26 additional PSOne games now playable on Vita

Posted By: Michael Lacerna In: Gaming News, Handheld, PSP / Vita On: 31 Aug

Last week Sony finally patched in support for PSOne classics on the Vita, but American gamers were peeved at their relatively limited choices: while European and Japanese gamers got access to hundreds of PSOne games, us poor Americans had to make do with a pathetic selection of 9 titles. Vita owners around the nation bitched, and Sony tried to right their error today by unlocking Vita compatibility on 26 additional games.

The list of the new classics playable on Vita are as follows:

Alundra
Arc the Lad II
Championship Bass
Extreme Pinball
Grandia
Hi Octane: The Track Fights Back
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Magic Carpet
Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor Underground
Nuclear Strike
Oddworld Abe’s Exxodus
Oddworld Abe’s Oddysee
Populous-The Beginning
R4 Ridge Racer Type 4
Rayman 1
Rayman2
SimCity 2000
Soviet Strike
Tekken
Tekken 2
Theme Hospital
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
Tomba!
Vanguard Bandits
Wing Commander IV

It’s still a comprehensive representation of the massive PSOne library, but it’s a start. I certainly can’t complain about Klonoa or Tomba being added to the list — if you haven’t played those games yet, do yourself a favor and buy both of those games off of PSN right now. Klonoa is one of the most cleverly designed and charming 2D platformers to come out since the 16-bit era ended, and Tomba is a fantastic mix of 2D platforming and non-linear role playing. If you liked Symphony of the Night and don’t mind some bright, colorful art, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by skipping out on Tomba.

It’s still not really clear why Americans get so few choices regarding PSOne titles when compared to European or Japanese gamers. The lack of support in the US clearly isn’t a technical issue, so I’m guessing there’s probably some licensing issues behind why Sony can’t just offer the entire PSN catalog of PSOne games on Vita right away. Regardless, Sony seems to be aware that people aren’t happy with the current selection, and they seem to be doing their best to improve the situation.

Source: Joystiq