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This feature first appeared in Official PlayStation Magazine. Get the latest in PlayStation on doorstep early and for a better price! Subscribe to OPM here.
Sony has officially stopped producing PS Vita, but the diminutive powerhouse will live on in our memories and our clammy hands for years to come. It proved itself a worthy home for blockbuster games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Tearaway and gave awesome indies like Hotline Miami and Severed a place to shine. We spoke to developers about the PS Vita, and found out we won't be only ones mourning its loss.
Graham Smith, Drinkbox Studios
Games: Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, Guacamelee!, Severed
"The Vita was the first handheld console that Drinkbox Studios developed games for. Getting up and running on the Vita was super smooth-due to its similarity to PS3 development, and the performance of the device was good enough to allow us to run our games without sacrificing any quality. We found a lot of success on the Vita, having released three games on the console, including a launch title that was designed specifically with the Vita in mind (Mutant Blobs Attack). We also made it possible to play Guacamelee! on PS3 using the Vita as a controller where the Vita screen would show the mini-map while you played. Overall, the Vita was an absolute delight to work with."
Toshihiro Kondo, Nihon Falcom
Games: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, Ys Series
"At Falcom, starting with the Trails and Ys series, we have truly released many titles for the Vita. We’ve learned so much about it by developing for it and, not only I, but our entire development staff has a very strong attachment to the Vita. I’ve also played many titles on it as a gamer myself. There aren’t many handheld gaming hardware devices out there with so many high quality titles so easily available! I’m proud to say that I still have my Vita to this day. I would certainly love to see it revived in the future."
Sohei Niikawa, Nippon Ichi Software
Games: Disgaea series
"The Vita is personally my all-time favorite console. At Nippon Ichi Software, we’ve developed and sold lots of software on this console. Vita’s awesome! If there will ever be a successor to the Vita, I would love have a game ready for its launch!"
Yu Mizokami, Nippon Ichi Software
Games: Yomawari: Night Alone
"The first game I ever developed was for the Vita hardware, so I have a lot of attachment to it. In fact, I’ve never developed for anything but Vita! The Vita was such a playful console that provided so many unique features like the back-touch screen. Vita’s so awesome."
Josh Fairhurst, Limited Run Games
Games: Chronus Arc, King of Fighters 97 Global Match, Saturday Morning RPG
"For me, it’s the perfect platform for visual novels, shoot-‘em-ups and RPGs. It’s easy to develop for versus the 3DS (and more powerful) and the beautiful widescreen display makes these genres really shine on the platform. I feel like if those genres were more mainstream in the West, the Vita would be much more successful here."
Takuya Yamanaka, Aquria
Games: The Caligula Effect
"Thinking back, the PSVita was the console that I played for the longest time. (Games like Sakatsuku (Let’s Make a Pro-Soccer Club!), Persona 4 Golden, and Freedom Wars really stole my time~) There have been several portable game consoles, but that initial, rich feeling 'I am walking around with a PlayStation in my hands' is something that I will never forget. As a creator, my debut work Caligula was on the Vita so we are very much in debt to the console."
What games should you play on Sony's handheld? Check out our list of best PS Vita games of all time.
