Maybe I'm just too young - and therefore older handhelds didn't leave as big a mark on my gaming career - but I wouldn't shy away from saying that the DS was the best handheld gaming device to ever grace our beloved planet. (And I pray I'm not the only one with such an opinion.) The dual-screen design, to me, was ingenious (and would supposedly pave the way to the concept of the WiiU) which, combined with touch controls, allowed for cleaner-looking games that played in a newer, more intuitive way. Not only that, but it also received the greatest third-party support of a Nintendo system since the SNES, only rivaled by this gen's 3DS and WiiU. In fact, when I picture some DS games, Ace Attorney, Trauma Centre and Final Fantasy IV spring to my mind quicker than New Super Mario Bros. or Metroid Prime Hunters!
There was just something about the DS that gave third-party developers the incentive to experiment with games in a way they haven't done on a Nintendo console in years. Some new series were big hits, like Professor Layton, Scribblenauts, and Ace Attorney as I mentioned above. Others weren't quite as successful even among the enormous DS audience, either because they were too obscure, too niche, or both. If they did poorly, they often didn't receive sequels - truly a stab in the heart to each game's cult following. Here, I'll detail some of the best original titles from the dual-screened developer's system and why they deserve another instalment.
There was just something about the DS that gave third-party developers the incentive to experiment with games in a way they haven't done on a Nintendo console in years. Some new series were big hits, like Professor Layton, Scribblenauts, and Ace Attorney as I mentioned above. Others weren't quite as successful even among the enormous DS audience, either because they were too obscure, too niche, or both. If they did poorly, they often didn't receive sequels - truly a stab in the heart to each game's cult following. Here, I'll detail some of the best original titles from the dual-screened developer's system and why they deserve another instalment.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Ever heard of this game? No? Well, if you're not much of an avid gamer reading this article, prepare because the other two titles are also rather obscure.
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| Thanks to you, this shirt saved someone's life |
The premise on its own is already interesting and ambitious, and on the DS it is pulled off exceedingly well. Almost every single object you see in the game can be possessed and manipulated in some way, creating some truly intricate puzzles that make just moving across a location a challenge itself. Going 'four minutes before death' is the real highlight here and essentially has you create a series of Rube Goldberg machines. That is, you need to plan and execute certain actions with perfect timing if you ever hope to save a life in this game. The puzzles don't stay simple for long, either - characters and objects begin to move more frequently very early on, so timing becomes incredibly important; certain events are also scripted and the scene can even branch off and lead you into dead ends, so staying idle too long or doing things in the wrong order can mean restarting the whole sequence. And while some may find that annoying, the game is just so clever and even invites you to experiment that the trial-and-error gameplay is hardly a turn-off.
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| He does this everywhere he goes... but it never gets old |
The story makes it rather clear that Ghost Trick was meant to be a one-off game, but there's certainly room for a sequel that only shares the same concepts. There aren't any loose ends to tie up or characters left to develop like in Phoenix Wright, so the only option would be a new cast and setting. The game makes it clear that Sissel's abilities are only one type of power; imagine the dozens of new powers they could give a new character, and the new kinds of puzzles they would pose. If done correctly, the sequel could feel like an entirely new experience from its predecessor.
Ghost Trick sold over 90 000 copies during its first year, which isn't bad for a totally new game. However, it's noticeably less than the 140 000+ copies of the first instalment of Takumi's Ace Attorney series. (Which will be in its fifth instalment very soon, by the way.) I'm no sales expert, but I'd say the chances of it getting a sequel green-lit are a little lower. The good news is, Takumi himself has expressed some interest in the 3DS and that he would "love to see Ghost Trick in 3D," so the possibility is definitely up in the air. For whatever reason he isn't involved in the development of Ace Attorney 5, so that gives him more room to make another supernatural adventure.
(If you're interested in playing this game but don't have a DS system, or just can't find a copy, it's also available in purchasable chapters on the iOS App Store.)
