The 5 Best PSP Games for Kids

First things first: Are the best PSP games family-friendly? Maybe not.

There are definitely more games for adults — with fighting and other unwholesome content — than they are for children overall. This ratio remains the same with PSP games. Video games with violent content are normally more high profile than children’s games, and the PSP’s main target market was never very young children.

However, there are still many PSP games that are family-friendly. No blood, no gore — and with cute characters to move around. Children can also learn a lot from PSP games. Below are five PSP games that children can enjoy.

1) LocoRoco

The LocoRoco series — LocoRoco, LocoRoco 2, and LocoRoco Midnight Carnival are available on the PSP — is perfect for children with short attention spans. The story is a frame for the typical stage-after-stage mechanic of many games. These games are very addictive but also easy to put away because there’s no impulse to follow a long-running story.

The controls are simple and child-friendly. You children can practice their problem-solving capabilities and spatial intelligence with these games, as the player needs to control the environment — by tilting the PSP screen left and right and tapping on the shoulder buttons — to move the blob-like protagonists. Other platformers normally have players control characters directly.

On top of the excellent gameplay, LocoRoco games have great soundtracks and visually attractive backgrounds and characters. These games are a must for every PSP owner.

2) Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure

If your child has advanced comprehension and reading skills, they might enjoy this beautiful and charming action-adventure role-playing game (RPG). You might even enjoy playing it with them, or helping them out when they’re stuck.

Because there is a story, Gurumin is perfect for bonding with your child. You can ask your child, “What is happening in the story?” They can tell you all about it while exercising their memory and language skills.

The story is not too long, but it can seem lengthy for very young children. This game also features mini-games which children can play in short bursts, as well as traditional RPG gear-collecting. There is combat, but the graphics and general treatment of the plot allow for physical conflict to be contextual. Its combat mechanics can help exercise children’s problem-solving capabilities.

3) Tokobot

Tokobot is a 3D platformer game that features cute characters — Bolt and the Tokobots. The gameplay is unique, almost like trial-and-error, and is perfect for young children. This game can bridge the gap between open-ended or short-burst games and role-playing or rigid story mode titles. Tokobot can ease children into games requiring less reflex action skills and more comprehension skills.

This platformer is composed of combat, puzzle-solving, and object finding. For younger children, parents and guardians can help them to understand how the different game elements work. For older children, this combination of game elements can hone multitasking skills.

4) Me & My Katamari

Me & My Katamari is similar to the LocoRoco series in terms of what makes it great. The story is merely a vehicle for players to enjoy the stage-after-stage rolling mechanic. The music of Me & My Katamari is also engaging and is a great complement to its unique visual style. Children will love the rolling mechanic, which can be seen as violent but is explained in the game as a needed action. They will also love identifying real-world objects that appear in the game.

This is a great game for all ages. Aside from being an excellent single-player game that can actually be relaxing to play, it also encourages peer interaction. There are multiplayer modes where players can compete to collect items while “attacking” each other.

5) Patapon

The Patapon series is a rhythm action game with real-time strategy elements. But as complicated as all that sounds, Patapon games are child-friendly. Like the LocoRoco series and Me & My Katamari, it has a child-like appeal that’s demonstrated by its catchy music and cutesy visual design.

Patapon games exercise a player’s rhythm and memorization skills, as they need to hit a specific sequence of buttons to control and move the one-eyed characters. Peer interaction is also encouraged here. Unlike Me & My Katamari, the multiplayer mode of the Patapon games is cooperative instead of being competitive.

However, it’s important to note that the music of these games can be annoying after a lot of repetition. If your child really gets into Patapon, invest in earphones for them so they can play without bothering anyone else.

Resources— Game Review Stop, GamerDad

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