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Post by Xeogred on Nov 6, 2023 0:52:39 GMT -5
Have you played some other NDS or PSP shmups that are good?
Outside of Armored Core 4A, I don't know if I have any interest right now for more PS3/360/Wii stuff. So maybe I should finally take this time to explore the handhelds a bit more.  That said, only ONE RPG at a time and I'm locked into Soma Bringer now. But maybe I can get another one in later this month or in December. |
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2023 1:12:33 GMT -5
Have you played some other NDS or PSP shmups that are good? For DS, I'm fairly sure Nanostray and Nanostray 2 are the only worthwhile options. Unless you consider Star Fox Command to be a shmup, in that case, it's a good one. PSP fairs better; Dariusburst, NeoGeo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting, Star Soldier, and Xyanide Resurrection were all good from what I've played. In the realm of PSP shmups I've actually beaten; I enjoyed Soreyuke! BurunyanMan Portable (Simple Man™ approved!), Strike Witches: Hakugin no Tsubasa (being a fan of the IP helps admittedly), and Kisou Ryouhei Gunhound EX (mecha). There are some metroidvanias on DS that are good, that aren't just Castlevania and Mega Man ZX/Advent, if you're interested. But I'd hate to distract you from Soma Bringer for too long.  |
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Post by Xeogred on Nov 6, 2023 9:31:58 GMT -5
Well, I'm pretty sure this one is really good right? Think I'll add this to my priority list for this theme.  |
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Post by toei on Nov 6, 2023 9:50:03 GMT -5
Xeogred You try the two Dementium games? I just happened to skim through a video about them the other day, they're horror FPSes for the DS. Technically impressive and Silent Hill 2-inspired in terms of atmosphere.
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2023 10:16:14 GMT -5
Well, I'm pretty sure this one is really good right? From my thoughts almost eleven years ago, I think it's good but not really good: I do hope you give it a try, though. Monster Tale is another decent DS metroidvania worth a try: If you are a Spider-Man fan, there are some well regarded metroidvania Spider-Man games on DS. I've not played them, but I remember Moulinoski saying they're good. I've only played the first one and it was not good, I didn't finish it. The sequel is supposed to be a big improvement (and maybe it is). Though I also played Moon, a sci-fi FPS by the same developer, and it wasn't good either. Xeogred there's also Metroid Prime Hunters on DS, which I didn't finish, but IIRC Sarge enjoyed. toei any ideas on what you're gonna play? Kurohyou and Kurohyou 2 on PSP? |
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Post by toei on Nov 6, 2023 10:38:36 GMT -5
I want to give The 3rd Birthday a shot somewhere in the next two months. I know you've praised its gameplay. I think it's time I try it, being a fan of the two PS1 games. And I'm curious how I'd like a third-person shooter.
I would have maybe liked Valkyria Chronicles too, but I'm not sure my laptop can handle it. I could play the PSP entries but I'd much rather start with the first, which looks more ambitious and interesting overall (being a console original), even if the PSP games are probably good too. I don't know if I want to play a PSP Yakuza before I play another main entry, probably next year. I bought the Remastered trilogy twice - lost my PSN account (and never managed to talk to anyone at Sony, I'm not sure they employ live customer service at all anymore) and my PS4 cables (I was given a PS4 for my birthday and haven't used it), then I bought the PC port of same when it was on sale. Either GOG or Green Man Gaming, it was something that was linked to here. But again, not sure how my comp will do.
PS3 games I want to play one day: Way of the Samurai 3 & 4, Yakuza 3, 4 and 5, 3d Dot Game Heroes, Valkyria Chronicles. Those are the main ones.
I've played a lot of PSP, actually. It's a nice system in terms of tech but the library isn't great. Lots of ports/remakes of great games, but the originals are mostly mediocre. The best PSP game, IMO, is Growlanser IV. Sure, it's an enhanced port of a PS2 game, but in English it's a PSP-exclusive. I also think the DS is overrated. I've emulated my way through Nanashi no Game last year and Tokyo Beat Down this year, and I found a way to make the damn dual screens work for me (I cannot play in windowed mode, it's impossible for me) by switching when needed because the main parts of the game take place on one screen. But any game that really uses both all the time, I can't emulate satisfyingly. My old DS XL is busted, too.
