The original Dragon Warrior – the old US name for Dragon Quest – was the first RPG I ever played and finished, at the tender age of four. While it may not be the main compelling reason that I got into the genre (That would be Final Fantasy 2 on the SNES), it’s anyone’s guess as to why I’ve never been interested in looking at the rest of the series. Sure, I played about halfway through Dragon Warrior 7 (which is actually a good 60 hours of gameplay, mind you), and I played a demo of Dragon Quest 8. But, what about 2-6?

I’d always heard that Dragon Warrior 4 was the best of the series, so when it got re-released here as Dragon Quest 4: Chapters of the Chosen, I decided to take the plunge and try it out finally. I have to say, it’s a very antiquated game; but, I still enjoyed it pretty thoroughly.
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There is a common saying throughout my family, and likely yours, that goes something like this: Laughter is good for the soul. In a world filled with stress, worries, and insecurities I think that we can finally say that a video game is good for the soul. You will laugh while playing LOL, even if it is at the game, and not the content inside of it.

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Atlus games has decided you don’t have nearly enough options at your disposal as a gamer.  They have decided to compile 101 Nintendo DS games and cram them into a single cartridge for the ease of transport.  With everything from air hockey to platforming to sudoko puzzles, the 101 in 1 Explosive Megamix looks to be giving the WarioWare franchise a run for its money.  Throw in local multiplayer and you’ve already blown the mustachioed microgame master out of the water.  Click continue for the screens. Read more… »

Focus Home Interactive and Pendulo Studio have revealed the first official screenshots to the third Runaway game.  This series follows the adventure of Brina and Gina and Twist of Fate is going to be the last entry in the series. The Runaway series has helped bring new life to the point and click adventure genre, and this installment is promising a mature urban tone.

Hit the jump to check out the screenshots! Read more… »

DSi Ware is one of the advertised features of the 3rd generation DS – the DSi. DSi Ware are applications and games downloadable from the DSi store accessible by connecting your DSi to the internet via WLAN. Some of these applications are free and others cost DSi points, which are available for purchase from your local game store. Nintendo points can also be purchased and converted to DSi points (or Wii points).

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Apparently, our large ego’d friends from MySims have a new agenda on their plate.  Are they baking pastries to attract people to their town?  Are they racing customizable karts to maintain a city’s population?  No, this Fall, EA dresses the little tykes up for their most grown up adventure yet. Read more… »

Feel free to kick back and watch a new trailer for Atlus’ upcoming DS RPG Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier.

Atlus really is pulling out all the stops in today’s economy. With more DS titles set to release than you can count, all with extra bonus material (part of their new “spoils” campaign), there’s bound to be something you like this year in the mix.

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Nihon Falcom’s Ys was revolutionary when it first came out back in the 1980s and set the standard for modern RPGs. While the series have been well-received in Japan, it was largely ignored by western gamers. This is why not all of the Ys installments have made it outside of Japan. Hardcore fans of Ys have been patiently waiting for more Ys title, but until then, they will have to settle for remakes.

Atlus brings us a remake of the first two Ys in one single cartridge for the Nintendo DS which seems to be the ideal place for classic RPG remakes. This isn’t the first time the first two Ys have been remade, which the booklet attests to. How does this remake fare? Is this remake really the definitive version, and does Ys retain its charm after all these years? Read more… »

When it comes to shooters, it’s hard to imagine innovation.  It’s like trying to bring something new to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  From 1942 to Ikaruga to Geometry Wars, we’ve essentially done the same thing; exhausting all manners of color and direction.  The conceit of “Big Bang Mini,” for the Nintendo DS developed by the French Arkedo Studio, lies in separating the two things that shooters require of a player: shooting and dodging.

Much like siblings, one doesn’t easily imagine splitting up the brother and sister of shoot and dodge because status quo says “we are ship, ship does all.”  But imagine that you’re a flying pixel that has to dodge oncoming traffic, and you can shoot from anywhere, like casting fireworks from an infinite amount of backyards.  Low and behold the idea behind this entirely touch-based, spectacular shooter.  Read more… »

The official website for the lastest installment in the Shin Megami Tensei series, Devil Survivor, has gone live. The website features new videos, information on the plot and characters and links where you can pre-order the game.

Hit the jump to watch a video and learn more about Devil Survivor.

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One of the greatest times in my young life was in late April when my father and I would drag out the old tiller, tuning it up, and churning the ground. The little plot of ground we harvested from every year brought many hours of hard work and great father-son bonding. Perhaps those fond memories of days past encouraged me to try out a copy of Gardening Mama. Guess what? It is all about flowers. Read more… »

Seriously, what average RPG player was dying to pick up The World Ends With You? Based on its aesthetic, it appeared to be a game about things that would probably alienate its usual target audience – that is, running around in the streets of a big city while being cool and trendy.

Developed by Square-Enix and Jupiter, TWEWY is not only one of the most refreshingly original RPGs from S-E in a long time, but perhaps one of the most original RPGs in a long time, period. Thankfully, it sounds like the game has caught on really well. Read more… »