The best PlayStation Vita games of 2015 so far - this "legacy platform" ain't dead yet

Dealspwn: "People keep telling me that the PlayStation Vita is dead. Hell, even Sony referred to it as a "legacy platform."

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're wrong!

Now we're halfway through the year, it's the perfect time to look back at an exceptional six months of handheld gaming. Though we've already covered the Top Ten PS4 games of 2015 so far, I had to combine the 3DS and Wii U to bulk out yesterday's list.

The Vita, conversely, can easily carry one all by itself thanks to a range of exquisite localised Japanese titles, cross-play greats and more. Naturally we've linked to our reviews and the best prices on the internet for your convenience."

[nidhogg]

Yep I still own it. Still playing it. Every time I poke it with a stick it always says "OW! stop it!" so yeah Vita ain't dead.

[sigmaklin]

I'm so tired of hearing this shit over and over again. The PS Vita system they are referring to as "Legacy Platform" is just the 1000 model not the 2000 model and The PS TV, Sony has already clarified that. Everyone is supposed to be accurate when making articles like this, but they keep making that stupid mistake.

[HentaiMasterRace]

It's "journalism" at it's finest. lol.

[factewe]

Zero Escape 3 and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth were recently announced for the vita, so "Legacy Platform" my ass. "Legacy Platform" is obviously just the 1000 model since it's no longer being made.

[Blues Cowboy]

Neither of these games are made by Sony, so actually legacy platform is totally accurate. People still make Dreamcast games (look it up) but that's a legacy platform.

[factewe]

Reply to Blues Cowboy

The classic Dreamcast has no official support anymore, no updates, no non-indie games. Dreamcast is a legacy platform indeed.....opposite of the PS Vita.

[Spotie]

Legacy platforms see no new titles, third party or otherwise. Or, at best, they get homebrew and nothing else.

The Vita gets far more than that. Stop it.

[Blues Cowboy]

"Sony has already clarified that."

No, they desperately cobbled together an excuse despite "legacy platform" almost never being used in that way, by anyone, ever. There's a new PS4 model coming out, so will the original model become a "legacy platform"? That's not what platform means in this capacity. Sony were just blatantly caught out and came up with a specious justification.

But more to the point, this is a list of great games that's finally giving the Vita some love... and you're quibbling with terminology? Way to miss the point.

[sigmaklin]

Do you even realize what the problem is? The PS Vita was never a "legacy Platform" in the first place, that's the problem; and yet articles like this uses Sony's misused description all the time. Sony already clarified that's not what they meant.

[TheDivine]

It's been buried for two years, nearly as long as it's been released. Third parties dropped it 6 months in and Sony dropped its support within a year. The only games its sees are indies and niche Japanese games. I happen to love both but they're table scraps, not a solid meal. The Japanese games aren't even very good. Their c tier jrpgs from nisa, gust, and idea factory. No big epic jrpgs to see here. Def a far cry from the psp which was a legendary console IMO. I had such high hopes but Sony didn't even drop the ball, they never had it.

[InahimeHondaSengoku]

What a blind statement to make. You do not realize we have Killzone, Uncharted, Tearaway, Helldivers, and more third parties such as World of Final Fantasy...

I'm sorry but you just make a habit to bash the Vita when you do not see any of these things. Sony went that way because it never sold any better as far as first party games are concerned. Safe to say blame the consumers, YOU, for not supporting it and being confused about the product... Actually blame BOTH the consumer and Sony for not delivering... Sony is not a charity case and business works both ways my friend not the other way around... :/

[ZaWarudo]

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines is amazing.

[Blues Cowboy]

It really is. Wish Sony had properly advertised/supported it, because it's a lovely thing. Tough and gorgeous.

[RPGrinder]

Vita is not doing great. If you own a PC or a PS3/4 you own 99.99999% of Vita games. That is not good. Well that is why it is in the position it is in

[feelforlove]

I agree. Vita is selling terrible just like Wii U. But at least is doing better in Japan.

Vita YTD 500.755
Wii U YTD 277.374

htp://www.neogaf.com/forum/sh owthread.php?t=1073471

[RPGrinder]

and Wii U is doing better globally, better selling in US, Europe and every other region not Japan. What is your point? What does Wii U have to do with Vitas lack of exclusives?

[feelforlove]

Wii U is not doing good. If you don't own PlayStation 3/4, Xbox One/X360 or PC and you own only Wii U you will miss 99% third party games.

