The Nintendo DS & GBA thread

[danth]

w00t...chrono trigger coming to the DS!

http://kotaku.com/5021416/square-enix-conf...rono-trigger-ds

Sweet! I hope they don't touch the music, because it's my all time favorite game soundtrack. It's pretty much a must-buy for me.

Now they need to do Secret of Mana (since Children of Mana kinda sucked) and the Mother games.

[Wes]

Sweet! I hope they don't touch the music, because it's my all time favorite game soundtrack. It's pretty much a must-buy for me.

Now they need to do Secret of Mana (since Children of Mana kinda sucked) and the Mother games.

Well if you've visited Starmen.net in the last year, you know NOA hates Mother . It's sad though, I have been waiting for a remake other than that crappy PS1 version, but the once decent Square can only do "remakes" now instead of make good "new" games.

[Black Valkyrie]

True or not, this is not a good move.

[eriku]

Probably a good move for Nintendo, but personally I use the GBA slot a LOT, so it doesn't interest me.

Edited July 15, 2008 by eriku

[mikeszekely]

Well, I hope you guys haven't been so taken with the thought of Chrono Trigger on the DS that you forgot that the Final Fantasy IV remake is out today. I picked it up, and I only played it up to the end of Mist Village. I'm a little disappointed that they didn't do more with the touch screen... seems like before they were doing everything they could to shoehorn touch screen stuff into games, meanwhile RPGs are the one genre that could really have benefited from it. I think the difficulty's been ramped up as well... defeating the Mist Dragon took longer than on the SNES or GBA versions, and I had to use four Potions to keep Cecil up during that fight, since the Mist Dragon's regular hits were wiping out 20-25% of his HP.

The graphics are a step up from the Final Fantasy III remake's. Although the characters still have a super-deformed look, there's a lot more detail. Unlike Final Fantasy III, FFIV has cutscenes with voiceovers. They don't really add to the story, but it does help it play out a little smoother.

Ultimately, though, the game is still very much Final Fantasy IV. The music is often ripped straight from the original, and despite the shiny 3D polish, it plays identically to the SNES/GBA version. While it would have been nice to get some new content (and there might yet be, since I really haven't played much of it yet), but since IV is my all-time favorite in the series, I'm not complaining.

[David Hingtgen]

Ack, I did forget about FF4--and I'm not even buying CT again. It's not even revamped or anything. (Heck, I may still have the original SNES cartridge downstairs, will have to go check--I know I still have the PSX version). I played the original so many times I had full rainbow equipment for everyone with many stats maxed out. New Game+++++++.

FF4---played the SNES so many times I had the entire party at level 99. Which is really annoying since Rydia is permanently behind, and the gap grows BIGGER as you level up. I proved it to myself in the last couple levels--Rydia continually needs more and more exp to level up than anyone else at the same level. Maybe one of the later versions "fixed" this, but it was very annoying in the 90's.

[mikeszekely]

Ack, I did forget about FF4--and I'm not even buying CT again. It's not even revamped or anything. (Heck, I may still have the original SNES cartridge downstairs, will have to go check--I know I still have the PSX version). I played the original so many times I had full rainbow equipment for everyone with many stats maxed out. New Game+++++++.

FF4---played the SNES so many times I had the entire party at level 99. Which is really annoying since Rydia is permanently behind, and the gap grows BIGGER as you level up. I proved it to myself in the last couple levels--Rydia continually needs more and more exp to level up than anyone else at the same level. Maybe one of the later versions "fixed" this, but it was very annoying in the 90's.

Around the time I hit 90, I'd kill all of my party except the one I was trying to level, then got to the floor of the core where the Behemoths were and kill them until that character hit 99. By then, you had so much GP that you didn't even have to run back to the save point... use your ethers, use your potions, then go to the merchant in the building with all the Namingways and buy Elixers.

[David Hingtgen]

I did that too--but it still didn't alleviate the point that Rydia just plain takes more exp per level, for no apparent reason other than to make her permanently behind the other characters.

[Black Valkyrie]

FF4 is also my fave FF of the franchise but I don`t know something is tell me not to buy it, since I`ve played the other versions and GBA is the best of all for me.

