3DS, DSiWare + DS Game Recommendations & Mini-Reviews

[Refa]

I'll try and post a review later, but Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor is a must buy for anyone who likes SRPGs. If the artstyle turns you off, don't worry, the story is still good despite that.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Refa

I'll try and post a review later, but Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor is a must buy for anyone who likes SRPGs. If the artstyle turns you off, don't worry, the story is still good despite that.

Yeah, I still have to finish it, but Devil Survivor is one of my favorite games on the DS. Absolutely solid in all aspects, with some very good gameplay, and one of the very few strategy games with a great story and a likable cast, at least in my opinion. That's really an achievement considering how hard I am to convince - the only other SRPG with a story and cast I cared about is Disgaea, and that's just because the dialogue is entertaining.

[Rusty Gaiden]

Originally Posted by link64

even Pokemon required more stratagy

Are you implying that the Pokemon system doesn't require much strategy?

Anyways, the materia system in FF7 had potential, but to be honest it was stupid. The only thing that really separated the characters was race, breasts, and teen angst. No characters really had different potentials from other characters.

Anyone who has actually played Golden Sun would know the class system, and the Djinn system. Seriously, people overlook it because the game's difficulty curve is too low (you could probably finish the game without looking at the class system), but there is soooooo much potential for strategic builds and setups.

[link64]

Originally Posted by Rusty Gaiden

Are you implying that the Pokemon system doesn't require much strategy?

No I was implying that it was a beginner RPG.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by link64

No I was implying that it was a beginner RPG.

It's not a beginner RPG, though. Pokemon is an extremely unique game that has little in common with most RPGs, it just happens to be very easy to understand. Nothing I learned from playing pokemon helped my play other games in the genre, and to be quite honest, all it really did was confuse me and gave me false expectations. I'm not really sure if there is a "Beginner RPG", since RPGs are so diverse, but if I had to label one, I'd pick any game from the Dragon Quest series since they are relatively easy to understand and most JRPGs have built on it in some way(kinda sorta).

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Rusty Gaiden

Anyways, the materia system in FF7 had potential, but to be honest it was stupid. The only thing that really separated the characters was race, breasts, and teen angst. No characters really had different potentials from other characters.

That's why I liked it. The characters weren't restricted by class. That meant you could make any character have any skill you wanted. I've never been fond of games forcing specializations on characters. I'd rather give them the skills that I see fit.

Originally Posted by Rusty Gaiden

Anyone who has actually played Golden Sun would know the class system, and the Djinn system. Seriously, people overlook it because the game's difficulty curve is too low (you could probably finish the game without looking at the class system), but there is soooooo much potential for strategic builds and setups.

But I never really had to use it. It just doesn't really feel satisfying when any strategy you use won't really be much more effective than simply spamming the attack command aside from certain situations. There's really just no incentive to use them.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

This thread is now sticky. Make sure to keep us up to date on amazing new DS games we should all be playing!

[pdRydia]

Freshly-Picked: Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

SERIES: Tingle series; Zelda series
PREDECESSOR: n/a
SUCCESSOR: Irodzuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip
GENRE: action RPG
DIFFICULTY:
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: Vanpool / Nintendo
SIMILAR GAMES: n/a

Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland (TRR) begins with the protagonist--a dumpy 35-year-old man--sitting in the middle his home, scratching his butt. After a short cutscene, Uncle Rupee transforms this man into Tingle. As Tingle, it is your job to college rupees in order to reach Rupeeland.

I am not making any of this up.

pros:

• bizarre & campy story, characters, overall sense of humor
• nice, Zelda-like dungeons
• lots of secrets, collectibles
• good controls (d-pad/XABY for moving your character, touch pad for other interactions)
• battles are quick and to the point; good bodyguard AI in battles

cons:

• terribly designed "haggle" mechanic which appears frequently in game (I used a FAQ)
• dungeon boss battles are gimmicky and not particularly fun
• not released in North America (you must import it from Europe)

[hayes1516]

Just wondering whether we are going to post 3DS game reviews here or should that be a new thread?

