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[Blue Kitty]

Recently my DS has not received a lot of loving, I don't think I have played it since Phantom Hourglass, but here are two games that have piqued my interest and will most likely have me picking it back up.

The first is Rondo of Swords from Atlus.  The are saying it is similar to Fire Emblem, except when you attack you have to go right through people instead of standing next to them.  Kotaku did a hands on, and 1 Up has a nice little preview of it.

The second is Doodle Hex from Tragarion Studios.  The art style is interesting, to say the least, and the game play, involving drawing symbols on the DS to fight, seems kind of fun.  My only problem so far is that while the drawing may be kind of interesting, I have had trouble doing things like it in the past with my DS

So I was wondering, what do you, my fellow forumites, think about these two games?

[Storm Rider]

I have heard good things about Rondo of Swords. I'm a big SRPG geek and I love Fire Emblem so seeing a game that puts a twist on that gameplay style while still staying within the basic framework of the genre interests me a great deal.

Doodle Hex I've also heard about, but I haven't seen the gameplay and the concept to me is inherently less appealing than Rondo of Swords.

In terms of other upcoming DS games, the most obvious is Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, which comes out next week and apparently pulls off touch screen-based action controls fantastically.

There's also The World Ends With You, which comes out a little while after Rondo of Swords. I don't know very much about it, except that it's a new IP from Square Enix which is a surprise in itself. However, I've been burned by Tetsuya Nomura's bullshit one too many times to care about it very much, frankly. Still, notable and some of you might find it worth looking into more.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is coming, but that's not until the end of June, so there's still quite a bit of a wait there.

Perhaps we could turn this into a general "what games are you looking forward to" thread? I was thinking of starting up one of those a while back, but I figured it would just sort of die after a few obvious games were named and everyone else agreed.

[Narr]

I've got mixed feelings about FFTA2.  Now that they are trying to make everything a cohesive world through multiple games, it might not be terrible.  The first FFTA was probably the easiest RPG I've ever personally played.  There was never a time in the entire game where I felt threatened.  If they up the difficulty, it'll be worth picking up.  They are leaving in the arbitrary judges, though.  I'll most likely get it as it comes out, but I've got my reservations.

Anyway:

That Rondo of Swords looks awesome.  Doodle Hex seems interesting, although I don't have a clue about how it plays from the video other than certain symbols apparently cast spells.

[Storm Rider]

The judge system has been retooled a little bit though: you're rewarded for following the laws, rather than penalized for breaking them. I think that works better, because you don't have to worry about getting your characters thrown out of a battle for an arbitrary reason, but if there's an opportunity for you to fulfill a bonus condition for extra stuff, then why not?

[Scandanavian War Machine]

Rondo of Swords looks promising. i'm skeptical about the doodling one because i've yet to find a game that was able to make that type of mechanic work.
yes to FF tactics! i'll probably get it. i love those games.

also; anybody here played Advance Wars: Days of Ruin? i always say i'm going to go buy it but when i go to the store and have it in my hand, i can never bring myself to actually do it. i've literally gone, with the intention of buying it, at least three times and changed my mind every time. it's maddening.


edit: d'oh!

[Melodic]

It's Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, and it is a fantastic game. Much better in almost every category than Dual Strike. I've been meaning to ask if anyone played it online.

I'm looking forward to FFTA2, as I loved the first one and sunk more than 100 hours into grinding the perfect party. Hopefully it'll be a little more difficult and have a story that doesn't suck, but I'll forgive them if it's just like the original.

[Storm Rider]

I'm going to be honest: I own Days of Ruin and yet I've barely played it at all. I don't know what it is about it, but it didn't grab me immediately and as soon as the next game I bought ended up in my mailbox (which was Culdcept Saga, I believe), it got lost in the shuffle and I haven't gone back to it at all. Maybe during the late spring/summer drought I will have a lull where I can revisit games and I'll get a chance to try again.

Note that this is not a fault of the game. It's a less obtuse, streamlined version of the same great Advance Wars gameplay (although I hear a couple of the unlockable COs are laughably broken), but I for whatever reason didn't get obsessive over it like I did with Dual Strike and the original game.

[Melodic]

Well fuck you, man.
Still, DS needs better games.

[Narr]

Almost every game I own for the DS is a Side-scroller.

I seriously need to go pick up the Megaman Zero titles for it.  LIKE BAD.

Too bad I have absolutely no monies.

[Storm Rider]

Well fuck you, man.
Still, DS needs better games.

Ummm, what? I own over 20 DS games, and I think I only regret buying two or three of them. The DS is a fantastic system with a ton of great games and with the ridiculous amount of them in the marketplace that isn't going to stop anytime soon.

[Melodic]

I love my DS, don't get me wrong, but I still feel like its library of games caters to a younger crowd. Maybe I'm just growing older, and out of those tastes, but I'd give anything to buy back my GBA collection. Golden Sun, Megaman, Tactics, seems like there's so many more games I loved on the GBA than there are for the DS.

