Seeing as how there is one for the PS3, PSP, Wii and DS, I figured the Vita deserved to get its own list too.

There are not a whole lot of Vita games out at this particular moment, but their are a lot of minis, PSP, and PS-One that games that can be downloaded on to the Vita. There are a ton of great games that can be played on the Vita, and if you ever run into a nay sayer then kindly point them to this forum. Let's all make one giant list of great games that we can enjoy on our Vita's! This is your list too, so in the forum say the name of the game that you think deserves to be added and a short description of what makes it so awesome and I will add it to the list as soon as I possibly can. Also, if you feel you can better articulate what makes one of these games great better then what is written then I will happily change the description. Likewise, If you think there is a game that doesn't belong on the list, explain why and I will consider taking it off. When making a recommendation be sure to include @DarthOrange so I know to update the list.

Vita

Fifa 13 - A satisfy game of futbol that you can play on the go. Once you start using the back touch screen to score goals you will never want to play it any other way. Good for pick up and play sessions.

Frobisher Says! - Although the concept of microgames is painfully familiar on other platforms (namely ones owned by Nintendo), this uniquely styled (and FREE) downloadable makes use of non-traditional controls in order to complete multiple challenges over the course of a few minutes. The game also has a “Bop it” – style multiplayer, DLC, and trophies (on the way). Did I mention it is Britishish?

Gravity Rush - The controls take some time getting use to, and the combat can be a little clunky, but this open world game features an awesome world to fly around in and a bunch of rad characters. Kat is also super adorable.

Hot Shots Golf World Invitational - Portable golf. Remove the cutesy aesthetic, and there's a solid golf game in here. It's also the only one in town. Thankfully, it's good. If you were a fan of Mario Golf or Let's Golf (before they went all micro-transaction happy), or even previous Hot Shots Golf games, this is more of that.

LittleBigPlanet Vita - This is LittleBigPlanet 2 in your pocket and then some. Everything about the game plays exactly as it does in the PS3 version, plus there are new touch controls that work really well and don’t feel tacked on. Add in what is arguably the most charming LittleBigPlanet campaign ever and a seemingly infinite amount of user created levels and tools to create your own and you have a game that is a must have for all Vita owners.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – Although these games have been re-released time and time again, portable versions of both Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are quite nice to own, especially on long trips. While it does have some touch screen, physical-control-replacements, it remains focused on the gameplay (AKA cutscenes) and provides the epically-insane experience that has been missing from the Vita thus far. Of course, if you hate one game more than the other, you can always buy them separately, but combined the make for a great experience to relive or enjoy for the first time.

Mortal Kombat - All the fun of the console versions of Mortal Kombat and then some. All the dlc from the console versions is included as is an additional challenge tower that is just as hilarious and entertaining as the original challenge tower. While the graphics are not the best, the frame rate is locked at 60 and the game is just oodles of fun.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale - This is the exact same game as it is on the PS3. Even the online community is shared between the two versions. What makes this different from any other fighting game you can play on your Vita? The mechanics. SuperBot has somehow discovered a way to reinvent the wheel and created a fighting game with all new mechanics and an all new play style strategies. Once you wrap your head around the rules you are in for one hell of a treat with a deep fighting game that is more then just the chaos that it appears to be at a glance. 

Ragnarok Odyssey - It's not quite the Monster Hunter game Vita owners have been clamoring for, but it's super fun and addicting. Gorgeous environments with an easy to learn hack-and-slash style combat. It's practically Monster Hunter Lite. It also has 4 player coop missions in the same style as Monster Hunter.

Retro City Rampage - A GTA style open-world game filled with references and minigames. Nuff said.

SunFlowers - A nice stress free game that is a port of the iOS game by the same name. Good for killing time while listening to some tunes.

Super Stardust Delta - A twin stick shooter that is as fun and as beautiful as they come. If you like twin stick shooters, you will love this game.

Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack! - A fun and charming platforming adventure that is sure to put a smile on your face as you go around eating things and slowly getting bigger and bigger. Check out the quick look of the PS3 Tales from Space game to give you an idea of what the aesthetic and game play is like for this game.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss - In all honesty, probably a better Uncharted game than Uncharted 3. The characters are better as is the story. The combat is in the same style fans of the Uncharted series know. If you like the Uncharted series, you will most likely enjoy this game.

Unit 13 - The gameplay isn't great and the AI is sometimes really bad, but the way the game is structured is exactly the right way to make a Vita game. There's a ton to do, and missions are all nice a short. If you want to shoot some terrorists, this is a decent choice.

Virtue's Last Reward - A "game" that is part Visual Novel, part "escape the room." Features clever puzzles and introduces the player to complex scientific/psychological theories that may break one's brain. The story is also INSANE. Helps to have played 999 first to appreciate the goings on in VLR more.

PSP

Final Fantasy Tactics - A PSP remake of the PS1 version. They added new cutscenes, but more importantly, the game was re-translated.

Half-Minute Hero - A humorous parody of the JRPG. This thing looks gloriouson the Vita screen.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X - It is a Mega Man game, so it goes without saying that half the fun comes from figuring out what order to fight the bosses in and discovering their weakness for yourself. This is 2-D side scrolling executed perfectly.

Pursuit Force - Play as a super cop busting bad guys in this game by the shuttered studio BigBig. Jumping from car to boat to motorcycle is still as fun today as it has ever been.

Tactics Ogre - Arguable where the SRPG started, way back when on the Super Famicom. Still a good game. Play this or Final Fantasy Tactics, but not back-to-back. Otherwise, you'll get a very samey feeling, since the same guy directed both games for two different companies, when Square and Enix were still two different companies.

Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins - A side scrolling game staring King Arthur trying to save the Princess. The game is ridiculously challenging, and no one is going to think less of you if you change the difficulty to easy in order to make the game a bit more fair and fun.

PS-One

Grandia - The constantly active battle system always brings a fun style to the standard RPG formula.

Xenogears - An absolutely stellar PS1 RPG which can be played on the Vita through PS3 Transfer. I highly recommend it despite the latter half of the game being a bit disappointing in comparison.

minis

A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! - An awesome little Galaga style game with a little bit of humor thrown in. Great "pick up and play for a few minutes" type of game.

Age of Zombies - Survive the zombie horde playing as Barry Steakfries. This is a dual joystick shooter that was made for the PSP so you use the face buttons instead of the right analog stick. It only takes a second to get used to it, and then you have an awesome pick up and play zombie survival game that has a hilarious story mode with some amazing bosses.

Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess - Play as the Duke trying to find out which monster (probably) stole his princess. The basic game play is simple, just hit the monster three times to win. However, to hit the monsters, you must jump on platforms which builds up your combo. If you jump on the same platform twice you lose your combo. The challenge comes not from defeating the monster but from defeating him with a high score. I highly recommend you check out this video to help give you an idea of this awesome game I am trying to describe.

Pac-Man: Championship Edition - It’s Pac-Man, it’s awesome, and it’s on your Vita.

Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder - A quasi-tower defense game where you shoot soldiers with your paper cannon. You unlock different types of weapon fire and abilities as you face tougher and tougher enemies. The game has an awesome doodle art style that is super charming.

Where Is My Heart? - A puzzle platformer where you shift around characters to collect hearts in the world which consists of jumbled tiles. I’m not really doing any justice with this description so go watch this quick look.

I enjoyed the alliteration in the thread title.

While I don't have a Vita myself, I'm definitely going to keep an eye on this list since I'm on the fence about getting one and will probably make my decision within the next few months. It'd be nice to see the list here get updated as games get released to help inform my decision.

@EquitasInvictus: The system itself is really nice and the screen is beautiful. The issue is you need to be happy with just playing PSP/PSOne games atm. There are very few good vita games that aren't ports.

