Moosferatu

DS Games

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Okay, that's it. I'm buying Portrait of Ruin.

...or should I start by playing the first GBA Castlevania? I hate going back and playing older games in a series after I've played a newer one (which is why, sadly, I've yet to play the first Mario & Luigi).

To be fair, they're all really really great titles. Circle of the Moon's simplistic graphics are well overshadowed by the glorious gameplay enhancement thanks to the card system. Harmony of Dissonance's graphics a great improvement and the introduction of magic vs subweapon elements made it really enjoyable. Aria of Sorrow is arguably the best on GBA with great improvement made to the animation. Soul collection is the key in this one and powering up your skills based on the number of souls you have of a particular kind -- sometimes getting 9/9 souls is quite difficult due to the extremely low drop rate of them, but also making this achievement even more satisfying.

Hell ... get them all.

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Dawn of Sorrow is as kunzie described Aria of Sorrow, so if you want something with a little depth - and like roaming around collecting stuff - get that.

If you prefer something more brutal and arcade like, go for Portrait of Ruin.

They're both the prize gems in my DS collection though, so I'd recommend getting the pair anyway to be honest. There's also that rather spiffy Harmony of Dissonance/Aria of Sorrow double cart on GBA that's well worth picking up (but I haven't as yet).

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The double pack is very nice. I didn't really get into Castlevania until about a year and a half ago, (well, I had IV on the SNES, but you know what I mean) so I had to play catch up and the double pack was fantastic for that. I'm not sure how easily you'll still be able to find it, but it's definitely one to consider.

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I still see the double pack in shops.

If you have to choose on the DS, get Dawn of Sorrow. It is easily the superior Castlevania in terms of epicness, story and gameplay. That's not to say Portrait of Ruin is even remotely bad, of course. There's just no going around the twin Sorrows.

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I still see the double pack in shops.

If you have to choose on the DS, get Dawn of Sorrow. It is easily the superior Castlevania in terms of epicness, story and gameplay. That's not to say Portrait of Ruin is even remotely bad, of course. There's just no going around the twin Sorrows.

I'd agree with that 100%. Portrait of Ruin is a very nice game, but it felt rather limited and short lived. However, Richter mode with a level 1 cap is insanely delicious :D~~~

BTW, Aria of Sorrow is the GBA version. Dawn of Sorrow is the DS version.

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Thirding Dawn of Sorrow over Portrait of Ruin. The latter felt short, even though both took me 10 hours to beat. They're great games, but even if you don't want to overlook the stylus things in Dawn of Sorrow, it still comes out on top. I think I prefer soul farming over having to grind skills, but you honestly don't have to do either to beat the games.

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I just saw that Portrait of Ruin, Mario Vs DK 2, Phoenix Wright 2, Raving Rabbids and Chronos Twins are all being released in March. Damn my money saving :frusty:

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I played it last week. It's ok, but not nearly as good as Phoenix Wright. It's fairly predictable, has mediocre writing, decent puzzles, and amazing character animation. I enjoyed playing it, but I'm fairly certain I'd never play it a second time.

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Fucking genius advert, man.

I played Hotel Dusk for a while on my plane ride last Friday. Got about two hours in, then switched to Elite Beat Agents for the remainder of the flight. (Damn Jumping Jack Flash is tormenting me. Only thing I haven't beaten yet on Expert...) I quite enjoyed what I played, but I'm not willing to put in a full verdict yet. Definitely enjoyable though.

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Currently enjoying Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (finally), what a cool game it is.

And just got the last house expansion in Animal Crossing :D

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And just got the last house expansion in Animal Crossing :D

Nicely done! :clap:

I really should come and visit again, see your new palace.

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Just finished: Phoenix Wright. I loved every second of it :)

Just started: Elite Beat Agents. So much coolness in such a tiny card! :P

Next to come: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

I'm slowly catching up :D

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Next to come: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

I sincerely hope you end up loving that game as much as I did.