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2023 11:16:36 GMT -5
>The 3rd Birthday I'm glad you are going to give this one a chance, but I'll be surprised if you end up enjoying it. I say that because it's such a big departure from the first two games, gameplay-wise. But it would be interesting to see you give a third-person cover-shooting game a chance. Just know going in that the plot is garbage, sadly. I gave it an 8/10: >Valkyria Chronicles >the PSP entries I absolutely loved the first VC, beat that one on PS3. I beat VC2 on PSP, and got about halfway through VC3 on PSP. I actually started the series by beating VC2 on PSP first, because I didn't have a PS3 at the time, and VC1 was still a PS3 exclusive back then. While I enjoyed VC2, it pales in comparison to VC1. I don't think you would enjoy VC2 at all, because of silly and goofy it is. VC1 is more serious, and VC3 is super duper serious, dark and grim. The only reason I stopped playing VC3 is because of how long it is, but I plan to go back and finish it. I've not played VC4 yet. Anyway, I recommend the original Valkyria Chronicles, the first game in the series, to everybody. It's simply a masterpiece of strategy gaming, insofar as its mechanics and fun factor. VC1 is unfortunately a fairly easy game to beat, or at least for me it was. Some folks say it's hard, I guess it's subjective. VC2 is moderate difficulty. VC3 will kick you in the balls and spit on your mom. >I was given a PS4 for my birthday and haven't used it Still amazes me you haven't hooked it up yet. If you ever do, you'll have access to all those Yakuza games, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima, Trek to Yomi, Way of the Samurai 4, the Niohs, all FromSoftware's Souls stuff, and many other Japan-themed stuff. The PS4's library is an insane goldmine. And Valkyria Chronicles got ported to PS4 too: >PSP, actually. It's a nice system in terms of tech but the library isn't great I agree on tech, the PSP was amazing technologically when it first released way back in 2004 (almost twenty years ago now!). I somewhat disagree with you about the PSP's library, I think the PSP has a solid library overall. It is a little too port-heavy, though, I agree there. There's still good exclusives (or at least they were exclusive initially) to play, but that's predicated upon what genre variety someone enjoys. It's true the PSP isn't all that strong on traditional JRPGs, for whatever reason the PSP excelled more at J SRPGs. Looking at my HLTB, these are PSP games I rated highly (at least a 7/10) in the past decade or so: Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (combat flight sim) Brandish: The Dark Revenant (dungeon crawler) Brave Story (JRPG) Kisou Ryouhei Gunhound EX (mecha shmup) Metal Gear Acid (TRPG) Metal Gear Acid 2 (TRPG) Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (third person shooter/action-adventure) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (third person shooter/action-adventure) Resistance: Retribution (third person shooter) Soreyuke! BurunyanMan Portable (shmup) Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (TRPG) The 3rd Birthday (third person shooter) The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (AJRPG) Valkyria Chronicles II (SRPG) Ys Seven (AJRPG) Edit: I have beaten a lot more PSP games than this, but most were before I started tracking my beats in HLTB. >Growlanser IV I do want to play that eventually, given how much you and Sarge have praised it. One hang up is it's #4... is the plot standalone? >I also think the DS is overrated  Of all things I've ever disagreed with you about, this has got to be #1 man. The DS is an absolutely amazing platform with truck loads of great games representing vast variety (as my HLTB log will testify, though many DS games I beat were pre-2013, ergo before I started tracking my beats). It's easily my all time most favorite handheld ever. |
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Post by toei on Nov 6, 2023 11:49:36 GMT -5
There are some good DS games, but I can't think of one single great DS game. Honestly. The GBA had Mother 3. I know you love Hotel Dusk. I didn't, it was just okay to me. Agreed on the variety part to me, it does have a nice representation of genres, and even though it's much better know for 2D, it could do some surprisingly acceptable 3D. I was still a RPG hardliner in the PSP-DS days, so it's true that I focused on those genres. Looking at my DS beats, it's mediocre town.
