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

[Tides of Chaos]

(Inspired by Jogurt's Wii Game Recommendations & Mini-Reviews thread.)

Since people buy many games here, and an extra view-point never hurts, I thought I'd open up a thread here similar to the one in the Wii section where people can give recommendations and reviews of games they've played. This thread will be for people to ask for quick opinions on specific DS games, or to ask for recommendations in general based on a set of preferences, etc. If people play a great game and want to come in to recommend it to everyone, they can write a short review saying why it's so good (or why to avoid it!).

And with that quick copy-and-paste job, I now request for people to post!

-----

[mod edit: 9 Apr 2011
In light of the recent 3DS release, this thread is now open to 3DS game recommendations (DSiWare, too). I've edited the title accordingly and added this note, but otherwise left this original post intact.
s, pdRydia]

[pdRydia]

Densetsu no Starfy 4 ( 伝説のスタフィー4 )

SERIES: Starfy
PREDECESSOR: Densetsu no Starfy 3 (GBA)
SUCCESSOR: The Legendary Starfy (DS)
GENRE: 2D marine platformer (3D backgrounds)
DIFFICULTY: virtually nonexistent
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: TOSE, Nintendo / Nintendo
SIMILAR GAMES: Super Princess Peach, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 3

In Densetsu no Starfy 4, you are the titular Starfy, prince of Pufftop Kingdom. An evil snake has stolen a pretty, heart-shaped gem from a neighboring kingdom. Naturally, you and your friends head off to retrieve it! Being the heroes, you'll eventually succeed. Being heroes in a platformer, you'll spend very little time on the actual task at hand.

You and your sister Starly will swim, spin, run, and jump around while you help random strangers with their problems. You'll alternately muscle or puzzle your way along, exploring 9 themed worlds, each with its own unique set of enemies, boss enemies, friends, and platforming elements. You'll collect treasures and gain new abilities. You'll unlock minigames. And, in the postgame, you'll unlock access to new areas in every past stage and gain access to a new menu with a collectibles list.

If this is the kind of stuff you enjoy in your platforming, that's good, because one thing the game does not offer is any sort of difficulty to speak of. There's lots of exploration, lots of completionism, lots of cuteness, some bizarreness and some puzzles...but difficulty? Difficulty is nowhere to be found. Compared to Starfy, Kirby is Battletoads. This is not a game that will provide you with feelings of pride for building skill and accomplishing difficult tasks, as you may find in games like Castlevania and Mega Man.

You can easily beat this game--that is, beat the final boss or complete the main plot arch--without understanding Japanese or accessing a FAQ. However, there is more content in the game than that. In the postgame, you can unlock extra areas in past stages by solving riddles of the "Tobira Majin," and here, knowledge of Japanese or use of a good FAQ is necessary.

Starfy 4 definitely has some design flaws even for those of us who don't care about the difficulty. This is the first DS Starfy game and makes unnecessary use of the touch screen. It is awkward to switch from the button-only platforming in-stage to the touch-screen controlled map that appears between stages. Also, while almost every minigame is kept where it should be--in an optional menu between stages--there is a minigame that is initiated when moving between worlds.

This is not a game for everyone, but I recommend it as an enjoyable, slightly flawed game. I'd say a complete, new copy of this game is worth around $30-35 before shipping.

[pdRydia]

Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slitherlink ( パズルシリーズ Vol.5 スリザーリンク )
Puzzle Series Vol. 11: Nurikabe (パズルシリーズ Vol.11 ぬりかべ )
Puzzle Series Vol. 12: Akari ( パズルシリーズ Vol.12 美術館 )

SERIES: Hudson Puzzle Series
GENRE: puzzle
DIFFICULTY: varied
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: Hudson Soft
SIMILAR GAMES: n/a

Explaining the rules of these games would be a maddening exercise, so I will instead link to others' explanations, as well as an online site where you can try a version of the games out yourself. BEHOLD!

• You can play read about the rules of Slitherlink here and here and you can play it online at http://www.puzzle-loop.com/.
• You can play read about the rules of Nurikabe here and here and you can play it online at http://www.puzzle-nurikabe.com/.
• You can play read about the rules of Akari here and here and you can play it online at http://www.puzzle-light-up.com/.

Now. Onto the video games themselves.

These are budget titles, and so are unimpressive in graphics and sound. They control well and have some nice features you will not find in many of your free, online versions of the game. (For instance, in Nurikabe, you can press Y on your darker "maze wall" to highlight all continguous portions, or on any dotted "ghost wall" to see how many cells are currently part of it. This is extremely useful.) The language barrier is minimal, especially if you are familiar with the way games are typically laid out (eg: the option that deletes your save is as far away from the default option as possible).