Elite Beat Agents
If you've never played this game before (which you probably haven't), the premise might sound more than a little goofy. You control three special agents, initiated by their commander's enthusiastic "Agents are GO!" signal, to help people around the world who are in peril. Sounds like the standard set-up to a secret agent game or movie... except the men-in-suits help people by dancing and cheering to music.
This means it's a Rhythm Game, but don't be quick to write it off as another Guitar Hero-clone. The gameplay takes place exclusively on the touch screen, where you, the player, have to tap circles in time to the rhythm of various songs. The circles appear in differing patterns on the screen and appear and disappear at speeds relative to each song's difficulty. There are also 'streams' where your stylus has to follow a ball along a path, as well as 'spinners' that (you guessed it) have you spin around the screen as fast as you can. This style gives each level a unique, very involved 'beatmap' that changes based on the song and difficulty. (It was also such a good system that it was incorporated in later DS and 3DS games, like the Symphony of Sorcery world in Kingdom Hearts 3D.)
On from the basics, EBA offers a few difficulties for its single-player mode, ranging from a total breeze to so hard it makes your hands want to weep. Each level is divided into two or three sections where you receive either a check or an 'X' based on your remaining health at the end of each section, which affect the ending and grade you get for that level. On harder difficulties it's almost unforgiving, but if a musically illiterate like me could make it through the toughest mode, it can't be that bad once you get a knack for each song.
What really makes EBA stand out, though, is its over-the-top silliness. Every single level follows characters around the globe getting into some wacky hijinx, from a ninja stealing back car plans to a baseball player fighting off a golem at an amusement park. (Save for one level that will rend your heart in two - where Ghost Trick had my eyes water, EBA let a tear trickle down my cheek.) And while the song selection sounds like the most unfitting music ever on paper (playing Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi while a cab driver drives a pregnant woman to the hospital?), for some reason it just works in action. Really.
Why does this oddity need a sequel? For its genre this shouldn't even have to be explained: more songs! Anyone who's played and mastered every song in Guitar Hero or Rock Band would surely thirst for some new stages. EBA only comes packed with a dozen or so tracks; it's a given that its small but loyal fandom would want more after years of tapping to the same beats.
Unfortunately, unlike Ghost Trick, EBA stands a far less likely chance of getting its next installment. You see, EBA is essentially the Western version of the Japanese game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and was co-developed by Nintendo and Ouendan's developer after the latter game saw high import sales in the West. And while the Japanese cheer squad was popular enough to warrant another game in the East, their Western suited counterparts underperformed significantly, having only sold about 320 000 copies in its six-year run as of this article.
All that aside, there's still some hope. A site a few years ago listed Elite Beat Agents 2 in a list of upcoming games. While this could be a typo or speculation on the part of the web site's owners, it shows there's some chance that a sequel was considered at one point. Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo of America (aka "My body is ready" guy) has also expressed some interest in the game and seeing how he's the head of the division, all that's needed is a green light from the man. One other thing that made EBA's under-performance hurt more was the money spent on licensing all the music used for the game. But who said the next game needs licensed songs? If Nintendo wants, they can hire composers to develop new songs in-house or even use the tried-and-true tunes from their own games. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has already proven that a rhythm game based on video game soundtracks can work out wonderfully.
On the other side of things, fans of Ouendan and EBA fans have already teamed up to make their own, fan-made take on the game: Osu! The program is completely free and allows anyone to play songs for high scores on the leadership boards, or make their own beatmaps and share it with the community. In theory this would mean an official EBA sequel wouldn't be needed with thousands of people providing endless amounts of new content, but there are two problems that would need to be addressed first.
First, Ouendan/EBA-style gameplay isn't meant to be played with a mouse or trackpad. Osu! does provide tablet support, but for those like me without one, we're stuck with playing lower-difficulty songs. Second and most importantly, very few songs come close to the feel of the official ones in EBA. Though Osu! allows users to create a storyboard and thus imitate the story sections of the games, doing so is a very long process. (Don't Stop Me Now, Osu's most popular beatmap, reportedly took its team six months to accomplish.) The freeware program is still loads of fun especially with its multiplayer functionality, but for now it's stuck feeling like StepMania with different gameplay. But who knows; maybe Nintendo will find Osu! someday and be inspired to go along with EBA 2.
