8 Great PSP Fighting Games You've Probably Forgotten About
On paper, the PSP may seem like an unintuitive choice for fighting games: it had a simple analog nub, meaning that most fighters would have to rely on the D-Pad, and it was also tragically underutilized in the multiplayer department, which forms a massive part of fighting games' appeal. In retrospective analysis, the console is often viewed as a haven for RPGs instead.
RelatedThe Best PSP Game For Every Year Of The Console's Life
The PSP had a deceptively deep library, heavily focused on high production games and complex JRPGs. Every year the PSP had a stellar game.
PostsBut as long as you were looking to play single-player, the PSP was the best handheld of its time for fighting games. It was capable of producing console-quality visuals, and had enough buttons to allow gameplay to be transferred faithfully from home consoles. Here are the best fighting games on the PSP, ranked.
8 Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
Updated Compilation Of The Darkstalkers Series
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Fighting Systems Released March 24, 2005 ESRB t Developer(s) Capcom Production Studio 5 Publisher(s) Capcom Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise DarkstalkersWHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALA launch title for the PSP, Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower is so much more than the compilation it's gathered a reputation for being. Rather, this pseudo-compilation is a standalone game that includes all the gameplay elements and plot points of the Darkstalkers series.
A dead fighting game series that fans desperately want Capcom to bring back, Darkstalkers is, to date, best experienced in this PSP iteration. It has crisp visuals and gameplay on par with any of the arcade titles.
7 Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
Updated Version Of Guilty Gear XX
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core
Released May 31, 2007 Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii Powered by Expand CollapseGuilty Gear XX was critically lauded upon its PS2 launch and quickly received several updates. The most up-to-date version on the PSP, Accent Core Plus, is also one of the definitive ways to experience the game unless you have a Vita lying around.
Related13 Games to Play if You Love Guilty Gear Strive
Hungry for more fighting game action? Games like Killer Instinct, Granblue Fantasy Versus, and Darkstalkers 3 might sate you.
PostsNot only does Accent Core Plus faithfully port the gameplay of Guilty Gear XX, but it balances several characters and reintroduces ones that were absent in the original version. Three new modes were added: Mission Mode, Gallery Mode and Survival Mode. All of these served to make it a fulfilling single-player experience on the PSP.
6 Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Updated Version Of Dissidia Final Fantasy With An Entirely New Campaign
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Fighting Systems Released March 22, 2011 ESRB t Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Powered by Expand CollapseDissidia Final Fantasy was the game Final Fantasy fans had always dreamed of, allowing them to pit characters from various games in the series against each other in one-on-one combat. Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy does it one better by including even more characters, a new story mode and, incredibly, the entirety of the original Dissidia within itself.
Thanks to its story mode, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy had a fulfilling campaign even if you had no one to experience its multiplayer features with. The game also gave you different rewards depending on what day of the week it was, giving you a reason to keep coming back.
5 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2
Updated Version Of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
At one point, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 was supposed to be Guilty Gear's spiritual successor, bringing the same rock'n'roll ethos to its gameplay while maintaining a greater focus on the story. This made it ideal for the PSP, which had played host to a successful port of the previous entry, Calamity Trigger.
This updated version of the original Continuum Shift features the largest BlazBlue cast up to that point, smooth visuals and even smoother combat. Every feature found in the console iterations can be accessed here, in glorious 480 x 272 resolution, from the comfort of your palm.
4 Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
Updated Version Of Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
Released January 19, 2006 Platform(s) PlayStation Portable Powered by Expand CollapseThe runaway popularity of Street Fighter 6 might not betray the fact that until the fourth entry saved the series, Street Fighter was struggling to find its way. One of its more successful steps in the mid-2000s was this arcade-perfect port of Street Fighter Alpha 3 for the PSP.
RelatedStreet Fighter 6: 10 Characters We Still Want As DLC
We need these characters to show up as DLC in Street Fighter 6.
Posts 1Street Fighter is well known for its iterations, and Alpha 3 was no different. Alpha 3 Max brought together all the new characters and balancing tweaks added to the game up till 2006, and also added new stories for the debutant characters. This makes it one of the most comprehensive versions to play the game, with faster loading times to boot.
3 Tekken 6
Tekken 6
Fighting Systems Released October 27, 2009 ESRB t Developer(s) Namco Bandai Publisher(s) Namco Bandai Engine Proprietary Engine Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer Franchise TekkenWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALFans of the Tekken series may argue that the portable iteration of Tekken 6 is even better than the one on home consoles. Unlike the PS3 and X360 editions of the game, the PSP version of Tekken 6 lacked the much-criticized Scenario Campaign mode and let you experience each character's episode in a straightforward story mode instead.
RelatedTekken: 10 Most Important Story Moments In The Series
These are the most important moments in Tekken's narrative so far.
PostsThis game was a miracle on the PSP: it looked to be of console quality in its visuals, and had all the gameplay features you'd expect besides multiplayer. Every single character in Tekken 6's huge cast was faithfully preserved and brought over to the PSP.
2 Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
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Fighting Systems Released September 1, 2009 ESRB t // Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence Developer(s) Project Soul Publisher(s) Namco Bandai Engine Syrup Emulation Engine Franchise SoulcaliburWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThe Soulcalibur series is second only to Tekken in the pantheon of Bandai Namco fighters: it is beloved by fans for its deep and charming stories, robust character creation features and excellent graphics.
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny represents a consolidation of all those aspects. It is proof that Namco was placing great faith in the PSP, because it was the best game in the series up till that point, and had exclusive features that hadn't been seen before.
1 Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Updated Version Of Tekken 5
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Like Follow FollowedTekken 5: Dark Resurrection
Fighting Systems Released July 6, 2006 ESRB T for Teen - Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Tobacco Reference, Violence Developer(s) Bandai Namco Studios, Eighting Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer Franchise Tekken How Long To Beat 2 Hours Powered by Expand CollapseAs an early PSP title, Tekken: Dark Resurrection surpasses even its sequel in amazing us with its technical fidelity on the humble handheld. Tekken: Dark Resurrection isn't just the best fighting game on the PSP, it's the definitive way to experience Tekken 5 - widely regarded as one of the best fighting games of all time.
Lacking true multiplayer, this game had a ghost-battle mode that allowed you to indirectly fight people worldwide, and you could upload your data to a global server. It also introduced robust single-player modes like Gold Rush, and brought back the beloved Tekken Bowl. Almost every stage received a visual and musical overhaul, and fan-favourite characters like Lili and Dragunov made their debut here.
NextTekken: 10 Best Female Characters, Ranked
We rank the best female fighters you can play as in Tekken.
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