Legends of Exidia **1/2
Zenonia **1/2
Final Fantasy Gaiden: The 4 Warriors of Light **
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker ***
Dragon Quest IX ***
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 ***
Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime Adventures **
Contact ***
Avalon Code **
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow ***
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn ***
SMT: Devil Survivor ***
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates **
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 **1/2
Phoenix Wright-Ace Attorney: Justice for All **
Nanashi no Game **
Tokyo Beat Down ***+
Those are the ratings from the time, I was maybe being slightly generous with DQIX. Joker 1 is pretty cool. *** is good, anything below that isn't.
Growlanser IV is stand-alone, yes. Most Japanese RPGs are, you know that. For Growlanser, 2 is actually a direct sequel to 1. I think it takes place 20 years later or so and has a lot of references to it, which is ironic because we never got Growlanser 1 (another PS1 translation I'd love to see) but we did get 2. But it still works as a stand-alone game.
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Post by Ex on Nov 6, 2023 12:18:53 GMT -5
There are some good DS games, but I can't think of one single great DS game.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (best metroidvania I've played) Chōsōjū Mecha MG
Front Mission DS (not just a port, 40% of this is a new exclusive campaign)
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Heroes of Mana
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Jet Impulse
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West
Mario Kart DS Mega Man ZX AdventNew Super Mario Bros.
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Nostalgia
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Trace Memory
Soma Bringer
Trauma Center: Under The Knife
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
Plenty I'm forgetting. Most of the DS games that you listed, I actually haven't played. Because I've not delved deeply into DS JRPGs yet. I have beaten a few. I remember enjoying Dragon Quest IV on DS a lot, Soma Bringer, as well as Nostalgia. I really enjoyed Nostalgia a bunch. Strangely it's a JRPG that every other JRPG player I know (online and offline) just ignored entirely. Of your list, I'll briefly mention to what I've played: >Dragon Quest IX *** -I beat this one, gave it a 6/10. It's certainly the worst mainline DQ I've played, but it's not an awful game inherently. >Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates ** -Didn't get very far in this one. Will retry someday. I've read the DS sequel is a lot better. >Hotel Dusk: Room 215 **1/2 -A lot of folks were bored silly with Hotel Dusk. For me it's a masterpiece. But I don't blame anybody who doesn't enjoy this one. It's definitely not an adventure game designed to please every gamer. I don't mean that in a derogatory sense either. I should mention the sequel, Last Window, is much more linear and less meandering than Hotel Dusk. CiNG took that criticism to heart, for better or worse. >Phoenix Wright-Ace Attorney: Justice for All ** -Although I loved AA1 on DS, and mostly enjoyed AA3 on DS, I thought AA2 was fairly bad. The "sophomore slump" of the series. It's a shame of the DS trilogy this is the one you went with. The first game is much better. I've not played AA4 or any of the other sequels yet. >Nanashi no Game ** -Yeah I beat this one too, we've talked about it in the past. Nice idea, terrible execution. Maybe the sequel is better. >Most Japanese RPGs are, you know that Indeed I do, but I recall reading on HG101 that the Growlanser games had some continuity plot-wise, that's why I asked. |
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Post by Sarge on Nov 6, 2023 16:30:24 GMT -5
I don't know that I love the DS more than Ex, but it's a great system. Had a lot of fun with quite a few games. I'm not sure there's a ton of truly great RPGs on there, but it's got a good number of solid ones. It gets a lot of credit for having Radiant Historia, the Dragon Quest ports, and Bowser's Inside Story. I put a ton of time into my PSP, but I have to admit I'm a lot more indifferent about the system's library, even if it also has some pretty solid games. It was far more impressive as a homebrew/PSX emulator. The library bested the Vita for me pretty easily, though. |
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That said, only ONE RPG at a time and I'm locked into Soma Bringer now. But maybe I can get another one in later this month or in December. 
Of all things I've ever disagreed with you about, this has got to be #1 man. The DS is an absolutely amazing platform with truck loads of great games representing vast variety (as my HLTB log will testify, though many DS games I beat were pre-2013, ergo before I started tracking my beats). It's easily my all time most favorite handheld ever. 