The 5 rarest PSP games you'll never own

For many years, Nintendo had full domination of the portable gaming market with its various handheld systems. However, many people felt that this might change when Sony began developing the PlayStation Portable, a handheld gaming device that would bring a new style of play to portable game enthusiasts. Over the lifetime of the PSP, a combination of great features and different titles released on it garnered a lot of attention from players. To many, the PSP was an incredible handheld that offered a unique experience for an audience that Nintendo just wasn't appealing to. And the games on the platform were getting closer to home console-like experiences that people were excited about playing.

The lifespan of the PlayStation Portable included games that went on to become rare pickups for retro collectors. Support for the PSP ended in 2014, which meant any new games or reprints effectively came to an end. Since then, a select number of game releases have become harder to obtain and skyrocketed in value from when they were first released. Chances are you'll never add them to your collection of games since they're difficult to track down and obtain. Here are five of the rarest PSP games that you may never get to own.

5 DJ Max Fever (Crew Edition)

Music mixing for the big bucks

For a long time, music games were a hip trend that spread across multiple platforms. While Guitar Hero and Rock Band had people playing various instruments, games like DJ Max Fever allowed people to mix different music together for some amazing sounds. Although the series is mostly known for being a major title in Asian territories, DJ Max Fever is the first game to be released in the US and Europe. It was released in 2009 and developed by Pentavision and PM Studios for the PSP. It is a compilation of tracks from two previous releases in the series, with a few added features to make it feel new. Players try to earn high scores by hitting the notes that appear on the screen, which correspond to the music being played. While the game was available physically in stores, it also had a digital release on the PlayStation Network, but was suddenly removed without explanation sometime after 2010.

One edition of DJ Max Fever is highly valuable to collectors, due to its limited production. The Crew Edition is a version of the game that came bundled with Technika Playing Cards, along with some other physical items. It was the second collector's edition that was released, but was limited to only 125 copies. A loose copy of this version of the game can be found priced around $115, but a complete-in-box version is worth more than $150. It's a surprisingly low price for such a limited run of this edition, but it can be tough to find someone willing to sell it at a reasonable price. The value of this may go up at some point in the future.

4 Ys I & II Chronicles (Premium Edition)

Vintage RPG remakes

To many role-playing game fans, the Ys series has many cult hit releases, which include games for consoles like the TurboGrafx-16. Two of those games, Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter, are bundled together into a remastered package that has new content, additional features, and more. The games are action RPGs that were remade following their original releases in 1987 and 1988 for the PC-8800 series. This new compilation of the games is titled Ys I & II Chronicles on the PlayStation Portable, and it allows players to switch between classic or remixed music and character portraits at any time during gameplay. Many of the changes and new content for the PSP version were based on previous releases of the games in 2001 for the PC.

Many people who seek out this bundle often do so to play both games, which has caused demand to be high over the years. The premium edition Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles is worth more than the standard release, and it comes in a larger packaging and is bundled with a music CD that contains remastered tracks from the games. A loose or incomplete copy of it is worth around $117, while a complete boxed copy of this edition is often priced at around $150 - $200.

3 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 Innocent Sin (Limited)

A remake of an RPG classic

There are many valuable role-playing games that people love to collect on the PlayStation Portable, often related to classic games that get re-released. The fan base for the genre is pretty active when it comes to seeking out their favorite games, as is the case for the Persona series. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 Innocent Sin is a remake of the original release of Persona 2: Innocent Sin from the original PlayStation. The PSP version of the game has some changes that make it feel more in line with its sequel, Persona 3, as well as additional quests and other quality-of-life tweaks. While some content didn't make it into the western release, the game received a positive reception from critics and audiences.

The limited edition of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 Innocent Sin comes with a CD of the soundtrack, as well as the game in a larger box. This edition is worth more than the standard release to collectors, despite few other extra goodies packaged with it. A loose or incomplete copy of the limited edition is valued at around $177. But if you manage to have a complete-in-box copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 Innocent Sin limited edition, then it could be worth over $200. In some auctions, the game, complete with all of its contents, has been known to be sold for nearly $250 to $300.

2 Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable (Junpei Hat Bundle)

Hardcore fans need that exclusive hat

One of the more popular entries in the Persona series also had a release on the PSP. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable is an enhanced version of Persona 3 on the PlayStation 2. This version of the game has a number of changes that change different aspects of the experience, including dialogue interactions and options for Social Links throughout. Not only can players select between a male or female protagonist, but changes to the combat resemble what is seen in the game's sequel, Persona 4. Every character can be controlled by the player, and allies can also save the protagonist from devastating attacks. While the original game had exploration in 3D, the PSP version has screens of each area outside the main dungeon, Tatarus, that are navigated with a cursor to interact with people and objects. It was a step backward from the original game, but it was a way to get around the PSP's limited technical abilities.

Persona 3 is a very popular game among RPG fans. So much so that anything released that's limited or premium is sought after pretty hard. One edition of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable on the PSP had a bundle with a hat designed like the one worn by Junpei in the game. It was an exclusive item that was for those who preordered the game, making it a very hot item among Persona enthusiasts. Without all of its contents, a loose copy of this version of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable is valued at $230. If you happen to own a complete-in-box version of this bundle with the hat, then it can be worth up to $500 in total.

1 The Hilton Family

Simulation for employees

Certain video games end up having limited releases because of their intended purposes outside of entertainment. This is the case with The Hilton Family released for the PSP, also known as Hilton Garden Inn: Ultimate Team Play. This was a simulation game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Virtual Heroes for the Hilton Garden Inn hotel chain in 2009. Gameplay involves the player completing different tasks related to hotel service in order to achieve a high score based on performance. Tasks involve cleaning up hotel rooms, being available at the main reception front desk, managing the hotel restaurant, and interacting with hotel guests. The game was meant to be only for Hilton employees, so it was designed to be played only on specific PSP systems that were located at Hilton hotels for them.

The Hilton Family wasn't something that could be purchased in stores. However, when games like this come out, there are eventual leaks that get copies of it into the hands of collectors. Because of the limited release of this game, it is highly valuable. A loose UMD disc of The Hilton Family is valued at over $1,200 alone, but a complete copy of the game in its original box is worth much more. Some copies of The Hilton Family have been known to sell for nearly $3,000 at auction. Despite this game itself not being anything worth getting excited about, its limited existence is what makes it so coveted by PSP collectors.

Collecting games for the PSP

At its heart, the PlayStation Portable was an interesting system for gamers who love handheld devices. It offered a different experience than what was seen with Nintendo's Game Boy and DS platforms, and managed to have a number of great games that people loved. Some of the most valuable titles for the system tend to be geared towards the RPG genre, but the reasons why they're so expensive are entirely understandable. Even if you love playing games on the PSP, you'll have to spend a lot of money to add any of these gems to your collection. Chances are, however, you may never get to do so and will have to admire them from a long distance away.