Endless Paradigm

After reading Zinga's anime review thread, I got inspired to do something similar, only for PSP games. Feel free to write reviews of your own.

9/10 Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Excellent story, well-paced action, and they actually made the FPS controls work on PSP. Some parts in it are a little cheap and/or buggy, but overall a quality game.

9.5/10 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
It's GTA on the PSP, and it's actually pretty good. The controls work for the most part, it's a long game that you can get wrapped up in, and it's pretty darn fun. There are some problems, like no swimming and glitches here and there, but it's a good game.

9.5/10 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Takes all the problems in GTA: LCS and fixes them. It's longer, it has more varied missions, and the way you eventually control an empire is pure awesome-ness. A must-buy

6.5/10 Medal of Honor: Heroes
Sigh, another mediocre WWII FPS....Well, at least the controls work and the multiplayer's pretty fun. Just don't count on the computer to do more than run at you blindly while getting shot in the face. Believe me, the 3 stars are for multiplayer alone.

8.5/10 Gripshift
This game is an odd one. It's a racing/platformer/puzzle game. It's also pretty damn addictive.

9/10 Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
This sequel to the award-winning Metal Gear Solid 3 is a must for any self-respecting PSP owner. It translates the awesome stealth-action the series is famous for to a handheld with no compromises. It has a deep, emotionally charged story, freakshow boss battles, and a new Metal Gear to destroy. I'd give it a 5, but it was over a bit too soon, but once the expansion comes out, I may have to re-score it. :)

9/10 Bleach: Heat the Soul 4
I can honestly say that this is one of the best anime-based games I have ever played. It takes the strengths of the first three games and fixes the problems, while adding even more characters, bringing the roster to 40. Plus, it has a very intuitive combat system that is easy for beginners to get in to.

6/10 Coded Arms
The first FPS on PSP was an honest try, but ultimately failed. The game is fun for the first few hours, but after that it gets very, very repetitive. I expect that the second one will try to rectify some of the problems with it, but I can't say for sure until I actually play it, which may be a problem given that they keep delaying it.

8/10 Dragonball Z Shin Budokai/Another Road
I figured I'd review them both in the same paragraph, given that they're basically the same. The combat engine is fun, there's a large cast of characters, and while the story modes are pretty boring, the arcade modes are pretty fun

7/10 Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
What's that? I can customize a character and form a party of different Tales characters? Awesome! Too bad the dungeons are huge, maze-like, and have no checkpoint system. It's still pretty fun, though.

8/10 Field Commander
Yes, it's pretty much a rip-off of Advance Wars, but hey, it's fun so I'm not complaining. Admitted, I've only spent about 2 hours playing it so far, but from what I can tell, it's a fun, fairly deep strategy game with some new twists on the old formula. I may change my score once I play it a bit more, but so far it's pretty fun.

2/10 Splinter Cell: Essentials
This game is one of the biggest pieces of poo poo I have seen on the PSP in a long time. Where do I start? Crappy, unintuitive controls, braindead AI, crappy graphics, 2 player Ad-Hoc Spy vs. Spy multi-player that's about as fun and graceful as two blind hobos fighting over a ham, and a stupid story re-hash of the entire series. Steer clear of this one.

3.5/10 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
This game is poo poo. Linear missions, no checkpoints, numerous graphical glitches, and brain-dead AI. Add to that the fact that the only multiplayer in the game is a chocolatety adhoc co-op game, and you've got a grade-A turd.

4/10 Rainbow Six Vegas
Slightly less fail than GRAW 2, but still bad. What really bugged me is that they got rid of all the series-redefining mechanics from the console versions, like recharging health, weapon customization, and brilliant AI, instead going back to the archaic "if you get shot, you stay shot" health system, no weapon customization, and brain-dead, cheap AI from classic R6 games. The Wi-Fi multi-player is kinda fun, though it lags like a bitch.

8.5/10 Worms Open Warfare 2
The developers took the same addictive Worms gameplay, added numerous game modes, and kick-donkey online multiplayer. Those guy sure do know how to sell a good game :D

9.5/10 Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Basically, it takes the same superbly awesome gameplay from Dark Mirror and kicks it up a notch with underwater missions, new gameplay tweaks, and better AI. Still not a 10, but maybe Syphon Filter #3 will reach that bar.

8/10 Manhunt 2
Likely the most controversial game of the year, the gruesome stealth series lands on PSP. Overall, it's a great game, with great atmosphere, but there are some problems. For one, the graphics aren't too hot. Second, there are some control issues where they aren't as precise as you need them to be, and finally, some mission objectives are vague, especially in the last missions.

