The 2012 holiday season is upon us and we want to give potential Vita owners a head start on the shopping frenzy.
Contained in this guide is everything you'll need for your brand new PlayStation Vita or, if you're picking one up for the gamer on your shopping list, we also put compiled a number of key software recommendations.
Hardware
Currently, there are a variety of Vita bundles available across North America. Those looking to pick up Sony's latest handheld have many options at their disposal, so we'll list which ones are the best purchases. Potential Vita owners have two choices when it comes to their new console: the Wi-fi only Vita (retailing for $249.99), or the 3G model, which can be purchased for $299.99.
The 3G model can be seen as an enthusiast piece. Most games cannot be played over 3G so the feature would only be used for the Vita's other functionalities - Twitter, Skype, Netflix, etc. Those who plan to use the Vita's app selection will get some use out of the system's 3G capabilities, though with the emergence of smartphones that may end up being a small group. However, the 3G Vita does come with two free games, though that extra $50 may be better spent elsewhere - and we'll tell you why in the software section.
The Wi-fi models themselves are split into separate bundles, packed with games and extra content. As we previously stated, the Wi-fi model can be purchased for $249.99, however, no games or memory card is included. The memory card is integral to the Vita, and we will detail your choices later. Sony has a variety of bundles available, and we've listed them for you below:
Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation Bundle ($249.99)
- Crystal White Wi-Fi Vita
- 4GB Memory Card
- Assassin's Creed 3 Liberation
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified Bundle ($249.99)
- Crystal Black Wi-fi Vita
- 4GB Memory Card
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
Madden NFL 13 Bundle ($249.99)
- Crystal Black Wi-fi Vita
- Madden NFL 13
So, which bundle is right for you? For sports fans, Madden NFL 13 is obviously the way to go. Though it'd be tempting to pick up the Black Ops Declassified bundle for shooter lovers, the game unfortunately hasn't fared too well with critics. The Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation bundle should be the model most new owners choose - while we weren't big fans of the game, it does come with the most bang for your buck
Memory Cards
Just about every Vita game requires a memory card to play, which can be quite troublesome considering the price of cards. Those looking for the most space (32GB) will be paying $99.99, whereas the 16GB and 8GB card run for $59.99 and $29.99 respectively. Theoretically, those who plan to purchase most of their games at retail could get by with the 4 or 8GB card, however, if you have the extra cash we'd spring for 16GB, as digital Vita games can clock in anywhere between 1 and 3GB. Retailers such as Amazon sometimes have discounts on memory cards - I was able to snag the 32GB card for only $77.
Software
So now that you've bought your Vita and its memory card, it's time to load the console up with games! The first thing we suggest all new Vita owners do is purchase a one year subscription to PlayStation Plus. The service only costs $50 a year, and with it gamers will have access to a library of free titles, including Uncharted Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush - the latter being one of the free games included with the 3G Vita model.
However, there are still plenty of great titles available for the Vita that are also worth a purchase and we've listed a number of solid games below:
Games For Anyone:
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss (read our review; included with Plus)
- Gravity Rush (included with Plus)
- Lumines Electronic Symphony (read our review)
- LittleBigPlanet Vita (read our review)
- All-Stars Battle Royale (read our review)
- Plants vs. Zombies (read our review)
- Rayman Origins (read our review)
- Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack (read our review)
- Sound Shapes
- Zen Pinball 2
For JRPG Lovers
- Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
- Persona 4: Golden
- Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
- New Little King's Story (read our review)
For The Quirky Gamer
- Orgarhythm (read our review)
- Touch My Katamari
- Dokuro
- Escape Plan
- SunFlowers
For Action/Shooter Fans
- Unit 13
- Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection
For The Sports Gamer
- Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
- MLB 12: The Show
- FIFA Soccer
- Virtua Tennis 4
For Fighting Fans
- BlazeBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND
- Mortal Kombat
- Ultimate Marvel VS. Capcom 3
For Racing Lovers
- WipEout 2048 (read our review; free with plus)
- NFS: Most Wanted (read our review)
For The Kids:
- Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack
- Ben 10 Galactic Racing
- LittleBigPlanet
- Rayman Origins
- Lego Batman/Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings
Stay Away From:
- Reality Fighters (read our review)
- Resistance: Burning Skies (read our review)
- Little Deviants
Cross-Buy
Before we finish up this guide, we just wanted to remind readers of Sony's cross-buy promotion. How it works is, if the consumer purchases a game on the PS3 they will get the Vita version for free. This is not for all games, but a few on this list are included in the promotion. If you own a PS3, be sure to pick up All-Stars Battle Royale, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault and Sound Shapes on the PS3, as they will net you a free copy for your on the go adventures.
Conclusion
Follow this guide, and you should be all set to pick up the best games for your Vita this holiday season. The handheld not only has access to the games we listed here, but hundreds of PSP and PSOne games that would be impossible to name. But for now, these Vita games - and a PlayStation Plus subscription - should be more than enough to suffice any gamer this holiday.