Top 5 PSP RPG titles

After owning a Playstation Portable for several months and buying dozens of games, I've finally decided on my top 5 favorite RPGs. Surprisingly, there's a huge market for roleplaying games on the PSP. I find countless new titles every time I go game shopping.

This list is by no means definitive, it is merely my favorite RPGs on the PSP. If you don't like it, just remember that. If you have any suggestions for games I should include, comment away! 

Top 5 PSP RPG titles:

1- Final Fantasy: Crisis Core

I don't like that Crisis Core is the best RPG on the PSP. Because it's a dying franchise, and it's really 'mainstream' to put a Final Fantasy at the top of the list. However, it's easily the best game on the PSP. The graphics are top notch, the combat is brilliant, and it's got hours of content. It is a healthy prequel to Final Fantasy 7, that anyone can enjoy. Even though I didn't want to put this at number 1, there's no doubt in my eyes that it deserves the spot.

2- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

When I came across Persona 3 sitting lonely on a shelf, I bought it without a second thought. It was a brilliant game for the PSX, and it's even better on a handheld. It's got a great story, that can't be fully experienced in a single playthrough. The combat is challenging, demanding that you climb up over 200 floors of enemies in under a year. Persona 3 Portable is basically tied with Crisis Core for first place.

3- Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Birth By Sleep is the best handheld Kingdom Hearts game. It has addictive and layered combat, a brilliant plot, and 3 separate characters to play the story with. The only shortcoming this game has is that it's too short. That and the Disney part, which I'm okay with. Even if you know nothing about the Kingdom Hearts universe, this game is still worth playing.

4- Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

I hated this game at first. It was overly complicated, without much explanation. 5 hours later, I was balls deep in dungeons, recruiting new characters and perfecting them before I could toss them up to Valhalla. Although it has a patchy plot and is difficult to pick up, Valkyrie Profile is yet another game from the PSX that made a wonderful transition onto handheld.

5- Star Ocean: First Departure

I've always liked the Star Ocean games, they've been a solid RPG over the years with less appreciation than deserved in the west. First Departure brings some of that old school spice onto the PSP. The combat is a little basic, but the story and the characters are amazing. You can't recruit every character in one playthrough, and there's loads of side content to complete. I really loved grinding on this one.

If you're looking for PSP games, this list might help you. The PSP almost has more RPG titles than I can buy, but I will keep on purchasing the ones that I can. Feel free to comment if you have an opinion on your favorite PSP games!

Kingdom Hearts: Expert mode guide

Riku annoys me. Sora kinda does too.

After recently smashing my way through the original Kingdom Hearts on expert mode, I realize that some of the bosses were actually pretty challenging. Some parts of the game are a cakewalk, but I managed to get myself killed on more than one occasion. If you're having a little trouble with the game on expert (or normal), read through some of this guide; it has plenty of hints and tips that will make the journey to Keyblade master easier.

Waking up in an alley with Pluto, sounds like my Saturday morning.

Kingdom Hearts: Expert- hints and tips
- Always keep your party members stocked with items. Personally, I farm enough munny for 40+ potions at the beginning of the game, so I won't run out for a while. It's really important to fill your party with items before a boss.
- Dodge roll is an incredible tool, your best friend. Learn it, Love it, Abuse it.
- You can adjust Donald and Goofy's behavior in the menu. It's not much, but make sure you change it to your satisfaction. Goofy has loads of item slots, so set him to use items regularly.
- Donald should always have an ether or two. The duck has saved my life more than once with a well placed cure. Make sure he has enough mana to cast what he wants.
- It's a shame but magic and summons aren't as useful as your Keyblade. Keep whacking away with it, it's your best source of damage.
- Aero is incredible. It blocks damage, and at higher levels it will even attack back. Any tough boss fight can be made much easier if you can keep Aero up.
- Upgrade to new weapons and accessories whenever you get the chance. Just remember, the newest Keyblade is not the best Keyblade. Pick one that suits your playstyle.
- Pick the abilities for your party carefully. When you run out of AP to equip them all, sometimes you will have to make sacrifices. For example, I cut Sonic Blade out early game because it wasn't very useful; so I could keep everything else activated.
- Don't attack wildly mashing your Keyblade around. If you miss, you have a moment of vulnerability where you can't attack or defend. Try to make every attack land.
- If an enemy is exceptionally big or hard to hit, try an air combo. In the air it can be a safer method of putting out damage. I attack most bosses from the air, you can dodge the majority of their attacks that way.
- If you get stuck on a particular area and start getting frustrated, take a break. You can take stupid amounts of damage on Expert mode if you're not careful, so come back after doing something else for 30 minutes, it will be easier.
- Grind as much as you can. I have a rule of thumb that dictates if I find a good place to farm enemies, I'll keep killing them for 10 minutes for free experience and loot. If you press too far early game, later on you will have a lot of catching up to do.
- When in doubt, always heal yourself. Don't fuck around on low health, keep retreating until you can use Cure or a Potion. I've died dozens of times by thinking I can keep fighting with 50% health.
- Before you get Goofy and Donald, it can get really tough at places. I suggest you either rush to the part you can get your lovable Disney crew, or spend an hour farming on the Destiny isles.
- Since magic basically sucks, reserve your spellcasts to Cure and Aero. Only use offensive spells like Blizzard or Thunder if you have a good reason; such as hitting several targets or having too much mana.
- Forget about healing Donald and Goofy. They can take care of themselves, so worry about yourself instead of them. I've completed more than one playthrough without healing them once.
- Tinkerbell is the only useful summon in the game. She can bring you back to life when you die. The other summons should only be used for fun.
- Donald and Goofy are fantastic meat shields. Taking damage in your place is their primary role. Aside from that, they are only good for throwing you heals.

