The Mysterious PlayStation Vita Launch Lineup

The PlayStation Vita is nearly upon us, but we’re still not completely sure what games will be available to play on launch day. We can make some pretty intelligent guesses based on the confirmed European launch lineup, but nothing will be set in stone until Sony offers us a true list for North America, which should be soon.

The handheld system releases here in North America and in Europe on February 22, but in Japan the system will be available on December 17. Here’s what we know, and what we can assume about the games we will be able to play on day one. This list is based on a combination of rumors and retailer information.

Sure Things (Maybe)

Uncharted: Golden Abyss – This is the reason many are getting excited about the Vita, and understandably so. It looks almost indistinguishable from its PlayStation 3 counterpart. Most retailers are pointing toward a February 22 release for this game, and many already expect it to be available at launch. It has been confirmed as a European launch title, so things are looking good for its North American release.

Little Deviants – This collection of minigames looks to be the sort of game custom designed to show off what the Vita is capable of in as many simple ways as possible, so we’re betting we will see it on February 22. Its inclusion with this special pre-order Vita bundle seems to be a pretty strong indicator as well.

ModNation Racers: Road Trip – ModNation is one of the titles confirmed for the European launch, and multiple retailers are listing the game for February 22. This is one that has very high chances of being available day one.

WipEout 2048 – What would a brand new Sony console be without a Wipeout game? This one should be available on day one.

Reality Fighters – This is an augmented reality beat ‘em up that will take advantage of the Vita’s built-in cameras. Retailers are pointing to this as a launch title, and it has been confirmed for Europe’s launch.

Hot Shots Golf – Much like Wipeout, Hot Shots Golf is a franchise that usually launches alongside Sony’s new platforms. There’s a pretty good chance we will see Hot Shots Golf on day one. It has also been confirmed as part of Europe’s launch under a different title: Everybody’s Golf.

There have been at least a few third-party developed titles that we know will be available for Vita's launch. F1 2011 and Touch My Katamari, Ridge Racer, and Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen from Bandai have all been confirmed.

Unsure Things

LittleBigPlanet – Some retailers are listing this is as ready for launch, while others show it releasing shortly after sometime in March. In any case, it should be available near the Vita’s release.

Escape Plan – Escape Plan is one of the more interesting possible launch titles for the Vita with its black and white color scheme and puzzle gameplay. Europeans will definitely get it on launch day, but retailers in North America aren’t listing it yet.

Unit 13 – This title was shown off recently at a European Vita event, but little was offered in regard to when we will see it stateside. It’s a third-person shooter from Zipper Interactive, the team behind SOCOM. There is no exact North American release date yet, but comments that it should appear around the launch lead us to believe it will not be available day one, but should be early on.

MotorStorm RC – This is a miniaturized version of MotorStorm. It features the aesthetic of the franchise you recognize, but you will control miniature RC versions of the cars, instead of full-fledged vehicles. This title may not receive an actual retail release, and instead be a downloadable game for the PlayStation Network. PlayStation 3 players will be able to play the game on their PS3s, if they so desire, and can compete against Vita players. This game has been confirmed for the European launch, but the North American version seems to be leaning toward later in the Spring.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – Retailers are listing the popular fighting game with a release date of February 22, but the Vita version of the game hasn’t been shown off much, so this is one we will just have to wait and see.

Sound Shapes – Sound Shapes impressed many when the Vita was first shown off, but a lack of retailer listings makes the chances of it being available at launch uncertain.

Resistance: Burning Skies – Some retailers have listed the Vita version of Resistance as a launch title, but others are pointing to a more believable date of December of next year. Don’t count on playing this one on Februray 22.

Army Corps Of Hell – Army Corps looks like a Pikmin game with hellspawn instead of cute plants (not to be confused with Overlord). Some retailers are listing it for February 22, but that seems unlikely, considering others are placing it in March. It’s also not a confirmed game for Europe’s launch.

Supremacy MMA – Not all retailers are listing this title, but the ones that are show February 22. We’ll file this one under, "wait and see.”

Hustle Kings, Super Stardust Delta, and Top Darts have all been confirmed for the European launch, but North American retailers aren’t listing these titles, so take those reports with a grain of salt.

Even if we ignore the above list of games that we’re unsure about, the Vita launch is looking pretty strong. The Nintendo 3DS seems to be finding its sales footing now, but a rocky start forced a premature price drop, and much of those initial problems can be attributed to a weak launch lineup. Sony took note, and is smartly making sure that early Vita adopters will have some good choices. Not all of the games look amazing, but they span a number of different genres. This list is mostly first-party Sony offerings – the third-party launch games haven’t really been discussed yet. Sony offered a list of games currently in development for the European launch, and even though many of those won’t be available at launch, it’s a safe bet many of them will.

There is no telling who will come out on top in the hand-held race between Sony and Nintendo, but Vita is certainly making up for lost time by jumping out of the gate with a huge bank of games.