DS recommendations

Bob The Mercenary · 05-30-2009, 06:17 PM

I'm at home cuddling with my new DSi, which has opened a strange new world to me. The last time I picked up a Gameboy-derivative was the Advance with Pokemon Yellow. A lot of time has passed since then and right now I only have three titles to go with my new toy: Final Fantasy Tactics A2, LoZ:PH, and Advance Wars Dual Strike (the one game I would take to a desert island). At the store I saw a plethora of RPGs I was tempted to buy, but most only had mediocre reviews and I didn't want to spend all day rooting through each one.

Anyone have anything I should maybe check out? A good world-building sim or anything non-linear is what I'm looking for, but I'm open to everything.

Ryong · 05-30-2009, 06:29 PM

Super Robot Taisen - Original Saga - Endless Frontier: The name is as long as the game is good. The battle system is very good, you can run away from any battle but bosses with 100% chance and the cast is pretty good: Unless you hate women, because that's what most of your party is. Most of the bosses, too. Some are robots. And there's one that's both. Yeah.

Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure: It's a platformer with RPG-ish stuff thrown in and a simple but fun puzzle game. You kill monsters in the top screen and they go to the bottom screen as blocks in a puzzle that you have to clear or they go to the top screen and attack you. The game is fun and has a pretty quirky story - you're basically Scrooge McDuck, but less rich. Not by much, though.

The Wandering God · 05-30-2009, 06:41 PM

Pick up Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution if strategy titles interest you. It's pretty easy to pick up once you understand all the systems involved.

The Wandering God

Julford Hajime · 05-30-2009, 07:17 PM

Pok�mon. Diamond, Pearl, Platinum; any of them will do, though I've heard that Platinum (The newest one) is the best, and gives you access to more legendaries.

El Mullet · 05-30-2009, 08:15 PM

Retro Game Challenge. This is a MUST get if you're into older games, as there are eight different ones that are an omage/satire of NES games in the 80's. RPG-wise, there's Gaudia Quest in the game. It's part Final Fantasy I, part Dragon Quest I, part Shin Megami Tensei. Hilarious translation, too. "Do you feel asleep?"

Regulus Tera · 05-30-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julford Hajime

Pok�mon. Diamond, Pearl, Platinum; any of them will do, though I've heard that Platinum (The newest one) is the best, and gives you access to more legendaries.

Platinum is the best because of improved speed, better post-game stuff and more legendaris.

Grand Master Kickface · 05-31-2009, 01:20 AM

If you like fun, you'll love Rhythm Heaven. It's quirky and catchy, and it's the only game I know of that lets you rapid-fire mustache-enhancing multicolored dumplings into your mouth.

Etrian Odyssey II is, gameplay-wise, the best turn-based RPG I've ever played. However, it's also really freaking hard, so this one's best left alone unless you have a lot of spare time.

Meteos is a fantastic puzzle game that synthesizes sound effects, visuals, and player input into a delicious smoothie of awesome. It's a joint effort between the guys who headed up Smash Bros. and Rez, which might help give you an idea of how it plays. It's great for short bursts or to play for hours on end. The Tetris Effect very much applies here.

Megaman ZX and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin are both nifty 'lil 2D-action games. They also have sequels: Megaman ZX Advent and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (well, Ecclesia isn't a strict sequel, but it's in the same series. I didn't like it as much as Portrait of Ruin due to its linearity and its obscene difficulty, but some people like Ecclesia more, so eh.)

Oh yeah, New Super Mario Bros. is good too. It's Mario. There are bouncy mushrooms. Whoo.

The World Ends With You is a streamlined action-RPG that can be played in brief spurts or in long sittings. Great story, great battle system, great art style, great everything.

Oh, and um, I'll throw in another vote for Pokemon. The new games let you have a flaming monkey.

Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope · 05-31-2009, 02:14 AM

I agree with Kickface about The World Ends With You/A Wonderful World. The game is great fun, and the music is such a blast I find myself singing along to the lyrics.

Don't bother getting Chrono Trigger as it is an incredibly blah port.