[Kreegs]

I would vote for a new thread. Even though you can still play DS games on the 3DS, I would find it easier to keep them separate.

[pdRydia]

Sorry I didn't see your posts earlier. I think we should keep all the DS, 3DS, and DSiWare game recommendations in one thread. This thread doesn't get a lot of traffic (the last review was in January!) and I imagine the new 3DS thread won't, either, once the newness of the console wears off. One thing that we should try to avoid is a bunch of unnecessary and duplicate stickies at the top of the forum, as that makes the forum messy and hard to navigate.

Kreegs, I think you won't find it too difficult to sort the 3DS recommendations from the DS and DSiWare recommendations. I imagine that from now on, this post is going to be dominated by 3DS recommendations.

[pdRydia]

There are some 3DS Game Recommendations & Reviews at www.vc-forums.com/ds-family/21612-3ds-game-recommendations-reviews.html
(closed thread).

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Don't be shy about re-posting them in here, since this is the thread that will live on.

[Yasume]

Originally Posted by hayes1516

PilotWings Resort...7/10
Well basically this is a modified Island Flyover from Wii Sports Resort. You can now choose from a plane, rocket belt or hang glider to travel the island. There's still the points of interest to find, although they are slightly modified with most the same. Personally I found the plane and glider worked best with a very steep learning curve on the rocket belt. The 3D effect was nice on this one although there were the occasional visual jaggies if you tipped the 3DS at any point during play. It did, however, make landing much easier. I feel that the $40 price tag on this one is a little high though, and it might better been served as a $30 game. Still, its a nice game to show off the system with.

Bust-A-Move Universe...6/10
The game itself is as addictive as ever. That much hasn't changed. The reason I gave this one a lower score was that the 3D effect was utterly useless on this one. I ended up turning off the 3D while playing just because it didn't serve much of a purpose. Had it been better utilized it might have gotten a higher score from me.

Steel Diver...7/10
This was better than I expected. While it is basically a side-scrolling sub simulator with touch screen controls, there are a few parts that use the gyro sensor as you operate the periscope to find enemy ships and these sections really stand out. The 3D effect was good on this one for giving a sense of depth to the ocean floors. Again, however, I feel that it could have been about $10 cheaper.

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition...9/10

Without a doubt the best launch title I've played. Excellent graphics, smooth controls, a huge list of characters to play with. 3D looks gorgeous on this one. The list of extras is fairly substantial and there is local multiplayer and online multiplayer. Haven't tried the last two but will in the future. Also, have yet to experience a Streetpass fight so i held back that last point based on those two things.

Originally Posted by Ouenben

Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars - 8/10
Those who are a fan of strategic tactical turn-based games should get this. It's quite similar to advance wars/Fire Emblem, your characters level up which adds more health/firepower etc for later missions. The graphics are just a slightly higher res looking DS game, the 3D makes it look like you're looking through the screen into their little world. Quite cool. The campaign missions are pretty fun so far, different units and soldiers representing different gameplay tactics.
Multiplayer is lacking in that the only mode is passing the 3DS around for turns...

Super Monkey Ball 3DS - 4/10
Rent or borrow this if you must play it. Can be beaten in <2 hours. With the slider pad the game doesn't get challenging until the last world (which has pretty funky music), The challenge increases a bit with the tilt controls but I've never liked tilt controls in monkey ball games.
The multiplayer consists of a mediocre Smash bros clone and a god awful Mario kart clone, which can be played local multiplayer or against the computer. Nowhere near the greatness of Monkey target or Monkey golf of the Gamecube ones.
The 3D effect is pretty good though, bananas fly towards and slightly out of the screen when you collect them, obstacles and scenery in the level does move about as if it's there.

Originally Posted by Yasume

Super Monkey Ball 3D ~ 7/10

Ouenben got some fair points there, but I enjoyed this game and I'm still playing it for completion. Yes, you can beat this within 2 hours and yes it is oh-so-easy, but it does have a good replay value. I like to replay the stages and earn medals or hidden collectibles. I admit that it would be nice if there were more stages to unlock or an additional character (there seem to be a lot of them if I look at the other 2 modes), but overall I'm satisfied with the replayability.

