PS Vita is still the best portable PlayStation money can buy

Then, the PS Vita has finally kicked the bucket. It's been a long time, but now the Vita handheld is out of production.

To be honest, this is probably for the best. Sony is famous for its unwillingness to support the handheld console, which saw the lack of exclusive games, ridiculously expensive proprietary memory cards and a failure to adapt to the trends of mobile gaming. With the arrival of Nintendo Switch, Sony does not plan to be successful in its best console compatible with previous versions, which seems a shame.

As a result of this decision, Sony also announced the launch of the Pocket PlayStation. Classic, a mini-console in the same style as the Nintendo NES Classic and SNES Classic Mini, for December 3, and just in time for Christmas.

It is a smart fiscal decision of Sony, but a solution without commitment to an urgent problem. The controller for the PlayStation Classic lacks analog sticks, has no online functionality and the console will come with an undisclosed majority (at least at this point) 20 games, all for the not inconsiderable price of £ 89 / $ 149 / AU $ 149. [19659005] Looking for more console thefts? Check out our games deals Black Friday 2018

Great if you're looking for a nostalgic paperweight, but for that price, you can buy a Vita in very good condition and open yourself to a catalog that has hundreds of classic titles, as well as games that you can also carry (crucially) with you anywhere.

Of course, buying a second-hand console is not for everyone. It is natural to worry, especially if you are acquiring one of the original Vita models that came out six years ago, although the LCD screen of his successor PS Vita Slim was not a patch on the top OLED screen of the previous model. Also, you will definitely not receive any new games in the future, beyond a few indies.

But in addition to the Sony PS3, there is nothing comparable for veteran PlayStation players looking for a nostalgic solution.

I took a Vita in 2018 for this exact reason, in order to play gems from my childhood on my daily commute. I was pleasantly surprised by the complete package, even the satisfactory user interface of peeling pages and, most importantly, its catalog of classics.

From critically acclaimed titles such as Spyro the Dragon and Resident Evil 2 to the darkest but memorable. Disney's Hercules and 40 Winks, Vita's online store is full of PlayStation games, including the ones you have fondly for no particular reason. Even if you do not want scheduled games to become remasters over the course of the year, like the aforementioned Spyro and Resi, there is still something for you.

Better than a curated list of 20 people who please the crowd, you can enjoy the games that most likely will reach the Classic and still has room to spare for lesser-known gems.

In tracing the lists, I found innumerable titles that I had forgotten since I was a child: instinctive purchases of nostalgia such as Mickey's wild adventure that does not have critical acclaim but certainly has a special place in my heart. I imagine that there is something for everyone in that aspect, and the lack of a fixed menu means that you can choose the games that you like the most.

If you're a player looking to catch up on the highlights of a bygone era, many of the classics on the bucket list are also present, which you may have omitted and wish to catch up on. Games like Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII provide a perfect entry point to some of the most revered series of the game, and are available in this misfit console forgotten.

Removable controls also improve the accessibility of old-school gems, which means you're not stuck with a pre-Dualshock dinosaur from a controller and a short cable, something no one is really used to today . The back panel of the Vita touch panel easily remedies the archaic control schemes, giving life to the tank controls, among other unfortunate realities of the first PlayStation games.

If you can brave You also open to some landlocked exclusives that are well worth the price of admission. Atlus dropped a much-loved port of Persona 4 of 2009 on the platform, and Golden is still considered one of the best JRPGs ever made, with Vita as the best way to experience it at its best.

Even if you choose it for nostalgia, that will not stop you from enjoying forgotten titles like Tearaway and Gravity Rush, as well as indie favorites Spelunky, The Binding of Isaac and Grim Fandango Remastered, all charming titles that do not suffer any damage.

For PS Plus subscribers who instinctively download all the free offers every month, I have more good news: you may be surprised at how many Vita games you have.

Beyond platform exclusives Many of the titles that Sony has offered in their monthly packages are cross-games, which means you can continue where you left off on your main system while traveling.

This also extends to the AAA PS4 games. The immense fidelity of Marvel's Spider-Man is not exactly one for you, but the Remote Game has been strengthening in recent years, which means that you can certainly finish the side quests in an orderly fashion as long as you leave your main system working at home.

Ultimately, it's a matter of comfort. It's probably a bit easier to wait for the Classic console and get a pristine experience without scratching the surface. But if you have the courage and knowledge to do it, the PS Vita can still be a useful pill, even in 2018 with the console out of production.

Sony's lackluster approach to backward compatibility means that the value proposition of the console still stands and does not seem to provide an answer to this problem in the short term. Until they do, live the classics and live PS Vita.

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