It's not every day that gamers get to experience the launch of a new handheld gaming system. Ever since the days of Game and Watch, companies like Nintendo and Sony have become giants in the handheld gaming industry. For Sony, the PlayStation Portable was its first real venture into the market, which launched in 2005 against the likes of the Nintendo DS. The "Walkman of the 21st century," as former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi called it, went on to sell over 80 million units during the console's 10-year lifespan. Even though using special Universal Media Discs (UMD) for the PSP was an awkward choice, the PSP was received positively by critics and fans alike.
No new console is complete without its collection of launch games. It is what drives interest in each new console and supports the initial sales while more games are being developed. Over 1300 games were released for the PSP during its lifespan, but only a tiny fraction of that was available at launch. Since the PSP celebrated its 16th anniversary this March, it's a great time to look back on the two dozen games that were marketed with the launch of Sony's first handheld gaming console.
The PSP Launch Titles
PlayStation fans were hotly anticipating the first games that would become available during Sony's "launch timeframe." While most games in this group were available on day one, some were set to release soon after the system itself. PSP launch titles had a wide range of genres, including sports games, fighting games, puzzle games, and even an action RPG. Few of these games were true exclusives, but many featured some form of PSP-only content. Most games for the PSP were between $40 to $50, way before the near $70-plus games available on the PS5.
Perhaps one of the bigger game releases for the PSP was an exclusive version of Spider-Man 2, developed by Vicarious Visions and based on the 2004 movie. This version featured new levels, new web-swinging action, plus new cinematics. Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina reprised their roles in the game, and the first million lucky owners of a new PSP also got a free UMD Spider-Man 2 movie. Since Sony wanted to market the PSP as a multimedia platform, showcasing the possibilities with UMD Video helped garner some interest in the concept.
The PlayStation Portable's launch roster also featured plenty of sports games. There was basketball action in NBA, golfing in Tiger Woods PGA Tour, soccer in World Tour Soccer, football in NFL Street 2 Unleashed, and hockey in Gretzky NHL. Soon after launch, players could play baseball in MLB and MVP Baseball, too. Pretty much, anyone that liked sports games would have something they could enjoy playing. Fans of racing and skating games were also pleased. EA's Need for Speed Underground: Rivals and Namco's Ridge Racer were great for standard racing. Twisted Metal: Head-On was great for players that wanted a little more destructive action, and Wipeout Pure had a sci-fi twist that enticed some players.
Some of the PSP's launch titles were geared towards fans of RPGs and fantasy, too. Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade was a unique fantasy action RPG, the iconic Dynasty Warriors series released a game for the console, and there was even a fantasy monster fighting game with Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower. For any fans of puzzle games, there was Lumines, a falling block game from visionary creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi that became the talk of the town ahead of the PSP's launch.
Last but certainly not least, PSP players would see a new entry in the Metal Gear franchise. Metal Gear Acid was a new take on the series, with card-based mechanics that controlled how each mission would play out.
PSP Launch Game List
- Ape Escape: On the Loose | SCEA
- ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails | SCEA
- Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower | Capcom
- Dynasty Warriors | KOEI
- Gretzky NHL | SCEA
- Lumines | Ubisoft
- Metal Gear Acid | Konami
- MLB | SCEA
- MVP Baseball | EA
- NBA | SCEA
- NBA Street Showdown | EA
- Need for Speed Underground: Rivals | EA
- NFL Street 2 Unleashed | EA
- Rengoku: Tower of Purgatory | Konami
- Ridge Racer | Namco
- Smartbomb | Eidos
- Spider-Man 2 | Activision
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour | EA
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix | Activision
- Twisted Metal: Head On | SCEA
- Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade | SOE
- Wipeout Pure | SCEA
- World Tour Soccer | SCEA
All in all, the PSP has been remembered fondly by many gamers who were able to take their games and movies on the go. While sales of the PSP concluded a long time ago, Sony is putting one of the final nails in the coffin for its handheld device by shutting down the PS Store on the PSP, PS3, and PS Vita. Players who own these devices will no longer be able to buy new content, but will thankfully still be able to re-download previously purchased material. Even though the PlayStation Portable wasn't everyone's cup of tea, it at least had a pretty solid line up of games for its release.