The Nintendo DS Thread (NDS) - THE LIST

[Hagane]

Ghost Trick, 999, Ace Attorney (not particularly great games, but they have entertaining stories)

Only good thing about 999 is Nishimura's art really. The puzzles are mind numbingly dumb (elementary school level math for the most part) and the story is utterly terrible. I finished it because I didn't believe it could get any more stupid, and it proved me wrong every single time.

I haven't played many entertaining DS games. One of the few I liked that wasn't mentioned here is Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume. While it's not that good as an SRPG (mainly because ranged combat is mostly worthless), it's a nice improvement over VP's battle system with the bonuses for overkill, special formations and expanded positioning options. Great story with multiple paths, decent challenge level (especially if you don't sacrifice your characters left and right like most mainstream reviewers seemed to do) and a fun extra "dungeon".

Other than that, I really love Order of Ecclesia (by far my favorite Castlevania post Rondo of Blood), I enjoyed Phoenix Wright 1 and 3 (though Iconoclast is right in that they are not great games), and Advance Wars Days of Ruin looked nice for the time I played it. I'll see if I can find something interesting I missed in this thread.

[Moniker]

Anyone recommend Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon? I read that it was a remake with some of the later entries' features superimposed - didn't really know how to feel about that, so I avoided. Any good?

[BrianC]

Shiren isn`t action-based. At least not in the sense something like Ys is. There is no separate battle screen in Shiren, but the attacks still happen in turns. Also, keep in mind that Shiren for the DS is a port of the 1995 SNES game. It`s only really worth it if you want to see the series` humble beginnings. The sequels didn`t drastically change the gameplay formula, but I do feel that they improved it considerably.

I read it's a remake rather than a straight port. Why is it only worth it if you want to see the series humble beginnings? That's not what I heard from other impressions I read of the game. How did the sequels improve the gameplay? Technically, Torneko on SFC was the series humble beginnings. I heard a lot of people prefer the previous games over 3 because 3 was made to be a lot easier than the others and has a flawed party system.

Anyone recommend Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon? I read that it was a remake with some of the later entries' features superimposed - didn't really know how to feel about that, so I avoided. Any good?

I generally hear that it's not as good as the others and has odd requirements for unlocking bonus chapters. Also, it seems to be one of those games that just jumped in price. I used to see it for cheap.

I enjoyed Phoenix Wright 1 and 3 (though Iconoclast is right in that they are not great games)

By that logic, no graphic adventure or visual novel is a great game. Part of the gameplay is the text and choosing the right responses. They do their job well.

[Moniker]

Shiren isn`t action-based. At least not in the sense something like Ys is. There is no separate battle screen in Shiren, but the attacks still happen in turns. Also, keep in mind that Shiren for the DS is a port of the 1995 SNES game. It`s only really worth it if you want to see the series` humble beginnings. The sequels didn`t drastically change the gameplay formula, but I do feel that they improved it considerably.

I read it's a remake rather than a straight port. Why is it only worth it if you want to see the series humble beginnings? That's not what I heard from other impressions I read of the game. How did the sequels improve the gameplay? Technically, Torneko on SFC was the series humble beginnings. I heard a lot of people prefer the previous games over 3 because 3 was made to be a lot easier than the others and has a flawed party system.

Yeah, I have to add my disagreement to JI's sentiment. I've played a shit ton of roguelikes and Shiren 1 is easily one of the best ever made. Most of the differences b/w the SFC and NDS versions are pretty subtle (some gameplay tweaks, new enemies, extra dungeons, rescue system), so I wouldn't really call it a remake. In any case, I still prefer it to Shiren 2 - which didn't really do anything wrong, per se, but the general balance seems off, and the story mode isn't nearly as good. Shiren 3 is sort of a different beast from its forebears, with the party system and tangential story dungeons. All are worth playing, but Shiren 1 is still my favorite, and by no means dated or obsolete.

[guigui]

Any thoughts on Rune Factory ?

I'd like to dive in a RPG for the system, but none of those still work for me : Chrono Trigger, Radiant Historia, FF. I'm just sick of having to save the world with kids.

[Hagane]

By that logic, no graphic adventure or visual novel is a great game. Part of the gameplay is the text and choosing the right responses. They do their job well.

They would be great games if the riddles / problems were hard, but they aren't. Broken Sword does its job well, PW doesn't. They are a nice little pastime you'll quickly finish and never ever touch again in your life though.

[Jonathan Ingram]

I read it's a remake rather than a straight port.

Let`s settle for a remixed port. It changes up a few things here and there, but other than that it`s very similar. The DS version is easier than the SNES one, IIRC. Some monsters do less damage and it`s impossible to hit for less than 1 point of damage now.

Why is it only worth it if you want to see the series humble beginnings? That's not what I heard from other impressions I read of the game. How did the sequels improve the gameplay?

