Metal Gear Vita: The 5 HD collections we want on Vita next

HD collections have been big on home consoles over the last couple of years, though we're yet to get any on Vita.

Of course, we're thoroughly looking forward to the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection that's incoming, but we want more compilations of classic series for the system.

Here are the five franchises that we think deserve collections of their own on PS Vita...

This is just begging for an HD re-release. LocoRoco's art style is so simple, which makes it look razor sharp to this day, even on the faithful old PSP. Imagine how striking it would look upscaled.

Aside from improved visual splendour, though, a HD LocoRoco revamp would grant gamers an opportunity to explore titles in the series that very few people did on the games' release.

What would have passed many of you by, then, are the digital-only release Midnight Carnival and PS3 interactive screensaver Cocoreccho!

Both of these games were worthy entries in the canon: the former built upon the groundwork set by LocoRoco 2, while the latter experimented with new control schemes through the DualShock 3 controller's Sixaxis tech. Both were great, and both deserve another moment in the spotlight.

Specifically, we want the PSone Final Fantasy years in one nice big collection. Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX sitting on our Vita as one neat icon - containing hundreds of hours of JRPG fare - would equal majorly fun times.

A full remake of each would be out of the question, obviously, for Square Enix still hasn't got around to publishing the surely inevitable Final Fantasy VII HD.

However, if Squeenix simply put Cloud, Squall, Zidane, and their cohorts through a few visual filters and uprezzed the background art, we think that would be enough to give the games a new lease of life.

There are plenty of folks who never got to experience the majesty of these FF titles, and since PSone compatibility isn't live on Vita yet, it would be the perfect time for a shiny new re-release.

The Patapon trilogy (1, 2, and 3) is a bit tough to explain to someone who hasn't played any of the entries in the series, for describing them as 'rhythm-action strategy games with role-playing elements' would likely leave that person a tad bemused.

Still, they're rich, complex games and prime for the HD treatment. As with LocoRoco, the visuals would benefit from this process: the distinctive silhouetted warriors outlined against boldly coloured backgrounds would brighten up any Vita display.

It's in the social aspect of the three games where the most improvements could be made, though. Dropping bonus items through Near for fellow tribes of Patapon wandering around nearby streets, and engaging in multiplayer quests across the net with the aid of voice chat would be an utter delight.

We've just about wrung every last drop of gameplay out of PS Vita launch title WipEout 2048, meaning there's space in our life for some new anti-gravity racing experiences.

WipEout Pure is getting on a bit now, as it's - rather unbelievably - seven years old. WipEout Pulse isn't too far behind, what with it being only two years younger. So, it's time for both titles to get a makeover, I feel.

Dig out your PSP now, insert these racers into the UMD slot, and you'll discover that they're both still fantastic racing games, with only one minor issue: the analogue Nub on the device isn't as precise as it needs to be for high-velocity racing.

With the supremely more responsive analogue stick on the Vita, however, that issue is resolved. Ergo, the WipEout Pure and Pulse gaming experience is vastly improved upon in one fell swoop. Need I say more?

The Vita's not getting Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker in its own HD collection of the Metal Gear Solid series, which is a crying shame. If it's not part of that package, it needs to be on another: where better than on our hypothetical Metal Gear Solid Portable HD Collection.

With the work already done on Peace Walker, this would give Konami the chance to go through Portable Ops and its Plus expansion, tweaking the controls and improving the online functionality. Yet, why stop there?

Metal Gear: Ghost Babel debuted on the Game Boy Color to rave reviews, providing a non-canonical "what if?" plot set after the events of the original series. We'd love to take that mission on again on our Vita, just like we wouldn't mind another go at iOS title Touch, which would work beautifully with the Vita's touchscreen.

Heck, chuck the Acid titles in there for good measure, too. Why not - it's our dream.