Portable RPG rush!

[Kire]

Awesome, Valkarie Profile: Lenneth is coming out soon and is supposed to rule. Blade Dancers looks interesting, and I keep hearing good things about the first Legend of Heroes despite "love it/hate it" reviews. Meanwhile, all DS has is Lunar: Dragon Song & Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time (both suck, even though I beat Mario & Luigi), but I will get Final Fantasy 3 when it comes out.

I'll also have to pick up Breath of Fire 3 Euro edition from my local Fry's after VP and BD, but there might be Suikoden 1 & 2 coming out soon (already out in Japan). Finally, I have some good portable RPGs to spend some time on.

[DK]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

Yeah DS, you stink!!!

[John Mora]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I'd take Mario & Luigi and FFIII and FFVI over Blade Dancers (guh?) and Legend of Heroes.

And I already own Valkyrie Profile.

[Kire]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I've played through FFVI 3 twice and don't plan on doing it again, and the story of M&L: PIT is excrement. I didn't get the chance to play VP, and don't pretend that most DS games are just ports anyway.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I think the lack of DS RPGs might be in part due to the fact that it's one of the few genres that's still being pumped out on GBA. And there are a couple other DS RPGs, they just aren't much better. M&L seems to be the only well reviewed one so far.

[highwind]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

BoFIII load times are supposed to be TERRIBLE.

Just to warn ya.

[John Mora]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

It's just that PSP owners going on about Blade Dancers reminds me of PS2 owners squealing over Ephemeral Fantasia.

[Biggie]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

VP seems like kind of a rippoff for PSP when you will be able to download PS1 games to your PSP later this year.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I think most developers are afraid to put an RPG on the DS. I mean, what are you going to do with that touch screen beyond using it to use menus? Instant bad review.

Hey Kire, out of curiosity, what did you think of the first Mario & Luigi?

[Vonwert]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

But the portable rpgs either suck, or just ports of old games. Nothing in there to be excited about.

If they would pull their resources into making something new, then it would be good.

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I don't think developers are worried about not using the touch screen. Mario Kart is probably the most popular DS game of all and it only uses touch for menus. Then again some of them fell like they have to go Tao's Adventure, Lost Magic, Deep Labyrinth route. Unfortunately that's hard to pull off well.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

It's just that PSP owners going on about Blade Dancers reminds me of PS2 owners squealing over Ephemeral Fantasia.

You mean squealing about how badly Ephemeral Fantasia sucked.

As for Valkarie Profile, I don't have the PSP so I will have to find the original. Is it really as good as you guys make it seem? If so then YIPPEE!!!

[DarkwingChuck]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is on PSP not DS. I wish it was on DS so I could get it. I will be getting Silmeria though.

[Magus]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

As for Valkarie Profile, I don't have the PSP so I will have to find the original. Is it really as good as you guys make it seem? If so then YIPPEE!!!

It's good. It's nothing spectacular or mindbending. Just don't expect to figure out how to get the best ending without a FAQ.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Portable RPG rush!

I don't think developers are worried about not using the touch screen. Mario Kart is probably the most popular DS game of all and it only uses touch for menus.

But it does make nice use of that second screen with the map system. I find myself quite frequently checking that screen for opponents' items and any obstacles that are either in my way or coming after me. Also useful if you want to drop an item on an unsuspecting tailgater or want to get out of the way so that the person tailing you can't get a drift boost. And its especially useful if you know there's a spiny coming after you, and you decide to slow down and get near second place so that you both get taken out instead of giving second a chance to pass you.

But I don't see much use of the second screen (whether using touch or not) in RPGs. The two DS RPGs I own so far are Lunar DS and Mario & Luigi 2. All Lunar does is provide touch menus and unnecessarily split battle screens to enemies on the ground and enemies just above them. M&L2 provides a map that could otherwise be opened via menu option and shows both pairs of brothers when they are separate, which could be accomplished with a simple screen transition if there were a single screen.