9/10 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
It's the same awesome PS1 game on PSP need I say more?

9/10 Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
Again, it's the same great game as the one on PS2.

9/10 Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command
This is definitely one of the best games out on PSP. It's a relatively shallow strategy game, but this makes it good for playing in short bursts. It also makes it readily accessible to new players, but offers enough depth for people that want to go deeper into the strategy of it. Also, watch out for UncertainGod online, his team is made of pure rape and win.

8.5/10 Silent Hill: Origins
The acclaimed survival horror game makes its way onto our PSP's. Now, at first glance, you think that playing a game like this on a small hand-held screen would make it crappier, but it's just the opposite. If you play this in a dark room, with headphones and the volume turned all the way up, its one of the best horror experiences you can have. Now if only the controls weren't slightly janky....

8.5/10 SOCOM: Tactical Strike
Finally, the way SOCOM should've been brought to the PSP in the first place. Instead of trying to do another mediocre shooter with awkward controls, the devs decided to do an action-strategy game kinda like Full-Spectrum Warrior. The end result is a very enjoyable experience. It isn't without its flaws, though. For one, both teammate and enemy AI are a bit spotty, with the enemies somehow able to spot you even with their backs turned and your squad members not listening to your commands, but its still fun. Also, the online multi-player is fun if everyone plays strategically, but if one person decided to do a kamikaze blitz with no tactics involved, it kinda ruins the experience.

7.5/10 Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops+
The expansion pack for MGS PO is here, and honestly, it's a bit of a disappointment. Yes, there are new characters, but in order to unlock them you have to go through a boringly tedious new single-player mission called Infinity Mission. You can't use these new characters in anything but Infinity Mission and online, which by the way, is still plagued by cheaters and hackers that insta-headshot you the minute you walk into their line of sight. I never thought the day would come when I gave an MGS game less than a 4/5, but here wee are.

9.5/10Wipeout Pulse
Another awesomely fast, adrenaline-filled entry in the Wipeout racing game series. Basically everything has been improved from Pure, making for a chaotic, yet smooth racing experience that pleases from start to finish.

9.5/10 Patapon
People, this may very well be the best PSP game made yet. I would give it a 10, but there are some flaws holding it back from that lofty peak. Despite any minor inconveniences, like the game being tedious at parts or vague in it's guidance, it's an absolute joy to play. This game is what I can only describe as a Musical Real-time Strategy game. You guide an army made of 3 units of soldiers, and you give them orders via a set of "drums," aka the PSP face buttons. Each button makes a different noise, and it's the different rhythms that tell your little army of spear-and-axe-wielding eyeball tribesmen what to do. Basically, this is a must-buy for any PSP owner. I say buy because this is one game that you should purchase legally. It's only $20, and well worth it.

9.5/10 God Of War: Chains Of Olympus
A game like this has been a long time coming, and it has been well worth the wait. Chains of Olympus takes everything great about God of War 1 & 2 and condenses it all into an action-packed, kick-donkey PSP game. The combat is smooth and responsive, the new weapons and magic are fun to use (especially the Gauntlet of Zeus. Chidori anyone?), and everything looks and runs beautiful. This is actually the first PSP game to use the full 333 Mhz of the CPU as it's default, and it shows. Sure, battery may be a bit less, but the framerate is smooth and it never bogs down, even when there's characters and particle effects flying everywhere. The game's flaws, while there, are easily overlooked. The story is a bit vague, but you get the jist of it once you start playing. Also, the game is a bit on the short side, but it's not really an issue in my opinion, as anyone who's ever played God of War knows that you have to play through it multiple times to get the full experience. Anyway, this game is a must for any self-respecting PSP gamer.

PS: the classic sex minigame is in this game as well

9/10 Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
Diverse characters, addicting gameplay, and a perfect learning curve make
Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX for the PSP a perfect Street Fighter port.(Review by Wolf)

9.5/10 Loco Roco
Squishy squashy little blobs that sing the cutest tunes EVAR!!!
Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Pink and Black < These are the Loco Roco colours
In the same category as Patapon though this isn't a rhythm based game, it's an interactive game where you tilt the world to make the Loco Roco (little blob) move :P
It sounds really crazy...and it IS!!! But it plays soo much better than it sounds!!! So get it!!! (Review by MehHakker)

9.5/10 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Wow. This game is what I all a masterpiece. It's the prequel to the amazing Final Fantasy VII, and expands greatly upon the universe of that game. In fact, certain scenes in Crisis Core were flashbacks in FFVII. Anyway, the story is great, but what about the gameplay? While it's a bit one-track, it still allows for plenty of depth with a real time combat system with some turn-based elements thrown in. There are also hundreds of side missions to complete, getting you more items or new Materia. And speaking of Materia, there's an awesome fusion system that really allows you to customize Zack to your liking. Anyway, this is another PSP masterpiece, and just the kind of game the little system needs to give it that boost in sales. Hell, PSP sales in Japan skyrocketed when the game came out there, and I'm guessing it'll happen here too.

