PSP World

Upcoming PSP Games in 2010

It has often been claimed that "this year will finally be the year of the PSP." Despite the disappointments in the past, it does appear that 2010 will have some fantastic news for PSP owners. A strong lineup of potential hit games is on the way, suggesting that Sony's handheld may have finally hit its stride. As long as the company is able to successfully fight off piracy and convince publishers that the platform can be a commercial success, we will see many more large third party developers producing original content on the PSP. Fans of Japanese RPGs and classic Playstation franchises in particular will find a lot to play in the coming months. Here is a list of all of the big games coming to the Sony PSP in 2010.

MGS: Peace Walker

By far our most anticipated upcoming PSP game, Peace Walker is being billed as the next true installment of the Metal Gear saga by enigmatic producer Hideo Kojima. The game will feature a full single player campaign set in the jungles of Costa Rica, along with some very creative and entertaining co-operative gameplay options. Read more about Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker here.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

It's been a while since we've had an adventure in the pop-cultural soup of the Kingdom Hearts Universe. This new entry will serve as a prequel of sorts to the franchise. Instead of taking the role of the usual protagonist, players will control one of three elemental spirits: Aqua, Terra, or Ventus. While the combat system has been overhauled for this portable game, the basic Kingdom Hearts formula appears to remain intact, which will surely be tempting to fans of the original games. Read more about Kingdom Hearts PSP here.

Resident Evil PSP

It was originally thought that this would simply be a port of a classic Resident Evil game to the PSP. However, with Sony's new policy of 'no ports', it is likely that Resident Evil PSP will be an all-new adventure in the series, complete with 3D zombie-killing gameplay. According to Capcom, Resident Evil is "an all-new title created specifically for the PSP platform, with the PSP Go in mind." Look for a Halloween 2010 release window.

Lunar: Silver Star Harmony

No matter what its detractors say, the PSP excels in one important area: Japanese RPGs. Lunar: Silver Star Harmony continues in a long line of excellent JRPG releases on the handheld. This is basically a port of the original Silver Star with completely reworked graphics, a remastered soundtrack containing new songs, an enhanced battle system, and additional storyline material. Since not everybody has had a chance to play the original Lunar: Silver Star, Harmony offers a great way to experience this classic RPG on the PSP system.

Final Fantasy: Agito XIII

Square Enix just keeps pumping out the games on PSP, and for good reason: Crisis Core was one of the most successful titles on the system during the past year. Agito XIII will serve as a prequel to the upcoming console game, focusing on the activities of its characters at an earlier stage in their lives. It retains the same 3D combat system of Crisis Core, so if you enjoyed the somewhat random aspect of that game you will be right at home with Agito XIII. Read more about the game's development here.

Valkyria Chronicles 2

Yet ANOTHER JRPG to look forward to on the PSP. This one is a sequel to the uber-successful 2007 PS3 game, which took the established RPG formula to a brand new setting: a World-War 2 era conflict between fictional nations. The gameplay, which fuses action and tactical strategy, is a real treat, and the story, graphics and character development look to be on the same level as the console game. Check out a trailer for Valkyria Chronicles PSP here.