[MegaRay]

So what, RPG guy? I would rather play RPG anytime anywhere. RPG games takes alot of time to finish, so its wise to play it on handhelds.

[DaMist]

Can anyone recommend me a U.S shop to get my vita fixed? My Screen is cracked :(

[Spurg]

Same thing happen to me...but repairing in any shop will be expensive and may cost even more than the vita itself. Might as well buy a new one.

[jennyjane]

awesome, just got Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines and Steins;Gate! Enjoying them so much!

[Blues Cowboy]

Awesome, that'll keep you going for a while! Very different, but brilliant in the own way. Steins;Gate is legendary while Oreshika is one of the most unique JRPGs I've ever played.

[Protagonist]

This guy (or whatever that creature is) RPGrinder keeps spreading BS.

[RPGrinder]

I loved the PSP. Sony screwed up the Vita royally. The Vita was dead to Sony after year 1. They more or less stopped supporting it.

[MegaRay]

So? Atlus, Skyss and Bamco still localize games for it, and as long they do, ill be happy :P

[RPGrinder]

Atlus has made 2 games for Vita, one of them is a port. The support they have given and others for PSP and Vita is like night and day lol

[IamTylerDurden1]

This is such garbage. Stop parroting what other non Vita owners say.

Sony stopped supporting it after year one? This is off the top of my head - games that came out after year 1

Soul Sacrifice - AAA 1st party exclusive
Soul Sacrifice Delta

Toukidan - AAA exclusive
Toukidan Kiwami

Tearaway - AAA 1st party exclusive

Killzone Mercenary - AAA 1st party exclusive

Freedom Wars - AAA 1st party exclusive

Oreshika Tainted Bloodlines - AAA-ish exclusive published by Sony

God War Collection

Ratchet & Clank Collection

Sly Cooper Collection

MLB The Show - Sony exclusive that continues to be released on Vita

Helldivers, Hotline 2, OllieOllie 2, Shovel Knight, Guacamelee, Resogun, Child of Light, Octodad, Deadnation all came to Vita after year one. Granted most of these aren't 1st party but it shows the support that Vita got.

Murasaki Baby - exclusive published by Sony

I know i'm missing all the jrpg and FF games ect, but this and much more came out after year 1. Sony supported the PS Vita well after 1 year, u ppl need to stop. What is your motivation? Ru xboners? Xbots? 3ds lovers? Stop saying illogical things fuelled by your hatred for a magnificent device which you have never even owned (likely) and know very little about (definitely).

[RPGrinder]

@Tyler

Your listing port collections as part of the games your highlighting? Come on.......Your proving my point. That is barely anything

[farhad2k8]

I agree with IAmTyler, there have been plenty of VITA exclusives after the first year. Sure, there haven't been many recently but games are still being launched on it.

[ilikepizza]

Died 3 years ago,stop kidding yourself.

[MegaRay]

We're not talking about WiiU here :P

[IamTylerDurden1]

Died 3 years ago? Really? So it was dead when it came out but somehow sold over 11 million units. As recently as last year big-time exclusives like Freedom Wars and Oreshika came out, but it's been dead for 3 years? Exclusives Kick & Fennick, Murasaki Baby, Operation Abyss, Hyperdimension u and more were released very recently, yet it's been dead for 3 years.

Since the xbone released there have been weeks/months where the PS Vita has outsold the xbone.

Strangely enough i see u in every Sony article and every single time u disparage Sony and throw small minded insults with nothing intelligent to back them up.

I am excited for Zodiac, Broforce, Reaper, Forgotten Memories (assuming they didn't cancel it), Severed, and Axiom Verge on Vita.

[ilikepizza]

no offense but with that line up your naming and sound excited about it is no wonder the vita is a legacy console. I like how sony can basically tell you the console is dead but if i say it it's a problem -.-

Drop vita to $99-129 add 2 free games,you'd see a surge in sales.

Yes the vita outsells the xbox one regularly in japan,just cause im an xbox fanboy doesnt mean i dont know facts lol,im aware of the vita doing well in japan. The xbox one isnt the vita's competition though,the 3ds is,how is the vita doing against the 3ds in japan? hell most people have already counted xbox one this gen because sony is selling so well but that attitude with the vita seems to dumb even when it actually makes more sense. Sony is bleeding,they dont need a failed handheld holding them back. Look on the bright side,you can maybe fund the next handheld.

p.s psp was my fav handheld and ive had every handheld except the vita,just no need to carry 2 things anymore,my lg g4 is quite a beast itself.

