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Uncategorized Tuesday, August 28th 2012 at 4:45 pm

PlayStation Vita’s First PS1 Offerings are Awfully Meager, Except in Europe

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Europe usually gets the proverbial shaft when it comes to the video game world. Given that a number of popular developers hail from either the United States or Japan, Europe can be left out of the publishing cycle in embarrassing ways. Sometimes games never even show up on their shores, despite being everywhere else. With the recent update to the PlayStation Vita, however, our European brothers and sisters are finally getting some love. Whereas North America is able to download a grand total of nine original PlayStation titles, Europe will be able to grab 129.

That’s not just the number that Europeans will eventually, over time, be able to get their hands on. That’s the number available when the ability to grab PlayStation titles goes live. The difference isn’t just the sheer number of games — though having 120 more certainly helps — but the quality. Of the nine available to American PlayStation Vita owners, only Final Fantasy VII has any real renown in the public eye.

That isn’t to say the others aren’t decent games, but, well, have a look for yourself at the full North American lineup:

  • Arc the Lad
  • Cool Boarders 2
  • FINAL FANTASY VII
  • Hot Shots Golf 2
  • Jet Moto
  • Syphon Filter
  • Tomb Raider
  • Twisted Metal 2
  • Wild Arms

It’s a pretty uneven bunch. There’s certainly some name recognition, such as Twisted Metal 2 and Tomb Raider, but most are perfectly forgettable experiences. This is especially true when compared to the utterly massive number of titles available in Europe.

Here’s the more impressive lineup, all available for download on August 29th, for any European PlayStation Vita:

  • Cool Boarders
  • Cool Boarders 2
  • Crash Bandicoot
  • Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
  • Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped
  • CTR: Crash Team Racing
  • Destruction Derby
  • Everybody’s Golf 2
  • G-Police
  • Jet Rider
  • Jet Rider 2
  • Jumping Flash
  • Kula World
  • Kurushi Final
  • MediEvil
  • Motor Toon Grand Prix 2
  • Rally Cross
  • Syphon Filter
  • Syphon Filter 3
  • Twisted Metal
  • Wild Arms
  • WipEout
  • 40 Wink
  • A Bug’s Life
  • A Bugs Life and Monsters Inc bundle
  • Abe’s Exoddus
  • Abe’s Oddworld Oddysee
  • Airboat
  • All-Star Boxing
  • Arc Arena: Monster Tournament
  • Arc the Lad
  • Arc the Lad II
  • Arc the Lad III
  • Arcade Hits: Shienryu
  • Arcade Hits: Sonic Wings Special
  • Atari Anniversary Edition
  • Atlantis
  • Atlantis and Hercules Bundle
  • Bishi Bashi Special
  • Blockids
  • Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
  • Bugriders
  • Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
  • Centipede
  • Cho Aniki
  • Constructor
  • Critical Depth
  • Dezaemon Plus
  • Disney’s Action Game ft. Hercules
  • Dodgeball
  • Driver
  • Eagle One: Harrier Attack
  • Fear Effect
  • Fear Effect: Retro Helix
  • Fighting Force
  • Fighting Force 2
  • Final Fantasy VIII
  • Final Fantasy IX
  • Final Fantasy V
  • Final Fantasy VI
  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Front Mission 3
  • Gaiaseed
  • Galaxy Fight
  • Gex
  • Gex 3: Deep Under Cover
  • Gex 3D: Enter the Gecko
  • Grandia
  • Gubble
  • Guilty Gear
  • Gunship
  • Hardcore 4X4
  • International Track & Field
  • Jigsaw Madness
  • Judge Dredd
  • Junior League Soccer PS1
  • Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
  • Lilo & Stitch
  • Little Mermaid 2
  • Little Mermaid 2 and Winnie The Pooh bundle
  • Metal Gear Solid
  • Mickey’s Wild Adventure
  • Miracle Quad Racer
  • Miracle Space Race
  • Missile Command
  • Monsters Inc
  • Motorhead
  • N20
  • Namco Heritage bundle
  • Pandemonium
  • Pandemonium 2
  • Parasite Eve 2
  • Peter Pan
  • Pong
  • Pooh’s Party Game
  • Rageball
  • Rainbow Six
  • Rascal Racers
  • Rayman
  • Rayman 2: The Great Escape
  • Reel Fishing
  • Re-loaded
  • Resident Evil 2
  • Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
  • Resident Evil: Director’s Cut
  • Ridge Racer Type 4
  • Sheep
  • Silent Hill
  • Snowboard Racer
  • Sorcerer’s Maze
  • Spin Jam
  • Sports Superbike
  • Streak
  • Street Fighter 2 Alpha
  • Super Star Dance Club
  • Tarzan
  • Tekken
  • Tekken 2
  • Tomb Raider
  • Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
  • Tomb Raider Chronicles
  • Tomb Raider 2
  • Tomb Raider 3
  • Toy Story 2
  • Toy Story Racer
  • Toy Story Racer and Toy Story 2: Woody and Buzz bundle
  • Vagrant Story
  • Alundra
  • Urban Chaos

That’s day one Vagrant Story, Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Silent Hill. Feel free to start brooding now.

(Sony via Kotaku)

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  • Toby Mole

    Yeah, this is how Europe normally feels the day after Google I/O
    Nexus Q thats US only with speakers that are US only with cables that are US only. Nexus 7 with google magazines that are US only and google music that is US only and google movies & TV that are US only. God knows why they are even attempting to sell the Nexus 7 here.
    Feel free to list more. And the dozen or so other companies that are at the same crap.
    At a guess, Id say the reason that the Vita is getting more titles here in the EU at launch is because there doesn’t seem to be so much fuss about it here and thus they need to make it ready to play whatever at launch, wheras in the US things like the Media and major conventions hyping the device mean they can make more cash by dribbling the titles out.

  • Chris Ranck

    Why can’t I have my crash bandicoot game on my US VIta…!