Critic & User Reviews
good game, but exact same as the gba version.
posted by drunkyb (FORT WORTH, TX) Sep 25, 2006
Member since Mar 2006
21 out of 23 gamers (91%) found this review helpful
To keep this short and to the point : this is essentially a "dungeon crawler" (such as diablo or x-men legends) mixed with pokemon. Almost every single aspect of the pokemon franchise is held intact, and the combination of the diablo-esque combined with the rpg elements of pokemon goes down very well. This is a solid game, my only complaint (and the reason this review is a little vague and short) is that it is nearly the exact same as the gba red version. I expected a little more from the ds copy, which is why I am going to give this a seven instead of the eight I gave red. Nintendo needs to appreciate those of us who have purchased their latest handheld, and offer a little bit more than we get from the gba version.
Solid dungeon crawler
posted by heimburg (ORLANDO, FL) Sep 28, 2006
Member since Jun 2005
5 out of 6 gamers (83%) found this review helpful
This game plays very similar to Diablo, but it's turn-based instead of real-time. In this, and in some of the extra touches in the game, it feels more like a NetHack game than a Diablo game. If you've played NetHack (or rogue or Angband), you know what to expect -- infinite random dungeon crawling and leveling up.
The pacing is very solid for a DS game. You can play for 45 minutes or so and get a very rewarding experience, thanks to the mission-based gameplay. You probably won't want to play for too many hours at a time, as it can get repetitive. But in shorter bursts, this game seems to have a strong hold on my leisure time.
I haven't played the GBA version, and I can understand the complaints that the game is "just like the GBA version", but that doesn't really come across to people who haven't played the GBA game. The graphics are crisp and clean, and the top screen can be used for things like your dungeon map or status information -- it doesn't feel like a port, even if it is one. If you compare it to other DS RPG games, it stands up pretty well.
The game is a bit fiddly to learn -- the interface isn't as clean as you'd like. It can take a while to figure out how to get your allies to use items, or even how to turn in place without spending a combat turn. But once you get the hang of it, it's very smooth to play.
Another complaint is your allies: they start out dumb as posts, and if they die (without a resurrection item), you basically lose your mission. So early on, you have to babysit them constantly, or have them hang back doing nothing. You can improve their IQ and give them better combat rules as the game progresses.
I'd like to see more games in this style in the future. The formula can certainly be improved upon, but it's a solid game and pretty compelling.
The pacing is very solid for a DS game. You can play for 45 minutes or so and get a very rewarding experience, thanks to the mission-based gameplay. You probably won't want to play for too many hours at a time, as it can get repetitive. But in shorter bursts, this game seems to have a strong hold on my leisure time.
I haven't played the GBA version, and I can understand the complaints that the game is "just like the GBA version", but that doesn't really come across to people who haven't played the GBA game. The graphics are crisp and clean, and the top screen can be used for things like your dungeon map or status information -- it doesn't feel like a port, even if it is one. If you compare it to other DS RPG games, it stands up pretty well.
The game is a bit fiddly to learn -- the interface isn't as clean as you'd like. It can take a while to figure out how to get your allies to use items, or even how to turn in place without spending a combat turn. But once you get the hang of it, it's very smooth to play.
Another complaint is your allies: they start out dumb as posts, and if they die (without a resurrection item), you basically lose your mission. So early on, you have to babysit them constantly, or have them hang back doing nothing. You can improve their IQ and give them better combat rules as the game progresses.
I'd like to see more games in this style in the future. The formula can certainly be improved upon, but it's a solid game and pretty compelling.