Square-Enix, a Company that has obviously shown that they LOVE money, has found that the easiest way to make said piles of money is to use Japan’s favorite game machine, the DS. The staggering amount of recent releases of Square-Enix games on the DS makes it hard to find the true quality titles, but that’s why there is crazy JRPG players like me that can help make sense of it all. So although I can’t write about every single one of them (I do have a real life….) I can write about some of my favorites, and some that aren’t quite up to par.

The World Ends With You:

Everything about this game says style; the art direction, music, and level design all feel like a game that was made exactly how the developer wanted, with no care for how consumers would react to it. This game is a glimpse into what some of the creative minds at Square-Enix can do without preexisting game conventions to stick to. Echoing the style and feel of the Jet Grind Series, The World Ends With You is a virtual romp through the streets of Tokyo’s trendy Shibuya district with a plot that could have only been imagined in Japan. Controlling with a combination of literal hack and slash motions with the stylus, as well as the use of sequenced button presses, the combat is easy yet customizable allowing for multiple styles of play.

If you don’t already own this game go and find it, because sooner or later this game will be impossible to find. With poor sales in Japan and a very limited release within the US, this game is already setting itself up as a sought after collectors item.

Final Fantasy IV

In recent years the re-releasing of old Final Fantasy games has been something that I have stayed away from, but even I couldn’t resist an updated version of one of my favorite Super Nintendo RPG’s. Everything is here, and it feels good, but if you have played FFIV before there isn’t a whole lot of new stuff to be had. It is a great game but still feels like a bit of a cash in on the storied Square backlog. Veteran gamers aside, this is a game that is hard, but not punishing like the remake of FF3 on the DS, and still provides a pretty good, albeit predictable plot.

If you have had trouble sharing your love of RPG’s with any friends or family members this is a great game that will get them acclimated to the genre. Between this game and Dragon Quest 8, any skeptical gamer will be won over by the certain je ne sais quoi that JRPG’s have had since the early days of the industry.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates

The title of this game could have been “Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: NO CHALICE,” as the game ditches the troublesome chalice of the gamecube entry in the Nintendo specific shoot off of the series, and is all the better for it. Creating a much more solo friendly experience, as well as the option for four player multiplayer, Square-Enix polished the experience on the gamecube into the experience that many people wanted it to be. Although a simple hack and slash game, FF:CC Ring of Fates provides enough loot and customizable options to warrant multiple play throughs as well as a spot on any DS owner’s shelf.

Now that I have shown some of my favorites: now its time for the rest…

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

I have been a fan of Strategy RPG’s since the original Final Fantasy Tactics, and while this provide a deep experience as well as the great tactics gameplay I just felt like the story as well as the over all feel of the game felt a bit less planned out then I would have liked. Still if you liked both of the FF:Tactics games, this will be no different.

Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings

An interesting foray into the world of RTS, Revenant Wings provides a platform to what happened to Vann and Penelo after Final Fantasy 12. However unlike other games like Ring of Fates, and The World Ends With You, the combat feels clunky, and the camera is finicky, making it feel like the potential of this game was limited by the DS hardware.

Without a doubt the DS has provided a platform for Square-Enix, as well as other Japanese Developers, to put out games without having the large development teams and time commitment of their triple A releases like the upcoming Final Fantasy 13, and the probable release of Kingdom Hearts 3.

With the DS becoming the defacto RPG machine as illustrated by the franchises opting for numbered installments of the series on the DS instead of on a home console, such as Dragon Quest 9, Valkyrie Profile, and Suikoden, the DS is truly the console to get and support if you have fond memories of opting to skip watching cartoons with your bowl of Captain Crunch on a Saturday morning in favor of grinding one more level in your favorite RPG.

-Eric Wall

Tags: Dragon Quest, DS, Final Fantasy, Game Design, Nintendo, RPG, Square-Enix

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