Happy Third Birthday, Vita!

This week marks the Vita’s third stateside anniversary, and Sony has some ways that you can get in on the celebration. A sale has been issued on the Playstation Store, reducing the prices of some of the consoles newest and greatest hits. Here’s just a small sampling of what you can get your hands on.

• Atelier games for $16 each w/Plus, $24 without
• Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles ($7.50/$9)
• Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd ($20/$24, DONE)
• Jet Set Radio ($5/$6)
• Orgarhythm ($3/$5)
• Virtue’s Last Reward ($7.50/$12.50)

This Sale should go public today after a console update. You can also grab a free Toro and friends Vita Theme, which, unless you work in a cotton candy puppy factory, is undoubtedly the most adorable thing you’ll see all day.

EN VITA VERITAS: A Look Back on The First Three Years of The Vita. 

Despite its undeniable charms, The PS Vita will not be remembered as Sony’s most successful project. When we were first introduced to the system back in 2012, it promised quite a bit: full console gaming experiences, robust online features, and the ability to stream your PS3 and PS4 games wherever you went. Understandably, claims like that garnered quite a lot of attention and hope from optimistic portable gaming fans. But, like most politicians, it promised much more than it could deliver.

Unlike most politicians, however, it was actually held accountable for it. Last November, the Federal Trade Commission issued a settlement to be paid out to early adopters of the Vita, myself included, citing that the product was unable to deliver on a wide majority of its advertised features, deeming those claims false advertising.

So, the Vita isn’t a miracle machine. Big surprise. Even when I saw those initial ads, I never believed in a future where everyone would be playing Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed on their morning bus trips. Console gaming has an environment, and it’s not an inner city train at 8:30 AM. Still, I bought one almost immediately after launch (the expensive 3G one too, go figure), and while I don’t always have a reason to use it as much as my 3DS, I always enjoy it when I do.

The Vita can definitely stands its ground when it comes to software. Exclusive titles like Persona 4 Golden, Tearaway, and Gravity Rush showcase a huge amount of style and variation using the console’s power. Access to a ton of cross play titles like Fez, Guacamelee, and Rogue Legacy makes it a perfect way to play some of the indie scenes best and brightest.  A vast library of classic PS1 games like Vib Ribbon, Suikoden, and the Final Fantasy Series breathes new life into some of your old favorites.  Sony has done a wonderful job of readjusting the Vita’s focus, turning it from an overambitious idealism into a functional platform to play a wide variety of independent, niche, and cross play titles. It’s also gained a huge boost in usefulness from its function as a streaming device for PS4 titles via remote play.

Some people may still be pining for what the Vita could have been, but I’m more focused on what it will be moving forward. While it’s no longer trying to be a powerhouse of mobile console experiences, It’s still got a ton of useful applications that make it a perfect companion for the right kind of people.

Happy Birthday, Friend.