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“VITA – My Favorite Game System of All-Time”

Over the course of two weeks, I have liquidated about half of my console game collection at GameStop to purchase VITA games. Why would somebody do that for a “dead” system?

• Physical media is forever. I love portable gaming, and I want to be in a position where I can reject uncapped spending, obfuscated costs (via virtual currency and blind packs), and game closures (sunsetting) for the rest of my life.
• VITA game releases are getting scarce. Only one physical copy of Shiren the Wanderer made it to the Bay Area at a retail location. Even LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now very hard to find in stores, and a GameStop rep confirmed that the game is already out of print for VITA. I really, really enjoy collecting at the end of the lifecycle of unappreciated consoles. I did the same for Saturn, and wound up owning Burning Rangers, House of the Dead, and Panzer Dragoon Saga as a result.
• There are a lot of phenomenal games nobody has heard of. Steins;Gate. Code:Realize. Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. Have you heard of any of these? They are great, but few people know what they are. While the VITA tanked in the West, it was successful overseas, and a handful of companies are bringing over a final raft of quirky Japanese titles. I love mainstream Western games, but I also have a soft spot for obscure Japanese products with low print runs.

• The social scene is really lively for VITA collecting. I have settled into the forums at The Vita Lounge, and have started befriending folks who love the system as much – if not more – than I do. That site updates every day, creates beautiful digital magazines dedicated to the system, and has a really fun podcast. I talked to a friend at EEDAR who said that VITA owners are THE most passionate hard core gamers on earth. And it makes sense; the only people who would carry a VITA nowadays are those who don’t feel that a smartphone satisfies their on-the-go gaming needs. The forum is made up of folks who are polite, interested in curation, and excited about every new release on the platform. The VITA sub-reddit is great, too.

• The library to-date is way better than you think. Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Tearaway. Persona 4 Golden. Killzone Mercenary. Rayman Legends. Need for Speed Most Wanted. Just a handful of awesome console-quality games that are great to have on-the-go.

• PSTV compatibility. Most VITA games can also be played on the PSTV. It’s really a wonderful treat to be able to play your games on public transportation, during your lunch break, and then back at home on the big screen TV.
• Memory Sticks let you carry a lot of games with you everywhere. I carry two 64GB memory sticks in my VITA at all times. One is in the memory slot, the other I store in the otherwise useless 3G port. This lets me carry around 71 retail games wherever I go.

• Trophies! If you are collecting trophies on your PS4, it’s nice to earn more by playing VITA games. Trophy collecting is a fun way to extend the value of your games.
• Lots of Ports of AAA PS2 Games. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3. Final Fantasy X and X-2. The Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, and Jak & Daxter trilogies. God of War 1 and 2. Many of the best games of the PS2 era are now portable, and that’s awesome.

• PSNOW and Remote Play. Playstation NOW works as well on VITA as it does on PS3 and PS4, and it gives you instant access to hundreds of PS3 games – while you are at Starbucks. Remote Play makes it easy to enjoy PS4 games when your TV is being used.

Purchased

1. Arcana Heart 3: Love Max!!! (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $16.19)
2. Code: Realize (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $22.49)
3. Child of Light (Vita): $15.00
4. Corpse Party Blood Drive (Vita): $25.00
5. Grand Kingdom (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $26.99)
6. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Vita): $29.99
7. Persona: Dance All Night (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $23.94)
8. Shiren the Wanderer (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $39.99)
9. Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $15.74)
10. Legends Trails of Cold Steel (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $39.99)
11. Ys Memories of Celceta (Vita): $10.00
12. Zero Time Dilemma (Vita): 0.00 (in-store credit, retail $39.99)
13. Headlander (PS4): 0.00 (gift; retail $19.99)

Played: $1,423.84

1. Arcana Heart 3: Love Max!!! (Vita): 42m
2. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Vita): 2h 20m
3. Persona: Dance All Night (Vita): 1h 46m
4. Shiren the Wanderer (Vita): 2h 43m
5. Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (Vita): 16m
6. Legends Trails of Cold Steel (Vita): 5h 48m
7. Odin Sphere (Vita): 3h 53m
8. Headlander (PS4): 1h 33m