PSP World

10 Great PSP Games for Under $10

New PSP game releases can be quite expensive, so my strategy is to wait for games to age a bit on the handheld platform before buying. That has literally saved me hundreds of dollars over the last few years, and kept my portable gaming habit quite affordable. But which games are worth your time and money? To help new PSP owners choose, we've put together a list of the best PSP games currently available for less than $10. These are titles that were often worth the full price when originally released, but for whatever reason may have been overlooked. So rather than plunking down insane amounts of money for the latest releases like Tactics Ogre or Valkyria Chronicles 2, why not give some of these older titles a try? With some UMD games going for as low as $1.95, there is no reason not to augment your PSP library. We guarantee you'll get your money's worth.

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII
Besides being like catnip to legions of Final Fantasy faithful, this action RPG prequel is actually quite a good game. High production values, gorgeous graphics and an easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master fighting system round out the package. Plus, it is a very touching and well-conceived homage to one of the greatest games in PlayStation history, and will make you want to go back and play FFVII all over again.
Buy on Amazon $9.96

Burnout Legends
The handheld versions of EA's long-running console racer are superb. Yes, the games have been scaled down a tiny bit to fit on a portable platform, but you would hardly know it. All of the elements that make the series fantastic are perfectly preserved here: the crashes, the aggressive takedowns, the perilous speeds and incredibly complex environments. You could easily spend 40 hours unlocking everything that this game has to offer. Overall, huge value for money and one of the best arcade racers made for the PSP platform. Buy on Amazon $9.99

Medal of Honor Heroes
Here's one you might not have played. Translating a World War 2 shooter to the small screen was no easy task, but developers pulled off an astounding job here, and even managed to squeeze in support for 16-player online multiplayer. The most memorable thing about this game is definitely the satisfaction of taking out a squad of German soldiers with a hand grenade in the single-player campaign. The grenades are just devastating, and leave satisfying black smoke when they go off. Tons of different environments here too, from snowy forests to European cities. A full-on FPS in the palm of your hand. Buy on Amazon $9.99

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
This is another case where the developers set themselves the impossible task of making a full-sized console game work on PSP, and succeeded. There are more gadgets, exotic locations, and double-crosses in this spy thriller than in most James Bond films. Gabe Logan controls with ease, and players will quickly be able to pull off ridiculously cool moves while sneaking up on henchmen and saving the free world. Worth it for the cool goggle effects alone. Buy on Amazon $9.99

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
The PSP is the undisputed champion of RPG games. With a stronger library of genre classics than any other system currently available, this is where gamers are going to get their RPG fix. Perhaps no other game best exemplifies the tactics RPG than this game (even though Jeanne d'Arc on PSP is another good example). Lovingly remade with lots of PSP-specific improvements, all true RPG fans need to own this game.
Buy on Amazon $9.99

LocoRoco 2
A clever and adorable platformer in which you control the tilt of the entire game world using the L and R buttons on the PSP. An easy game to overlook because of its cutesy graphics, LocoRoco actually deserves a look from more hardcore gamers. Like the classic platform puzzler Lemmings, the later stages in LocoRoco 2 can get quite challenging. There are easily 20 hours of puzzle perfection here once the game sucks you in to its charming world.
Buy on Amazon $9.99

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
A somewhat inappropriate title, since in this case, the size of the PSP platform didn't stop developers from crafting a credible console experience. Tons of weapons, space combat and arena battles more than make up for the pint-sized screen. In fact, many reviewers preferred the PSP version to the PS2 port, so this is the one to get.
Buy on Amazon $9.99

Lumines II
Ever since Tetris became the killer app for Nintendo's monochrome Gameboy, every handheld game system needs a signature puzzle game. Lumines is that game for the PSP, and the sequel has perfected the forumla even further. similarities to Tetris end with the falling brick mechanic. In Lumines it's all about matching colors, all while being distracted by amazing beats and trippy visuals. Buy on Amazon $1.95

Kingdom of Paradise
One of the rare examples of a completely new IP, designed from the ground up exclusively for PSP. Kingdom of Paradise combines awesome weapon-based kungfu of Soul Calibur, with RPG-like quests and leveling system. Players are given freedom to design moves and combos using scrolls collected from the environment. Epic boss battles pitch the player's knowledge of the elemental damage system against the foes' weak points for massive damage. A haunting soundtrack, great story, and cool visual style complete the package. I HOPE that the developers consider expanding upon the concept for a sequel. Buy on Amazon $5.88

Coded Arms
This was one of the early games for Sony's PSP, and was meant to showcase the system's power and graphics. The cyberpunk visuals of coded Arms still stand up to scrutiny now, more than four years after launch. The insect-like enemies are still terrifying, and the procedurally generated environments have a haunting sense of dread to them. Memorable boss fights keep the single-player campaign lively, while the ad-hoc multiplayer is good for some deathmatch against friends. A buddy and I spent hours playing this game while camping, and we think it's one of the best multiplayer FPS games for the PSP. Buy on Amazon $3.47