...which reminds me: I still haven't completed the sequel. :getmecoat

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I just heard in a few days I get to review Wario: Master of Disguise, which is cool. I'm curious towards that title; how all the disguises are going to play out during gameplay.

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Hi,

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I'm looking for some specific old/new recommendations.

I'm getting a DS now, probably along with 2-3 games.

I have another friend that has a DS with one game currently: FF3.

Suppose I want to enjoy my DS both for stylus adventury goodness and multiplayer, what are the must-haves?

Is Mario Kart great in single cart mode? Or should my friend get a copy as well? (If Wi-Fi gaming is fast enough, I guess I could play with others) - Is Advance Wars a good substitute for that (multiplayer), if I'm more into strategy?

I know that I'll probably like Hotel Dusk and a Phoenix Wright, but don't they have a short shelf-life? (I know... silly question to ask about adventure games)

Dawn of Sorrow is on my list, and if I can find it, the GBA aria/harmony double-pack

And finally, what of the more "weird" games such as the stylus kirby and warioware?

Thanks for the help!

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Mario Kart is superb on its own. The addition of the missions to this edition (see what I did there?) make it excellent for single player and, while I haven't got the WiFi working in my own house yet, it's great fun round my girlfriend's... Also, you can play multiplayer off single cart but it is much better with more than one.

Other than that I'd suggest New Super Mario Brothers. Not really much of a stylus game but outstanding nonetheless

Oh, and you can't go wrong with Brain Training

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Meteos is a lot of fun. It deserves as much attention as Lumines.

Worms: Open Warfare on the other hand, just seemed... wrong.

Super Mario 64 DS is surprisingly playable if you haven't played the N64 version. I never played it on the N64 so I'm very glad I corrected that error and completed it on the DS. Definitely a game to play before you die. (But the controls were unwieldy enough that I'd recommend playing it on the N64 or Wii VC if possible).

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All that you mentioned are great. If you've played any of the Advance Wars games before, you'll know whether or not you like it. It really doesn't have much it can be compared to in contemporary gaming. I got it back when it came out mostly because the DS selection was still pretty sparse back then, but it grabbed me enough to track down copies of the rest of the series and I'm now a huge fan. For multi, it's turn based strategy. If you and your friend are both into the genre, it's a damn good game.

Kirby's Canvas Curse (or whatever it may be called in your region) got a whole lot of love from me when it came out. I still remember it very fondly. Very well designed game, and if you're looking for stuff you won't get on other systems, there it is. Check it out.

Finally, as I absolutely love the series, I gotta put in a word or two for Feel The Magic: XY/XX and it's sequel The Rub Rabbits. FTM is still one of my favorite games for the DS. It's just so messed up and charming that I fell in love with it instantly and still play it now and then 2 and a bit years after completing it in an afternoon. It got mixed reviews and not everyone loves it but it gets a full and enthusiastic recommendation from me.

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I know that I'll probably like Hotel Dusk and a Phoenix Wright, but don't they have a short shelf-life? (I know... silly question to ask about adventure games)

Yes, but like all good books, you'll probably find yourself picking 'em up again. They're both fairly well written. Phoenix Wright is certainly more logical than any CSI episode, which is reassuring, as its gameplay hinges on it.

If you only play one Wario Ware game ever, please, make it Wario Ware Twisted. Loads better than Touched. And Smooth Moves, too.

I don't know, but I've heard positive things for Viewtiful Joe DS. I've found a copy for AU$30, which is pretty cheap for here, so I'm not complaining. Mario Hoops 3 on 3 is a a quality title - I don't like Square, but this is a really nice and fun 'kind of' sports game to play.

If you enjoy music games, grab either Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents. The same game, but different scenarios - Ouendan has a much more zany Japanese flavour, but EBA is fun too in its own neat way. If you are after nice multiplayer and don't mind a bit of moonspeak, Jump Superstars (or Ultimate Stars) might be worth a go too. Loads of anime characters I don't care about, but it basically boils down to being a 2D Smash Bros., which is cool.

That's about all I can think of.

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