• Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

Handheld system with the best native fighting game library?

  • Playstation Portable

    Votes: 110 76.4%
  • Other (PleaSe sPecify)

    Votes: 34 23.6%

  • Total voters
    144

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
I am not allowing anyone to say the Switch and I have legitimate reasons that I would explain in great detail but unfortunately time doesn't permit. And if you don't think PSP has the best fighting games you are more than welcome to nominate another system for our entertainment (but not the switch!). Here is a somewhat comprehensive list of the best fighting games on the PSP:

Darskstalkers Chronicle The Chaos
Tower
Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus R
Soul Calibur Broken Destiny
Tekken Dark Resurrection
Tekken 6
Blazblue Calamity Trigger
Blazblue Continuum Shift II/Extend
Power Stone Collection
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max
Dissidia Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Samurai Showdown Anthology
Def Jam Fight for NY The Takeover

The system also had some lesser known games that while not being anything spectacular, are worthwhile additions to anyone's PSP library like Spectral Vs Generation, some JP only exclusives like Tales of VS and Ys Vs Sora no Kiseki ( Ys Vs Trails, a mishmash of Smash and Power Stone that has a partial translation available).

Tekken Dark Resurrection, Tekken 6 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max are strong contenders for GOAT handheld fighting games. Some of the games I mentioned obviously have better console versions but nevertheless they were great for a handheld at the time. I am still legit amazed that it had not three, not four or even five but TWO Tekken games. Namco went balls out, all out, all in and were straight ballin' with their PSP support, also bringing two Ace Combat and two Ridge Racer games.
 

hikarutilmitt

Member
Dec 16, 2017
11,420
Even including Switch, I'd say absolutely. You could say Vita since it includes the PSP library as well as the Vita fighters, too.

The main advantage Switch has is all the ACA ports.
 

prodyg

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,200
It has a better fighting library than the switch, even the vita is better than the switch.
 

Spring-Loaded

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,904
GBA

0d4.gif
 

Gestault

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,366
I think you're right, though oddly enough, the GBA had a surprisingly good set of unique ports for traditional fighters.
 

SnazzyNaz

The Wise Ones
Member
Nov 11, 2019
1,874
Even including Switch, I'd say absolutely. You could say Vita since it includes the PSP library as well as the Vita fighters, too.

The main advantage Switch has is all the ACA ports.
If you count the ACA releases wouldn't you have to count PSP's PS1 releases too since they're both emulation releases?
 

demondance

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,808
Oh definitely. That full-on port of Tekken 5: DR alone made it the portable I spent more time playing fighting games on than any other. And there were some amazing fighting games on the NGPC!

The nature of the genre made even big 3D fighter ports like that possible, and the nature of a lot of the 2D stuff was a perfect fit as well. It was a fun way to fire up practice modes or finish single player content.

It's impossible to beat the Switch lineup, which includes competent ports like MK11 and DBFZ alongside all the piles and piles of classic and new 2D stuff. I wish Tekken made it back to portable, though. 3D fighters would probably play just fine on the split dpad, better than the PSP pad even.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Even including Switch, I'd say absolutely. You could say Vita since it includes the PSP library as well as the Vita fighters, too.

The main advantage Switch has is all the ACA ports.

Although it's got a lot of good options already fighters-wise the Switch's library is still in the works so who knows how many more fighting games are yet to come. Id still say PSP is better than the current Switch library but who knows what the future holds.
 

Issen

Member
Nov 12, 2017
6,819
It has Tekken 5 DR, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Dragon Ball Shin Budokai and Dragon Ball Tag VS. I played the absolute shit out of all those.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Oh definitely. That full-on port of Tekken 5: DR alone made it the portable I spent more time playing fighting games on than any other. And there were some amazing fighting games on the NGPC!

The nature of the genre made even big 3D fighter ports like that possible, and the nature of a lot of the 2D stuff was a perfect fit as well. It was a fun way to fire up practice modes or finish single player content.