Wait, what exactly is this a list of? Good games you can play on the Vita?

@Enigma777: yup yup. A way to help people sort through the shit and get to the good stuff.

This list might be a tad premature...

@DarthOrange:

http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/vita?view=condensed&sort=desc

http://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/all/psp?sort=desc&view=condensed

@Enigma777: Our list with a personal description next to the games. Besides, most Giant Bombers share the similar tastes. And on top of all that, I am only putting up games that still hold up, all metacritic does is serve as a time stamp of how good people thought a game was at that one point in time.

@Doctorchimp said:

This list might be a tad premature...

I disagree. If you visit the Vita's PSN store there is quite a heaping helping of games on there and it is hard to tell what is fun and what is poop, especially with those damn minis.

@DarthOrange: Considering that the Vita is less than a year old, I'd say that Metacritic list holds up fairly well. And looking at the PSP list, it's pretty much on par as well (except for Advent Children... not sure why that is there...).

Also I'm too lazy to write any description, but Lumines, Gravity Rush, Uncharted and Wipeout should be on here.

@Enigma777: Not even a little description? One sentence at least? I have not played any of those games :(

"This is a good game." That should do it for all 4.

I just bought the PS1 game Grandia, and I have been enjoying this old gem for quite a few hours already. The constantly active battle system always brings a fun style to the standard RPG formula.

Xenogears is an absolutely stellar PS1 RPG which can be played on the vita through PS3 Transfer. I highly recommend it despite the latter half of the game being a bit disappointing in comparison.

Chrono Trigger, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania SOTN also great games achievable through ps3 transfer.

In regard to psp games, any of the Persona games especially Persona 3 Portable are excellent. I also recommend anyone who skipped on the psp have a look at "best of" psp lists and check if those games are available for PSN download, as there are a ton of excellent games.

@NyxFe said:

Chrono Trigger, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania SOTN also great games achievable through ps3 transfer.

Final Fantasy Tactics is already available as a PSP game download on the Vita.

@NyxFe said:

Chrono Trigger, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania SOTN also great games achievable through ps3 transfer.

In regard to psp games, any of the Persona games especially Persona 3 Portable are excellent. I also recommend anyone who skipped on the psp have a look at "best of" psp lists and check if those games are available for PSN download, as there are a ton of excellent games.

Do you have any kind of description I can add next to those?

@Sergio said:

@NyxFe said:

Chrono Trigger, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania SOTN also great games achievable through ps3 transfer.

Final Fantasy Tactics is already available as a PSP game download on the Vita.

Is the remake of better quality?

Here's my short list to add:

Vita

Hot Shots Golf World Invitational - Portable golf. Remove the cutesy aesthetic, and there's a solid golf game in here. It's also the only one in town. Thankfully, it's good. If you were a fan of Mario Golf or Let's Golf (before they went all micro-transaction happy), or even previous Hot Shots Golf games, this is more of that.

PSP

Half-Minute Hero - A humorous parody of the JRPG. This thing looks glorious on the Vita screen.

Tactics Ogre - Arguable where the SRPG started, way back when on the Super Famicom. Still a good game. Play this or Final Fantasy Tactics, but not back-to-back. Otherwise, you'll get a very samey feeling, since the same guy directed both games for two different companies, when Square and Enix were still two different companies.

Also,

@DarthOrange said:

@Sergio said:

@NyxFe said:

Chrono Trigger, Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania SOTN also great games achievable through ps3 transfer.

Final Fantasy Tactics is already available as a PSP game download on the Vita.

Is the remake of better quality?

The PSP remake is of better quality. They added new cutscenes, but more importantly, the game was re-translated.

I added in LittleBigPlanet Vita, Fifa 13, SunFlowers, and Retro City Rampage. I also removed the games Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, Gravity Rush, and Lumines: Electronic Symphony because having the description as “This is a good game” for all of them seemed dumb. I haven’t played any of those last four so if anyone has a good reason for why they should be on the list I will gladly add them.