Your progress is automatically saved after you complete a puzzle and you can keep 2 (Slitherlink) or 3 separate save files on each cartridge (Nurikabe, Akari). None of the games has any real tutorial, but puzzles are divided up into beginning, easy, medium, and hard puzzles. There are 20 beginner, 100 easy, and 100 medium puzzles; the number of hard puzzles is different between the games (50-80). For what it's worth, I find that slitherlink puzzles are the most time-consuming, frustrating, and rewarding puzzles, while akari puzzles are the quickest and best down-time puzzles.

If you own a flash cartridge, there is a free, legal homebrew game called Puzzle Maniak which includes a version of Slitherlink and Akari, along with a number of other games. I haven't played it but if I had a flash cart, I'd be all over that.

Nurikabe and Akari I'd say are worth around $20-25 before shipping, while Slitherlink is worth up to $40 for logic puzzle enthusiastists and $30 for more sane folks.

[KeeperBvK]

These are budget titles, and so are unimpressive in graphics and sound.

I personally LOVE Slitherlink's various tracks.

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by KeeperBvK

I personally LOVE Slitherlink's various tracks.

Yeah, what's up with that? Slitherlink's music is pretty decent. I leave it on, myself (on random pick). Nurikabe and Akari's music are pretty bad, though. Nurikabe is the worst of the lot, and the most recent game I've gotten, so it was sticking out in my mind while typing that up.

Nurikabe and Akari were released simultaneously (along with Hitori) and have some different defaults than Slitherlink (3 saves instead of 2, no option to attach a name to your save data, no way to use buttons-only, etc.) Maybe a different team worked on them or standards for the series changed? Slitherlink was released with Illust Logic (import-friendly) and Crossword 2 (not import-friendly)--maybe they are more like Slitherlink in these ways. I'd like to import Illust Logic sometime, so I'll let you know. :]

[pdRydia]

Illust Logic DS + Colorful Logic ( イラストロジックDS+からふるロジック )

SERIES: none
PREDECESSOR: n/a
SUCCESSOR: n/a
GENRE: logic puzzler
DIFFICULTY: low to moderate
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: Hudson Soft
SIMILAR GAMES: Picross DS, Puzzle Series Vol. 6: Illust Logic, Mario's Super Picross, Mario's Picross, Picross 2, Essential Sudoku DS, Simple DS Series Vol. 28: The Illust Puzzle & Suuji Puzzle 2

This is a very simple game to describe; it is a collection of nonogram puzzles. If you like any other nonogram titles--such as Picross DS, Mario's Super Picross, or Mario's Picross--there is a high chance you'll enjoy this game.

ILDS+CL is a Hudson game and many puzzles feature Hudson characters and emblems. It features 400 puzzles in total, 100 of which are multicolor nonograms and 85 of which are part of "composite puzzles". A composite puzzle is a series of nonograms that, individually, do not make a coherent image, but together form a larger image. You will need to solve 4 or 9 individual nonograms in order to solve and view the larger, composite puzzle.

My main complaint with ILDS+CL is that the puzzles were on the easy side. They still kept me busy for quite some time, and I go back to play the game more often than I do Picross DS. I'd say the game is easily worth $30, new or used.

[digiki]

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

So I was a waltzing through Wal-mart two days ago, when a $20 Henry Hatsworth game caught my eye. I had known a fair amount about it, but wasn’t sure if it would be my type of game, and would rather get other regular priced DS games around the time of it’s release. But when I saw it for $20 I decided that I might as well give it a try, and luckily I did, and it doesn’t dissappoint.

The presentation is ridiculous yet charming, everything looks nice, sounds nice, and best of all Banjo-speak! Yes you get Banjo-Kazooie-esque grunts as characters speak, but in this case they are louder, and more egsaturated, personally I find them hilarious, but I can see them annoying many people.
On the top screen you have a platformer, you get different abilities as you progress I’m only on the second world so the only one I have is being able to wall cling & jump. Then on the bottom screen is the puzzle realm which plays out like Tetris Attack (Puzzle League, whatever), connect three or more pieces of the same colour to have them disappear. Defeated enemies, and support items picked up on the top screen will be sent to the bottom screen and attached to blocks. Allowing items to reach the top causes them to disappear, but enemies will respawn stronger than before, regular blocks are fine to let escape. The puzzle always will rise so you must keep an eye on it, but switching to the puzzle pauses the action on the top.
I think that’s enough detail, if that sounds nice to you pick it up, if you’re on the fence about it, pick it up, I was, and I love it. (I take no responsibility for on-the-fencers that pick it up and don’t love it)

[pdRydia]

I second the recommendation for Henry Hatsworth. Note: different kinds of enemies turn into different kinds of puzzle blocks, making for a twist on the Puzzle League formula.