8/10N+
The same awesome game that has entertained thousands on PC and Mac, just....smaller. It's addicting, hard as hell, and great all around. It does have its flaws though. The screen and resolution don't lend themselves well to the bigger levels, where your ninja is only a few pixels big. But it's still amazingly fun.

9/10Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Easily one of the best games on PSP. It fills the gap between Episodes III and IV, providing a lot of insight into the character of Darth Vader. Starkiller, his secret apprentice, goes on various missions for the Dark Lord, assassinating leftover Jedi. The story is easily the best part of the game, but that doesn't mean the gameplay slouches. It's awe-inspiring the kind of damage you can do, with all of your swings, force pushes, and lightning chaining together into one giant dance of destruction. The camera is a bit wonky, and there are a few glitches here and there, but nothing too game-breaking. Definitely recommended for any PSP owner who's a fan of awesome.

PSN GAMES(these will be rated on a 5-point scale, with no .5's)

4/5 flOw
The awesomely ambient flash game makes its way to the PSP after making a quick stop on the PS3. This game is, in a word, beautiful. The graphics are wonderful, plus the music and other sounds add so much to the atmosphere. It has a bit of length, seeing as there are 5 different creatures to play as, plus the multiplayer adds some longevity to it as well. The only downside is that the price is a bit steep at US$7.99, but if price doesn't bother you, definitely buy this.

3/5 Syphon Filter: Combat Ops
This multiplayer-only download title is truly a mixed bag. On one hand, wee have the awesome multiplayer experience from Logan's Shadow, plus a map-editor that's deep enough to make some cool maps, but not too deep as to overwhelm you. On the other hand, wee have some pretty bad server lag, plus the fact that there's almost no one online. Ever. Seriously, every time I played, there were about the same 10 people that are on every time.

3/5 Ape Quest (starter pack)
This game is like a light RPG plus the wackiness and minigames of the Ape Escape series. The exploration is on-rails, but it doesn't really hurt it, as you never get lost, and there's still plenty of places to go depending on what roads you go on. The fights pit your lone warrior against parties of enemies, but there's this mechanic in there that lets you call in a squad of monkey fighters that you save early on in the story to do some fighting for you. Their services don't com free, as the more of them you summon, the more you have to pay them. I don't know if it's worth the $20 for all 3 expansion packs, Red, Blue, and Gold, but if I ever have a spare $20 I'll buy them and give it a try :D

4/5 Beats
This rhythm game is loads of fun. It's challenging, plus it lets you put in your own music, and it even lets you record your own stuff using preset beats. Definitely a good buy.

5/5 Echochrome
This is the PSN game to end all PSN games. It's the kind of game MC Escher would have made if he got in the game business. The whole slogan of the game is "What you see becomes reality." You maneuver a small marionette around geometric levels, rotating and changing the perspective, thereby changing how he interacts with the level. While it sounds stupid on paper, in action it's a marvel to behold. Hundreds of stages are included, plus a level editor. Overall, this is a must-get for any self-respecting PSP gamer.

(updated September 17, 2008)
I'll add more as I go, and feel free to write your own reviews. I want this thread to be a reference for people trying to decide what game to buy or *cough*obtain*cough*

People, don't be afraid to add your own reviews.

Tales of Eternia
This is a great game and takes many hours to complete about 70 hours it recommends but average it took me about 40 hours.and the good thing is the gameplay doesn't get boring and like all Tales games it has a great battle system and plot. This is an improvement of the ps1 original (Tales of Destiny 2) and i recommend you play this game.Only downside to its beatiful sprite graphics is i wish it had multiplayer.

Can anyone that still has modly powers sticky this? I want it to be a reference for those looking for a good game to get.

stickies

:4*:Wipeout Pure
this is one of the better racing games around it has very nice gameplay and supports multiplayer it can get repetitive later on .other than that there isn't any problem its one of the coolest racing games out there and its sequel pulse is looking even better

Added both DBZ Shin Budokai games and Tales of the World.

how about field commander. . some say fun some say not. . .

I'll add a review for it tonight.

how about socom fireteam bravo and fireteam bravo 2, in my opinion two excellent military games

Both DJ Max Portable 1 and 2 are great games, if you want to add a review.