I also alphabetized the list. Keep bringing in the recommendations Bombers, I know there are a ton of Vita games that were released recently but I haven’t had the chance to play all of them.

Wait...so you can't download PS1 classics directly to the Vita? You have to go through the PS3 first?

That's a real shame. I've been interested in the Vita lately replay some of my old favorites (along with maybe a few I missed out on) and having it ready when some good new games come along, but my 60 gig PS3 went all yellow light of death on me a couple of years ago and it didn't seem worth paying to be fixed or throwing down the cash for a new one.

Kind of a bummer to hear I would need it to get what I want out of a Vita. :/

@Sidoran: Actually, you can download most PSOne titles directly now. The issue is that they have to be added to the Vita store by the store team first, and at the start they were a bit slow to do this, so downloading them through a PS3 became a workaround. They've since stepped up their game, and that method is rarely needed any more.

@BlackLagoon: Ah I see, thanks for the heads up, greatly appreciated!

@DarthOrange Gravity Rush, Ragnarok Odyssey, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Virtue's Last Reward NEED to be on here. Iunno what you're looking for in terms of descriptions, but I attempted to make some anyway.

Gravity Rush - The controls take some time getting use to, and the combat can be a little clunky, but this open world game features an awesome world to fly around in and a bunch of rad characters. Kat is also super adorable.

Ragnarok Odyssey - It's not quite the Monster Hunter game Vita owners have been clamoring for, but it's super fun and addicting. Gorgeous environments with an easy to learn hack-and-slash style combat. It's practically Monster Hunter Lite. It also has 4 player coop missions in the same style as Monster Hunter.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss - In all honesty, probably a better Uncharted game than Uncharted 3. The characters are better as is the story. The combat is in the same style fans of the Uncharted series know. If you like the Uncharted series, you will most likely enjoy this game.

Virtue's Last Reward - A "game" that is part Visual Novel, part "escape the room." Features clever puzzles and introduces the player to complex scientific/psychological theories that may break one's brain. The story is also INSANE. Helps to have played 999 first to appreciate the goings on in VLR more.

@DarthOrange Iunno what you're looking for in terms of descriptions, but I attempted to make some anyway.

Zen Pinball 2, Frobisher Says, Motorstorm RC, and Retro City Rampage are all Vita games I'm enjoying right now. Best part is that 3 of those games are free!

As for some minis

A Space Shooter for 2 Bucks! is an awesome little Galaga style game with a little bit a humour thrown in. Great pick up and play for a few minutes type of game.

Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder is a quasi tower defence game where you shoot soldiers with your paper cannon. You unlock different types of weapons fire and abilities as you face tougher an tougher enemies. The game has an awesome doodle art style to it that is super charming.

Where Is My Heart? is a puzzle platformer where you shift around a characters to collect hearts in the world which consists of jumbled up tiles. I'm not really doing it justice with that description so go watch the quicklook.

Pacman Championship Edition. It's Pacman, it's awesome, and it's on your vita.

Frobisher Says!: Although the concept of microgames is painfully familiar on other platforms (namely ones owned by Nintendo), this unique styled (and FREE) downloadable makes uses of the non-traditional controls in order to complete multiple challenges over the course of a few minutes. The game also has a "Bop it"-style multiplayer, DLC, and trophies (on the way). Did I mention it is Britishish?

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection: Although these games have been re-released time and time again, portable versions of both Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are quite nice to own, especially on long trips. While it does have some touch screen, physical-control-replacements, it remains focused on the gameplay (AKA cut scenes) and provides the epically-insane experience that has been missing from the Vita thus far. Of course, if you hate one game more than the other, you can always but them separately, but combined they make for a great experience to relive or enjoy for the first time.

I like the on-foot sections in Pursuit Force. :i

@DarthOrange: What about "Tearaway" from Media Molecule?