Tekken DR still has the best single player content of pretty much any fighting game imo.
 

julian

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,782
Maybe, but Match of the Millennium plus the clicky stick means NeoGeoPocketColor will always have a place in my heart.
 

demondance

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,808
Oh man, I forgot how good Alpha 3 Max was, too. Still the best all-around release of that game. I wish releases like that and 3rd Strike Online Edition would've been the standard for ports going forward.
 

jonasvutt

Member
Jan 17, 2018
362
The Vita has a good selection too, with Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat 9, Skullgirls, Garou: Mark of The Wolves Dead or Alive 5, Playstation All Stars...
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Alpha 3 Max played on the Vita is perfection. That d pad makes it so damn fun to play.

The single player content were amazing too.
The Vita has a good selection too, with Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat 9, Skullgirls, Garou: Mark of The Wolves Dead or Alive 5, Playstation All Stars...

You are both correct. Vita is also the king but I just wanted to highlight how the PSP was killing it. Vita also had Last Blade 2, Under Night Late(at), Blazblue, Guilty Gear.
 

TreIII

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,280
Columbia, MD
The PSP even had its slice of 8ing-made, fun to play jank like the Bleach: Heat the Soul and Kamen Rider Climax Hero series.

Til Switch gets a piece of that, it's not a contest, in my eyes.
 

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,361
Wouldn't Neo Geo Pocket Color be the kind of native fighting game libraries? It had a lot of fighting games that were made just for it and they were all surprisingly good.

Or was "native" just used to exclude the Vita's ability to play PSP games?
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Wouldn't Neo Geo Pocket Color be the kind of native fighting game libraries? It had a lot of fighting games that were made just for it and they were all surprisingly good.

Or was "native" just used to exclude the Vita's ability to play PSP games?

Yes, it was just to highlight how strong the PSP's fighting game library was on its own. Obviously vita through backwards compatibility is the way to go.
 

Deleted member 34949

Account closed at user request
Banned
Nov 30, 2017
19,101
Definitely. Alpha 3 Max, Tekken DR & Power Stone Collection coming out in the same year is and was kinda nuts for me as a fighting game head.

It also got three actually really decent DBZ fighters from DIMPS in the Budokai series, the second of which is probably one of the best pre FighterZ Dragonball fighters (Shin Budokai: Another Road) and the third being a adaptation of Dragonball Evolution that's hilarious because it actually plays decently.
 
Oct 27, 2017
39,148
You are both correct. Vita is also the king but I just wanted to highlight how the PSP was killing it. Vita also had Last Blade 2, Under Night Late(at), Blazblue, Guilty Gear.
Oh I fully agree with you that the PSP was great.

It had all kinds of fighters. Even "niche" ones like Def Jam Fight for NY which is one of the best fighters out there. Also shouts out to Yakuza Black Panther which is very close to a fighter game but with Yakuza's formula.
 

hikarutilmitt

Member
Dec 16, 2017
11,420
If you count the ACA releases wouldn't you have to count PSP's PS1 releases too since they're both emulation releases?
More or less. I wasn't even counting the PS1 games available, just the native stuff. Tekken 6 and SCBD had no right to be as good as they were/are, yet they're actually really good.
Although it's got a lot of good options already fighters-wise the Switch's library is still in the works so who knows how many more fighting games are yet to come. Id still say PSP is better than the current Switch library but who knows what the future holds.
Oh, for sure, but you even specifically excluded Switch for reasons you didn't put (for probably good reason) but the trajectory of releases on the Switch isn't painting a very good picture.

Hell, going back to my point about the Vita, MK9 on the Vita is about on par as a conversion as MK11 on the Switch between their respective generations, right down to seeing the same kinds of cuts/changes made to make them work that I predicted in the early announcement days of the Switch games but nobody believed me. But, given the initial intent of the thread, PSP is definitely the king of native portable FG releases.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
More or less. I wasn't even counting the PS1 games available, just the native stuff. Tekken 6 and SCBD had no right to be as good as they were/are, yet they're actually really good.

Oh, for sure, but you even specifically excluded Switch for reasons you didn't put (for probably good reason) but the trajectory of releases on the Switch isn't painting a very good picture.

Hell, going back to my point about the Vita, MK9 on the Vita is about on par as a conversion as MK11 on the Switch between their respective generations, right down to seeing the same kinds of cuts/changes made to make them work that I predicted in the early announcement days of the Switch games but nobody believed me. But, given the initial intent of the thread, PSP is definitely the king of native portable FG releases.