Unlike the last two, you might have heard of The World Ends With You apart from glazing over its box art on a store shelf one time. The monumental praise it received at the time made it into something of a quiet hit. (If you're a Kingdom Hearts fan, the title should definitely be familiar.) But man, did it ever deserve the praise.
The World Ends With You follows Neku Sakuraba, an angsty loner teen who loathes being around other people. Unfortunately he resides in Tokyo, one of the most crowded places on Earth. One day, he wakes up in the Shibuya district with a timer on his hand and a text that threatens his existence if he fails to meet certain conditions before the timer runs out, for a whole week. As Phones soon learns, this isn't some stupid chain letter and he (reluctantly) decides to team up with Shiki Misaki, a girl in the same situation. The two are made to fight 'Noise' monsters in the Underground, a separate plane of reality in Shibuya.
The above sounds like the start of a typical Shonen anime series, but it only gets better from there. The story starts off slow but mysterious, though you'll likely find Neku to be very grating, if you don't already end up outright hating the kid from the start. As the game progresses the plot becomes more complex and involved with more prominent characters thrown in for good measure. Neku's development from an anti-social jerk to a truly respectable hero is the main focus of the game, creating a heartfelt message about the importance of others and expanding your horizons communicated beautifully like no other.
For aesthetics, the sprites and graphics are presented in a gritty, urban, almost messy style that captures the setting perfectly. The designs of Tetsuya Nomura, who's notable for adding gratuitous amounts of belts and straps and pockets, fit in much better here than his own Kingdom Hearts series, strangely enough. And oh lord the soundtrack is just the greatest thing ever, consisting of a variety of original Synth Pop, Rap, and Rock songs that sound like they wouldn't be out of place if they started playing on a city street sometime tomorrow. Never have I heard an OST go so far that it essentially sounds more like a Top 20 radio compilation than an actual soundtrack.
TWEWY (as the game is commonly abbreviated) is no slouch in the gameplay department either - in fact, its unique playing style is exactly what made it so noteworthy. During battle, you control Neku on the bottom screen with touch controls, and his partner on the top screen using the D-Pad. (Or ABXY if you're a lefty like me.) At the same time. That certainly sounds challenging and indeed, for many people, controlling both characters simultaneously made the game almost unplayable or at least more difficult than it should be. The good news is that the game gives you ample time to learn the controls and teach you the basics that by the end of all of the gameplay lessons, the controls shouldn't be much of a hassle once you're thrown into real battles later on.
What really gives the battles depth is the deep, deep character customization system backing it up. Neku's endless array of abilities are granted to him by hundreds of different pins, that allow you to do anything from tapping an area on the screen to rapidly fire laser beams, drawing lines of fire around the screen, to throwing items and obstacles strewn around the area at enemies. There's pins to suit just about any player's playing style, and the game encourages you to keep several 'decks' of pins and experiment with them. Outside of battle are clothes, the 'gear' or armour that boosts your characters' stats. All clothes and pins belong to one of thirteen brands in Shibuya, and the ever-fluctuating popularity of each brand affects the clothes' or pins' effectiveness in battle. Then there's food - which provide permanent stat boosts but only a certain amount can be eaten until fighting battles digests it - as well as the pin experience system, which strengthen your pins with each level gained and can evolve them into newer, more powerful pins. The character customization is both original and incredibly complex; combine that with an exciting battle system, great atmosphere and storytelling and you have one of the finest experiences the Nintendo DS has to offer.
If that's the case, why haven't we seen The World Ends With You Too, yet? All the praise from cult followings aside, TWEWY was only a modest success, and that's being generous. It hasn't sold badly for a new Square Enix IP (bonus points for not having Final Fantasy slapped onto its title), but at the same time it isn't too hot either. Square's handheld team is also responsible for the handheld Kingdom Hearts games, which take even more time to develop but return more promising profits. On the other hand, Nomura has made some (un)subtle remarks hinting at something being in the works. Now that Kingdom Hearts 3D has been out of the gate for several months now (and generously introduced the TWEWY cast to the immense Kingdom Hearts fanbase to boot), there really isn't much of an excuse anymore.