Also, digiki gets a star for being the first person other than me to post a mini-review here.

[Refa]

The 2nd DS Castlevania game, developed and published by Konami (Contra, Metal Gear, Boktai). This game tends to get overshadowed by the other 2 DS Castlevania games (Dawn Of Sorrow and Order Of Ecclesia), which is really a shame, as it's just as good as, if not better, than the 2 aforementioned games.

Portrait Of Ruin is the sequel to the classic Genesis game, Castlevania Bloodlines (which in turn tied Bram Stoker's Dracula into Castlevania cannon). I liked how they managed the whole direct sequel thing, and I personally feel it has been well done. The two main characters of this game are Jonathan Morris (son of John Morris, main character of Bloodlines) and Charlette Aulin (random mage...I guess she's friends with Jonathan, but it's not really well explained. The story isn't the most well developed in the world (alright, it's pretty pathetic), but it does a good job of pulling you through the game. It is never intrusive or annoying (all of the dialogue can be skipped), which is more than can be said for other games. All in all, the story is forgettable, but nothing that will make you dislike the game.

The game, just like the other Metroidvania games, is a mix between Metroid and an action RPG. The Metroid part comes in where you have to explore a huge area (in this case, Dracula's Castle), and certain places in that area are inaccesible until you gain a certain ability. The action RPG comes in the form of the kombat, the equipment, and the special abilities you get along the way. It's a very accesible, and has a little to none learning curve. The only negative part comes in with the whole skill system. Jonathan uses subweapons, and Charlette uses spells. Unfortunately, all of Jonathan's subweapons start out quite sucky and must be leveled up. While this isn't a bad idea in concept, Jonathan's subweapons need about 1000 or so "points" to level up, each enemy only giving 1 (or if you're lucky, 2) of said "points". This entails a lot of tedious grinding, and is quite frankly a pain in the ass. Lucklily, none of Charlette's spells require anything of the sort.

The unique gimmick to this game that seperates it from the other Castlevania games is the dual character setup. At any time, you can switch between Jonathan Morris (the fighter) and Charlette Aulin (the mage), or you can play as one while the other is controlled by the AI. Each character can equip certain weapons and armor, and skills. While people tend to bash it for not being needed, I applaud it for not being overused (imagine having to do a dual character puzzle every 20 seconds!).

Another thing unique to Portrait Of Ruin is different worlds. Dracula's Castle isn't as big as other Metroidvanias, but different worlds make up for this. There are 10 in total (Dracula's Castle, 4 seperate worlds, 4 rehases of the original 4 worlds, and a secret world). These worlds (or at least the original 4) are unique, well designed, and provide a nice change of pace from traditional Castlevania fare. The only negative about the multiple world thing is the rehashed worlds. If they couldn't bother making new worlds, then they shouldn't have. The game would've been perfectly fine without them. The worst part is that since they are encountered near the end of the game, they bring the pace to a grinding halt. I would have also liked Dracula's Castle to be a bit bigger, as it's quite small compared to other Castlevania games. Then again, they may have just artificially lengthened this too, so maybe it's smallness is a blessing in disguise.

To put it bluntly, this game has some great graphics. Not from a technical perspective, mind you, but artistically. While the characters are smaller than Dawn Of Sorrow, they do carry a higher level of detail with them. The enemies are also varied and look great, from the run of the mill Skeletons to the awesome Gaibons. The stages are all very inspired, such as the Circus like City Of Fools to the Egyptian like Sandy Graves. The music is absolutely phenomenal. While the uberness of the tracks do tend to get repetitive when you're stuck, it doesn't ruin the musical side of the package in the slightest. This is one game where headphones are almost required. Castlevania has an excellent presentation overall.

Castlevania Portrait Of Ruin is one of the best DS games ever. It has a great presentation, quite a bit of replay value (should I mention the unlockable characters?), and above all, great gameplay. This game should appeal to anyone who likes 2D action adventures. Even if you're not the biggest RPG nut, the RPG elements are very easy to use and they really make up a small part of the expirience. Since I assume everyone here totally digs 2D action adventures, this game should appeal to everyone here. This game also caters a lot to the Castlevania fans, and really dishes out the fan service like no other Castlevania game before AND after. In other words, must buy for Castlevania nuts.

