The Best PSP Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Summary

• Some of the best PSP games were only released in Japan, overlooked by Western players.
• Rare and obscure games like .hack//LINK and Black Panther exist with fan patches available.
• The PSP had diverse genres like hotel training sim Hilton Garden Inn and Prinny spinoff games.

Nintendo’s NES was a huge hit for home consoles, which led to the company redefining gaming once again with the introduction of portability on the Game Boy. After dominating the landscape for over a decade, Sony finally put their hat in the handheld ring with the PSP, which debuted in 2004 in Japan and 2005 in North America.

It was a success in Japan, but not so much in the West. This led to many games not being released outside of Japan or not just being experienced by Western players, as they were unwilling to invest in the console. Let’s go through the best PSP games that time forgot and see whether they deserve to be remembered.

8

.hack//LINK

The Missing Link

• Developer: CyberConnect2
• Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
• Released: March 4, 2010 (Japan)
• Platform: PSP

.hack fans got a quadrilogy on the PS2, followed by a trilogy sequel series also on the PS2. Fans may have thought that was where the series died, but the developer, CyberConnect2, attempted to revive the franchise with a new series of games on the PSP, starting with .hack//LINK.

The game was smaller in scope; still an action RPG, but the dungeons were less open, and it featured a lot of fan-favorite returning characters, such as Kite and Mimiru. Although it was only released in Japan, fans can still enjoy it today thanks to an English patch.

7

Black Panther: Like A Dragon New Chapter

Bet You Didn’t Know Yakuza Was On The PSP

• Developer: Sega
• Publisher: Sega
• Released: September 22, 2010 (Japan)
• Platform: PSP

The Yakuza series took a while to catch on in the West, but thanks to Yakuza 0’s success, most games are now officially accessible in English. That is, except for this PSP spinoff called Black Panther: Like a Dragon New Chapter, which also got a PSP sequel.

The game featured familiar Yakuza elements, such as exploring a city and engaging in fights, but these fights were smaller and more akin to fighting game duels. The main story was mostly told through comic cutscenes, which was a nice touch, and the game can be enjoyed in English today thanks to fan patches.

6

Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web Of A Century

What Was Once The Last Game In The Series

• Developer: Konami
• Publisher: Konami
• Released: February 9, 2012 (Japan)
• Platform: PSP

Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century is still technically the last new console game in the series as of 2012. Fans can applaud Konami for re-releasing two classics in 2025, though, via Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars.

Fans may also appreciate knowing that this game is available on the PSP and that an English fan patch is also available. The gameplay is still a turn-based RPG, but there aren’t as many characters present on the field, a departure for a series known for its massive casts of playable characters.

5

Hilton Garden Inn: Ultimate Team Play

A Bizarre Training Guide

Hilton Garden Inn: Ultimate Team Play is, without a doubt, the rarest and most obscure “game” on this list. It was a training simulator for the Hilton Hotel branch. It was released in English, but it wasn’t exactly flying off the shelves since it was made for hotels, not unlike the Japanese McDonald’s simulator for the DS.

Players will learn various etiquette and programs based on the hotel’s policies, like checking people in or giving them freshly-baked cookies. Maybe this style of portable gaming could return one day to make desk work more fun for hotel employees.

4

Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village

Palicos Get Their Own Adventure

Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village was a PSP spinoff of Monster Hunter, a series that exploded in popularity during the Sony handheld’s era and helped carry the PSP to glory in Japan. Instead of fighting giant monsters, however, players managed their village of Palicos, similar to an Animal Crossing game.

The game was, strangely, developed by FromSoftware (yes, that FromSoftware), and was later re-released on the 3DS. Every version remains exclusive to Japan, and there are no full fan translations just yet.

3

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?

The Modern Remaster Is Also Great

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? was a spinoff of the Disgaea series that starred the penguin-like Prinny mascots. Instead of a tactical RPG, this game was a side-scrolling action platformer where, if a Prinny died, another would take its place.

The caveat was that players only had 1,000 Prinnies to go through until it was Game Over, which made for a unique health system. There was a sequel on the PSP, along with a remaster in 2020, Prinny 1+2: Exploded and Reloaded, but none of these games made a huge splash in the West.

2

Rebuild Of Evangelion: Sound Impact

Goichi Suda Goes Full Anime

• Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
• Publisher: Bandai
• Released: September 29, 2011 (Japan)
• Platform: PSP

There were at least seven Neon Genesis Evangelion games on the PSP, including Rebuild of Evangelion: Sound Impact. This game was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, a developer known for thinking outside the box thanks to one of its founders.

Goichi Suda, or Suda 51, is known most famously for the oddball No More Heroes action series, but he helped produce this anime game, too. Players will go through the story of the series, albeit tweaked to fit the narrative of fighting Angels in rhythm-based mini-games instead of bombastic battles. Unfortunately, fans haven’t translated this one yet.

1

Saru Get You: Piposaru Racer

Go Speed Monkey Go

• Developer: SCE Japan
• Publisher: Sony
• Released: December 7, 2006 (Japan)
• Platform: PSP

PS5 players were reintroduced to the Ape Escape series through levels and costumes in 2024’s Astro Bot. They can get even more familiar later in 2025 with the mini-game included in the PS5 version of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, or maybe they will try and seek out more obscure games like Saru Get You: Piposaru Racer.

This was a PSP-exclusive racing spinoff similar to the Mario Kart games, except that the characters turned themselves into cars. It’s a bizarre game on many levels, with no fan translation available. However, since it’s a racing game, players should be able to navigate through the menus in Japanese if they’re interested.