is brilliant – a content-rich and technically impressive musou game.
77. Akiba’s Beat (review here)
While it came under a bit of a critical beating thanks to its by-the-numbers action-RPG gameplay, I found there was actually a really solid game under the hood in Akiba’s Beat. An interesting story and fun characterisation combined with a solid Tales-esque combat system make this one definitely worth checking out.
76. Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart (review here)
The Hyperdimension Neptunia series has dabbled in a number of genres over the years and one of the more successful efforts was in strategy-RPG’s with Hyperdevotion Noire. It helped that the game focused on the series’ stand-out character Noire, but beyond this the simplistic yet deep gameplay made this one an enjoyable time.
75. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz (review here)
The last traditional entry in SEGA’s long-running arcade-puzzle series (at least for the time being) saw a return to basics that ended up working out extremely well, despite the significant challenge that the single-player mode posed. The return of monkey target is fantastic too, making this a title that every Vita fan should check out.
74. Bastion
Supergiant’s world-ending adventure proved to be a surprise hit on the Xbox 360 and proved to be a fantastic fit for Vita too. Thanks to its brilliant narration and varied gameplay there’s plenty to love here – I was extremely pleased when Limited Run Games picked it up for a physical release this year.
73. Ratchet & Clank: QForce (review here)
A sloppy port of an otherwise enjoyable experimental entry in the Ratchet & Clank franchise, QForce continues the tight third-person shooting gameplay but mixes in tower-defence elements to make a surprisingly enjoyable package – it’s just a shame that there’s not more of it!
72. Counterspy (review here)
A clever spoof of 60’s spy capers which mixes 2D platformer and exploration gameplay with stealth and third-person shooting elements in an extremely unique way –Â Counterspy was a Vita game that completely caught me off guard with its quality and thanks to its procedural elements, there’s reason to keep coming back for more.
71. Octodad: Dadliest Catch (review here)
Father. Husband. Octopus. Who thought a game about controlling the limbs of an octopus as he tries to pass as a human could be so endearing – but that’s exactly what Octodad nails, having a real sense of heart in amongst its crazy gameplay.
70. Velocity Ultra & Velocity 2X
Futurlab’s duo of space adventures provide exactly the kind of speed-rush gameplay that fits like a glove on Vita – originally starting life as a PS Mini, Velocity Ultra received a brilliant update for Sony’s latest handheld and then Velocity 2X took things even further by introducing on-foot sections. Both are definitely worth checking out.
69. New Little King’s Story (review here)
One of the Wii’s best hidden gems, Little King’s Story casts you as King Corobo who is cast out of his kingdom and has to re-build an empire in order to reclaim his crown. The Vita port has a new anime aesthetic and lots of additional content that makes it well worth checking out, even if the performance can be very sketchy at times.
68. Minecraft
Mojang’s seminal sandbox crafting game is a certified worldwide phenomenon at this point and Vita provides yet another great way to play it, as you can chip away under the earth wherever you go. Ongoing support has now ended but that’s no reason not to try this one out as there’s still an absolute tonne of content here.
67. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment (review here)
Anime games are a dime a dozen on Vita but few manage to attain the level of quality that Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment does – it perfectly captures the feel of being trapped in an online world and the way the story diverges from the anime yet remains faithful to it feels perfectly done.
66. Scintillatron 4096Â (review here)
One of my biggest surprises of 2018, Scintillatron came out of nowhere to provide a twin-stick shooter experience unlike any I’d played before – favoring precision and forward planning over random spraying. The aesthetics and soundtrack help to sell it too and although I would’ve liked a bit more to do, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.
65. Ratchet & Clank Trilogy (reviews here)
Despite being nearly three generations old at this point, things like the first three Ratchet & Clank games are just as enjoyable now as they ever were and their ports to Vita prove it – three sprawling space adventures with comedic plots and tonnes of action-shooter gameplay. The second and third are definitely better than the first, but you can’t really go wrong with any of them.
64. Code: Realize ~ Guardians of Rebirth ~ (review here) & Code: Realize ~ Future Blessing ~
The first of the otome invasion on Vita, Code: Realize is a shining example of what the genre is capable of, mixing in compelling mystery with a likable cast of characters and some beautiful visuals. The fandisc Future Blessings isn’t quite as interesting as Guardians of Rebirth, but is still worth checking out to continue the stories of Cardia and her friends.