[digiki]

Originally Posted by pdRydia

I second the recommendation for Henry Hatsworth. Note: different kinds of enemies turn into different kinds of puzzle blocks, making for a twist on the Puzzle League formula.

Also, digiki gets a star for being the first person other than me to post a mini-review here.

O.O yay! : D

Refa are you saying you like Portrait of Ruin more than the other DS ones then ?

[Refa]

Originally Posted by digiki

O.O yay! : D

Refa are you saying you like Portrait of Ruin more than the other DS ones then ?

Maybe;I haven't played Dawn Of Sorrow in a while, but it's likely. I just like how it connects with Bloodlines and has a lot of fanservice (and I don't mean DoA fanservice... ).

[digiki]

Originally Posted by Refa

Maybe;I haven't played Dawn Of Sorrow in a while, but it's likely. I just like how it connects with Bloodlines and has a lot of fanservice (and I don't mean DoA fanservice... ).

All of the traditional CV weapons + a bunch more, excellent soundtrack, multiple playable characters, it is indeed awesome and fan-servicey

[KeeperBvK]

Originally Posted by Refa

The 2nd DS Castlevania game, developed and published by Konami (Contra, Metal Gear, Boktai). This game tends to get overshadowed by the other 2 DS Castlevania games (Dawn Of Sorrow and Order Of Ecclesia), which is really a shame, as it's just as good as, if not better, than the 2 aforementioned games.

Portrait Of Ruin is the sequel to the classic Genesis game, Castlevania Bloodlines (which in turn tied Bram Stoker's Dracula into Castlevania cannon). I liked how they managed the whole direct sequel thing, and I personally feel it has been well done. The two main characters of this game are Jonathan Morris (son of John Morris, main character of Bloodlines) and Charlette Aulin (random mage...I guess she's friends with Jonathan, but it's not really well explained. The story isn't the most well developed in the world (alright, it's pretty pathetic), but it does a good job of pulling you through the game. It is never intrusive or annoying (all of the dialogue can be skipped), which is more than can be said for other games. All in all, the story is forgettable, but nothing that will make you dislike the game.

The game, just like the other Metroidvania games, is a mix between Metroid and an action RPG. The Metroid part comes in where you have to explore a huge area (in this case, Dracula's Castle), and certain places in that area are inaccesible until you gain a certain ability. The action RPG comes in the form of the kombat, the equipment, and the special abilities you get along the way. It's a very accesible, and has a little to none learning curve. The only negative part comes in with the whole skill system. Jonathan uses subweapons, and Charlette uses spells. Unfortunately, all of Jonathan's subweapons start out quite sucky and must be leveled up. While this isn't a bad idea in concept, Jonathan's subweapons need about 1000 or so "points" to level up, each enemy only giving 1 (or if you're lucky, 2) of said "points". This entails a lot of tedious grinding, and is quite frankly a pain in the ass. Lucklily, none of Charlette's spells require anything of the sort.

The unique gimmick to this game that seperates it from the other Castlevania games is the dual character setup. At any time, you can switch between Jonathan Morris (the fighter) and Charlette Aulin (the mage), or you can play as one while the other is controlled by the AI. Each character can equip certain weapons and armor, and skills. While people tend to bash it for not being needed, I applaud it for not being overused (imagine having to do a dual character puzzle every 20 seconds!).

Another thing unique to Portrait Of Ruin is different worlds. Dracula's Castle isn't as big as other Metroidvanias, but different worlds make up for this. There are 10 in total (Dracula's Castle, 4 seperate worlds, 4 rehases of the original 4 worlds, and a secret world). These worlds (or at least the original 4) are unique, well designed, and provide a nice change of pace from traditional Castlevania fare. The only negative about the multiple world thing is the rehashed worlds. If they couldn't bother making new worlds, then they shouldn't have. The game would've been perfectly fine without them. The worst part is that since they are encountered near the end of the game, they bring the pace to a grinding halt. I would have also liked Dracula's Castle to be a bit bigger, as it's quite small compared to other Castlevania games. Then again, they may have just artificially lengthened this too, so maybe it's smallness is a blessing in disguise.

To put it bluntly, this game has some great graphics. Not from a technical perspective, mind you, but artistically. While the characters are smaller than Dawn Of Sorrow, they do carry a higher level of detail with them. The enemies are also varied and look great, from the run of the mill Skeletons to the awesome Gaibons. The stages are all very inspired, such as the Circus like City Of Fools to the Egyptian like Sandy Graves. The music is absolutely phenomenal. While the uberness of the tracks do tend to get repetitive when you're stuck, it doesn't ruin the musical side of the package in the slightest. This is one game where headphones are almost required. Castlevania has an excellent presentation overall.

