Pocket Gamer's top 10 best PS Vita games of 2013... so far

Some people would have you believe that the PS Vita doesn't have any games worth playing on it. These are what we would call "crazy people".

Sure, the Vita had an iffy first year, and sales aren't exactly sky-rocketing, but as anyone who picked up the Sony handheld knows, it's blue skies all the way.

There are fantastic exclusives, perfect ports, nifty remakes, and plenty of other reasons to be excited about the console. And we're only halfway through the year.

Here's the 10 best games that you really need to grab for your PS Vita. Tell us your favourites in the comments below.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
By Sanzaru Games

It was a long time coming, but the return of Sly Cooper was a triumphant one - whether you played the original PlayStation 2 trilogy or not.

This time around, the sneaky Sly is thrown through time, tiptoeing his way through the Wild West, Feudal Japan, Paris, medieval England, Ancient Arabia, and pre-historic times.

You can think of the Sly Cooper series as the thinking-person's 3D platformer, and nothing has changed with this latest in the franchise, thanks to tight controls and some great level design.

Velocity Ultra
By Futurlab

The original Velocity is one of the best PSP Minis games that the platform offers, so when we heard that a full-blown HD remake was on the way, we were more than a little excited.

This space shooter has a rather neat twist up its sleeve, as you are granted the ability to teleport your ship around obstacles and directly into the thick of danger.

Although there are plenty of enemies to take down and obstacles to move around, this is more of a puzzle game than a shmup. And we're a-ok with that.

Retro City Rampage
By V-Blank Entertainment

Take the Grand Theft Auto series, make it a retro-styled arcade-em-up, and throw in as many references to popular culture as possible: You've got Retro City Rampage.

This laugh-a-minute open-world action game is delightful throughout, and features more gameplay variety than perhaps any game that has come before it.

Anyone will enjoy this, but I suspect those people who have been playing video games for a couple of decades will be entertained the most, with plenty of throw-backs to classic games of yore.

Limbo
By Playdead

There's something to be said for the fact that I'm including one of the best Xbox games of 2010 in my list of the best PS Vita games of 2013 -but let's not dwell too much on the hows and whys.

Limbo was an incredibly atmospheric puzzle platformer, and on Vita it's just as remarkable, with monochrome visuals that really set the scene, and a story told with actions and settings, rather than words.

But it's the truly devious traps and puzzles that will get your blood pumping. Being chased by giant spiders and racing a rapidly rising water-level has never felt so good.

Persona 4 Golden
By Atlus

We had to wait a little longer than we were hoping, but Europe finally got Persona 4 Golden earlier this year - and it was everything we were hoping it would be.

You play a schoolboy who moves to a new area, hoping to make some new friends as quickly as possible. It soon turns out that there's something sinister going on in town, and he and his new pals are sucked into a dangerous alternative world.

Everything about this RPG is immensely entertaining, but the openness of the experience is what really sets it apart. You can choose to tackle each day however you like, whether that be hanging out with friends, or bashing some baddies in their skulls.

Guacamelee!
By Drinkbox Studios

When I first heard that Drinkbox Studios, the team behind the glorious Mutant Blobs Attack, was developing a Metroid-like game, my anticipation-meter went from the roof.

When I later discovered that the game would star a Mexican luchadore wrestler, and feature the ability to jump between the living world and the dead world, I considered finding Drinkbox Studios and personally high-fiving each staffer.

If you're looking for style, clever level design, and personality, Guacamelee! has it by the bucketload. It's one of the Vita's most incredible games to date.

Soul Sacrifice
By Marvelous

The premise behind Soul Sacrifice - that you are a sorcerer's slave who is given an in-depth glimpse into his sordid past by a talking diary - was enough to make us hugely excited for this game.

We were right to be excited too, as this hack 'n' slasher really turns up the heat in terms of variety and innovation.

It's great as a solo player, but if you can grab a few friends and join up online, Soul Sacrifice truly becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Rymdkapsel
By Grapefrukt

There aren't yet a significant number of reasons to jump into bed with PlayStation Mobile, but that's not to say that it's worth avoiding entirely.

Rymdkapsel isn't just the best PS Mobile game - it's one of the best PS Vita games, with minimalistic strategy play that will really give you a run for your money.

You control minions on a spacestation who must build up defences and explore the surrounding areas, while holding back oncoming enemy waves every once in a while.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
By Ratloop

Sometimes you play a game with so much style, that you end up recommending it to friends based on the visuals and personality alone.

Fortunately, Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken also has the gameplay to back this intense slickness up. You play a chicken who has a vendetta against an army of penguins.

Yes, it really is as insane and wonderful as it sounds. You have a gun and nothing to lose. And as you progress, a resistance uprising forms around your actions.

Hotline Miami
By Dennaton Games

Some people say that there's too much violence in video games these days. One thing's for certain: we shouldn't show Hotline Miami to these people.

The game follows a hitman-for-hire who bursts into a variety of buildings, taking down everyone in sight with his fists, melee weapons and assorted pistols and rifles.

Hotline Miami actually feels a bit more like a puzzle game than an action game, as you plan your next move and work out the best way to rack up kill combos.