63. Demon Gaze & Demon Gaze 2
In January 2013, Vita was in an odd place in Japan – having had a disappointing summer and still being a few months away from major software releases. Demon Gaze capitalized on this and sold gangbusters in Japan and when it came west it was easy to see why – an entry-level yet engrossing DRPG with a brilliant demon-capture mechanic.
62. Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen (review here)
While I objectively couldn’t deny that Shinobido 2 is a janky game that’s quite difficult to control and with a fairly forgettable story, there’s something undeniably fantastic about Acquire’s stealth action game that definitely make it one of Vita’s hidden gems – helped by its replayability thanks to branching plot and varied mission structure.
61. Civilization Revolution 2 Plus
In a genre that’s been surprisingly absent on Vita, it was really nice in 2016 to see 2K Games bring their Civilization franchise to Sony’s handheld. Sure, Revolution is stripped down from its PC counterparts but that doesn’t mean the base 4X strategy gameplay isn’t still brilliant here.
60. Sly Cooper TrilogyÂ
Some of my favourite games on Vita have been ports from PS2 and many were games that I got to re-experience, but Sly Cooper isn’t something I played at the time so it was brilliant to discover them for the first time on a handheld. The first is definitely my favourite due to its more focused nature, but the second and third provide some enjoyable platformer-meets-stealth gameplay too.
59. DanganRonpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (review here)
DanganRonpa has rapidly become one of my favourite franchises thanks to its thrilling investigation-driven gameplay and while Another Episode mixes things up by following a more traditional horror third-person-shooter formula, it still works well and provides some much needed context for this fascinating world.
58. Cel Damage HDÂ (review here)
A completely bonkers car-combat game based around a Saturday morning cartoon show, Cel Damage flew completely under the radar when it originally released on Xbox (yes, the original Xbox) but got a new lease of life on Vita. It’s brief, but completely charming while it lasts and definitely unique in its genre.
57. Borderlands 2
While it received a bad reputation due to its technical shortcomings – which I can’t deny can be a little frustrating at times – there’s a fantastic loot-focused first-person shooter underneath. The world of Pandora might have taken a bit of a beating in the move to Vita, but it’s still a fascinating world to explore.
56. Downwell (review here)
In Downwell you make your way down a well – as the title suggests – with gunboots strapped to your feet, that quickly morphs into one of the most addictive experiences on Vita. Collect gems, dodge enemies and keep on falling – it’s endlessly enjoyable and something that’s going to take a good while to master.
55. MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame (review here)
Racing games aren’t as common on Vita as they had been on PSP, but one developer who turned up in full force was Milestone Srl whose licensed tie-ins were all pretty solid, but my favourite of the bunch was MXGP. Providing a solid representation of motocross that can be as realistic or arcade-y as you wish, it’s the deep career mode that kept me coming back for me.
54. World Trigger: Borderless Mission (review here)
Borderless Mission was the game which convinced me to start importing as I was a big fan of the anime and thought the gameplay looked fun and it managed to live up to my expectations, even with the language barrier. Part Earth Defence Force-inspired third-person shooter, part sandbox action game, the quality is a little hit and miss but for the most part there’s a really enjoyable time here.
53. London Detective Mysteria (review here)
Despite its similarities in premise to Code: Realize, XSEED’s London Detective Mysteria is a charming visual novel that follows the heir to House Whiteley who becomes embroiled in a number of mysteries at Harrington Academy. It’s definitely the better game and not something I was expecting to enjoy anywhere as much as I did.
52. Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom (review here)
Another anime tie-in (this time one that was localized into English), Omega Force applied their musou template to the popular Attack on Titan IP and it proved to be a perfect fit. The feeling of soaring through the air in the omni-directional gear is brilliant and killing titans is satisfying as hell.
51. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
It was lovely to see Bizarre Creation’s twin-stick shooter franchise revived for the current generation and even more fantastic to see it make its way to Vita, where the colours looked gorgeous on the OLED screen and the high-score chasing gameplay was as fast and frantic as ever.
My top Vita games (2019) – 50 – 21 – now up!
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