Solid Snake · 05-31-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac

Don't bother getting Chrono Trigger as it is an incredibly blah port.

Crappy re-translation and uninspired new 'ending' aside, I have to say that I love my CT port, if only because it allows me to play the best RPG ever anywhere. I mean yes, the SNES version is technically better, but it doesn't matter how much Square tries to ruin the original formula, CT is still CT and the DS version still kicks ass.

I'm very much into TWEWY now and I agree with all the positive comments though I will say that the storyline is somewhat formulaic and the main character reminds me way too much of Squall in all the worst ways imaginable. Despite this, the battle system alone is so awesome that Neko's idiocy is completely forgotten, and every character who isn't Neko is pretty cool, so all's forgiven.

I actually just purchased Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution and, though it lacks any kind of depth compared to Civilization III (which, in turn, was 100% better than Civilization IV) it's still a fine port to the DS format. The game is shortened effectively enough that you can actually go through all the eras (from cavemen times to modern day) in a timespan of a few hours. The animated battle sequences are cute, and the 16 (!!) Civilizations are actually designed with greater strategic differences in playthroughs than their Civ III counterparts. (Unfortunately, this does mean that some Civs just plain suck compared to others that are overpowered...it's not the most well-balanced system ever.)

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown is thoroughly underrated and is, quite possibly, my second favorite GTA game ever after only San Andreas. Maybe Vice City beats it, too, in terms of its superior storyline, but there's a lot of great gameplay aspects in GTA: Chinatown that utilize the DS to its fullest and help compensate for the shortcoming in the graphics department. Even if you disliked the PS2 GTAs there's actually a decent possibility you might enjoy Chinatown as the drug-running aspect actually adds a sense of long-term, moneymaking strategy that's sorely lacking in the other GTAs; you could honestly avoid the main storyline and just make a ton of money trading drugs in a simulation that mirrors the 'Drug Wars' you'd play on your TI-85 graphing calculator in high school.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and the Ace Attorney games (exception: Apollo Justice) are all amazing point-and-click 'adventures' and I will never stop recommending them. Super Mario Kart DS is probably a title you own already but if not, buy it now...it's the best Mario Kart experience, in my opinion, by far.

In terms of disappointments: New Super Mario Bros was a bit of a letdown for me, I was really hoping it'd recapture some old-school Super Mario Bros. magic and, for several reasons, it fell short. The game was too easy, the powerups were less sophisticated than SMB3's, the giant mushroom and tiny mushroom 'powerups' looked cute but didn't add layers of depth to the experience (in fact, the giant mushroom powerup just succeeded in making an easy game easier) and honestly, a straight-up port of SMB3 (perhaps with upgraded graphics) would have been a better game.

One strange note that I'll close this long-winded rant on: The DS is my favorite current-gen 'console,' and I own a Wii. In fact, if given the chance to only own two consoles I'd choose a PS2 and a DS and eschew the PS3, X360, and the Wii entirely. Despite owning a Wii, I've invested far more time into my PS2 and my DS lately. I'm sure that'll eventually change, but this really has been a great generation for handhelds. Prior to this console generation, in fact, I had never considered owning a handheld. Now I own and adore my DS, and I wouldn't even mind owning a PSP (if I had extra money to burn.)

Fifthfiend · 05-31-2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac

Don't bother getting Chrono Trigger as it is an incredibly blah port.

Personally I'm violently opposed to it in every way but I can see where someone might choose to tolerate/ignore the dumb new ending for the sake of the sweet, sweet delight of having Chrono Trigger in portable form.

Anyway of stuff I've enjoyed on the system I'd say Super Contra, New Mario, Geometry Wars: Advanced, and if you like Dual Strike you might try Advance Wars: Day of Ruin; the plot takes a kinda random turn for the dramatic but gameplay wise it's everything you'd expect.