[Black Valkyrie]

Any one played The World Ends with you by Square-Enix, I find this game a bit complicated.

[mikeszekely]

FF4 is also my fave FF of the franchise but I don`t know something is tell me not to buy it, since I`ve played the other versions and GBA is the best of all for me.

Having finished Final Fantasy IV DS, I can safely say that your instinct is not off.

The 3D character models look great (my favorite being Rydia). And it's nice to have some stuff play out as in-engine cutscenes rather than reams of text. But ultimately, it's not the FFIV you remember. You gain experience faster (and aside from a few spells like Holy, Flare, and Meteor, that means you'll have spells quicker than in the 16-bit versions), but this is countered by the fact that every enemy in the game has more hit points that before. This means that if you knew before that you wanted to grind until Rydia learned Bio before going into the Tower of Babil the first time, and you find that she's got it when she rejoins your party, that you're going to go into the tower and get killed on the first floor. (For the record, I wound up grinding into the 50's before doing the Tower). To make matters more complicated, bosses have new patterns and attacks that negate any strategies that you're familiar with. For example, if you cast Reflect on Bahamut, expecting that you'll bounce his Mega-Flare back at him, you might be disappointed to know that he'll counter with a Reflect on himself, then Mega-Flare off it onto you, meaning that you actually have to kill him before he uses Mega-Flare. You can also expect to max out your levels in the Lunarian Subterrain, and that enemies will challenge you right up until that point (surprisingly, though, not the final bosses).

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for the DS is on clearance at Target. Wait for FFIV to join it.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

That new castlevania ds game looks good. Big fan of this franchise. Still need to get the PSP game that comes with SOTN on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcVXk4jiNQU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyXjeAuNso

Glad they ditched the anime styled characters.

I would so like to see a Wii castlevania that is a 2d side scroller. Sell it online just like how capcom has made retro megaman sequel for the wii.

Edited August 12, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[renkenjutsu]

Any one played The World Ends with you by Square-Enix, I find this game a bit complicated.

The game is simply this: Spam your partner to get the stars rating for more pin drops You need to play around with branding according to each area for maximum effect. I have to say that this game is both awesome and difficult for those unprepared (or can't keep more than one screen in mind, like me ) I still love it though.

[Black Valkyrie]

Chrono Trigger, 25 Nov.

[Black Valkyrie]

The game is simply this: Spam your partner to get the stars rating for more pin drops You need to play around with branding according to each area for maximum effect. I have to say that this game is both awesome and difficult for those unprepared (or can't keep more than one screen in mind, like me ) I still love it though.

Still playing it, phase-2 yes its very difficult, especially in the battle you have to follow two screens.

[Black Valkyrie]

Anyone remember this game from the 80`s Black Tiger, now for the DS.

[David Hingtgen]

New color for DS Lite in USA, metallic silver. (As in, stand-alone, not with Guitar Hero graphics and pack-in)

[Max Jenius]

Chrono Trigger will be interesting. I never got much past the first time skip. Seemed totally awesome, but then other stuff came up and I never got back to it. Glad Square is doing this. I get to play the games I missed out on (like FF4, classic, not 3d).

Edited September 7, 2008 by Max Jenius

[Keith]

Chrono Trigger will definately be awesome. Now if they'd just come up with a remake of the original secret of mana with wifi-multiplayer, instead of that half assed one they came out with a efw years ago.

[danth]

Chrono Trigger will definately be awesome. Now if they'd just come up with a remake of the original secret of mana with wifi-multiplayer, instead of that half assed one they came out with a efw years ago.

FOR REAL. That was one of my favorites ever. Nothing beats playing with your friends. And the real time combat beats selecting "fight" from a menu any day.

[Wes]

Chrono Trigger will definately be awesome. Now if they'd just come up with a remake of the original secret of mana with wifi-multiplayer, instead of that half assed one they came out with a efw years ago.

The one that came out on the GBA was a remake of the original Seiken Densetsu, which was called Final Fantasy adventure in the US on GB. That did need an upgrade. But I would like to see it's sequel that was on the SNES remade with all that stuff that was supposively taken out. I'm guessing that that extra level will be the "Singing Montain" thing that had an unused song on the soundtrack.

