Top 10 best PSP games to download for your PS Vita

Sony's PS Vita had a somewhat surprising line-up of high-quality games available to buy and download at launch.

It's not often a console's earliest obtainable titles include the likes of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Rayman Origins, and WipEout 2048, after all.

Still, if you've been fiddling with the Vita's touchscreen non-stop since it launched, there's a chance you're on the look out for a few more gems.

Look no further than Sony's PlayStation Store, which is packed full of fantastic downloadable PSP offerings.

We've had a quick look through them, pondered for a couple of minutes, and selected ten of the best.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of Lions
By Square Enix - £7.99

If you're a fan of role-playing games, you'll have heard of the Final Fantasy series. There's no doubt about it. This isometric entry in the franchise is one of the best, and fought its way to an extremely rare Pocket Gamer Platinum Award at review.

This turn-based tactical-RPG takes place in the fictional war-torn kingdom known as Invalice, following the untimely death of the much-loved King Ondaria. Naturally, fighting is your main chore.

In assembling your combative team, you can choose from a variety of infamous Final Fantasy job classes. Then, you must set about unleashing deadly magical attacks, summoning beasties, and learning numerous handy skills.

God of War: Chains of Olympus
By Ready at Dawn - £14.99

God of War: Chains of Olympus may be the fourth entry in the extremely addictive Greek Mythology-inspired hack 'n' slash-'em-up series, but it actually takes place before its numerical predecessors on home console.

This time around, you take on the role of Greek warrior and Olympian Gods server Kratos, and battle it out with a goddess known as Persephone before she destroys the world of Mount Olympus.

If you've played God of War on a console, you'll know what to expect - this isn't a watered-down experience. You'll be cutting your way through waves and waves of enemies, and tapping your Vita's controls to complete Quick Time Events and pull off dazzling combos.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
By Rockstar Leeds - £14.99

It's Grand Theft Auto on your PS Vita. Need we say more?

Liberty City Stories, which is set in - you guessed it - Liberty City, is a prequel to Rockstar's extremely popular (and extremely violent) PlayStation 2 hit Grand Theft Auto III.

Instead of taking on the role of GTA III's protagonist, Claude, you step into the shoes of ruthless gangster Tony Cipriani, who has been lying low for several years.

It's hardly surprising that you'll spend most of your time accepting morally dubious (and definitely illegal) jobs from a range of crooks. Your free time will no doubt be spent running over prostitutes.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
By Rockstar Leeds - £14.99

Like Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories is a prequel to the Vice City PlayStation 2 game. Unlike Liberty City Stories, however, it's set in a colourful and sunny Miami-esque city, rather than a dull concrete-clad metropolis.

Again, you'll be completing a variety of illegal jobs, such as ferrying drugs, escorting criminals, buying weapons, and making people 'disappear'.

Vice City Stories features voice acting from the likes of Gary Busey and Danny Trejo. 'Legendary' musician Phil Collins even makes an appearance.

LocoRoco
By Sony - £6.99

LocoRoco is an excellent puzzle-platformer in which you attempt to roll a colourful jelly-like creature to the end of various stages. It's also one of the PSP's best-ever games.

Instead of controlling the game's protagonist directly, you have to tilt the in-game world to manoeuvre around a variety of different hazards and nab juicy berries.

These berries cause your lovable character to steadily grow in size. He can then be split into numerous smaller blobs to overcome obstacles.

Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
By Square Enix - £19.99

Although Final Fantasy VII is arguably the best Final Fantasy title ever to see the light of day (some say the best RPG ever, full stop), Final Fantasy IV follows closely behind.

This turn-based fantasy adventure sees you assume the role of legendary Red Wings captain and dark knight Cecil Harvey. You don't have to battle alone, though, as there are a further 11 characters - each with unique skills - to utilise.

Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection also features an enhanced port of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, which was released in Japan as a mobile game back in 2008.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
By Kojima Productions - £8.79

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker may be seen by many as the best of Snake's PSP outings, but Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is still worth grabbing if you're after some tactical espionage action.

Portable Ops was the first Metal Gear Solid PSP offering to feature a canonical storyline, which takes place after the events of PlayStation 2 hit (and the best game in the franchise) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it (what's the point in buying the game if you don't?), is to put together a four-man team of specialists and complete a variety of different assignments.

WipEout Pulse
By Sony Liverpool - £6.99

If you've been remotely interested in video games over the past 17 years, you've probably - at the very least - heard of the WipEout franchise.

In case you haven't, the series sees you blast around a variety of futuristic tracks in a variety of futuristic craft, while attempting to eradicate your opponents using rockets and other weapons.

WipEout Pulse features eight different playable teams and 12 different tracks. An additional four teams and four tracks are available to download.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier
By High Impact Games - £14.99

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, unsurprisingly, allows you to play as eco-infused hero Jak and his mouthy sidekick Daxter.

This platformer is fairly open ended, meaning you can freely explore the game's map at your own pace or jump straight into the variety of missions you're assigned throughout.

Jak's PSP outing managed to nab a shiny Gold Award when it passed through our special review room, so it's a worthy addition to your PS Vita's home screen.

LittleBigPlanet
By Sony Cambridge - £14.99

LittleBigPlanet for the PSP is a portable version of the similarly titled PlayStation 3 puzzle-platformer, albeit with a different single-player Story mode and without a multiplayer option.

There are 23 main levels and a further 14 mini-levels to work your way through. Each one tasks you with navigating from one side of the level to the other.

Like the abovementioned Final Fantasy Tactics, LittleBigPlanet nabbed a prestigious Pocket Gamer Platinum trinket on review.