Castlevania Portrait Of Ruin is one of the best DS games ever. It has a great presentation, quite a bit of replay value (should I mention the unlockable characters?), and above all, great gameplay. This game should appeal to anyone who likes 2D action adventures. Even if you're not the biggest RPG nut, the RPG elements are very easy to use and they really make up a small part of the expirience. Since I assume everyone here totally digs 2D action adventures, this game should appeal to everyone here. This game also caters a lot to the Castlevania fans, and really dishes out the fan service like no other Castlevania game before AND after. In other words, must buy for Castlevania nuts.

How about sorting things out in your marketplace thread instead of taking your time to write a review here?

[pdRydia]

I recommend Mah Jong Quest Expeditions. MJQE is a puzzle game that centers around mahjong solitaire. It has 3 modes of play: Classic, Puzzle, and Quest.

Classic mode involves playing mahjong solitaire under traditional rules or special rules on your choice of 8 layouts. It is, essentially, the entirety of the game I knew as "Mah Jong" on the SNES.

Puzzle mode involves playing special boards under traditional or special rules. These boards are designed to make you think, and often have a unique answer.

Quest mode involves a long series of puzzles that take you through a "plot"--such as it is. Quest mode has its own set of rules as well as special tiles. The goal of each puzzle is to uncover and match a set of golden tiles--regardless of the rest of the board. To do this, you can (and may have to) use special tiles: for instance, click a Whirlwind and then a 4 (Dots) to blow away all 4 (Dots), or click a Down arrow and then a 5 (Dots) to lower all 5 (Dots) to 4 (Dots). Combine these two and you can lower all 5 (Dots) before using a Whirlwind to remove all 4 (Dots) tiles.

This game is monolingual (English), allows you to keep two (three?) separate profiles, and keeps track of your scores. Sound is minimal but non-aggravating: music and sound effects can be adjusted independently of each other at any time, inside a puzzle or out. Graphics are basic and unadjustable: the tile set cannot be changed from the traditional mahjong set. This can be a problem if you are unfamiliar with the set, especially as the DS screen is small and there is no zoom option.

Americans can buy The Quest Trio, which has MJQE as well as two other games by the same maker.

[Yossarian]

New Super Mario Bros. - ***

I'm late to the party on this one but I'll add my tuppence.

I got this as an early Christmas gift from my wife following an ill advised rant along the lines of "you know me well enough to know NOT to get me a game". After finishing Portrait of Ruin this game was a nice fun thing to provide a some light relief.

This is fine up to a point but there were few points where I really felt challenged or engrossed in a particular level. Most of them could be whipped through without too much effort and I finished it yesterday with only a handful of levels really testing me. Granted I haven't found the entrances to two worlds but from what I've played I can't really see them as being worth the effort of finding.

The final boss was a joke. A horrible pointless anti-climax that did nothing to redeem the game or deviate from the standard template of boss encounters. A final boss should be resistant to a simple fireball induced death. You should leave the battle feeling a sense of triumph and relief rather than a blank feeling of "oh. Is that it?".

There was nothing really new about the game it felt like it was mired in fan service or worse a cynical box ticking exercise.

Portrait of Ruin - ****

My first DS Castlevania and it was a good one. Plot was rubbish but solid gaming fun. The game had some great artwork and a good range of enemies. I liked the fact that some of them had their own speech ("So lonely"). Although the locations were repeated at the end of the game there was enough variety and challenge that it didn't feel cheap or boring.

The use of the two characters is handled well and can make a real difference when dealing with enemies (Astarte is a good example of this).

The levelling up of sub-weapons can get annoying but you get to level your character up at the same time as well as making a mint on items which makes up for it.

The final boss provides a good challenge and even after you finish there are plenty of new modes and secrets to discover. The game gave the impression that a lot of thought had gone into its design and execution. It was fun, challenging and has plenty of replay value. Highly recommended.

[Refa]

Originally Posted by Yossarian

New Super Mario Bros. - ***

I'm late to the party on this one but I'll add my tuppence.

I got this as an early Christmas gift from my wife following an ill advised rant along the lines of "you know me well enough to know NOT to get me a game". After finishing Portrait of Ruin this game was a nice fun thing to provide a some light relief.

This is fine up to a point but there were few points where I really felt challenged or engrossed in a particular level. Most of them could be whipped through without too much effort and I finished it yesterday with only a handful of levels really testing me. Granted I haven't found the entrances to two worlds but from what I've played I can't really see them as being worth the effort of finding.

