The Playstation Portable, or PSP, is probably the least kid-friendly of any the current handheld consoles. But while adults with young kids should look out for games like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, God Of War: Chains Of Olympus and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, there are plenty of kids games on the PSP that are just as good as those. Here are three good examples that provide plenty of entertainment for everyone, although there are still many others.
Wipeout Pure: is possibly the best racing game available on the PSP. The Wipeout franchise first debuted on the Playstation in 1995 and all it’s sequels since have received critical acclaim. What makes it so good? It’s sense of pure speed, probably. In this game dozens of futuristic hovering race cars rocket through obstacle courses in an attempt to reach first place. Along with an extensive singleplayer mode Wipeout Pure features online multiplayer support for up to eight players. Anyone who owns a PSP should play this game, even if you aren’t usually into racing games.
LocoRoco: is a game best played in short bursts, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. LocoRoco is a charming two-dimensional puzzle game, the objective of which is to control small round creatures called LocoRocos as they roll across the planet. As the LocoRoco’s roll continuously, the planet can be tilted using the right and left shoulder buttons to manipulate the creatures’ movements. As any great puzzle game is, LocoRoco is more than the sum of it’s parts, and it’s sequel is even better.
Tokobot: is a unique and revitalizing platformer in which the main character makes use of a squad of ancient robots called Tokobots in combat and the solving of many puzzles. This is accomplished by ordering the Tokobots to execute certain formations, depending on the situation at hand. For example, executing “circle formation” cause the bots to surround you, making it possible for you to, together, stomp on enemies and activate large triggers. It’s the formations and the proper use of them that allow you to progress from area to area, and eventually defeat the game’s bosses. Tokobot is in many ways a throwback to the 3D, kid friendly platformers of the 1990’s, and would be especially enjoyable for those who got a kick out of Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Spyro. However, it’s the kind of game any newcomer to the genre will likely enjoy as well, and kids especially.
