As Vita delivers the long promised reality of console gaming on the go, it signals the end of second-tier portable versions of big franchises.
Portable gaming and console gaming have historically been two different animals. Because of the differences in technology and controls we have got used to handheld games being quirky or scaled down versions of the console game.
This all made perfect sense back on the DS, where even offering an approximation of a console experience in handheld form was a technical marvel. There is something ingenious about how much the LEGO games manage to squeeze into the diminutive handheld. The pixilation speaks as much of the work that has gone into making these games possible as any shortcut or lack of investment.
It has always reminded me of the trend that arose out of the 8-bit and 16-bit Demo Scene that tasked programmers with creating a visually impressive experience in just 64k. Limited memory and processing power added to the sense of artistry and skill of these creations. This 74k version of Zelda for the HP49 programmable calculator is a miniature marvel and case in point I think.
However, as portable gaming devices have got more powerful these scaled down versions of console games feel like poor value for money. One of the most significant aspects of Nintendo’s strong first party game for the DS and 3DS XL is that it offers an experience that stretches the graphical and game-play abilities of its systems. Mariokart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land join Mariokart DS and Super Mario 64 DS in offering console-style gaming on the go and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with Zelda and Animal Crossing on 3DS this year -- fingers crossed.
Third party portable games fare less well though. I’ve been increasingly disappointed with the portable LEGO games on both 3DS and Vita that are, as far as I can tell, simply an up-scaled DS version with a few bells and whistles. I had the same gripes when reviewing Skylanders Giants on 3DS that lacked the scale of the console game.
In fact I still revisit each new LEGO game when they are released, hoping for a change to this pattern but no luck so far. This was something I asked Nick Ricks about recently as you can see below. "Recreating a console game on a handheld in its entirety is perhaps beyond us" was his response. With the newer Vita games this stance will become harder to hold I suspect. Perhaps the new LEGO Chima games will solve the problem?
This got me wondering about other Vita games and how they compared to the console version. Over the holidays I spent some time testing out my theory. I had a happy surprise to find not a few Vita versions of third party franchises offering a pretty much console experience on the handheld. This is no small thing and represents a considerable amount of effort and risk for the developer.
What better excuse, then, to run down my favorite Vita games that break the curse of the downgraded portable versions? These are games that have impressed me by delivering a full console experience that you can really play on the go with only minor concessions.
1. Need for Speed Most Wanted
Rather than handing off the portable version to another team Criterion took the helm of the Vita game. What results is a portable experience that is identical to the console version, with just a few graphical and traffic density concessions being made.
To my eye, on the Vita’s screen and held in the hands, this looks every bit as good as the PS3/360 version. Playing as the day-night cycle slowly changes the look of the city and chasing down all those challenges and cars has brightened up many a train journey.
If Criterion can add in Cross-play and Cross-buy features to the next Need for Speed I think I'd actually prefer this to the console game. Setting way-points on the map with the touch screen is already a step ahead of the game-pad.
2. Assassin’s Creed III Liberation
Having played many spin-off Assassin’s Creed games on the DS (and GBA) over the years I was expecting this to be similar. However, not only does Liberation use the same graphical and interactive engine as the console game but it also boasts its own plot and female protagonist.
Assassin’s Creed III looks close to the console version on PlayStation Vita, with just a few compromises to draw depth and town population. It is in the movement and negotiation of the city and swamp worlds that most impressed me. This felt every bit like the full console version. Ironically though, it’s the investment in storytelling and plot development that falls short here as the game often tends towards busy-work and loosely link objectives.
3. LittleBigPlanet Vita
Hearing that this game was not under direct control of Sony gods Media Molecule made me wonder if it would live up to its big brother. I needn’t have been worried though. This not only offers a comparable experience to the PS3 version of the game but use of the Vita’s touch screen interactions outshines even the Move enabled version of the original.
Rendered in miniature, but fully formed, LittleBigPlanet Vita not only makes sense of the tilt, touch and camera interactions for game play but also makes it easier to design and create levels. Being able to tweak and expand my creations on the go has turned my cursory interest in Sackboy-style game design into a growing obsession.