Believe it or not, the biggest hint we have towards a concrete confirmation arrived not just a few weeks ago. If you've been following any gaming sites, you must have heard about the TWEWY-related teaser site Square Enix set up, and the enormous of amount of backlash they received when it was revealed to be for an iOS port. Besides questioning the port's quality (how would the game work without physical buttons anyway?), fans were understandably disheartened to hear that a sequel wasn't announced. However, only days after the iOS re-release, the suspicious-looking screen on the left popped up. Among other things, it has the phrase 'New 7 Days' printed clearly on the freaking 104 Building. If that doesn't mean a sequel is on the way, I don't what does.
Does that mean these games are guaranteed for another instalment or were their fates sealed from the start? No, that's not what this list is about. The decision is ultimately up to each game's developers, who have neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. What can be said, though, is that all three titles were admirable additions not only to the DS, but to gaming as a whole. They're refreshing new experiments in an industry that has been playing the style safe, and I'm surely not the only person who would love to see their sagas continue. If any of these games interest you, I highly recommend giving them a try. Not just to support the developer and fanbase, but because they're incredibly enjoyable and a must-have for any and all handheld gamers.
What are your favourite NDS games? Would you like to see more of them?
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| It's also known as the most Japanese game on the DS... And for good reason |
On from the basics, EBA offers a few difficulties for its single-player mode, ranging from a total breeze to so hard it makes your hands want to weep. Each level is divided into two or three sections where you receive either a check or an 'X' based on your remaining health at the end of each section, which affect the ending and grade you get for that level. On harder difficulties it's almost unforgiving, but if a musically illiterate like me could make it through the toughest mode, it can't be that bad once you get a knack for each song.
What really makes EBA stand out, though, is its over-the-top silliness. Every single level follows characters around the globe getting into some wacky hijinx, from a ninja stealing back car plans to a baseball player fighting off a golem at an amusement park. (Save for one level that will rend your heart in two - where Ghost Trick had my eyes water, EBA let a tear trickle down my cheek.) And while the song selection sounds like the most unfitting music ever on paper (playing Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi while a cab driver drives a pregnant woman to the hospital?), for some reason it just works in action. Really.
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| The one time in gaming where you cannot fail. Not if you have any humanity in your soul. |
Why does this oddity need a sequel? For its genre this shouldn't even have to be explained: more songs! Anyone who's played and mastered every song in Guitar Hero or Rock Band would surely thirst for some new stages. EBA only comes packed with a dozen or so tracks; it's a given that its small but loyal fandom would want more after years of tapping to the same beats.
Unfortunately, unlike Ghost Trick, EBA stands a far less likely chance of getting its next installment. You see, EBA is essentially the Western version of the Japanese game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and was co-developed by Nintendo and Ouendan's developer after the latter game saw high import sales in the West. And while the Japanese cheer squad was popular enough to warrant another game in the East, their Western suited counterparts underperformed significantly, having only sold about 320 000 copies in its six-year run as of this article.
All that aside, there's still some hope. A site a few years ago listed Elite Beat Agents 2 in a list of upcoming games. While this could be a typo or speculation on the part of the web site's owners, it shows there's some chance that a sequel was considered at one point. Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo of America (aka "My body is ready" guy) has also expressed some interest in the game and seeing how he's the head of the division, all that's needed is a green light from the man. One other thing that made EBA's under-performance hurt more was the money spent on licensing all the music used for the game. But who said the next game needs licensed songs? If Nintendo wants, they can hire composers to develop new songs in-house or even use the tried-and-true tunes from their own games. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has already proven that a rhythm game based on video game soundtracks can work out wonderfully.