[Nodaisho]

I am looking forward to FFTA2. I had all but three missions out of the 300 completed, then I started a new game because I was bored of waiting for my people that I sent out to complete the dispatches to get back, and I saved over the wrong file. I found the original FFT more difficult, but that was in part due to some questionable decisions, like not being able to cancel moves, so you had to count everything out, and then frequently find out you forgot to take something into account. Being able to cancel moves was a very good thing.

I need to get more DS games eventually, I never really play mine.

[Ikrik]

I made the mistake of buying a bunch of....baddish games.  Not baddish so much as 3 of them (out of 5) were pretty much the same game.

Rune Factory, Final Fantasy 3, and Pokemon are essentially the same game, you basically go around and level up...which is unfortunate.  Rune Factory is hella boring too, it gets to a point where I was just like "ok...I'm 80% through the game, I married my chick, expanded my house, upgraded 90% of my stuff.....what's the point?" FF just got annoying, and Pokemon Diamond just sucks.

Game Four I have is Super Mario 64...I don't know WHY I bought this game...I didn't even like Super Mario 64 all that much.
The last game I have is Phantom Hourglass, and seriously...I haven't given it too much love lately either, it just got....I donno...repetitive? Boring?  ehh, I'm lazy.

I sometimes kick myself for getting a DS instead of a PSP...but honestly, I much prefer the attitude that Nintendo has towards their gamers than Sony does.  But that said I haven't given my DS any love for....2 months.

[Melodic]

Half of your post can be summed up by saying "I don't like 3 of the games I bought because they are all RPGs", and the other half is "I bought a DS because I like Nintendo, even though I don't like any of Nintendo's characters and/or games".

[Narr]

I love my DS, don't get me wrong, but I still feel like its library of games caters to a younger crowd. Maybe I'm just growing older, and out of those tastes, but I'd give anything to buy back my GBA collection. Golden Sun, Megaman, Tactics, seems like there's so many more games I loved on the GBA than there are for the DS.

Golden Sun, I'll give you, but everything else you mentioned has a sequel that's out or will be out soon.

There's Lunar Knights, sequel to Boktai but better because there's no finicky sun capture device.  Puzzle Quest is also pretty good for puzzle game people, although I'd argue the PC version is better as it has online support (and better graphics).  There's all the Castlevania titles for the DS, and they both rule.  (If you don't like them, then you must not like well-made games.)  Not to mention two Advance Wars titles.  I'm too lazy to go fish out my DS library, but needless to say, I disagree with you.

[Melodic]

Honestly I've never been a fan of Castlevania. Go ahead and shoot me or whatever it is you do but it's just glorified platforming.
I suppose I'm just a finicky bastard, and for what I use my DS for it gets the job done.

[Spluff]

Honestly I've never been a fan of Castlevania. Go ahead and shoot me or whatever it is you do but it's just glorified platforming.
I suppose I'm just a finicky bastard, and for what I use my DS for it gets the job done.

That makes sense, considering Castlevania is a platform game.

[Narr]

I'm waiting for the part where you explain to me how platform games are suddenly bad considering that's all most action titles are.  You said you liked the Megaman Zero titles, which are, you know... platformers.  With guns.

My point is that I think it's folly to bash on a system when better sequels for the games you enjoyed on the GBA have been released or will be released soon.

[Melodic]

I hated the first GBA Castlevania because there was one place to buy items, in the entire world. And if I wanted those items I had to go all the way back.

[Blue Kitty]

Fuck, so far there does not seem to be a USA release date for Doodle Hex.  EB Games/Gamestop does not have it in their system, and IGN says TBA 2008. The European date is this June and while I am optimistic that it will be released state side at the same time, I don't see that happening.

[Storm Rider]

The DS has no region coding. If it comes out in English in Europe, you should be able to import the British version with no problems.

[muteKi]

So the DS does not run at 50 fps in Europe then? I suppose it's not too surprising as it does not require an external screen in order to work, though.

[Blue Kitty]

Heh, after making that post I found this, "Pinnacle Software, a division of Pinnacle Entertainment Ltd, has announced its first Nintendo DS title for worldwide distribution. Entitled Doodle Hex, the game is a magic themed mixture of spell-casting, battle elements and unique Japanese styled anime characters. Doodle Hex will be released in June 2008," from here.

[Narr]

I hated the first GBA Castlevania because there was one place to buy items, in the entire world. And if I wanted those items I had to go all the way back.

As opposed to every other Castlevania since Symphony of the Night which has... one place to buy items... almost always located next to a teleporter so you can return to it when you really need to?

[camelpimp]

I really, really wish I could get some fucking news on when that FFIV remake for the DS is coming to the US. Honestly, I don't care if it's shit; I will play the damn thing eventually. Once I get a DS.

[Ikrik]

I really, really wish I could get some fucking news on when that FFIV remake for the DS is coming to the US. Honestly, I don't care if it's shit; I will play the damn thing eventually. Once I get a DS.

