PSP Games - Final Fantasy
A significant number of the Final Fantasy franchise, remakes, and spin off games have been released on Sony’s popular Playstation Portable system, the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The PSP is a handheld game console developed and released by Sony Computer Entertainment first in Japan on December 12, 2004. The PSP later made an American debut on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005. The PSP is the first handheld console to be released by the PlayStation franchise and upon release was a contending rival to the Nintendo DS.
Here are some notable releases of Final Fantasy games on the PSP console.
Dissidia Final Fantasy PSP
Dissidia Final Fantasy is a fighting, action role playing spinoff game of the Final Fantasy series produced by Square Enix on the PlayStation Portable. It is one of the main Final Fantasy PSP games and was released in Japan in 2008, and 2009 to the rest of the world. Directed by Takeshi Arakawa and produced by Yoshinori Kitase, the game centers around a conflict between Cosmos, the goddess of harmony, and Chaos, the god of discord. Multiple protagonists and antagonists from previous Final Fantasy games appear in the ensuing struggle, retaining their fighting styles and capabilities from their original games. The game was a critical success, inspiring a follow up title called Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
This is a sequel to the Final Fantasy Dissidia game, also released on the PSP in 2011. The game is real time action based, while placing less emphasis on classic RPG game elements. In Dissidia 012 classic characters from the Final Fantasy universe such as Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII, to more minor character such as Laguna from Final Fantasy VIII make an appearance. Players are able to play as many of the characters from the previous Final Fantasy roster, protagonists, as well as the antagonists. The game length as a fighting game offers hours of gameplay making this game a great choice for a portable system.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics was developed by Square, and is the first tactical RPG and holds the first title in the Final Fantasy Tactics series, released on Playstation in 1997. The game inspired a re-release in 2007 as Final Fantasy Tactics The War of the Lions, on the PSP, as well as a handful of Final Fantasy PSP games. Final Fantasy Tactics garnered universal acclaim and generally positive reviews and inspired a number of spinoffs.
Final Fantasy War of the Lions
An updated port of Final Fantasy Tactics was released on May 10, 2007 in Japan for the Sony PlayStation Portable as part of the Ivalice Alliance project. War of the Lions is a role playing game, based on strategy turn based gameplay, offering the Final Fantasy job system to further accentuate customization. The game offers a story with a deep lore that seeks to keep users engaged throughout the playtime. The protagonist is a young knight named Ramza, the user follows his journey to discover Ivalice’s history and uncover the hidden secret behind the new king’s rise to power. The PSP version is often regarded as a superior port compared to the original.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Crisis Core is an action RPG from Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. The game is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII and is the fourth entry to the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Crisis core is both an action and turn-based RPG, with a stream of fast turns creating the illusion of real-time combat. The player chooses between actions from a menu, featuring attack, magic, special attack, and item choices. Playing as the protagonist Zack Fair, a Shinra soldier, who had connections with main prominent characters of Final Fantasy VII such as Aerith Gainsborough, and Cloud Strife. The game’s story can be completed in around 15 hours of gameplay, or to complete all missions, leads to around 50 hours of gameplay for a 100% completion. The game features Final Fantasy VII’s main protagonists as homages to the original including but not limited to a younger version of, Tifa, Cloud, and Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II is the second installment to the Final Fantasy flagship series. The fantasy RPG game was originally produced by square and released in 1988, on the Nintendo Entertainment Series exclusively to the Japanese market. The game has since received global releases as a port on the Gameboy advance, Playstation, Playstation Portable, and other systems. It was originally released as Final Fantasy II, and was directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, scored by Nobuo Uematsu. In charge of the character design, and concept art was Yoshitaka Amano. Though directly following Final Fantasy I, the sequel did not contain any characters or places from the first game. The game centers on four main characters, youths whose parents were killed in an army invasion of the empire of Palamecia. The empire wishes to achieve world domination using their hellspawn. The plot follows their fight against the Empire, their collaboration with members of the rebellion, and various struggles and quests to return the world to peace.