I played the game using the circle pad, because motion controls didn't do it for me. I don't know if its me or if they are broken, but I just can't do it. They are probably way too sensitive for me. This is my biggest complaint about the game. Especially because you need to earn medals with this control option and that makes completing the game dreadful.

The 3D is nice, but can get tired on the eyes. I refuse to change it to 2D though. I bought a 3DS to play some 3D games. If I want 2D games I'll play my GB Micro or something.

About the other 2 modes, I think that Monkey Race is pretty fun but it does have a steep learning curve. I'm starting to get better at it, but I still don't understand how to pull off a speed boost correctly. I recommend trying out different vehicles, because the difference between them is quite noticeable. I can't comment on Monkey Fight yet, because I only tried one short random match.

Copied from the other thread.

Anyone here that owns Ridge Racer or Rayman 3D? I'd like to read some impressions of these games.

[Ouenben]

I have ridge racer will post some impressions in the next day or two.

Rayman 3D is crap, don't bother. It's a lazy port of a port.

[SKTTR]

Have played 3DS for the first time.

It was Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

Was underwhelming and looked like the graphics were damaged. Maybe it's because it's a 2D game in 3D? It doesn't look good... really hard on the eyes.
Nothing for me.. After all this hype I believe I must be one of the few whose brain can't handle this specific Nintendo 3DS 3D-trickery??

I'll wait until I can play a real 3D game on the 3DS, but I'm afraid all games look crap like that.

[Ouenben]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Have played 3DS for the first time.

It was Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

Was underwhelming and looked like the graphics were damaged. Maybe it's because it's a 2D game in 3D? It doesn't look good... really hard on the eyes.
Nothing for me.. After all this hype I believe I must be one of the few whose brain can't handle this specific Nintendo 3DS 3D-trickery??

I'll wait until I can play a real 3D game on the 3DS, but I'm afraid all games look crap like that.

SFIV isn't the best game to show it off as you said it's a 2D fighting game. The games that I found show it off best are: Pilotwings, super monkey ball, nintendogs and the 3D live action video that downloads when you update.

[sulcalen]

In two topics
1. SSF4 really is very good and the effect (3d) is well made...is a 2d fighting game with some deep, but the stages are plain dead, a photo, a still picture.

2. Chrono trigger or Dragon quest IX??

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by sulcalen

2. Chrono trigger or Dragon quest IX??

Depends on what you want. CT is cheap as heck ($10), so why not both?

[sulcalen]

Because here in Colombia the video games are really expensive. CT is around 60usd and the taxes for impotation are around 40usd+15of the game

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by sulcalen

Because here in Colombia the video games are really expensive. CT is around 60usd and the taxes for impotation are around 40usd+15of the game

AH. I guess I overlooked your location last post. Sorry 'bout that.
Well, CT and DQ9 have some similarities (genre, fantasy setting, turn-based combat, etc.), but I think there are some points to consider.

AGE: Chrono Trigger DS is the 3rd release of an SNES game. That means 2 things:

• First, you would be buying a 16-year-old game. Chrono Trigger was very successful, which means we've had 16 years of games following its example--so when you play it, it may not seem so special today. DQ9 may offer you something newer, because it's only 1 year old.
• Second, since CT is on its 3rd release, developers have had 2 chances to fix any mistakes that made it out into the first release. (I haven't played my CT DS yet, so I can't comment on whether or not they HAVE...)

MULTIPLAYER: DQ9 puts a fairly large emphasis on multiplayer, which requires multiple copies of the game. I don't know if it works over the internet or if you need to be in the same room.

SAVE SLOTS: CT offers 3 save slots, DQ9 offers 1.

LANGUAGES: The American (ESRB-rated) CT plays in English+French and DQ9 plays in English+French+Spanish. I don't know about copies imported from Europe or other territories. I can't vouch for the quality of the French or Spanish translations (The Spanish translation on DQ9 seems a bit strange, but I'm no expert).

