The best PS Vita games that helped transform Sony's powerhouse of a portable console
We still can’t work out how Bend Studio managed to cram a full-fat Uncharted onto a 7.2-inch console. The action is relentless, and there are some spectacular set-pieces to gape at.
Spelunky’s brutal difficulty will no doubt put many off, but if you stick with it you’ll find one of the most rewarding platforming experiences around.
This excellent visual novel and murder mystery game is cleverly split into two distinctive parts. Sometimes it's like a dating sim, at others, like Phoenix Wright.
Vanillaware’s vibrant brawler is also available on PS3 and PS4 but the Vita’s stunning OLED screen punches up the action no end.
Blessed with a surprisingly rich story, Severed casts you as Sasha, a plucky young girl on a quest to find her missing family.
At its heart, TxK is a tube shooter, meaning you zip around the edges of elaborate shapes shooting at anything in your path, before proceeding to the next level. It's amazing.
A violent top-down shooter that's as much a puzzler as it is an all-out blaster. Each meticulous level asks you to navigate rooms filled with goons as you achieve your goals ultra violently.
Like many early Vita games, this papercraft platformer makes heavy use of the Vita’s features. Here, they enhance the on-screen action, and never feel like forced-in gimmicks.
This tremendous remake of the PS2 game was originally planned for PSP, but Atlas moved development to Sony’s new console and the end result is one of the system’s most engrossing games.
Japan Studio’s game is everything you want from a killer app: it offers stunning visuals, does a spectacular job of showcasing the PS Vita’s unique attributes, and is mechanically excellent.