The PlayStation Vita had a complicated life. The system was hyped up as console gaming on the go, even sporting twin analog sticks. While the Vita did release games that would realize this vision, sales for the system were underwhelming. The poor sales led to the Vita not receiving first and third-party support comparable to Sony's original handheld system, the PlayStation Portable.
Gaming history may forever label the Vita as a failure. Despite that, the system had a lifespan of over nine years, releasing games as recently as 2021. The Vita still has an immensely passionate fanbase, primarily due to the fantastic games released for the system. Many of the games on the system, such as Persona 4: Golden or Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, are fondly remembered. However, some great Vita titles may have slipped from the memories of players.
10 Severed Has Players Go Out On A Limb
Severed is a fantastic game that, as of now, can only be played on a few devices. That's because Severed is played entirely with touch-based controls from traversing its world to combat that, yes, involves severing enemy limbs. Severed, made by Guacamelee developer Drinkbox Studios, is a first-person dungeon crawler with Metroidvania elements.
Players take on the role of Sasha, who, now missing an arm after her home was attacked, traverses a nightmare-like world in search of her missing family. Severed is a challenging game with a vibrant art style that sticks with players long after they finish.
9 Sound Shapes Hits All The Right Notes
Sound Shapes is, to this day, one of the best examples of blending music with gaming. Sound Shapes is a platformer that incorporates music into its level design. Players can also create their own music and level through the game's creative suite. However, players can no longer share and download creations after the game's server closure in 2018. Sound Shapes also features a challenge mode that will surely test players' skills and patience.
Sound Shapes does feature many licensed tracks, including songs from Deadmau5 and Beck. Beck's contributions are noteworthy as these songs are still only available in Sound Shapes and have yet to be formally released.
8 Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack Is Another Overlooked Drinkbox Studios Gem
Severed isn't the great Vita game from Drinkbox Studios that may have gone unnoticed. Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack originally made its debut on the Vita in 2012. Mutant Blobs Attack is a sequel to Tales from Space: About a Blob, where players control a blob set on absorbing anything and everything in its path. Mutant Blobs Attack is a hilarious game that utilizes a 1950s science fiction theme.
Mutant Blobs Attack was widely praised upon release receiving numerous awards and nominations. The game was later released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 and Nintendo Switch in 2019.
7 Sine Mora Brought Something New To The Shoot 'Em Up Genre
With a genre as prolonged as the shoot 'em up genre, it isn't easy to find a unique take. 2012's Sine Mora achieved that by doing away from the traditional health bar and life. Instead, each level runs on a timer. Players can gain more time by defeating enemies. Getting hit depletes that time even more. Players can also gain the ability to manipulate time, albeit rarely. These features collectively make Sine Mora an intense and engaging experience as players fight a war alongside anthropomorphic characters.
Sine Mora was well-received upon release, though many critics found the story difficult to follow. The game received an updated version for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch titled Sine Mora EX in 2017.
6 Tearaway Brings Players Into The Fold For An Emotional Journey
Few games on the Vita even came close to taking advantage of the Vita's mechanics, such as the rear touchscreen and the gyroscope. Naturally, LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule would do so with their adorable 3D platformer Tearaway. Tearaway allows players to take the role of Iota or Atoi, a sentient paper airplane on a journey to deliver a message to a figure in the sky (the player utilizing the system's front-facing camera).
Tearaway has a beautiful papercraft world filled with origami creatures that is an absolute joy to explore. Tearaway, or its updated PS4 version Tearaway: Unfolded, is sure to bring a smile to the faces of anyone who plays it.
5 TxK Is Better Known By A Different Name
TxK is an easy game to forget. Not because of its quality, but because it currently goes by a different name entirely. TxK was developed as a love letter to the arcade shooter Tempest. However, Atari felt that the similarities between TxK and Tempest were too similar and took to the legal route to prevent further releases on other systems.
Years later, a deal was worked out between TxK developer Llamasoft and Atari to update and rebrand the game as Tempest 4000, which was released on PS4 and Xbox One in 2018 and published by Atari.
4 Velocity Ultra and Velocity 2X Are Must Play Games For Shoot 'Em Up Fans
Yet another shoot 'em up was released for the Vita in the form of Velocity Ultra and its sequel Velocity 2X. Velocity Ultra is a remaster of the 2012 PSP game Velocity that brings many of the elements players expect from the genre along with an incredibly fun teleporting ability.
The success of Velocity Ultra quickly led to the development of a sequel, Velocity 2X. Velocity 2X includes side-scrolling levels on top of the standard shoot 'em up levels. These levels are reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog's fast-paced style, making it a must-play for any Sonic fan longing to relive the glory days.
3 Muramasa Rebirth Brings The Beautiful Wii Title To The Vita
Muramasa: The Demon Blade's Japanese water painting style and attention to the country's history and folklore captured the attention of Nintendo Wii players in 2009. The side-scrolling beat 'em up is made by Vanillaware, known for other titles such as Odin's Sphere and Dragon's Crown.
Muramasa tells the story of two characters, Momohime and Kisuke, with each character having their own story campaign with many twists and connections along the way. The game was remastered for the Vita as Muramasa Rebirth in 2013. Despite the praise each version of the game has received, Muramasa has yet to release beyond the Wii and Vita.
2 Child Of Light Will Have Players Playing Through The Night
Child of Light is a delightful RPG made by Ubisoft and takes a lot of gameplay cues from classic RPGs such as Grandia and Final Fantasy. Child of Light tells the storybook-inspired tale of a princess named Aurora on a journey to save her home, the Kingdom of Lemuria, from the evil Queen of the Night. Along the way, she meets an incredibly colorful cast of characters, including Rubella, a jester who has difficulties adhering to the story's rhyming nature of its storytelling.
Child of Light is a beautiful game with stellar writing and engaging combat. It's a must-play for anyone who is a fan of RPGs or classic fairy tales and does not deserve to be forgotten.
1 Dokuro Has A Bone To Pick With The Dark Lord
Dokuro is a puzzle platformer with a fantastic children's book chalky art style. The player assumes the role of Dokuro, a skeleton who works under the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord kidnaps a princess with the desire to marry her. Upon realizing the princess is being married against her will, Dokuro sets off to overcome the Dark Lord and lead the princess out of the dreaded castle.
Throughout the game, Dokuro gains new abilities through the use of chalk that allows him to better traverse the puzzle-filled castle. Dokuro also has the ability to transform into a handsome prince who can pick up the princess as well as use his sword to cut ropes and fight enemies. In the years following its release, Dokuro would eventually release on mobile devices, PC, and Switch.