TEXT: DQ9 draws much of its humor from puns and word play. Because of this, I find its world is a lot more fun to explore than CT's.

BATTLES: Although you can see monsters on the world map in both games (and can try to avoid them in both), CT has much smoother battle transitions than DQ9. In CT, you actually battle on the same screen in which you encounter the enemies, whereas in DQ9 there is a transition. Also, I found DQ9 battles incredibly boring, while CT battles were incredibly easy. That's just how turn-based combat is, though. :/

[sulcalen]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

AH. I guess I overlooked your location last post. Sorry 'bout that.
Well, CT and DQ9 have some similarities (genre, fantasy setting, turn-based combat, etc.), but I think there are some points to consider.
... :/

Thanks for your answer. Actually I played CT some years ago and find it awesome, and i like to known if DQ9 is as good or the CTDS deserves the buy

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by sulcalen

Thanks for your answer. Actually I played CT some years ago and find it awesome, and i like to known if DQ9 is as good or the CTDS deserves the buy

Personally, I enjoyed CT (SNES) much more, and CTDS is a very faithful copy of that. DQ9 requires you to play the multiplayer to get the full experience, and I really prefer my RPGs to be single-player. I also prefered CT's 2D sprite-based art over DQ9's 3D. And, of course, CT's music is simply amazing.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

DQ9 requires you to play the multiplayer to get the full experience

I don't get this at all. Sure, there's a significant multiplayer aspect to the game, but you're making it sound like the main quest gets short shrift because of it. In reality, the single-player campaign is a long and robust experience. If someone were to pay the $30 or whatever for this game just for the single-player it would be a good investment.

The multiplayer aspect is nowhere near as central to the game as something like Pokerymans, for example.

Chrono Trigger DS has a new multiplayer feature, too. So does FFIV DS.

[sulcalen]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

Personally, I enjoyed CT (SNES) much more, and CTDS is a very faithful copy of that. DQ9 requires you to play the multiplayer to get the full experience, and I really prefer my RPGs to be single-player. I also prefered CT's 2D sprite-based art over DQ9's 3D. And, of course, CT's music is simply amazing.

Thank you for share your view. I personally enjoyed SNES Chrono Trigger a lot and the characters are memorable along with the music. I guest the multiplayer of the CTDS is a little shallow, according the reviews, and dont guet the multiplayer in DQ9

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

I don't get this at all. Sure, there's a significant multiplayer aspect to the game, but you're making it sound like the main quest gets short shrift because of it. In reality, the single-player campaign is a long and robust experience. If someone were to pay the $30 or whatever for this game just for the single-player it would be a good investment.

Admittedly I never played DQ9 in multiplayer. I'm going off of what others have said, and also a kind of assumption that the multiplayer has to add more to the game, since the singleplayer is kind of lacking. I suppose I should know better.

sulcalen has mentioned that the price range for the game may be more like $60, perhaps more for DQ9. I would not consider DQ9 to be worth $60.

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

Chrono Trigger DS has a new multiplayer feature, too. So does FFIV DS.

A completely unfair comparison. CTDS and FF4DS are remakes of single-player games. The original games are largely intact--especially so with CTDS. There's multiplayer added, but they weren't designed with the idea that multiplayer mode would make up a significant part of what you were buying.

[hayes1516]

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D...8/10

I personally found this just as enjoyable as the rest of the series. It keeps up the same humour and paying style of the previous games with a couple of new additions. The 3D was hard on the eyes at times but overall it really helped a lot especially when timing jumps.

[hayes1516]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D...7/10

I found that this game looks great, especially in 3D mode but that at times it can be frustratingly hard. Great list of teams and players to choose from and some cool modes but alas no online multiplayer. Bit of a disappointment.

Star Fox Command...5/10

I liked the game's plot, but the control scheme was so crappy that it ruined the overall experience for me. I found the controls hard when you had to fly with the stylus and then use the buttons to shoot. If you were lefthanded then it might work but otherwise it just seemed awkward.