Pfft, my friend splurg-bought a DS today, got Phantom Hourglass today, he came to my place to test it out.  By the time he was about to leave I looked at him and said "yo...you want my FF3?"
"you don't want it?"
"JUST TAKE IT AWAY"
and away it went. I honestly don't think that FF is worth it on the DS UNLESS they start making new ones that are more fun....

[Storm Rider]

Well, it helps that FF4 is a much better game than FF3. However, I will say that I don't think I would buy the inevitable 3D remake of FF6, just because I think the sprites in FF6 are great and I'm not sure how well the DS's very limited 3D capabilities would be able to do the artwork in that game justice.

[Blue Kitty]

I was wondering if anyone has been checking out The World Ends With You.  Originally called It's a Wonderful World, 1 Up calls it, "hip-hop scratching with Kingdom Hearts," and the reviews on Gamespot for it seem to be pretty good.

[Storm Rider]

Quite frankly, I'm skeptical about that one. I've been burned too much by Tetsuya Nomura's bullshit in the past to be excited.

[Storm Rider]

Apologies for the double post, but since this thread is about upcoming DS games I believe it's relevant to say that Atlus just announced Trauma Center 2 is coming out on July 1st. Good news for any of you who found the first game a little sadistic in terms of difficulty: they're including an easy difficulty in this one, along with new tools and procedures to perform.

[Ikrik]

Alright, so thanks to this thread I have rediscovered my DS love.  I went out and bought some more games, and played some of the others I have.  The ones I got or are getting new love are:

Trauma Center:  I love this game, but it's HARD and the soap-opera storyline is going to start killing me anytime now.  Perfect use of the touch screen.

Apollo Justice:  OBJECTION!  This game....is spectacular.  If you don't have this or any other Ace Attorney game then seriously....get them, hours of fun and hilarity.

Animal Crossing: Wild World:  It's......fun, but it'll be a lot more fun when I finally meet someone else who has it so we can play...together.

Rune Factory: Lots of fun....but some stuff just seems a little ridicilous and annoying, I was going to buy Harvest Moon DS recently too....but it looked really heinous.

[Storm Rider]

I just bought the local Gamestop's last copy of Rondo of Swords, so maybe later today I'll give some opinions on it.

I generally don't buy games without seeing a bit more feedback about them first, but I've got a fair amount of faith in Atlus's publishing decisions and it is in a genre I like with an interesting gameplay twist. Even if it turns out to be underwhelming, I've probably spent 30 dollars on worse things.

[CamusCanDo]

Rune Factory: Lots of fun....but some stuff just seems a little ridicilous and annoying, I was going to buy Harvest Moon DS recently too....but it looked really heinous.

I can't stretch this enough, DO NOT BUY HARVEST-FUCKING-MOON DS. Now don't get me wrong guys, Harvest Moon has been one of my favourite game series on the SNES, GB and Playstation/2, but seriously on this DS version, it's just balls. Total and utter balls. The dialogue is bad to the point where you don't even know what's going on in the story and there's a fuck ton of glitches (an updated version has been released where most of the glitches have been worked out). It's just bad. I have an R4DS so I didn't have to fork out the $40+ for it. I know if I would've paid money for it I'd be pretty pissed.

The World Ends With You is an alright game. The concept of the gameplay is original and overall fun, although can get heavily repetative since it's easy to just slide the stylus across the screen while at the same time button mashing the d-pad and pull off a good score. Story wise it's interesting, even though certain characters tend to play up the drama card one too many times. I like it, I'd heard a lot of hype surrounding it so I was expecting just that little more than what's actually there. If you want to try a game different from Pokemon and Final Fantasy but still comes off as a fun RPG then I would highly recommend this.

Other awesome games I have and think are worth mentioning:

Meteos
Lost Magic
Hotel Dusk
Luminous Arc
Draglade
Contra 4
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker
Call of Duty 4
FFXII: Revenant Wings
Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Right now I'm playing Professor Layton the most, and at this very moment I feel exactly like this http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/2/13/

[Ikrik]

Professor Layton is tons of fun, I can play it for like...3 hours and not really realize it.  But honestly it gets pretty tedious sometimes and some puzzles just really killed me.  I tried SO hard not to go onto the internet to find the answers but eugh, the trick questions are so freaking annoying.  It took me forever to get the Mice question.

[brasha]

I was wondering if anyone has been checking out The World Ends With You.  Originally called It's a Wonderful World, 1 Up calls it, "hip-hop scratching with Kingdom Hearts," and the reviews on Gamespot for it seem to be pretty good.

I finished it a few days ago.  It was decent. 
There's a lot of ways to customize the difficulty, so you can really make it as easy or as difficult as you like.  You also can get experience based on time NOT played, so there were times when I had to put the game down in order to level things up the way I wanted. Once you get everything figured out though, it goes fast.