[IamTylerDurden1]

@ ilikepizza - no brother, the Vita outsold the xbone at least 1-2 weeks/months Worldwide, obviously it outsold it in Japan xbone is a jk in Japan it sells under 400 units monthly. Does your phone have anything as impressive as KZ Mercenary? Uncharted? Can it do what Tearaway does?

[stavrami]

ps vita could of been so much more than what it is, at the end of the day everyone is entitled to there opinion if you love or hate the vita there are valid reasons for both sides.
for me the vita is by far the best handheld out there in terms of hardware, there is loads of games out there .BUT any big game nowadays is generally turn based jrpg's which i generally like but churning them out like there going out of fashion makes it feel like the system doesn't venture far in genres.indies are fine i enjoy the newer indie games as they venture away from platformers but they generally only hold attention for a little time.Then you have ps1 games ,well ok some people like going back to play old games fair enough but is it a vita game? i don't think, so yea its a game,yea your playing on the vita but like i said is it made for vita ? No.then we have minis,which are just absolute gash

all i know is that as much as i love my vita i am disappointed with the support and will defo not invest in morphous until 2 years down the line ,and i have seen the results that should of been with the vita.

[Scatpants]

I've consistently had more to play on my Vita than my 3DS. Sure sometimes 3DS comes out with some gems, but they are few and far between. I'd say I buy 1 to 3 3DS games a year and probably 8 to 10 or more Vita games.

[Xof]

If you want to claim the PSV is still a viable platform, listing old games is not a valid approach, but it's MORE of a valid approach than listing multiplatform games.

Steins;Gate? Multiplatform.
Oreshika? Exclusive.
Helldivers? Multiplatform.
Operation Abyss? Exclusive.
OlliOlli2? Multiplatform.
Hyperdimenion U? Exclusive.
J-Stars VS+? Multiplatform.
Hyperdimenion Re;1? Multiplatform.
Duke Nukem 3D? Multiplatform.
La-Mulana? Multiplatform.

So this list of "10 games" is really only three games long. And pretty much ALL of them (except maybe Duke Nukem) are pretty niche.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Sure, Helldivers and OlliOlli are niche games, right...That niche that generally appeals to everyone.

Hotline 2, Octodad, Shovel Knight, and many more also came to Vita this year. J-Stars, Stein's Gate, and Whispering Willows just came out, and look at the games coming to Vita in the next 1-2 months - Geometry Wars 3, Lost Dimension,The Swindle, VOLUME, One Piece PW3, Amnesia. Then we have Persona 4 DAN, Sword Art Online Lost Song, Resident Evil R2, Danganronpa, Earth Defense Forse 2, XBlaze, Corpse Party, Ronin, Mighty No Nine, Forgotten Memories, Salt & Sanctuary, SEVERED, Zodiac, Lego Avengers, TFT Borderlands, Darkest Dungeon, Axiom Verge, Super TIME Force, Project Phoenix, Reborn, Broforce, Oddworld, Forma8, Reaper, Earth Night, Dragon Fin Soup, Samurai Warriors, Samurai Gunn, World of Final Fantasy, Aztec, Bloodstained and more.

Even if u can play some of these games on PS4 ect it doesn't take away the fact u can play them on Vita and play them on the go. Shovel Knight is rated higher on Vita than any other system. Games like Shovel Knight, Guacamelee, Sound Shapes, and Hotline are arguably better on Vita.

When considering the excellent library, ability to play on the go, cross-play/cross-buy, and remote play i think the Vita is very much alive. Of course 97% of the Vita haters are those who've never owned one or even played one for more than 10min.

[Xof]

An excellent library of ports doesn't mean much. If you're a casual gamer who only plays games on a Vita, yeah, it has a ton to offer you. But if your not, the Vita is a great platform you really only use once in a while, mostly for PSP or PS1 games.

You can list as many multiplatform games as you like--what matters is, and always will be, exclusives.

[Blues Cowboy]

Erm... you could make that point about home consoles. Beyond Bloodborne, the PS4 has ports this year. So does the Xbox One.

[stavrami]

even hand of fate a quality indie game is cancelled.i would hate to see more of the long awaited games go the same way.if indie devs give up on vita then that is basically it :-( god i hope it don't get any more bad luck

[KryptoniteTail]

Vita's potential was so good. Its only glimmer of hope is a redesigned 3000 model with all the fixes and upgrades expected along with MARKETING, price fixes, and all that.