05-30-2009, 06:17 PM	#1
Bob The Mercenary Bob Dole Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bob Dole Posts: 5,606	DS recommendations I'm at home cuddling with my new DSi, which has opened a strange new world to me. The last time I picked up a Gameboy-derivative was the Advance with Pokemon Yellow. A lot of time has passed since then and right now I only have three titles to go with my new toy: Final Fantasy Tactics A2, LoZ:PH, and Advance Wars Dual Strike (the one game I would take to a desert island). At the store I saw a plethora of RPGs I was tempted to buy, but most only had mediocre reviews and I didn't want to spend all day rooting through each one. Anyone have anything I should maybe check out? A good world-building sim or anything non-linear is what I'm looking for, but I'm open to everything. __________________ Bob Dole

05-31-2009, 02:14 AM	#8
Daimo Mac, The Blue Light of Hope Definitely NOT a samurai Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Location: Wherever the wind leads me Posts: 5,347	I agree with Kickface about The World Ends With You/A Wonderful World. The game is great fun, and the music is such a blast I find myself singing along to the lyrics. Don't bother getting Chrono Trigger as it is an incredibly blah port. __________________ Lost in the Music ~ On Hiatus Tales of a Torn World ~ World Building

05-30-2009, 06:29 PM	#2
Ryong Professional Threadkiller Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Brazil Posts: 3,798	Super Robot Taisen - Original Saga - Endless Frontier: The name is as long as the game is good. The battle system is very good, you can run away from any battle but bosses with 100% chance and the cast is pretty good: Unless you hate women, because that's what most of your party is. Most of the bosses, too. Some are robots. And there's one that's both. Yeah. Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure: It's a platformer with RPG-ish stuff thrown in and a simple but fun puzzle game. You kill monsters in the top screen and they go to the bottom screen as blocks in a puzzle that you have to clear or they go to the top screen and attack you. The game is fun and has a pretty quirky story - you're basically Scrooge McDuck, but less rich. Not by much, though.

05-30-2009, 06:41 PM	#3
The Wandering God THE SUPREME COURT DID WHAT? Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arkansas (for now) Posts: 1,477	Pick up Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution if strategy titles interest you. It's pretty easy to pick up once you understand all the systems involved. The Wandering God

05-30-2009, 07:17 PM	#4
Julford Hajime Monty Mole Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 744	Pok�mon. Diamond, Pearl, Platinum; any of them will do, though I've heard that Platinum (The newest one) is the best, and gives you access to more legendaries.

05-30-2009, 08:15 PM	#5
El Mullet An Original User Title Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 30	Retro Game Challenge. This is a MUST get if you're into older games, as there are eight different ones that are an omage/satire of NES games in the 80's. RPG-wise, there's Gaudia Quest in the game. It's part Final Fantasy I, part Dragon Quest I, part Shin Megami Tensei. Hilarious translation, too. "Do you feel asleep?"

05-31-2009, 01:20 AM	#7
Grand Master Kickface Uber Tier Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ice Path Posts: 273	If you like fun, you'll love Rhythm Heaven. It's quirky and catchy, and it's the only game I know of that lets you rapid-fire mustache-enhancing multicolored dumplings into your mouth. Etrian Odyssey II is, gameplay-wise, the best turn-based RPG I've ever played. However, it's also really freaking hard, so this one's best left alone unless you have a lot of spare time. Meteos is a fantastic puzzle game that synthesizes sound effects, visuals, and player input into a delicious smoothie of awesome. It's a joint effort between the guys who headed up Smash Bros. and Rez, which might help give you an idea of how it plays. It's great for short bursts or to play for hours on end. The Tetris Effect very much applies here. Megaman ZX and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin are both nifty 'lil 2D-action games. They also have sequels: Megaman ZX Advent and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (well, Ecclesia isn't a strict sequel, but it's in the same series. I didn't like it as much as Portrait of Ruin due to its linearity and its obscene difficulty, but some people like Ecclesia more, so eh.) Oh yeah, New Super Mario Bros. is good too. It's Mario. There are bouncy mushrooms. Whoo. The World Ends With You is a streamlined action-RPG that can be played in brief spurts or in long sittings. Great story, great battle system, great art style, great everything. Oh, and um, I'll throw in another vote for Pokemon. The new games let you have a flaming monkey.