The final boss was a joke. A horrible pointless anti-climax that did nothing to redeem the game or deviate from the standard template of boss encounters. A final boss should be resistant to a simple fireball induced death. You should leave the battle feeling a sense of triumph and relief rather than a blank feeling of "oh. Is that it?".

There was nothing really new about the game it felt like it was mired in fan service or worse a cynical box ticking exercise.

Portrait of Ruin - ****

My first DS Castlevania and it was a good one. Plot was rubbish but solid gaming fun. The game had some great artwork and a good range of enemies. I liked the fact that some of them had their own speech ("So lonely"). Although the locations were repeated at the end of the game there was enough variety and challenge that it didn't feel cheap or boring.

The use of the two characters is handled well and can make a real difference when dealing with enemies (Astarte is a good example of this).

The levelling up of sub-weapons can get annoying but you get to level your character up at the same time as well as making a mint on items which makes up for it.

The final boss provides a good challenge and even after you finish there are plenty of new modes and secrets to discover. The game gave the impression that a lot of thought had gone into its design and execution. It was fun, challenging and has plenty of replay value. Highly recommended.

So I'm guessing NSMB is highly recommended?

PS Why is it U on your BL? Shouldn't it be B?

[Mickeymac]

I really should play Portrait of Ruin.

Yossarian, you played/have any intention of playing the other Metroidy Castlevanias?

[hansolo350]

Originally Posted by Refa

PS Why is it U on your BL? Shouldn't it be B?

Maybe because he is too lazy to keep his Backloggery up to date like myself.

[Yossarian]

Amended as requested (it's like being at work )!

NSMB isn't a bad game just nothing special. It's worth a rental.

I have Order of Ecclesia on my rental list and I've played a mobile/cell port of Dawn of Sorrow. I'm keeping an eye out for the GBA games too. I like the Metroidvanias, the linear ones not so much but a lot of that is to do with the way the characters handle. I loathe stairs in non-Metroidvanias as they make no sense to me and I often plummet to my death needlessly. Oh and the way that the screen kills you rather than let you drop to the area below.

[Mickeymac]

Guess I'll ask this here:





I'm trying to think of a DS game to get for Xmas. I already got a list of possible choices down, I'm just hoping some of you could help me narrow it down:

• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - New installment in my favorite RPG series, but price may be an issue.
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - I enjoyed the previous game somewhat, and it's dirt cheap these days. Not sure if I want to get another Final Fantasy game so soon, though
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - Remake of the original Fire Emblem NES, which I greatly enjoyed. It's dirt cheap these days, but the existance of the previous version and the fact that I may be able to get it early keeps it from being a top choice
• Disgaea DS - The one I'm leaning towards the most right now. The price is fair, it's part of a series that tends to get rare pretty quickly, and despite my interest, I've never played a game in the series before, which is really the only thing holding me back at the moment.
• Dragon Quest IV - It's the only game in the series that I'm at all interested in, but the price seems to be on the rise, and there's a chance the original may appear on the Virtual Console. Still putting it into consideration, though
• Retro Game Challenge - I love retro games, it's pretty cheap at the moment, and it had a very convincing trailer. Still looking for a second opinion, though.
• Big Bang Mini - It's pretty cheap, and it looks alright. Any thoughts?
• Henry Hatsworth - I've heard good things about it, and its current price is a steal. Still, I'm not sure if I might be able to get it even cheaper after Christmas...
• The Dark Spire - I've heard good things about, and the price seems fair. Just kinda looking for that extra push, otherwise I might wait until after Xmas.
• Rythem Heaven - I loved the demo for this one, and the price seems alright at the moment. I might want to wait until after Xmas, though.
• The Legendary Starfy - I've been interested in it for quite some time, however, the price has been keeping me away from it. Should I take the plunge, or wait?
• Kirby: Canvas Curse - It looks amazing, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten it already, however, I think it's hard to find and somewhat pricey
• Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier - I love the series, and this one looks like a lot of fun. However, I'm not so sure I'd want to get it at its current price, so I might hold it off until sometime after Xmas unless someone can convince me otherwise
• The World Ends With You - I haven't been too interested in it, and the last time I tried it, I couldn't get my head around the different systems and such. However, its price is too good to ignore
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclasia - I love Castlevania, and I've heard Great things about this installment. The price isn't half-bad, either. However, I am getting another Castlevania game for Xmas, and I've barely touched Portrait of Ruin. I'd hate to get another game in the series so soon. Still, I might want to get it anyways, so I don't have to go looking all over kingdom come for it later.
• Suikoden Tierkeis - From what I've heard, the story is atrocious(tried too hard to come off as a generic anime), but otherwise it looks pretty fun, and the trailer was pretty convincing. Price might be an issue, though. Anyone got any thoughts on this one?
• Children of Mana - I think it's pretty cheap these days, and I've been interested in it for a very long time. It kinda reminds me of Lunar Knights. Any thoughts?
• Magical Starsign - Another one I've been really interested in. I've heard very good things about it, it looks pretty interesting, and it's stupid cheap these days. However, I might want to wait until after Xmas. Maybe
• Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume - I know little about it other than what Digiki described to me, which made it seem very complicated. Still, my gut instinct is telling me to keep my eye on it. Plus, the price seems right. Should I take the plunge?
• Contra 4 - I loved the demo, and I love the series, however, they are very hard games, which might put me off if I'm not in the right mood(like I was last Christmas. Remember all my hate for Chrono Trigger and Mega Man 9/Zero 3/ZX Advent? Yeah...) Still it's dirt cheap, and it looks great. Should I just go for it and hope for the best?
• The Legend of Kage 2 - It's got ninjas, old-school platforming, and a price tag that's just right. Anybody think it's worth a go?
• Metal Slug 7 - I love SNK, I love Run 'n' Guns, and I love Metal Slug. The only thing keeping me away from this right now is the fact that an XBLA version is due for release in 2010. Is it worth the wait, or should I just get it now?
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Rings of Fate - ...why did I put this on here? Other than the fact that it's cheap and I've heard the Crystal Chronicle games are comparable to Zelda, I haven't been too interested in it until recently. Unless someone can speak in its favor, it'll probably be the first to get the axe.
• Bangai-O Spirits - Would you believe that the fact that I couldn't remember this game's name is the reason why this list is so long? I love treasure, and this game is pretty cheap. However, I've also heard it's pretty love-hate. You think it'd be worth looking into?
• Moon - I remember being really excited for this when it was first announced, and I'd really like to have another good DS FPS that isn't Metroid Prime: Hunters. The reviews for it didn't sound too promising, but to say this game is dirt cheap, to say the least. If I don't get it for Xmas, I'll surely get it sometime afterwards. You think it'll be worth a shot?
• Final Fantasy 3 DS - (al...most...done!!!) I loved the original NES version(one of my favorites in the series, in fact), but the changes seem pretty lame and unnecessary, and would probably take away from the experience for me. Still it's pretty cheap, and there's a chance that I'll still like it despite the changes. Should I get it anyways?
• Robocalypse - (*pant**pant*) I really like RTSes, and would really like one that I could take on the go. I've heard this one was pretty good. Any thoughts?

(all...DONE!!!)

Sorry for making such a long post, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a very indecisive person.

Feel free to put in a good word for your favorite game, or at least, whichever one you think I should get, judging from what I wrote. If there's a game you think I shouldn't get, feel free to tell me that as well, since I'm mostly looking to weed out the list, rather than make a big decision right away.

[Diebythesword]

How much do you think you will get? Im sure two 20 dollar games wouldn't be so bad to just one 30 game

Big Bang Mini, Legend of Kage 2, Robacalypse, Metal Slug 7 and Contra 4 are cool.(BBM and Robocalypse would be my choices) But a lot of these games are super cheap at places like Frys and Gamestop, even Toys R Us clearance, you can use your Christmas money . Robocalypse is currently 10 new at Gamestop right now

Suikoden Tierkreis and Magical Starsign are nice. Also FFCC:RoF is good, I prefer it to Echoes.

So my choices will definietly be Big Bang Mini and Robocalypse. Two very good games. Robacalypse is pretty much the best RTS on the DS and Big Bang Mini is a nice little addition to the shooter genre.

[Refa]

I recommend you get OoE....Now. It's ****ing awesome.

EDIT Do not listen to me. I am a liar.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Diebythesword

How much do you think you will get?

Uh, I'll probably only get one game, if that. I try not to spend much more than $100 on Christmas gifts, and I'm already pretty close to that limit. Still, I think a $10-20 DS game wouldn't be pushing it too much.

[Mickeymac]

Okay, after obsessively trying to figure out how to strike through text, I finally gave up and decided to just indicate the games I rejected by italicizing them.

Please note that just because I rejected it, doesn't mean I'm never gonna get it, it just means I won't get it for christmas.

I'll do another round of eliminations later. If anyone else has any recommendations, feel free to speak up.

[Mickeymac]

Second round of eliminations...getting down to the wire, now.

[Refa]

So you want the bolded games?

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Refa

So you want the bolded games?

Correctamundo.

