Best PSP RPGs That Never Came To America

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of gaming, these forgotten gems resonate deeply with me. The PSP, a device that once held the hearts of many, was home to some truly exceptional titles, only a few of which graced the shores of North America.

Outside of Japan, the PSP often received an unfairly negative reputation, but it truly thrived there due to games such as Monster Hunter. The PSP boasted some fantastic titles from well-known series, and if you were a fan of RPGs, this was a system worth owning. For instance, Final Fantasy 7 and Kingdom Hearts had prequels, along with a spinoff fighting game called Dissidia Final Fantasy.

Many other excellent role-playing games (RPGs) also existed, but unfortunately, quite a number of them remained confined to Japan. Europe was fortunate enough to receive some exclusives for unknown reasons, which lessened the importance of importing games for English speakers. However, despite this, let’s delve into the history of PSP RPGs and explore the games that didn’t reach North America.

8 .hack//Link

The Missing Piece Of The Faux MMO Puzzle

Best PSP RPGs That Never Came To America

Platform: PSP
Released: March 4, 2010 (Japan)
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but reminisce about .hack//Link, a gem that sadly didn’t grace North American shores simultaneously with its MMO and fighting game counterparts on the PS2 and PS3 respectively. Yet, it held promise as the next logical installment in the series, developed by none other than CyberConnect2 – the original creators, not some side team within Bandai Namco.

7 Breath Of Fire 3

An Early PSP Release That Turned To Ash

Best PSP RPGs That Never Came To America

Platform: PS1, PSP, PS3, PS Vita
Released: February 3, 2006 (European PSP Version)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Originally launched on the PlayStation 1 in North America in 1998, a year following its release in Japan, “Breath of Fire 3” was the first game in the series to appear on that console. Previous games were on the SNES. This version offered more turn-based gameplay and a dragon transformation feature that hooked fans. Later, it was ported to the PSP in Japan in 2005 and Europe the following year. Regrettably, it did not receive a re-release in North America on the PSP for unknown reasons; however, since the European version is in English, it made importing an easy option at that time.

6 Digimon Adventure

Change Into Digital Champions

Platform: PSP
Released: January 17, 2013 (Japan)
Developer: Prope
Publisher: Bandai Namco Games

90s children likely became fans of anime due to two shows airing back-to-back: Pokemon and Digimon. The show Digimon Adventure is an adaptation of the initial season, and it’s a pretty good one. It’s essentially a role-playing game with turn-based mechanics, where players can select the kids they control along with their corresponding Digimon.

2013 saw the PSP’s delayed release, as by then, the PS Vita had already been introduced to the market. This could be the reason why it didn’t see a global launch, but for those keen on playing one of the top-tier Digimon games, there’s an English fan patch available.

5 Last Ranker

Certainly Not Capcom’s Last RPG

Platform: PSP
Released: July 15, 2010
Developer: Imageepoch
Publisher: Capcom

Another video game titled “Last Ranker” was published by Capcom, but unfortunately, it didn’t manage to leave Japan. This game was developed by Imageepoch in 2010, a studio known for creating numerous titles, albeit primarily within niche RPG communities. Fans might be familiar with their works such as Luminous Arc, Fate/Extra, or 7th Dragon. The fact that Capcom is publishing “Last Ranker” is notable since they haven’t supported many turn-based RPGs after the popularity boom of the Breath of Fire series in the 90s and early 2000s. The game incorporates a touch of Monster Hunter‘s style, which could appeal to fans of that series who can find an English patch available online.

4 Tales of Eternia

A Game By Many Names

Platforms: PS1, PSP
Released: February 10, 2006 (European PSP Version)
Developer: Namco Tales Studio (PSP Version)
Publisher: Ubisoft

Back in the day, as a gamer, I remember diving into the captivating universe of Tales of Eternia, a unique gem within the Tales of series. It originally dropped on the PlayStation 1, but North American gamers knew it as Tales of Destiny 2 in 2001, despite having no connection to that game. In Japan, there was indeed a real Tales of Destiny 2 for the PS2 in 2002. The game I’m talking about, Tales of Eternia, got a port on the PSP in Japan in 2005, with Europe following suit a year later. Unfortunately, North America missed out again, despite being the first region to get the PS1 version. To add to its intrigue, there was an MMO set in this world called Tales of Eternia Online that sprang up in 2006, but it closed down just a year later in 2007.

3 White Knight Chronicles: Origins

A Prequel No One Knew Existed

Platform: PSP
Released: June 8, 2011 (Europe)
Developer: Japan Studio, Matrix Software
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

The game titled White Knight Chronicles was Level-5’s subsequent major PlayStation role-playing game after the Dark Cloud series and Rogue Galaxy. Notably, there were two games available on the PS3, and interestingly, the sequel came bundled with the original game as well.

North Americans missed out on the handheld video game, “White Knight Chronicles: Origins,” which was jointly developed by Japan Studio and Matrix Software rather than Level-5. This game was a prequel to the original, set thousands of years back, and shared the MMO-style auto gameplay. Given its portability, the cooperative mode made perfect sense for casual meetings when it launched in 2011, not just in North America but also in Europe and Japan.

2 Valkyria Chronicles 3

A Real-Time Tactical Challenge

Platform: PSP
Released: January 27, 2011 (Japan)
Developer: Media.Vision
Publisher: Sega

In North America, only one game from the Valkyria Chronicles series remains unavailable on a console or portable system – Valkyria Chronicles 3. This was the second installment released for PlayStation Portable (PSP) in Japan back in 2011. Fortunately, there is a fan translation available since it’s considered one of the standout entries in the series. The Valkyria Chronicles games are often overlooked but deserve more attention because they redefined what a turn-based tactical RPG could offer. Instead of moving on grids, characters have free movement within a range and players can manually aim their weapons for attacks. This adds an element of realism as enemies can shoot freely while characters move, making the gameplay feel more immersive, like being in the midst of actual combat.

1 Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 3

It’s Time To Duel In The UK

Platform: PSP
Released: November 28, 2008 (Europe)
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

As a diehard Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I’ve always been intrigued by the missing pieces in our gaming puzzle. In North America, we were fortunate enough to get our hands on the first two Tag Force games on the PSP, but alas, the third one slipped through our fingers. However, we did manage to grab the fourth and fifth entries. There are more missed games within this series, but let’s focus on the elusive Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 3, which graced Japan and Europe in 2008 and finally landed Down Under in 2009. Localizing games back then was often a gamble, as demonstrated by many other titles on the list. This series is a card RPG within the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise that dedicated fans like me have been dueling with for ages.

2024-10-03 04:34