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| (It means "hey!") |
First, Ouendan/EBA-style gameplay isn't meant to be played with a mouse or trackpad. Osu! does provide tablet support, but for those like me without one, we're stuck with playing lower-difficulty songs. Second and most importantly, very few songs come close to the feel of the official ones in EBA. Though Osu! allows users to create a storyboard and thus imitate the story sections of the games, doing so is a very long process. (Don't Stop Me Now, Osu's most popular beatmap, reportedly took its team six months to accomplish.) The freeware program is still loads of fun especially with its multiplayer functionality, but for now it's stuck feeling like StepMania with different gameplay. But who knows; maybe Nintendo will find Osu! someday and be inspired to go along with EBA 2.
The World Ends With You
The World Ends With You follows Neku Sakuraba, an angsty loner teen who loathes being around other people. Unfortunately he resides in Tokyo, one of the most crowded places on Earth. One day, he wakes up in the Shibuya district with a timer on his hand and a text that threatens his existence if he fails to meet certain conditions before the timer runs out, for a whole week. As Phones soon learns, this isn't some stupid chain letter and he (reluctantly) decides to team up with Shiki Misaki, a girl in the same situation. The two are made to fight 'Noise' monsters in the Underground, a separate plane of reality in Shibuya.
 |
| Don't worry, he isn't screaming about being misunderstood in this scene |
For aesthetics, the sprites and graphics are presented in a gritty, urban, almost messy style that captures the setting perfectly. The designs of Tetsuya Nomura, who's notable for adding gratuitous amounts of belts and straps and pockets, fit in much better here than his own Kingdom Hearts series, strangely enough. And oh lord the soundtrack is just the greatest thing ever, consisting of a variety of original Synth Pop, Rap, and Rock songs that sound like they wouldn't be out of place if they started playing on a city street sometime tomorrow. Never have I heard an OST go so far that it essentially sounds more like a Top 20 radio compilation than an actual soundtrack.
 |
| High heels give you knockback defense in this game... Wait, what!? |
What really gives the battles depth is the deep, deep character customization system backing it up. Neku's endless array of abilities are granted to him by hundreds of different pins, that allow you to do anything from tapping an area on the screen to rapidly fire laser beams, drawing lines of fire around the screen, to throwing items and obstacles strewn around the area at enemies. There's pins to suit just about any player's playing style, and the game encourages you to keep several 'decks' of pins and experiment with them. Outside of battle are clothes, the 'gear' or armour that boosts your characters' stats. All clothes and pins belong to one of thirteen brands in Shibuya, and the ever-fluctuating popularity of each brand affects the clothes' or pins' effectiveness in battle. Then there's food - which provide permanent stat boosts but only a certain amount can be eaten until fighting battles digests it - as well as the pin experience system, which strengthen your pins with each level gained and can evolve them into newer, more powerful pins. The character customization is both original and incredibly complex; combine that with an exciting battle system, great atmosphere and storytelling and you have one of the finest experiences the Nintendo DS has to offer.
If that's the case, why haven't we seen The World Ends With You Too, yet? All the praise from cult followings aside, TWEWY was only a modest success, and that's being generous. It hasn't sold badly for a new Square Enix IP (bonus points for not having Final Fantasy slapped onto its title), but at the same time it isn't too hot either. Square's handheld team is also responsible for the handheld Kingdom Hearts games, which take even more time to develop but return more promising profits. On the other hand, Nomura has made some (un)subtle remarks hinting at something being in the works. Now that Kingdom Hearts 3D has been out of the gate for several months now (and generously introduced the TWEWY cast to the immense Kingdom Hearts fanbase to boot), there really isn't much of an excuse anymore.
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| 'New' 7 Days? Why is she holding Mr. Mew? Where did she get those headphones? So many questions... |
Does that mean these games are guaranteed for another instalment or were their fates sealed from the start? No, that's not what this list is about. The decision is ultimately up to each game's developers, who have neither confirmed nor denied the possibility. What can be said, though, is that all three titles were admirable additions not only to the DS, but to gaming as a whole. They're refreshing new experiments in an industry that has been playing the style safe, and I'm surely not the only person who would love to see their sagas continue. If any of these games interest you, I highly recommend giving them a try. Not just to support the developer and fanbase, but because they're incredibly enjoyable and a must-have for any and all handheld gamers.
What are your favourite NDS games? Would you like to see more of them?
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