Obscure DS rpgs

Kelor

UncleSporky wrote:

Kelor wrote:

Jagged Alliance isn't really an RPG, but it's a turn based strategy game with a good plot, huge roster of characters and some fantastic interaction between them. The port is okay, but don't spend too much on it since you can get it on GoG for $5.

It's also on DSiware for $5, buuuut supposed to be a pretty cruddy port.

As someone who loves Jagged Alliance I was disappointed with it. But hey, for $5 it's not a terrible choice. The GoG option is the way to go though.


Infinate Space I got to a point where I had to kill an invisible ship and just was never able to do it. I should youtube up someone beating it and do that.

Jars

I am playing etrian odyssey 3

it is 100% 80s CRPG dungeon crawl

TNTrooper

If I want to start playing Etrian Odyssey can I just start with the third one and go backwards if I feel like it or is there some vital reason to play them in order?

Delzhand

Wizard of Oz actually looks like something I want to play, but it's like 56 bucks new on Amazon. What's that all about?

Xenogears of Bore

Out of all the games mentioned here it probably had the lowest print run.

Jars

I have only played 3 and there are no links to the earlier games so it doesn't matter

Xenogears of Bore

Play them all.

Steel Angel

TNTrooper wrote:

If I want to start playing Etrian Odyssey can I just start with the third one and go backwards if I feel like it or is there some vital reason to play them in order?

You might need to do more reading up on some mechanics since 3 has some additional stuff on top of the standard dungeons, but that's about it.

UncleSporky

Etrian Odyssey 3 first, because why not, you miss nothing plot-wise and it's really the best set of play mechanics, options, etc. If you really enjoy it and want more, then play 1 next, followed by 2. The second game is very similar to the first with few changes made to its formula; if you play 2 first, then 1 will just be another step backward and you won't enjoy it as much.

Xenogears of Bore

That and EO 1 and 2 are connected.

Going from 3 to 1 though would be difficult.

jothki

I don't think it's quite the sort of thing where the sequels render the earlier games unplayable, but yeah, the earlier games are slightly less polished in some aspects.

Xenogears of Bore

The font in the first game is BAD.

Not being able to strafe is annoying as hell.

WotanAnubis

Kelor wrote:

Front Mission involves giant customisable robots doing battle upon each other in a turn based fashion. So if you're into those it's a worthwhile entry in the series.

I've got Front Mission, but it doesn't quite click for me. I'm not really sure what everything means or what I'm supposed to be doing.


As for Infinite Space, I loved it, but it was a really draining experience. It's one of those games where I'm really glad I bought it and got to experience it, but I don't think I'll be replaying it any time soon. Still, putting together my fleet and outfitting my ships was never not fun.

Magic Pink

Delzhand wrote:

Wizard of Oz actually looks like something I want to play, but it's like 56 bucks new on Amazon. What's that all about?

It can easily be gotten elsewhere for 20$.

edit: Whoops I'm wromg, all the places that have it listed are either wrong or just out to steal your CC number.

Artereis

El Fantastico wrote:

Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled is probably pretty darn obscure, I think. As the video shows, it looks like a FF6/Chrono Trigger game because the sprites and backgrounds are almost ripped from them. There's a bit more similarity to Chrono Trigger because depending on your active party, everyone can combine skills and spells together to make interesting dual-techs, and those all have their own field of attack (line of sight, centered on caster, centered on target, full screen, half screen, etc.)

The game's story is typical. Your main character is the only person around who can't cast magic in a kingdom where everyone else can. You're only protected by close friends and family and everyone else bullies you. You're given a mission to check something out and in the process, wind up in a new world where everyone is more like you, and the magic casters you meet are the big threat. There's also a sword that you come into contact with that gives you magic abilities, but at a price, and it sort of becomes the big McGuffin. There are 8 characters you can mix into your party, though only 6 are mandatory.

The gameplay is simple, though combat can be a chore depending on your team. Some characters make fights easy because they have powerful full screen abilities that end combat in a matter of seconds, and until mid-way through the game, your party is fixed by the story, so when you lose those characters, it makes you long for getting them back. This is made worse because the game's random encounters come often and frequently. Sometimes, it only takes 3 steps. This is the game's other problem - you can run in towns and dungeons, but on the overworld, the pacing is slow, and you'll end up in battle often. You can run from battles, but you may have to suffer a full assault from the enemies on screen before it lets you.

It's a decent RPG, despite those faults. Combat will eventually feel tedious, but I feel the story is worth it. 30 hours is about accurate to complete the game. Finding the game may be difficult, as I don't think it sold well at all, and it's a couple of years old by now.

For what it's worth, I really enjoyed Black Sigil. It has some pretty big flaws in the combat system in that characters can't move through each other and will often be unable to attack (especially melee characters), and there is a freezing bug that crops up from time to time (I think I experienced it twice in my playthrough). The art is good, though, and the story is engaging enough.

Drake

Contact is a game I have. I enjoy it while I'm playing it as well. I just don't feel compelled to play it often. That's kind of strange too, since it has a lot of quirky qualities that I really like. Nothing about the game strikes me as really bad. I've never really thought about it much.

Home Run King

Drake wrote:

Contact is a game I have. I enjoy it while I'm playing it as well. I just don't feel compelled to play it often. That's kind of strange too, since it has a lot of quirky qualities that I really like. Nothing about the game strikes me as really bad.

This is basically how I feel about Contact as well. I enjoyed playing it while I was playing it, but got sidetracked by other games and just never came back to it. Nothing about it struck me as particularly bad but I didn't particularly like anything about it either.

