The racing genre is often full of innovative titles that don’t typically adhere to standards. Some are realistic, some are arcadey, and all are fun when executed properly.

Handheld consoles like the PlayStation Portable have a surprisingly large number of great racing titles.

If you are craving some high speed, what follows are the best PSP racing games of all time.

[1/10]

Wipeout Pulse

Release: 2007
Developer: SCE Studio Liverpool
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Ten years after the events of Wipeout Pure, we are found in the year 2207. The FX400 anti-gravity racing league beckons and we must answer the call of exceedingly dangerous high-speed racing. Wipeout is all about the fast-paced action.

Gameplay revolves around you racing, often in a circuit-type race, with the goal of winning. Along the way, you can pick up various upgrades, to shields, weapons, and more. Slow your enemy down or destroy them, there are many ways to win a race.

[2/10]

Burnout Legends

Release: 2005
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Burnout Legends is a portable variation of the already-established series. The focus is on strategic driving in an arcade environment. Races are challenging and require you to not only navigate the track but also be on the lookout for opponents.

The World Tour mode, one of nine, is the only way to unlock other vehicles in the game. You can win regularly, or by physically removing enemies from the track, by performing takedowns. The game includes tracks from previous Burnout titles, for a complete experience, which is rare for a handheld title.

[3/10]

Gran Turismo

Release: 2009
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Gran Turismo is one of the most-sold series on any PlayStation console. It is also one of the best PSP games in general. It doesn’t use an open-ended design but focuses on races and trading as a mechanic for obtaining the vehicles.

This PSP-exclusive title has 833 vehicles in the game. To unlock them all would be an achievement that not many players completed. The vehicles are modeled after their counterparts in the real world. Polyphony was working closely with the manufacturers to get the details right. This level of investment was obvious and the players loved it.

[4/10]

Midnight Club: LA Remix

Release: 2008
Developer: Rockstar London
Publisher: Rockstar Games

Midnight Club: LA Remix is the PSP version of Midnight Club: Los Angeles, a great PS3 racing game (link to PS3 racing article). It is much like Los Angeles, but utilizing a much smaller city, taken from Midnight Club II. To compensate, Tokyo is added as another playable city.

Due to the two different maps, the cars were also split in two, half going to LA, and the other to Tokyo. Other than that, it is a classic Midnight Club experience, open-world driving, enjoying the life of a racer, other than when the cops are chasing you, which is after any serious infraction.

[5/10]

Ridge Racer

Release: 2004
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco

Ridge Racer is a simple but very fun arcade racer for the PSP. Released as an exclusive title, it is a drifting first game, with a huge focus on oversteering. The more you oversteer, the better your performance and high score will be. That resets upon hitting something.

The World Tour mode is one of the primary game modes, useful for unlocking new maps and progressively familiarizing yourself with the mechanics. A core mechanic is the nitrous boost system, reminiscent of a popular movie franchise from that period, involving speed and fury.

[6/10]

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

Release: 2009
Developer: Bigbig Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is an extraordinary off-road title that pushes the boundaries of racing, though this time, in the icy plains and mountains, hence the name. The original game took place in the desert and this one takes the polar opposite approach, mind the pun.

The core mechanic revolves around competing in the Festival, which features tons of events, from races to challenges that get progressively more creative, think Forza Horizon but on the PSP and in a completely different way. 

[7/10]

Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0

Release: 2005
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 is the portable version of the eponymous legendary title. As such, you can still race and challenge blacklist drivers, however, some events from the regular console game were cut, not to mention parts of the open-world experience.

However, the mechanics remain the same, and you still get chased by the police, not to mention all the cars and mods. From nitrous oxide to decals, flames, and recolors, you can create the car from your dreams and enjoy a fast-paced arcade experience.

[8/10]

Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

Release: 2006
Developer: Sumo Digital
Publisher: Sega

Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast is what one thinks when thinking about an arcade racing game. Outrun titles were some of the most popular games on arcade cabinets and trying not to steer into the ocean and get you and your passenger completely wet was a challenge.

This game takes it to another level, with a Coast 2 Coast mode, which is the career mode. There are fifteen available vehicles, the most out of any Outrun game. Unlocking them all requires both the PS2 and the PSP version of the game, which makes collecting all cars difficult.

[9/10]

FlatOut: Head On

Release: 2006/2008
Developer: Six by Nine
Publisher: Empire Interactive

FlatOut: Head On is the portable version of FlatOut 2, a known title in the destructive racing scene. It is a game that requires you to embrace driving in a completely opposite manner to what you would normally be doing in a racing game.

You can win races in the traditional way, but the entire point is to embrace destruction and show your opponents the way to the junkyard. There are many interesting arcade elements in the game, from weapons to objects that you can use to wreak havoc on the tracks.

[10/10]

GripShift

Release: 2005
Developer: Sidhe Interactive
Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment

GripShift is an arcade racing game, though it features elements that are not common in racers. The tracks have various obstacles that you have to overcome, so you could think of them as puzzles to solve, rather than simply checkpoints and turns.

GripShift has many levels and tracks but excels at providing entertainment first. Simulations are great, but sometimes people just want to go out of their way and be as unrealistic as possible. Interestingly, this was an unexpected game that is available on the PlayStation Network.

The PSP has a plethora of great titles in its vast library. For high-speed action, whether simulators or arcade games, these best PSP racing games should have you covered as an introduction to the PSP racing scene.

Whether through the PSN, the original console, or by using a PSP emulator, get ready to fasten your seatbelt and put that pedal to the metal.

The post 10 Best PSP Racing Games of All Time appeared first on WhatIfGaming.