The only issue with the proposition is that it shows up the Vita’s slightly shorter battery life – although perhaps that’s just a measure of time flying when you’re having fun.
4. Persona 4 Golden
With Persona 3 Portable already squeezing the PS2 game into the diminutive PSP I guess it’s no great surprise that this is a portable game with all the console bells and whistles. In fact this was originally destined for the PSP, and already had a list of features that were going to be chopped. Happily though, on the Vita no such compromises were required -- quite the reverse in fact.
Persona 4 Golden adds new features and story elements along with a new character. Best of all are the expanded spoken lines and cut-scenes that make for a more seamless experience when played on the go. Perhaps the only downside for me is the 70-80 hour duration. With my 20 minute bit-sized playtimes I have available this may take a while to complete – and I know there will be plenty of other games (not to mention books and movies) competing for that time.
5. FIFA Soccer
At first this looks like another impressive console-on-portable experience. However, beyond the exquisite graphics and novel touch screen passing and (awkwardly named) rear touch shooting the mechanics lag behind the console version by a year or so.
FIFA 13 saw a raft of innovations and improvements that lent the experience fresh sparkle. A novel unpredictable first touch, enhanced dribbling and more intelligent attacking all added polish to the FIFA formula. It’s not until you have them taken away again on the portable version that you realize how much they added. While this is much closer to the console version that the PSP game, it still needs a bit more love and attention from EA to turn it into a truly winning console-on-portable experience.
6. Uncharted: Golden Abyss
This is a harder one to call. While Golden Abyss is obviously not a fully fledged console game, with Uncharted 3 pushing even the PS3 to its limits this seems understandable, it is a console style chapter of Uncharted. The visuals, game play and cut scenes have obviously been pawed over by Naughty Dog even if they weren’t directly responsible for them.
SCE Bend Studios have been able to drawn on their considerable experience from Syphon Filter on both PS2 and PSP. They also seem to share cartoon platforming roots with Busby being their equally humble equivalent of Naughty Dogs’ Crash Bandicoot – do all comical videogame heroes slowly evolve into alpha males with a wink and a smile?
The result is an experience that would not be out of place on a console. More than this though it uses the Vita’s technology to enhance the experience. Aiming using the gyroscopes and navigating menus with the touch screen is a dream. In fact, going back to SixAxis shooting and old-style menus on Uncharted 3 is a real pain. Perhaps Uncharted 4 will get the Cross-controller feature?
7. New Little King’s Story
This brings one of the Wii’s best real time strategy games to the Vita with all the trimmings. The touch screen works well as an alternative to the Wii Remote pointing mechanic, and things have generally been spruced up to take advantage of the Vita’s additional horsepower.
What is most revealing about playing New Little King’s Story on the portable is how well the day-cycle pacing suites short bursts of play. While you can, of course, stop by “sleeping” your Vita at any time I found that the shorter levels and self contained mission structure an ideal match for play on the go.
Okamiden DS
Beyond these Vita games there should also be notable mention to Okamiden on the DS that pulls off a small miracle of squeezing pretty much a full version of Okami onto Nintendo’s dual screen portable. While Zelda came to the DS in miniature stylized form, Okamiden is a console action adventure writ large.
It not only manages a laudable recreation of the visual style and palette of the console game but also matches the scale and approach of the big game too. The majority of characters return and make veiled references to the similarities between each of the adventures. Here though you control a pup rather than full grown wolf -- which my daughter soon fell in love with. It makes me want Okami HD to come to the Vita as well as the PS3.
Valkyria Chronicles 2 PSP
Valkyria Chronicles 2 on the PSP that takes the considerable PS3 game and delivers a full console experience on the PSP. Cut scenes, art style, character development and story all survive intact with just a small compromise of smaller battle arenas – which in fact suits the start/stop nature of portable gaming very well.
These games, and plenty more besides, are breaking the mold of portable gaming. They mean that players are no longer satisfied with a sub-version of their favorite franchise on their portable. I’m looking forward to more games getting on board with this, perhaps the next LEGO game on the Vita will right these wrongs, and how about a portable version of the Skylanders Giants console game?