Fuck Selphie, and her stupid jumping rope.

Although this guide only gives you hints and tips on a general level, it should help. I've finished the game several times and taken down Sephiroth on just as many occasions. If you're still struggling, just keep trying. Some bosses won't go down first time, it takes a little practice and luck.

Kingdom Hearts is a great game and a brilliant franchise. Take the time to complete it, and I'm sure you will feel the same way. If you're looking for a review, go here.

Kingdom Hearts

The original Kingdom Hearts game ushered the JRPG genre into a new era. It took a step aside from the average turn based and slow paced RPG. Instead, you get to take a more pivotal role in combat, using a hack and slash based system incorporated into the usual Roleplaying blend.

Who would of thought Square-Enix and Disney could come together to create such a ground breaking game? There are many reasons to experience Kingdom Hearts. At a first look, it seems laughable to put Final Fantasy and Disney characters in the same sentence, never mind the same game! But it works, because it's one of the best damn games I've ever played.

Sora and Kairi, before everything turns to darkness.

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: 28th March, 2002
Platforms: PS2, PC, PS4, Android, Iphone
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Final Fantasy, Zenonia, Xenosaga

Birth by Sleep: Mirage Arena help

Olympus Colosseum has always featured in Kingdom Hearts games with numerous rounds. On the PSP however, the gladiatorial foray has evolved into the Mirage Arena. You can fight huge amounts of Unversed in one battle, followed by a boss. On the first three difficulties it's very easy to complete Birth by Sleep, with the occasional death. However, once you get to Proud mode that game over screen you see once in a while can be a frequent problem.

The arena has quite a wacky environment.

After farming the Mirage Arena on Ventus, Aqua and Terra, I thought I would leave a list of hints and tips for anyone who is struggling to complete all the rounds. Some of the bosses are extremely potent, and you need to utilize every tool in your arsenal to beat them all. So for anyone having trouble with the Mirage Arena, have a read through here and see if you learn anything.

If you can grab a couple of friends to play with it's easy to complete the Mirage Arena.

Mirage Arena: Hints and Tips

- Remember that you can't pause the game during rounds, so get comfortable or abuse the home button.
- Always have at least one Cure spell in your deck. Install more cures as you need them, sometimes when I am taking a lot of damage I will use up to three.
- Shotlock commands are your most powerful weapon. They grant you invulnerability, can buy you time, and put out a fair amount of damage. Master them all, and pick the one you find most useful. I personally like Flame Salvo or Bio Barrage. Remember to get maximum locks for maximum damage.
- When you are outnumbered in the early rounds, play very cautiously against enemies that can combo you to death. Sometimes if you're not careful all it takes is for one Unversed to land one attack and then the rest will keep hitting you before you can recover. Thin out their numbers before throwing yourself in there.
- Find a good deck balance that works for both taking down hordes of Unversed and bosses. It's generally good to pack a couple of long range Blizzard or Fire spells to hit enemies from a distance.
- AOE spells are useful for crowds of enemies, but they can't always hit at distance.
- The dodge ability should be used all the time. It's the same speed as running and can evade nearly all incoming damage. Block doesn't always work against heavier attacks, so don't rely on it in challenging situations.
- Mobility is your biggest advantage. You can avoid attacks until your hearts content. Try dodge rolling, attacking from the air, and using abilities from a distance. Fighting cautiously will always mitigate more damage than being offensive.
- Every enemy and boss has a rotation and attack style. If you learn how they function and what their dangerous moves are you won't get caught by them. Learn to abuse the weaknesses.
- Bosses on Proud mode are not a pushover. If you run at them swinging blindly you will die. Learn to dodge their devastating attacks first, and once you can survive the burst; try to start fitting your own damage in.
-  When in a precarious position and you haven't got any health left; it's always acceptable to dodge and evade until your Cure spell is off cooldown. Don't screw around on less than half health, it gets me killed more than I'd like to admit. Patience is also an important skill to winning.
- Your finishing move can be either a destructive force or a liability. Pick the right one, it's something you can activate frequently.
- D-Links cannot be used in the Mirage Arena, so don't rely on them.
- If you're stuck on the tournaments you currently have and cannot progress further, buy some tickets to the other Arenas. You can often pick up some extra money and Arena levels. The Arena shop also has various useful abilities for you to buy.
- Mirage Arena is fantastic for mastering abilities. Take a full deck of unleveled spells with you for a match and come out with them ready to meld. It's one of the faster ways to experiment, so don't worry about losing just try new skillsets.
- Farm the easier missions if you're having too much trouble. It's also advisable to go and complete the story for a new keyblade or bonus once in a while.

If you are having trouble with the Mirage Arena, I hope this guide helps you. I don't think many people should struggle with Birth by Sleep at all until you set it to the hardest difficulty, Proud mode. If you're getting frustrated try to incorporate the information in this guide to cement your strategy. Or take a short break and come back refreshed and ready to take on the challenge. Good luck, fellow arena goers!

Birth by Sleep review

Check out the top 5 PSP RPG titles here!

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by sleep

Kingdom Hearts has always been a questionable franchise at first sight. Final Fantasy meets Disney? Isn't that a rather awkward and strange match up? You'd think so, until you got your hands on a copy and realize it's a masterpiece. Square-Enix have developed a unique and wildly addictive combat system that fused action into the genre. It pushed the RPG industry into a new intuitive and more engaging era.

Terra and Aqua.

Genre: JRPG
Release Date: 9th January, 2010
Platforms: PSP
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Dissidia
Worth Playing: Birth by sleep was very fun, the story was pretty memorable and the combat was excellent.