[Yossarian]

Theresia - 7/10

A frustrating game hides some very nasty stories. It's the strength of the story that keeps you going past all of the tedious backtracking between locations whilst viciously hating the developers for not including a run button.

The puzzles for the most have pretty good adventure game logic style solutions but occassionally there were sections where you could only progress if you continued doing something that had been previously deemed ineffective.

Visuals and sound are very basic with any detail reserved for the 2D point and click parts. The samey tunnels can get wearing but it all adds to the sense of gloom and despondancy that permeates the game.

One great feature of the game is that following completion you get to view all of the memory events in chronological order helping you make sense of the madness.

Whilst the game can be very frustrating (dust can hurt you in one room) careful use of the save/load function can help to make sure that you can explore without too much fear (although it is always present).

[hayes1516]

Dead Or Alive Dimensions....9/10

Way better than Super street Fighter IV. This game looks great, plays well and has lots more bonuses. There are figurines to collect like SSF4 and here you can pose and take pictures as well. Online functionality is nice and the Chronicle mode is great for fans who want to look back at past installments or newbies who want to know what the heck is going on. So far one of the best looking games on the 3DS IMO. My only quibble is that during cutscenes, mouths rarely move and some shots have static characters, but this is probably more a necessity of the game card storage size than the makers wanting to short shift the players.

[hayes1516]

Super Monkey Ball 3D....7/10

Way better than the last few installments in the series (see Banana Blitz, Step & Roll, and Touch & Roll) this one is probably the closest we've come to the original in quite some time. That being said, it is also very easy. You can breeze through all the levels in about 2-3 hours tops. It is fun but some diehards may be left feeling short changed by its brevity.

[Mickeymac]

I'm trying to narrow down my maybe list. Which of these games do you recommend? Which games do you recommend I stay away from? Here's the list:

Glory of Hercules
Wizard of Oz
Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded
Point Blank DS
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
summon Night: Twin Age
Glory Days 2
Lost in Blue
Izuna 2
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Feel The Magic
Bangai-O Spirits
Civilization Revolution
Final Fantasy: Revenant Wings
Infinite Space
Suikoden Tierkris
Luminous Arc
Luminous Arc 2
Big Bang Mini

[pdRydia]

What are you after, what are you NOT after, and what do you want to spend?

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

What are you after, what are you NOT after, and what do you want to spend?

All I'm after is to ensure I don't get a game that sucks. Or at least isn't that good. I made that maybe list haphazardly a few months ago based off of nothing more than "the cover looked good". Or at least that's the only reason I can remember. So really, if you know a game there is really good, please tell me. I'd especially appreciate it if you'd tell me which ones aren't good.

[hayes1516]

If you enjoy the KH series than re:Coded is a good overview on where we've been while adding a few new touches.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by hayes1516

If you enjoy the KH series than re:Coded is a good overview on where we've been while adding a few new touches.

Duely noted.

[Turai]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

I'm trying to narrow down my maybe list. Which of these games do you recommend? Which games do you recommend I stay away from? Here's the list:

Glory of Hercules
Wizard of Oz
Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded
Point Blank DS
999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
summon Night: Twin Age
Glory Days 2
Lost in Blue
Izuna 2
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Feel The Magic
Bangai-O Spirits
Civilization Revolution
Final Fantasy: Revenant Wings
Infinite Space
Suikoden Tierkris
Luminous Arc
Luminous Arc 2
Big Bang Mini

Sadly, I'll have to say; STAY AWAY FROM SUIKODEN TIERKRIS!

It made my very soul really sad when I found out how ****ty this game is.

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

I made that maybe list haphazardly a few months ago based off of nothing more than "the cover looked good". Or at least that's the only reason I can remember. So really, if you know a game there is really good, please tell me. I'd especially appreciate it if you'd tell me which ones aren't good.

You haven't looked up anything about them. God.

I'm going to take you at your word, and give you a little background on each game, then.