[David Hingtgen]

And it's a very neat track, as good as the best of the rest of the songs.

I wonder if the 2nd battle theme will be included. I never knew where/when it was supposed to be used. Not a great track IMHO, so no big loss it wasn't included in the original release. Random thought: The Legend of Dragoon is the only game I know that has a seemingly random (and fairly rare) alternate battle theme. (as opposed to a specific alternate battle theme always used in certain places, like in FF8 when using Laguna, or Suikoden II in the forest to Gregminister) I wonder if CT's 2nd theme was a "random" one, or intended for certain areas.

[Dervish]

Dragon Quest IV is coming for DS in North America September 16, 2008. I would like to play it, but I'll be so busy! I guess I can squirrel away a copy and play later.

[mikeszekely]

Dragon Quest IV is coming for DS in North America September 16, 2008. I would like to play it, but I'll be so busy! I guess I can squirrel away a copy and play later.

It's just a matter of budgeting your time properly with handhelds. I mean, what are you busy with? In any case, you get a lunch break, right? That's a good half hour to an hour. Everybody poops. You can cram a couple minutes in there. And you can always unwind with it for a little bit after you get into bed.

[eriku]

It's just a matter of budgeting your time properly with handhelds. I mean, what are you busy with? In any case, you get a lunch break, right? That's a good half hour to an hour. Everybody poops. You can cram a couple minutes in there. And you can always unwind with it for a little bit after you get into bed.

So I'm not the only one who plays the DS while pooping? Excellent.

Aside from that it's a lifesaver on the bus.

That said, I'm all over Dragon Quest. I've hope for a long time that it would make it to the DS.

[danth]

So I'm not the only one who plays the DS while pooping? Excellent.

It's the ultimate in luxury, innit? We have indoor plumbing and powerful handhelds, might as well revel in it before civilization crashes, right? F*ck, I crank up the AC while I'm at it.

That said, I'm all over Dragon Quest. I've hope for a long time that it would make it to the DS.

DQ4 is the only I didn't get to play as a kid. I owned DW1 and rented 2 and 3. Still, I'm so sick of menu combat and random encounters. Though I did like DQ8. Where the heck is DQ9 though, that's what I want to know?

[mikeszekely]

So I'm not the only one who plays the DS while pooping? Excellent.

Aside from that it's a lifesaver on the bus.

That said, I'm all over Dragon Quest. I've hope for a long time that it would make it to the DS.

Heck, that's where I get some of my best gaming in, free of the wife's nagging.

[eriku]

Heck, that's where I get some of my best gaming in, free of the wife's nagging.

Do you ever hear this?

"I think you should see a doctor, honey, you're spending an aweful lot of time in the bathroom lately."

[Black Valkyrie]

What the DS is missing are shooters, there are rarely any.

[mikeszekely]

Do you ever hear this?

"I think you should see a doctor, honey, you're spending an aweful lot of time in the bathroom lately."

Yeah, until I bought her a laptop, which she not only takes with her, but leaves a TV tray in the bathroom to set it on.

[eriku]

What the DS is missing are shooters, there are rarely any.

Are there any shooters for the DS? Seems like a dying breed with video games, which is a damn shame.

[Black Valkyrie]

No they are not, all other platforms got many and even new titles are on the horizon.

[eriku]

Okay, but are there any for the DS?

[Wes]

And it's a very neat track, as good as the best of the rest of the songs.

I wonder if the 2nd battle theme will be included. I never knew where/when it was supposed to be used. Not a great track IMHO, so no big loss it wasn't included in the original release. Random thought: The Legend of Dragoon is the only game I know that has a seemingly random (and fairly rare) alternate battle theme. (as opposed to a specific alternate battle theme always used in certain places, like in FF8 when using Laguna, or Suikoden II in the forest to Gregminister) I wonder if CT's 2nd theme was a "random" one, or intended for certain areas.

I'm thinking it was supposed be used around the sequence of events as it was placed into the soundtrack, so maybe there was going to be another boss but it was dropped.

Edited September 10, 2008 by Wes

[Black Valkyrie]

Anyone getting Castlevania - Order of Ecclesia, since its the same boring style like SOTN.