Bigger, better, prettier. Shiren 3 is a bit of its own thing, so it may be a bit hard to compare directly, but Shiren 4 and 5 definitely qualify. They have more customization and upgrade options, a day and night cycle that affects gameplay, the nifty ability to recover items even after death, better dungeon layouts(although this one is subjective) - stuff like that.

[Moniker]

Bigger, better, prettier. Shiren 3 is a bit of its own thing, so it may be a bit hard to compare directly, but Shiren 4 and 5 definitely qualify. They have more customization and upgrade options, a day and night cycle that affects gameplay, the nifty ability to recover items even after death, better dungeon layouts(although this one is subjective) - stuff like that.

Has anyone done translations for 4 & 5, or just in the moonspeak? I managed Shiren 2 in japanese and co-created a wiki translating at the items before the patch (which happily led to the patch before long.. go me ), not sure I'd be up for that again, though.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Has anyone done translations for 4 & 5, or just in the moonspeak?

Not to my knowledge. I had to make do with Google-translated Japanese walkthroughs and wikis when I played them.

I managed Shiren 2 in japanese and co-created a wiki translating at the items before the patch (which happily led to the patch before long.. go me ), not sure I'd be up for that again, though.

Hey, thanks a lot for that. I didn`t know you`d contributed to it.

[Phellan Wolf]

Did some lf you play eledees for the nds??? How is it?

[BulletMagnet]

I'd like to dive in a RPG for the system, but none of those still work for me : Chrono Trigger, Radiant Historia, FF. I'm just sick of having to save the world with kids.

The World Ends With You might be worth a try - still kids, but the setting is different, and while its inner workings are flawed they still do a good amount of neat things I wish more JRPGs would do. I've also heard people praise Contact, but I haven't played that one myself.

Did some lf you play eledees for the nds??? How is it?

Do you mean "Elebits?" I only tried it briefly, but despite some nice visuals I was personally kinda bored by it...then again I wasn't a fan of the Wii one either.

[guigui]

I'd like to dive in a RPG for the system, but none of those still work for me : Chrono Trigger, Radiant Historia, FF. I'm just sick of having to save the world with kids.

The World Ends With You might be worth a try - still kids, but the setting is different, and while its inner workings are flawed they still do a good amount of neat things I wish more JRPGs would do. I've also heard people praise Contact, but I haven't played that one myself.

Thanks for the suggestions BulletMagnet. Neither The World Ends With You, SMT, or Contact attract me. I must have grown bored of those, shame I still want to play them though.

Only Demon's/Dark Souls is good for me as (A)RPG goes nowadays.

Still wanna try Rune Factory for its gestion aspect, any thoughts on it ?

[CMoon]

I also want to give rune factory a shot at some point. I agree that the Souls games put you in a position where a lot of other RPGs pale (although honestly they are very different.) Surprised you say the SMT games don't interest you though since in a way, the core series reminds me more than anything else of the souls games because in general you are isolated, there's typicall a heavy atmosphere and there's a ton of moral ambiguity. If you haven't delved deeply into them, you might give 'em another shot. Nocture is still my fave, though Strange Journey is quite good, and the little bit I got out of Soul Hackers (only played for 30 min) seemed pretty damn awesome.

[guigui]

Well Cmoon, you did wake my curiosity up again about SMT.
Let's sum up, if I am correct :

Nocturne : PS2 only ?
Strange Journey : available on DS
Devil Survivor : available on DS
Devil Survivor Overclocked : available on 3DS
Soul Hackers : available on 3DS

Which one should I start with? Knowing that I tend to prefer myself some tactical combat involving moving your characters, am bored of saving the world with babbling kids, and like some obscure settings/characters.

[Moniker]

Has anyone done translations for 4 & 5, or just in the moonspeak?

Not to my knowledge. I had to make do with Google-translated Japanese walkthroughs and wikis when I played them.

Ah well. Would you mind giving a quick rundown of how they play? I've been mighty curious.

[KAI]

Jake Hunter - Detective Chronicles / Tantei Jinguji Saburo DS: Inishie no Kioku
Horrible Localization (names/locations changed), but it's the only way to read a Saburo game in english.

[CMoon]

Well Cmoon, you did wake my curiosity up again about SMT.
Let's sum up, if I am correct :

Nocturne : PS2 only ?
Strange Journey : available on DS
Devil Survivor : available on DS
Devil Survivor Overclocked : available on 3DS
Soul Hackers : available on 3DS

Which one should I start with? Knowing that I tend to prefer myself some tactical combat involving moving your characters, am bored of saving the world with babbling kids, and like some obscure settings/characters.

First off, all the SMT games involve tactical combat of some kind or another. Combat is not just Dragon Quest 'attack/defend/magic/escape', but typically involve making clever use of elemental weaknesses, character alignments, party order, and creative combinations of skills that you aren't supposed to have at the same time but can get through demon fusion. Used well, combat may often only last a few seconds. At the same time you are juggling your own party weaknesses that enemies can take advantage of--consequently, you can also be wiped out very quickly by a smart enemy.

