The Sony PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a little over 2 years old now, but don’t think for one second that this current generation handheld gaming platform has lost any of its forward momentum. Last year saw the release of some very well-done games such as Guacamelee! and Spelinky. By all accounts, 2014 is shaping up to be a great year for the PS Vita.
PlayStation 4 Remote Play
The launch of the PlayStation 4 (PS4) this past fall gave PS Vita owners expanded gaming capability at home and abroad. In addition to PlayStation 3 (PS3) games, Remote Play now allows gamers to take many of their PS4 console titles with them via streaming over the Internet.
Although it works best when the PS Vita is connected to the same network as the PS4, Remote Play is an awesome feature that lets you walk away from the living room console without having to stop playing. Remote Playing Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on the PS Vita is just as much fun as playing the console version of Black Flag on the PS4!
Ever-Expanding Game Library
This is looking like a great year for PS Vita titles. At the time of this writing, the PS Vita has about 30 more games available to it than the Nintendo 3DS, not including titles available via digital download (PlayStation Portable, PS1, etc.) or Remote Play – all of which grant additional value to PS Vita owners. Upcoming titles include Borderlands 2, Helldivers, Minecraft, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and The Walking Dead: Season 2.
As the PS Vita ages, there are higher and higher quality games being released every month for the console. What is most interesting about some of the newer and upcoming games for the PS Vita is that many of them are developing unique in-game uses for both the touch pad on the rear of the PS Vita and the touch screen on the face of the device. Tearaway is one such example of this, and uses the rear touch pad to influence the game’s environment by poking holes through the construction paper world. (A pretty awesome, if not simple, concept in my opinion!) Other games make use of the gyro inside the device to control racing games and platformers.
Older Games Available Instantly
I experienced a great thrill of joy in picking up old titles such as Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy IX, and Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. These are all classic games from the PlayStation 1 era that I remember sinking countless hours of my childhood into. What I love is that I can have these games with me whenever and wherever I have my PS Vita. The PlayStation Network has a massive catalog of classic games available for purchase.
Remastered Re-Releases
Some classic games receive a much-needed breath of fresh air thanks to the PS Vita. Beloved titles like the popular PlayStation 2 exclusive Final Fantasy X and its spin-off Final Fantasy X-2 get enhanced visuals, redone CGI cut scenes, digital scores, the addition of trophies, concept art, and occasionally extra content. It’s really nice to see remastered games that are wholly intact and – in some cases – better than ever lovingly ported to the PS Vita. This lets fans of these games and new generations of gamers alike experience them as they almost undoubtedly should be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pon74IXuZU
Wrap Up
Amazing graphics and great games on an affordable platform – that’s what Sony’s PlayStation Vita delivers to consumers. The price from $250 USD to just under $200 USD really helps the PS Vita compete against Nintendo in the mobile gaming market. Add downloadable content for many games to the neat and groundbreaking game play elements of a number of those titles, and it becomes clear that gaming on the PS Vita is really becoming a one-of-a-kind experience that everyone should try.
There’s never been a better time to own a PS Vita!
Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