The Sony PlayStation Portable was a long-awaited console, the only one that was able to compete with Nintendo’s offerings at the time, such as the DS. The PSP is known for its huge library of games, many of which are RPGs.

While these may not be everyone’s cup of tea, following are the 10 best PSP RPG games of all time.

[1/10]

Persona 3 Portable

Release: 2006/2010
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus (Japan, North America), Ghostlight (Europe)

Persona 3 Portable was brought to the PSP 3 and 4 years after its initial release, depending on the region. As we have come to learn, Persona games bring us an everyday setting that offers adventure and an unexpected turn of events that spices up life.

You are free to choose your life in the game, and you must balance school and social life. Add to that your nighttime activities, where you fight various creatures. One of the game’s main plot elements is people turned into coffins. Picture that as you ponder whether you should play the game (you definitely should).

[2/10]

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Release: 2007
Developer: Square Enix/Tose
Publisher: Square Enix

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is set in the world of Ivalice, which should be known to everyone familiar with Final Fantasy. Two kingdoms at war, and you there, trying to find a solution, which ultimately leads to battle.

The Tactics part of the title refers to the way the battles are played out. Unlike most Final Fantasy games, characters move on a grid, much like you would see in the Shining Force titles of old, such as Shining Force II. It is a different, but by no means negative experience.

[3/10]

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Release: 2010
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is the continuation of Disney’s collaboration with Square Enix, and the result is a very good RPG. We follow three characters, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, as they search for their lost master, Xehanort, while also protecting the world, you know, the everyday things.

This is an action RPG with a focus on battling from a third and first-person perspective. Magic is charged through a Focus bar and expelled in first-person mode. Three scenarios for the three main characters are available, and playable in any order. All three must be completed before the game’s finale can be reached.

[4/10]

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Release: 2010/2011
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

This is a remake of the 1996 SNES title of the same name, without the Let Us Cling Together part. The setting is an island kingdom, named Valeria. We follow protagonist Denam Pavel, who is a resistance member. The game’s story plays out according to the player’s decisions.

As far as gameplay elements are concerned, the battles are turn-based, on a grid, a familiar formula. The player can move on the world map and every move equals an entire day. The weather conditions affect your statistics, both out of battle and in battle.

[5/10]

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

Release: 1999/2006
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is the PSP version of the original game, released for the PS1 in 1999. The game focuses on the eponymous Valkyrie, named Lenneth. Her quests come straight from the Norse Pantheon, and the main game mechanic focuses on collecting souls from departed warriors.

Lenneth has multiple ways of interacting with the world, including flight, as well as combat. The overworld is explored in 3D, and Lenneth can scan the world for nearby points of interest, including einherjar, the souls that you need. City exploration is in 2D, reminiscent of the great RPGs of the 1990s.

[6/10]

Ys Seven

Release: 2009/2010
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: XSEED Games

Ys Seven departs from the mechanics of the previous Ys games because it implements real-time combat. Previously, players had to switch between weapons. In this game, you control one character and the rest are controlled by the AI which you can program to attack in whichever way you find the most efficient.

Adol and Dogi are adventurers who get in trouble by attempting to save two girls from local military forces. They end up in prison very briefly and once they get out, adventure awaits, which includes lots of battles and of course, the unveiling of dangerous secrets.

[7/10]

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Release: 2008
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII gives us more content for the epic Final Fantasy VII, one of the best PS1 games. We follow SOLDIER Zack Fair, a familiar name for anyone who played FF VII. His exploits are legendary, but in this game, we get to see more of them, in what is considered to be a prologue.

Similarly to the original FF VII, you can explore the world in 3D and interact with NPCs. Combat is real-time, using materia to affect your abilities. They are your bread and butter, enhancing passive abilities, providing new ones, magic, and an essential gameplay component. It is a great game and not just a complement.

[8/10]

Jeanne d’Arc

Release: 2006/2007
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Jeanne d’Arc’s story is familiar to most interested in history. However, this game takes that and blends it with fantasy, namely a battle between humankind and demons. Couple those together and you get a great fantasy RPG, with some history sprayed here and there.

You control Jeanne and her party, moving on an overworld map. Most of the time when you enter a new location, you will have a battle. There are also cities and villages where you can restock your supplies and interact with NPCs. Some classic elements and some innovations, make this a great game.

[9/10]

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Release: 2009
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a standard Monster Hunter game in terms of its mechanics. You hunt giant monsters with the goal of becoming as well-known as possible. You can also do it with friends. This is in fact, the way the game was meant to be played. This is considered one of the best PSP games, let alone a great RPG.

Freedom Unite is actually a remake/port of Monster Hunter Freedom 2. That in itself is a continuation of Monster Hunter Freedom. If you want to know the full story, there are a couple of games that should be played. Even on its own, it is a great RPG with lots of challenging battles.

[10/10]

Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Release: 2008
Developer: tri-Ace/Tose
Publisher: Square Enix

Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a port of Star Ocean: The Second Story, a game for the original PlayStation, released in 1998. Second Evolution is the sequel to the First Departure. The events take place twenty years in the future compared to the first game. 

Some characters from the first game make cameos. Other characters are there in spirit, as their children take the reins. You can explore the world and are encouraged to do so. Your decisions matter and will shape the events of the game. Various endings are possible, depending on your choices.

The PSP has a vast library of games, and these are some of the best PSP RPG games that should give you a taste of what could come.

They are playable through a PSP emulator, via the original handheld, or through the PlayStation Network. Whichever world you choose to immerse yourself in, you will not be disappointed.

The post 10 Best PSP RPG Games of All Time appeared first on WhatIfGaming.