Reading time: 6 min
Okay, let’s not waste time.
When I got my Retroid Pocket 5, I didn’t load up the entire PSP library just to scroll through it like it’s a Netflix catalog. I picked the stuff I actually play.
Games I know. Games I trust. Games that still kick ass in 2025.
I’m not here to emulate the world. I’m here to revisit the good stuff — the bangers I played to death back when the PSP was the handheld.
I’m that guy who gets attached to a few games and replays them until I’ve squeezed every last drop of serotonin out of them. Blame my broke upbringing or just call it loyalty — either way, I stick with what works.
This isn’t one of those “50 underrated PSP games you’ll never finish” lists.
This is My List.
Tested on real hardware, now revived and running smoother than ever on my RP5.
Let’s dive into the handheld that went way too hard.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
The one nobody talks about — and honestly, this game is criminally underrated.
You knock dudes out, drag their bodies to a truck, and force them to work for you. It’s weird. Feels like a kidnapper’s dream in all the wrong/right ways.
The AI is dumb, recruitment is clunky, and yet… it hits. Once you start building your little army, it becomes stupidly addictive.
Skip this one, and you’re skipping a real chapter in Big Boss’s story. It’s rough around the edges, but it matters.
Set your controls right on the RP5, and you’re golden.
This is a must-have on the RP5, runs great, no issues.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
Didn’t care for the story in Portable Ops? No problem — this one deletes it.
All gameplay. No plot. Just missions, missions, and more missions.
It’s harder, grindier, and somehow even more fun.
No cutscenes. No drama. Just you, your sneaky boys, and a battlefield full of things to collect, and new soldiers to kidnap and make yours.
It’s like Pokémon, but everyone’s armed to the teeth.
It’s an Excel spreadsheet with guns.
If that sounds like your thing — dive in.
Just as in the previous entry, it just works out of the box on the RP5, no tweaks needed, except those controls, you know, to use the second analog stick, give yourself some comfort and advantage.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
The devs had a dream: cram the biggest entry of Metal Gear (at the time) into the smallest console possible.
And somehow? They did just that.
This is the monumental moment where the PSP punched way above its weight.
Base building? Addictive as hell.
Boss fights? The best fights I’ve ever seen in the series.
Co-op? Top-Tier Chaos and fun.
Cutscenes? I’ll watch those on my TV, won’t blink.
Soundtracks? Timeless.
This is peak Big Boss, and arguably the most important part of his arc.
The campaign is massive. The side content is even bigger.
One of the best PSP games ever made — no question about it. I still believe that it’s the best Metal Gear Game in the entire series, even.
And yeah, it plays better on the RP5 than it ever did on the PSP.
Set the graphics on the emulator to 4xPSP (1080p full HD experience), set the right analog stick same as the Dpad controls, and enjoy!
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
3800 hours.
This one broke me, built me back up, and then broke me again.
This era of Monster Hunter didn’t care about you.
No hand-holding. No tutorials. Just pain. Pain and suffering.
It drops you into the wild, hands you a sword the size of a mountain bike, and says:
“Go kill a dragon. Don’t die.”
And you will die.
You’ll get carted like trash.
But then — after 45 minutes of suffering — you win. And it feels godlike.
This is primal gameplay:
Pain → Progress → Satisfaction → Repeat.
On RP5? Do me a favor and follow this tip:
1- Fix your controls and just map the right analog stick to the D-pad.
2- Install an HD texture pack.
3- Set resolution to 4xPSP.
Now you get to enjoy MHFU in the way it’s actually intended.
Full 1080p Full HD Glory.
Without the cursed “claw” grip.
You’re welcome.
Metal Slug Anthology
Seven games, one package.
This is pure run-and-gun chaos, packed into one package. Explosions every 3 seconds. Screaming POWs. Giant crabs with rocket launchers. You know, the usual.
Metal Slug 1 to 6, plus X, all in one place.
The art still holds up like it was made yesterday, and the animation? Smooth as hell.
On that AMOLED display? Sheeeeesh! GLORIOUS!
I don’t play this one for progress. I play it to unwind — by blowing everything up and dying 37 times per level.
Best part? It’s perfect for short sessions. Waiting in line? Metal Slug.
Taking a break? Metal Slug.
Tired of thinking? Metal Slug.
Bathroom? Metal. Slug.
Runs beautifully on the RP5. Map your buttons properly, crank the volume, and just paint the screen with pixelated blood.
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
You’re in a jet. You blow sh*t up. That’s the game.
I swear I noticed there was a story somewhere in there… Nevermind.
No pointless tutorials, no overcomplicated button combos — just you, missiles, and enemies begging to get deleted from the sky
This game just feels good. Locking on, dodging, nuking entire squadrons with one missile — yeah, it scratches a very specific itch.
It’s fast, clean, and never wastes your time.
On RP5? Runs like a dream, no tweaks, nothing, just launch the game, and fly.
Wrapping up
That’s PSP for You
If you grew up with the PSP, you already know — this thing punched way above its weight. And on the RP5? These games feel right.
Better controls, sharper visuals, no UMD spinning like a jet engine in your pocket.
These aren’t just old games I replay. They’re still fun, still challenging, and in some cases? Still unmatched.
I didn’t install these for nostalgia. I installed them because they slap — hard.
Happy Gaming!