[Diebythesword]

Robocalypse and Retro Game Challenge(I have not played this)

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

You've narrowed it down to some pretty good games.

I think you would be frustrated by Hatsworth, but you're right, the price is good.

Dragon Quest IV is awesome.

My overall best pick for you would probably be Retro Game Challenge, for a few reasons. One, good price. Two, it has a large variety of games to play, so it'll keep you interested even if you hate a couple of them. The only problem is the game can be completed pretty quickly, but there's always replay.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

You've narrowed it down to some pretty good games.

I think you would be frustrated by Hatsworth, but you're right, the price is good.

Dragon Quest IV is awesome.

My overall best pick for you would probably be Retro Game Challenge, for a few reasons. One, good price. Two, it has a large variety of games to play, so it'll keep you interested even if you hate a couple of them. The only problem is the game can be completed pretty quickly, but there's always replay.

Yeah, I'm really leaning towards Retro Game Callenge. It looks like a lot of fun, and I don't think there's a single game on it that I'd dislike. The only problem is that I'm already getting Half-Minute Hero for Christmas, which seems like a similar style of game, and I'm not sure I'd want to play two of those on the same day.

I'm also leaning heavily towards DQ4, since I've been playing and loving the original NES version, but I'm not sure I'd want to play it again when my memories of it are so fresh - I've made that mistake several times before, and have always regretted it.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Given those caveats, Disgaea DS would be a good pick. My problems with recommending that one to you are that the PSP version is a bit better, and also there's a PSP version of the superior sequel, Disgaea 2. The game is also generally a love/hate kind of experience, so it's a risk.

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

Given those caveats, Disgaea DS would be a good pick. My problems with recommending that one to you are that the PSP version is a bit better, and also there's a PSP version of the superior sequel, Disgaea 2. The game is also generally a love/hate kind of experience, so it's a risk.

Eh, I'd like to try at least one of them. The thing about the PSP version is that a phisical copy is pretty tough to come by at a good price, and I don't want to DL it(I don't have much space left). I might want to get the sequel for the PSP, but I've always heard that Disgaea 2 was worse than the first. Disgaea DS is still readily available, and for a pretty reasonable price. If I had to pick one game in the series to get, I'd go with the DS one.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Originally Posted by Mickeymac

Eh, I'd like to try at least one of them. The thing about the PSP version is that a phisical copy is pretty tough to come by at a good price, and I don't want to DL it(I don't have much space left). I might want to get the sequel for the PSP, but I've always heard that Disgaea 2 was worse than the first. Disgaea DS is still readily available, and for a pretty reasonable price. If I had to pick one game in the series to get, I'd go with the DS one.

Sounds to me like you've got good reasons. I just wanted to make sure you were considering all your options.

[Diebythesword]

Robocalypse!

[pdRydia]

Originally Posted by Diebythesword

Robocalypse!

I just saw Robocalypse for $10 at Best Buy.

[Diebythesword]

Best deal ever. Surprised its going down so cheap already. Gamestop/Frys have it super cheap too

[Mickeymac]

Originally Posted by Diebythesword

Best deal ever. Surprised its going down so cheap already. Gamestop/Frys have it super cheap too

Hm, I might want to pick it up sometime soon. However, I plan on getting Command & Conquer: First Decade, which is more than enough RTS action for me.

[Yossarian]

After finishing Bowser's Inside Story, I'm now looking for my next game to eat time. What I'm after is some story heavy game e.g. like Hotel Dusk / Phoenix Wright or some well executed point and click fun.

Any recommendations?

[Tides of Chaos]

Originally Posted by Yossarian

What I'm after is some story heavy game e.g. like Hotel Dusk / Phoenix Wright or some well executed point and click fun.

Any recommendations?

You seriously cannot go wrong with any of the Phoenix Wright games. But just to let you know, for the Ace Attorney series, the best entry points are the first game (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) and the currently newest game (Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice). If you've already played the Ace Attorney games and were just giving an example, then you could try out that Jake Hunter game, which I've heard is similar to the Ace Attorney series but not quite as good. There's also the Touch Detective games which have gotten overall worse reviews to my knowledge but you might still enjoy it. One last game I can think of is Broken Sword. That's supposed to be a pretty good point and click.

[enigmaopoeia]

Aside from what Tides have already suggested.

There is Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles which has a ****-poor translation. But you could get this game for real cheap and I assume the series is pretty well known in Japan. I also want to play the sequel to Jake Hunter which I can't find anywhere.

And there is also Time Hollow which I really loved, especially if you are a fan of Shadow of Destiny/Memories for the PS2.