Glory of Heracles -- 1st English release of a long running jRPG series, based (vaguely) on Greek myth. I seem to recall being told it's very traditional in gameplay (to a fault), but the mythological basis of it still interests me. I plan to pick this up eventually, for what it's worth.

Wizard of Oz -- Never heard of it.

Kingdom Hearts RE: Coded -- Squeenix, well-regarded series. Dunno details.

Point Blank DS -- It's a shooter. I seem to find a copy in every store, but never heard much about it.

999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors -- New game, good reviews. My understanding is that it's a puzzly sort of thing, but with a survival horror take.

Summon Night: Twin Age -- Atlus. It's an action RPG, part of the Summon Night series. Dunno much else about it.

Glory Days 2 -- Never heard anyone talking about it, though someone owns a copy in the DS megathread, and I've seen it for sale at Play-Asia. Apparently the original Glory Days was an Atlus title, and the dev is French. Gamefaqs thinks its a scrolling shooter.

Lost in Blue -- Konami. Reviews were mixed and middling. I seem to recall it being described as a kind of unique game. Has 2 DS sequels (Lost in Blue 2, 3) as well as a Wii sequel (Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked). There's also an earlier entry into the series for the Game Boy Colored called Survival Kids. There's 1 Japan-only release for the GBC called Survival Kids 2.

Izuna 2 -- Atlus. This is a roguelike/dungeon-crawler. It was liked by those who are into those sorts of games, which is not many. These games have very repetitive gameplay by nature--but also randomized dungeons. I want to get a copy for myself.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn -- Camelot developed, Nintendo published.A lot of people liked the GBA Golden Sun games. I haven't heard much from people about the DS game, good or bad, other than that people are buying it.

Feel The Magic XY/XX -- Sega. This is a minigame collection or something, a lot of people have a copy. VERY cheap these days.

Bangai-O Spirits -- Developed by Treasure. This is some sort of shooter, I think it has a puzzle elements, too.

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution -- This is a multiplatform title. Every other version will be better than the DS version. Don't get this unless it's <=$5 CIB or something (and even then, make sure that's cheaper than the PC version).

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings -- sRPG related to FF12. Will likely contain minor FF12 spoilers.

Infinite Space -- Sega. Space setting. I tried playing a demo at PAX but it couldn't keep my interest. It still looks kinda cool. Aside from the hideous 3D, I mean.

Suikoden Tierkris -- Konami. Part of the Suikoden series, but also kind of a "spinoff" or "gaiden" game. Traditionally, there are 108 characters in a Suikoden game, most of which don't get much or any characterization. Also, to get most of them, you have to do all sorts of sidequests and crazy ****. (Protip: when seeking opinions on the quality of this game, you can't trust the opinion of Suikoden fans. I am a Suikoden fan. Take from that what you will.)

Luminous Arc / Luminous Arc 2 -- Atlus sRPGs. They seemed to be well-received. LA2 had a CD packed in with it.

Big Bang Mini -- Generally well-received shooter. Use stylus to shoot fireworks into enemies on the upper screen. Very colorful. When I saw it at Best Buy, it had a cardboard cover with a lenticular image on the front.

[pdRydia]

Note: I wrote my post BEFORE I saw Turai's. Just sayin'.

[Mickeymac]

Your opinions have been noted. I also dug deep into my memory banks and finally remembered what several people said about most of those games:

Jogurt recommended against Heroes of Mana, which Revenent Wings the same engine as. I don't trust it.

Dice and another person from RPG fan wrote long posts detailing the the negative aspects about Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Not sure how I forgot it, but it didn't sound like it was any better than the GBA versions, which I wasn't a fan of.

I think Sharecrow recommended Glory of Hercules

Dieby recommended Point Blank and Big Bang Mini.

I can't think of anyone who hasn't recommended 999 to me.

Digiki recommended Luminous Arc 2.

Enigmapoea recommended against Lost in Blue.

I coulda sworn someone recommended Glory Days 2 to me.

I recall getting mixed opinions of Wizard of Oz and Bangai-O Spirits.

Your list helped a lot, pdRydia.