Yes it was mainly because the Switch library is still ongoing so it's not a fair comparison. I get what you mean about the trajectory of Switch releases though, it's not looking good.
 

PerrierChaud

Member
Feb 24, 2019
1,008
Ironic to think that both consoles are both terrible to play fighting games on (excluding third-party peripherals)
 

9-Volt

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,881
GBA's fighting library should not be overlooked:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
Tekken Advance
Mortal Kombat Advance (this one is a little garbage)
Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition
King of Fighters EX NeoBlood
King of Fighters EX 2 Howling Blood
Guilty Gear X
Dragon Ball Z Supersonic Warriors
Sonic Battle

Vita's fighting library, while smaller than PSP, had much closer experience to the big console versions:

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Street Fighter vs Tekken
Dead or Alive 5
Blazblue (there are 5 of them)
Mortal Kombat Komplete
InJustice
J-Stars Victory+
Arcana Heart
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax
Under Night In Birth Exe
 

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,500
Ibis Island
Tekken alone was amazing. Especially since you only needed one copy to play with all characters. No "you can only play as Jin" or something which was crazy.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
GBA's fighting library should not be overlooked:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
Tekken Advance
Mortal Kombat Advance (this one is a little garbage)
Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition
King of Fighters EX NeoBlood
King of Fighters EX 2 Howling Blood
Guilty Gear X
Dragon Ball Z Supersonic Warriors
Sonic Battle

Vita's fighting library, while smaller than PSP, had much closer experience to the big console versions:

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Street Fighter vs Tekken
Dead or Alive 5
Blazblue (there are 5 of them)
Mortal Kombat Komplete
InJustice
J-Stars Victory+
Arcana Heart
Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax
Under Night In Birth Exe

Whaaaaaaaa! 5 blazblues???? I thought there were only two: Chronophantasma and Continuum Shift.
 

Starlatine

533.489 paid youtubers cant be wrong
Member
Oct 28, 2017
30,413
why people need to say "NO ITS THE VITA CAUSE IT EMULATES THE PSP" in every thread about native libraries
does xbox have the best classic jrpg library because it can emulate snes - psx - ps2 then?
geez yall obtuse as fuck trying to defend this stank ass dead console

also OP yes PSP was great for fighters
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
why people need to say "NO ITS THE VITA CAUSE IT EMULATES THE PSP" in every thread about native libraries
does xbox have the best classic jrpg library because it can emulate snes - psx - ps2 then?
geez yall obtuse as fuck trying to defend this stank ass dead console

also OP yes PSP was great for fighters

Lmao I am legit triggered. Even though I agree with you on native libraries why you calling vita stank ass lmaooooooooooo
 
Oct 27, 2017
39,148
why people need to say "NO ITS THE VITA CAUSE IT EMULATES THE PSP" in every thread about native libraries
does xbox have the best classic jrpg library because it can emulate snes - psx - ps2 then?
geez yall obtuse as fuck trying to defend this stank ass dead console

also OP yes PSP was great for fighters
Even without emulating the PSP, it still has it's fair share of great fighters.
 
OP
OP
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
Tee hee hee the polls rigged so it's hundred percent votes for psp anyway. PleaSe sPecify.
 

Kresnik

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,972
Yeah, PSP had a pretty amazing fighting game library. Tekken 5 and 6 on it are among my favourite handheld fighting games of all time. They're sublime. Really enjoyed Dissidia as well.

Would also point out that PSP got that King of Fighters Collection and MK Unchained, which I actually quite enjoyed.

This thread has just highlighted to me how great some of these libraries were with back-compat though. Like, PSP had all of those games then was boosted by some stuff like Tekken 2, Street Fighter Alpha 1 & 2, KoF '99 etc.

And then on Vita you've got all of those PSP games in the OP (minus Tekken 5) plus the ones I mentioned, all the PS1 games mentioned above, plus its own library including Blazblue, Dead or Alive 5, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter x Tekken, UMvC3, UnIB etc. Plus the SNK ports of Garou, KoF, Last Blade and SamSho. Plus weird stuff I've never played like Dengeki Bunko and Arcana Heart. Plus a load of anime fighters. Hell, I'd say it gives PSP a run for its money just on its own.