20. Killzone: Liberation (PSP)

A direct sequel to Guerrilla’s 2004 PSP first-person shooter Killzone, the Dutch developer adopted an isometric run-and-gun format for its PSP debut Killzone: Liberation. The alternative perspective suited the hardware extremely well, and delivered an alternative take on the series’ gritty sci-fi action, which would go on to spawn two more traditional entries on the PS3. In addition to a meaty single player campaign, the title also boasted online and ad-hoc multiplayer across a multitude of modes, although the servers have since been disabled.

19. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)

While not the first Metal Gear Solid game on the PSP – the two Metal Gear Acid titles preceded it – Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops adopted a more traditional action format, inspired by the control scheme in the Subsistence edition of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The big twist was the Comrade system, allowing you to recruit team members and specialists for a variety of circumstances, and then toggle between them out on the field. This concept would later be developed by subsequent sequels like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. A standalone expansion, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, released a year later.

18. LocoRoco (PSP)

Possibly one of PSP's most iconic games is LocoRoco, a quirky, gleeful platformer about silly little blobs. Instead of controlling the clumsy characters directly, you tilt the environment with the shoulder buttons and watch as they roll over hills and through gusts of wind in search of their buddies. It's an inventive and grin-inducing game, one that never overcomplicates things yet keeps you engaged with new ideas and a handful of other modes. Oozing charm and relentlessly joyful, few other titles can match LocoRoco's cheery vibes.

17. WipEout Pulse (PSP)

The success of WipEout Pure a couple of years prior put Liverpool Studio’s futuristic racing franchise back on the map, and so WipEout Pulse was pretty much a tap-in for PSP owners in 2007. Set roughly ten years after its portable predecessor, this direct sequel was effectively more of the same, building on the foundations of its forebear with more beautiful sci-fi race tracks and a more balanced difficulty curve. It would later get ported to the PS2 and be repurposed for PS3 remaster WipEout HD.

16. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP)

Bend Studio was, along with Zipper Interactive, the master of the PSP third-person shooter. While the handheld didn’t naturally lend itself to such action-packed games – it lacked a second analogue stick to start with – Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was enormously entertaining, and a return to form for a franchise which had gone a little off-kilter with the experimental PS2 exclusive Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. A globe-trotting escapade, taking you all around the world – from Peru to Finland – Dark Mirror also featured innovative eight-player multiplayer modes, including the fantastically fun Rogue Agent, where players compete to become and kill the titular super-agent in a deathmatch-style alternative.

15. Burnout Legends (PSP)

Burnout Legends, as the name eloquently implies, is something of a Greatest Hits for Criterion’s crash happy console series. Featuring content from all three PS2 instalments, this slimmed down racer really excelled on the PSP thanks its supercharged hardware; the Nintendo DS version was a less successful adaptation by comparison. Featuring a mixture of races, time attacks, car chases, and the infamous Crash mode from Burnout 2: Point of Impact, this was a faithful continuation of an extremely popular franchise – converted impressively to Sony’s handheld console.

14. Ridge Racer (PSP)

Once upon a time, a PlayStation console simply couldn’t launch without a Ridge Racer game, and the PSP was no exception. Ridge Racer was the quintessential launch game in a pretty strong field: its bitesized gameplay, vibrant graphics, and thumping soundtrack all excelled on Sony’s handheld hardware. The title even featured a fully playable version of Namco’s 1981 arcade classic New Rally-X while the UMD was loading, as well as local and online multiplayer for up to eight players.

13. WipEout Pure (PSP)

Sony assembled a hall-of-fame launch lineup for the PSP, and WipEout Pure was one of the crown jewels. After an awkward PS2 generation which had seen the iconic PS1 racer lose a little of its immaculate sheen, this was a return to form for the franchise, which felt perfectly aligned with Sony’s slick, futuristic handheld format. In addition to lightning fast combat racing, the release also introduced some brand new features, like the precision-based Zone mode, which saw you whipping around vibrant courses at increasing speeds, attempting not to touch the walls. The title even took advantage of some of the PSP’s more unique innovations, allowing fellow console owners to download a trial version of the title and engage in multiplayer races – without even owning a copy of the game.

12. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)

As one of PlayStation’s most spectacular franchises, Ready at Dawn performed a mini-miracle bringing God of War: Chains of Olympus to the PSP. A full-fledged adventure – albeit only a few scant hours in length – this prequel had all of the bombast of its PS2 counterparts. It also explored a softer side of Kratos, examining his relationship with deceased daughter Calliope. It was eventually bettered by handheld successor God of War: Ghost of Sparta, but the original will always be special for the sheer spectacle of bringing Olympus to Sony’s portable machine.

11. LocoRoco 2 (PSP)

There was an eccentric spirit to the PSP and a lot of its software that PlayStation is unlikely to ever replicate. LocoRoco, and its successor LocoRoco 2, embodied that. A relatively rudimentary platform game, this colourful sequel found you once again “tilting” the world to roll the titular blob through increasingly challenging environments. The sequel introduced a ton of new features, including the ability to swim underwater, all of which added to the inventiveness of its incredibly quirky predecessor.