Fill Up My Vita With Classic Games, Please

I talk a lot of rubbish on Twitter. I tend to use the microblogging service as a way to vent frustration, make very bad jokes and argue vehemently about things that don’t really matter with people I don’t really know. But once in a while, it serves as the spark to something interesting. Today we had a spark.

Triggered by the very welcome news that Introversion Software’s cult classic Uplink is now available for iPad, I engaged in a mini discussion with several friends and followers. It started when our features editor, Kris, jokingly implied that he was now torn between buying a Vita (for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game) or buying an iPad for Uplink.

[drop]I replied saying that he should buy two Vitas, since they’re half the price of an iPad and send one to Introversion with a note asking for Uplink Vita. Others chimed in with their support for my imagined Vita version of Uplink. Sony might be cautious about releasing a game which involves hacking so much but seriously, we’re over that now.

We want Uplink on the Vita, please.

But why stop there? Yearning for a Vita port of an old PC hacking game, which I already own on Steam and was in the middle of downloading on iPad, led me to my other go-to demands.

I mentioned Sensible World of Soccer and my daily disappointment that it’s not already a beautiful little bubble on my Vita home screen. Again, others agreed almost immediately. Sensible World of Soccer is not only a fantastic, fast-paced football game, it’s a fantastic, fast-paced football management game. It’s perfect for that exceptionally good Vita D-Pad and the opportunities for light network functions with the Vita could be very exciting too.

Give me SWoS on the Vita, please.

As this was all unfolding, my attention turned – as it so often does – to motorcycle combat. A couple of days ago, I made a half-joke about another EA E3 conference passing and still no mention of Road Rash. Well, I’m not joking anymore. EA, seriously, bring back Road Rash, put it on the Vita and stick your bloody Autolog stuff over the top of it. Without prompting, Road Rash was suggested to me over Twitter so it’s clear that I’m not the only one who wants it. While you’re at it, Skitchin’ was awesome too.

Put Road Rash on the Vita, EA, please.

While my mind was wandering around EA’s back catalogue, it flew over an ammo crate and smoothly winched that sucker up into my awesome Apache helicopter. Sorry, I mean I was daydreaming about Jungle Strike again. Jungle Strike was the second in a series of Strike games which started with Desert Strike. It was my favourite but Desert, Urban, Soviet and even Nuclear were all solid games. This looks like an episodic series to me. Make them all with a few maps each and release each one a month or two apart on the PSN for Vita and PS3 (include Crossplay, too). Each “episode” has its distinctive theme already there and the gameplay remains largely consistent throughout. It could even adopt a kind of dual-stick shooter mechanic to modernise it a bit but it’s probably best not to go too far.

Let’s have a Strike series of games for the Vita, please.

[drop2]Sorry, EA, but I’m sticking with you as the target for my unreasonable demands. The Sims doesn’t interest me at all. That’s not a refelction on the quality (and certainly not on the popularity) of your recent Sims games, it’s just my personal taste.

I loved SimCity and I love the fact that it’s coming back. But I want the other Sim games too. SimTower, SimAnt, SimGolf, SimEarth, SimFarm, SimIsle, SimThemePark and even SimCopter.

Get them updated a bit and get them on my Vita. Surely the scary popularity of social games that riff on, pay tribute to and crib from these classics is an indication that people will want them. I know iPad seems like a natural place to start and I don’t begrudge you that – I’ll buy them there as well. But the Vita wants games and those were some great games.

So, Sims all over my Vita, EA? If you don’t mind.

All joking aside, the Vita seems to be crying out for some attention and those ideas are already there. I mean, sure, I’d love some new IP. I’d love a big, beautiful Killzone game or a polished instalment of Gran Turismo on my Vita but I’d play the hell out of these older games too (modernised or simply ported) and in a gaming landscape that’s seemingly obsessed with sequels and reboots, it’s a genuine frustration of mine that the games or series which I loved the most go inexplicably unrestored to their former glories.

I know there are a few that feel the same and I’d love to hear what you think of my wishes too. I’d also love to know what forgotten games of yesteryear you think would be a perfect fit on the Vita. What would be an instant buy for you, just on past reputations? If you’re not already a Vita owner, what might tempt you into buying?