Magic Pink

I adore Contact but I totally get off on quirky games. I, too, didn't finish it but that's not saying much.

B:L

Magic Pink wrote:

Delzhand wrote:

Wizard of Oz actually looks like something I want to play, but it's like 56 bucks new on Amazon. What's that all about?

It can easily be gotten elsewhere for 20$.

edit: Whoops I'm wromg, all the places that have it listed are either wrong or just out to steal your CC number.

For a while the local Costcos here in LA had them for about $15.

Syphyre

I lost interest in Black Sigil too quickly. The <battle> Encounter <battle> Rate Is <battle> Ins<battle>ane.

Also, Avalon code had SO MUCH going for it, then about an hour or so in, the idiot programmers made one button do two things on the overworld (search and some action), and when you want to search, if you're not AT the spot where you can find something, it does the action, which takes FOREVER and completely killed the game.

On the otherhand, Infinite Space rocks. I recommend Lost Magic as well. Knight in the Nightmare is amazing, but it's even prettier on the PSP so I had to get that version.

Drake

How's the interface for Knights in the Nightmare on PSP, out of curiosity? I've always thought of KitN as one of the DS' go-to games to demonstrate the touchscreen functionality. It seems like it would be tough to manage with the PSP's more standard interface.

cj iwakura

If you care about story, EO1 is easily the best of the three.

Has some of the best music, too. Definitely play it first if you can.

RainbowDespair

cj iwakura wrote:

If you care about story, EO1 is easily the best of the three.

Has some of the best music, too. Definitely play it first if you can.

I honestly can't remember a single thing about EO1's story.

cj iwakura

RainbowDespair wrote:

cj iwakura wrote:

If you care about story, EO1 is easily the best of the three.

Has some of the best music, too. Definitely play it first if you can.

I honestly can't remember a single thing about EO1's story.

Ren and Tchlatga?

UncleSporky

More memorable than those two (whose names I don't think I even recognize) is the final non-postgame stratum and what you discover there.

l_g

UncleSporky wrote:

More memorable than those two (whose names I don't think I even recognize) is the final non-postgame stratum and what you discover there.

Spoiler:

You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!

cj iwakura

UncleSporky wrote:

More memorable than those two (whose names I don't think I even recognize) is the final non-postgame stratum and what you discover there.

RainbowDespair

Oh, is the story all endgame stuff? I got fairly close to the end of the game but eventually got burned out and never finished it.

All I can remember of the story is that there's a guild and a dungeon and you go and fight things. Oh and occasionally a FOE shows up and you die.

In any case, if you're playing Etrian Odyssey games for the story, you're doing it wrong.

cj iwakura

I say you're doing it right. The game is about exploration, the thrill of seeking out the unknown. If you find a story behind it, or better yet, craft your own, it's all the more enjoyable. That's what I love about Demon's Souls and the like.

UncleSporky

cj iwakura wrote:

UncleSporky wrote:

More memorable than those two (whose names I don't think I even recognize) is the final non-postgame stratum and what you discover there.

[im g]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/cjiwakura/EO/ert.png[/img]

Oh I remember what they look like and their roles, just not their names.

Chen

Personally, I found EO1 unforgivingly and unnecessary hard, but that's just my opinion. The animation is also almost non-existant if that's a deal breaker.

cj iwakura

Funny thing, they had said the later games would have animated sprites at one point, but they never got around to it.

Strange Journey, on the other hand, did. It basically runs on EO's engine, too.

What Is Schwa?

Shining Force I & II and Shining in the Darkness are all perfectly playable with a Genesis Emulator.

All three are fantastic games, but if you're pressed for time I'd suggest Shining Force II.

What Is Schwa?

cj iwakura wrote:

Funny thing, they had said the later games would have animated sprites at one point, but they never got around to it.

I wonder if they instead went for additional content in terms of extra labyrinths and monsters. EO3 seems jammed packed with content and is approaching the cart storage limit.

datac0re

I went to look for EO3 on Amazon... why the hell is it $54?

Edit: Double wtf... Gamestop has it new for $20.

Bartholamue

I got the last copy at an HMV for $30...but it was 50% off, so I got it for $15.

JihadJesus

Drake wrote:

How's the interface for Knights in the Nightmare on PSP, out of curiosity? I've always thought of KitN as one of the DS' go-to games to demonstrate the touchscreen functionality. It seems like it would be tough to manage with the PSP's more standard interface.

I liked it just fine on PSP personally, it's not like every other bullet hell game ever made didn't use a stick of some sort. I can see it being better on DS but it's perfectly acceptable on PSP.

RenegadeDrizzt

Agreed with almost all of the above, especially EO, Contact, Infinite Space, Knights in the Nightmare, and Strange Journey. I don't know if the Dragon Quest remakes count as being obscure, but they were some of my favorite RPGs on the system.

Really though, no mention of Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland? One of the best DS games ever. The art style is superb and the game captured the humour of Tingle perfectly. Import it if you can!

RenegadeDrizzt

I actually have a stylus that is topped with a brilliantly colored rupee. It is homemade, obviously, but that makes it even more awesome.

Chrono Helix

B:L wrote:

Sands of Destruction is a SEGA RPG with Xenogears pedigree, about heroes trying to destroy a world controlled by furries.




I'm only listing it to anti-recommend it, because it's kinda bland and it has a horribly broken-easy battle system. It was styled like a classic old school rpg that had potential. They really wasted that potential though, as the anime based on the game is much better than it.

I'm anti-recommending this too.