My favorite on this list is Nocturne. It has my favorite systems, I love the presentation (graphics, music, etc.), and its lack of any direct story. Like Demon's and Dark Souls, there clearly is a lot going on, but the narrative of your character is up to you to decide--and not figuratively, but directly through the choices you make. Having become at least part demon, you can choose to shape the new demon world however you want. It is up to the player if they relate back to any part of the human world or if this is a completely new start. The world feels incredibly alien without any comforts or crutches. So yeah, this one.

Right now my second choice would be Strange Journey which is clearly a very good game, but diminished by what I just said about Noctune. Its themes are far more obvious and its environments feel more like standard mazes than what you encounter in Nocturne. I also don't like the combat system as much, but it has great character designs and is a throw back to games like Soul Hackers. Thumbs up for incredible atmosphere.

I don't know about Soul Hackers yet (only put in two hours) but so far I really like it. More a cyber-punk thing than an end of the world thing, but there's a helluva lot going on in this game.

Devil Survivor titles are strategy RPGs, making them a seemingly good first pick for you--however, I found I didn't end up caring much for the first one, and haven't played the second. Maybe it is too much of a leap to take the systems for a 1st person dungeon crawler and adapt it to an sRPG? I'm sure some fans can speak up for the series.

[Zeether]

Jump Ultimate Stars should be on every recommendation list. Just don't play online because people are scrubs and AR their way to victory by giving themselves unlimited SP and can therefore spam level 6 Luffy attacks all day.

[BrianC]

Jake Hunter - Detective Chronicles / Tantei Jinguji Saburo DS: Inishie no Kioku
Horrible Localization (names/locations changed), but it's the only way to read a Saburo game in english.

Weren't there two of these? I heard that one has the same adventure as the first one plus another one with a better localization. I just looked it up and it sounds like Jake Hunter Detective Story is that second game with the better localization.

[ZellSF]

Well Cmoon, you did wake my curiosity up again about SMT.
Let's sum up, if I am correct :

Nocturne : PS2 only ?
Strange Journey : available on DS
Devil Survivor : available on DS
Devil Survivor Overclocked : available on 3DS
Soul Hackers : available on 3DS

Which one should I start with? Knowing that I tend to prefer myself some tactical combat involving moving your characters, am bored of saving the world with babbling kids, and like some obscure settings/characters.

I don't think there's any reason to consider the DS version of Devil Survivor, the 3DS one is supposed to be a pretty definite improvement.

[BrianC]

I don't think there's any reason to consider the DS version of Devil Survivor, the 3DS one is supposed to be a pretty definite improvement.

Devil Survivor 2 is getting a 3DS version too. I looked up more info on Jake Hunter Detective Story. It's actually a re-localization of the same game Detective Chronicles is based on. Detective Chronicles cut out half the game and Detective Story has it intact. Jake Hunter Detective Chronicles sounds like a good one to avoid.

[KAI]

Fuck, I've spend 2 hours playing shit then.
Dragon Ball Z Bukuu Togeki (Arc System) and Lost Magic (Taito) are cool.

[Phellan Wolf]

Yep Eledees is the european name of the game. I nought it the other day for cheap, not that bad I have to advance a bit more into story and gameplay.
By the way, I wasn't aware of The DarkSpire and man, watched a few videos of it and it looks so damn cool. The art reminds me of old Pc games. Now I am looking for it but looks like it is almost impossible to find now.

[Skykid]

@Skykid - you would be my hero if you would compile the recommendations in the first post as a reference.

Phew, done. Didn't realise just how many recommendations made. Don't say I never do nuthin' for ya.

Oh, and I should mention Legend of Kage 2 is a bit of a surprise. Genuinely desirable for speed running with a ton of moves, fast paced action, and really quite excellent boss fights. Graphics are nice and music is often great.

Not the best game ever, but it's everything Kaze Kiri wanted to be. I'd recommend it to old school action fans, certainly does justice to the name (pretty sure it's superior to the original.)

[Moniker]

You are a mensch. Thanks. Now to find my max media dock....

[RNGmaster]

Ketsui Death Label and Bleach FTG are duplicates. There might be others but those were the only obvious errors.

Good list, though.

[CMoon]

Fair number of duplicates. Also, weird omission of DQ 4 when 5 and 6 are listed. Just odd. Regardless, good job.

[RNGmaster]

Oh yeah I see 999 on there 3 times and maybe one or two others. I also assume KAI or OBV are responsible for putting Doki Doki Majo Shinpan on a "good games" list it doesn't belong anywhere near.

[KAI]

LOL at your stupid accusation.

Kumatanchi should be on the list.

[AweOfShe]

Kumatanchi should be on the list.

Still trying to find a copy of that game, and Coropata, for a reasonable price. :l