Hoping to make your life's design a bit more dynamic!

It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:01 pm

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 4:50 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:11 am
Posts: 248
Hi, I have not played many for the three systems. However, based on what I have played and liked/disliked, wondering if you kind folks can recommend another portable rpg. As long as it is not pokemon or monster breeding, and does not stink a lot, I am willing to give it a try. But what is the next game you would recommend based on the few games I have played?:

GBA
1. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - It was cool, a little tedious at times.
2. Magical Vacation - Beautiful art work but got tedious
3.Lufia: Ruins of lore. Lufia 2 and 1 were much better than this and not as annoying
4. Shinning soul 2 - Fun. My hands and fingers tend to be too big for the buttons of a GBA or DS, at least for action games, feels like my hands get in the way of themselves. But with that said, no real issue playing this one. Probably my favorite GBA game by far.

DS
1. Radiant Historia - Really unique but too much back tracking IMO. great music, cool battle system.
2. Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled - So much potential but it was just so...UGH with the random battles. Too many encounters. I hated this game by the end and will never pick it up again. Just glad I beat it and sad because it had so much potential.

PSP
1. Popolocrois - super interesting with a great story. However, the game tends to require a little too much back tracking which got on my nerves. Still, overall, a very solid effort.
2. Crimson Gem Saga - Really fun game that could get brutal at times towards the end and required a lot of grinding to beat.
3. Astonishia Story - Not as bad as everyone says and, in fact, I kind of liked it. Random encounters were totally bearable here.
4. Persona 2: Innocent Sin - A little over rated and not as good as Persona for the Playstation, but, just the same, a solid game.
5. Ys 6: The Ark of Napishtia - Super fun, but again, the big hand and finger thing. Despite that, beat it and liked it.
6. Ys 6: Oath in Felghana - Lots of fun, but again..hand/finger.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 5:17 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:43 am
Posts: 742
I'm basically completely unqualified to answer this question, so... Of course I'm going to give you my two cents. ;)

I haven't really played any DS or GBA games. I was never a handheld gamer until the PSP, and I didn't actually get into it until the PSVita. I grabbed a handful of PSP games from GameStop before they stopped carrying them, so I have stuff like Crimson Gem Saga. I just haven't played it.

That said, I want to mention the one PSP game that I played and really loved; Queen's Blade Spiral Chaos. It's a tactical RPG, so don't expect classical RPG gameplay. It's based on the visual combat book game, which itself also has an anime series. Game-play-wise I hear it's a lot like the Super Robot Wars games. It also has an armor-break mechanic, which ties in to the pretty-girls-losing-clothing aspect of the original combat books. It's also in Japanese, so that's one consideration. I enjoyed it so much however, that I made a series of maybe 5-6 videos (https://youtu.be/kEV9A0Z92EQ) about how to play, what all the menus say, and even strategy for a particular battle that's challenging early on in the game.

With the tips videos, and a FAQ on GameFAQs, I think anyone willing to take a stab at the game can play it just fine. I thought it was a lot of fun for what it's worth. I can't really recommend anything else though since that's basically the only RPG-ish game I've played on any of those handhelds.


The Devil takes notes from Lina Inverse? That sounds about right.

My projects
RHDN Community DB


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:24 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:25 am
Posts: 149
Location: Ireland/Spain, sometimes Eastern Europe
Can't really help with DS/PSP, so I'll focus on GBA here...
Supposedly Tomato Adventure for GBA is very good, but unfortunately it has yet to be looked at by fan-translators. I gave it a go a while ago and it wasn't too bad, even though I didn't fully understand the plot, but it has this zany Earthboundesque atmosphere to it that I really enjoy. I'll go back to it when my Japanese is better most likely. Would be cool to see that one tackled at some point.
As for GBA in general: I really liked Superstar Saga - that one was definitely worth a playthrough. :) Golden Sun games are rather well-known too, you should probably try them and see how you like them. They're very long though, so be mindful of that. Since I mentioned Tomato Adventures, Mother 3 absolutely HAS to be mentioned here as well, it's one of the big titles for the system for sure.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 2:41 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:49 am
Posts: 1381
Location: Oklahoma City
Here is a really small list of a few I've played and enjoyed.

