PS VITA HALL OF FAME
TEARAWAY
Peerless crafty platforming from Media Molecule, this time using PS Vita’s raft of touchscreen/ touchpad controls to surprise and delight you in new ways for hours on end. Full of whimsy, charm and enough personality to put most games to shame, Tearaway’s papercraft world remains Vita’s most vibrant title.
PERSONA 4: GOLDEN
This thoughtful and unique JRPG epic gives you another stab at high school – only this time with intrigue and superpowers instead of nerves, acne and an unpredictable vocal register.
RAYMAN LEGENDS
Rather than losing its lustre on the move to PS Vita, Ray’s second slice of sumptuous side-scrolling is even better on handheld. Touchscreen gestures make this fine platformer all the sweeter.
VELOCITY 2X
A ludicrously enjoyable puzzle/platformer hybrid that should come with a health warning. So joyous is the side-scroller’s twin-stick teleporting, there’s a danger you’ll smile your face clean off the bone.
LITTLEBIGPLANET
Sackboy’s back, smaller but just as lovable as ever. His platforming antics work perfectly on Vita, and the new control inputs complement the level creator brilliantly. Also: d’awwww.
SUPER MEAT BOY!
The new music doesn’t match up to the classic tunes, but Meat Boy’s longawaited PlayStation debut is the finest, fleshiest twitch platformer of all. An essential, thumb-destroying masterpiece.
FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD REMASTER
Two examples of JRPG royalty, lovingly restored to their former glory for your portable pleasure. Their new touch controls are – gasp! – a welcome addition.
GRAVITY RUSH
Use a gravity-defying cat to break the laws of physics and zoom across the skies of a floating steampunk city. With stylish comic-book looks and a sassy heroine, this is a rush to remember.
METAL GEAR SOLID HD COLLECTION
Two of PlayStation’s finest adventures scale down beautifully, with enough cutscenes to fill a transatlantic flight. Even less excuse not to play, then.
SPELUNKY
With more than a subtle nod of its fedora to a certain whip-wielding Dr Jones, Spelunky’s procedurally generated dungeons and platformer/roguelike mashup shines brightest on PS Vita.
STEINS;GATE
This mind-bending, tongue-in-cheek visual novel takes something as simple as a mobile phone and turns it into a timetravelling extravaganza that’s fit to bursting with comedy and drama.
HOTLINE MIAMI
Part puzzler, part top-down murder-‘em-up that’s as brutal as almost anything else on PlayStation. It’s hard but never frustrating, with instant restarts and lightning-fast gameplay.
CRYPT OF THE NECRODANCER
Take Guitar Hero and Spelunky, then whack them in a blender. You’ll get this gem, with its addictive soundtrack and moreish rhythm-action monster-slaying.
DOWNWELL
There’s an engrossing simplicity that powers Moppin’s surprise hit. All you can do is move left and right and fire your gunboots, yet hours later, we still can’t turn it off. Fair to say it’s gone down well.
UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS
Drake proves he’s just as adept at adventuring on the go. A prequel story plump with classic jungle action, and crammed full of typical Uncharted charm.