DS: Suikoden: Tiekreis (Some people don't like it because of the removal of some of the elements of the main series, but it was a decent game overall.) Really, don't have much else to recommend here. You could try Devil Survivor. Or maybe Sands of Destruction. But I haven't played them so I can't say the quality.
PSP: Legend of Heroes series (though, I think my favorite personally is Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch.), Lunar (though XSeed translation just is not as good as Working Designs was), Mana Khemia, Persona 3 Portable (I MUCH prefer the console version) and for an off the wall choice of a not great game that I really did enjoy Mimana Iyar Chronicle. And of course Persona 1 since you played 2 :)
GBA: Golden Sun 1 & 2. Pretty much it. I didn't own a GBA and really didn't play them much on my DS.


Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 2:58 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:58 pm
Posts: 1276
Location: Korea
Just popping in to recommend Jeanne d'Arc. It's a strategy RPG, though, so it may not be exactly what you were asking thing. However, if you liked FFT, you'll probably like this game as well.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 8:38 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:37 pm
Posts: 443
For the PSP: Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky Part 1 and Part 2.


Winston Churchill in response to forming an alliance with the Soviet Union during World War 2:
If Hitler invaded Hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 8:17 am 
Offline

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:24 am
Posts: 215
MariusB wrote:
Can't really help with DS/PSP, so I'll focus on GBA here...
Supposedly Tomato Adventure for GBA is very good, but unfortunately it has yet to be looked at by fan-translators. I gave it a go a while ago and it wasn't too bad, even though I didn't fully understand the plot, but it has this zany Earthboundesque atmosphere to it that I really enjoy. I'll go back to it when my Japanese is better most likely. Would be cool to see that one tackled at some point.
As for GBA in general: I really liked Superstar Saga - that one was definitely worth a playthrough. :) Golden Sun games are rather well-known too, you should probably try them and see how you like them. They're very long though, so be mindful of that. Since I mentioned Tomato Adventures, Mother 3 absolutely HAS to be mentioned here as well, it's one of the big titles for the system for sure.


If you want to know what's happening in Tomato Adventure, you can watch Tomato play the game and play along (he streamed the game and let his chat name things, on his youtube channel under his real name Clyde Mandelin). He basically wanted to translate the game but not having the time or energy to fully hack it, felt playing it and translating the text live was the next best thing.

What bugged me on Lufia GBA was, beside the insane slowdown on battles was that they really should've made Magic Pots more available considering you have pet monsters that are just going to burn through their MP pretty quick. And it feels like the game wants you using magic, since I remember only one character really dealing good damage with their weapons (maybe another one was okay but I recall another doing basically nothing with it).


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:22 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:33 pm
Posts: 509
GBA:
1. The Legacy of Goku II and Buu's Fury
2. Golden Sun 1 and 2
3. Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
4. Lunar Legend
5. Shining Soul 2
6. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

GBA SRPGs:
1. Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
2. Onimusha Tactics
3. Yu Yu Hakusho: Tournament Tactics

I won't list the Breath of Fire or Shining Force games as I think that the original SNES and Genesis versions were better.

DS:
DBZ: Attack of the Saiyans
Yes, I'm a total DBZ fan. :)

I actually found Lufia: The Ruins of Lore to be the best in the series, except for the occasional slow down, as with Lunar Legend (one of the few RPGs that actually has a nice ending). And it does connect to the original series, featuring the corrupt nation of Gratze and the character Dekar from Lufia 2. Believe or not, I really hated Lufia 2 despite the fact that most fans are crazy about it. Even the first game and GBC one was better in my opinion. I'll list the reasons below with a spoiler tag:

Spoiler! :
1. Maxim is a jerk, he should've been with Tia instead of that damn Selen who is sexist to men.
2. Depressing ending, enough said.
3. Puzzles were fun at first, but got annoying later.


"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind."
- Edward D. Morrison (Tales of Phantasia)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:29 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:49 am
Posts: 1381
Location: Oklahoma City
Lunar 1 and 2 should only be played on Sega CD *PERIOD* :P Lunar 2 was a great game, I hope you didn't quit without playing the after story after the final battle. If so, yeah it would be a depressing ending.


Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Post subject: Re: Best rpgs for the GBA and DS (or psp)?
PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:01 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:33 pm
Posts: 509
I never got around to playing the Sega CD version of Lunar, but maybe I'll give it a try if time permits. From first glance though, the graphics seem worse than the GBA version. Well, the videos are better in the Sega CD version, but the battle graphics are worse than in the GBA one. I'm not really sure if the story is exactly the same, but I remember someone telling me that it was somewhat darker than in the GBA version. Hopefully, this isn't true, as I've had enough of tragic endings. Seriously, it's been far overplayed at this point, especially in JRPGs where someone always dies...


"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind."
- Edward D. Morrison (Tales of Phantasia)


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group