Gaming DS Games of the Month: July 2010

[Guild McCommunist]

Considering how scarce good DS titles are nowadays, this isn't too bad.

You can read the Wii version of this thread right here

Some rules and stuff.

Spoiler

- No flaming. If I list a game you don't like, too bad. If I don't, too bad.
- This is mainly North American releases, sorry. I'll, on occasion, do a European or Japanese release if it's big enough and not already out in America.
- If a game is already released in English and is being released again for another region, I won't bother adding it. Like say if Super Mario Galaxy 2 was out in America in April (it won't) and it came out in May in Europe, I won't list it for May. I'll also do the same if a game was released in English (aka Europe or America) and is being released in Japan.
- I get my dates from GameFaqs, Wikipedia, and IGN, so if a date is wrong don't blame me. You can, of course, point it out and ask me to fix it if you have the right date.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Developed by: Level-5
Published by: Nintendo/Square Enix
Release date: July 11th (America), July 23rd (Europe)
Genre: RPG
My Hype Level: I really don't know
GBAtemp Hype Level: DRAGON QUEST ORGASM

Really, I don't know. People are like "GUILD DRAGON QUEST ARE SOME OF THE BEST RPG GAMES EVER MADE!" I try them and they're so goddamn boring. Maybe it's just something past my age. But the new game here doesn't look too bad. Revamped battle system, presentation, and everything. Even better, it's a new title, and not a remake. I'll give it a try for sure.

Fire Emblem: Shin Monshou no Nazo Hikari to Kage no Eiyuu

Developed by: Probably Intelligent Systems
Published by: Nintendo
Release date: July 15th (Japan)
Genre: SRPG
My Hype Level: It's not in English
GBAtemp Hype Level: OMG FIRE EMBLEM

So it's another Fire Emblem game. Really now, I'm not all that interested. Outside of the language barrier, I'm terribly sick of SRPG games. There's just too many on the DS.

TrackMania Turbo

Developed by: Firebrand Games/Nadeo
Published by: DreamCatcher Interactive
Release date: July 22nd (America)
Genre: Racing
My Hype Level: Never liked TrackMania
GBAtemp Hype Level: Huh?

No boxart, sorry.

I've never been a real fan of TrackMania, I've always been a fan of those over-the-top, balls to the wall crash course racers or those cutesy kart racers, not something that's about obsessive time trial crunching. But it's become a rather popular game so who knows.

Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar

Developed by: Marvelous Entertainment
Published by: Natsume
Release date: July 27th (America)
Genre: Simulation
My Hype Level: Another Harvest Moon, I never would've guessed...
GBAtemp Hype Level: It's Harvest Moon so of course I'll try it!

Seriously, stop with the Harvest Moon. They just keep crapping out on Harvest Moon game after another. It's getting produced at the speed of shovelware. And it's just the same farming game we've all known, outside of some of the puzzle games and Rune Factory.

Other titles

- Digimon: Last Evolution: 7/1 (Japan)
- Inazuma Eleven 3: Sekai e no Chousen!! Bomber/Spark: 7/1 (Japan)
- Dragon Ball Origins 2: 7/2 (Europe)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Battle Road Victory - Senyou Color Code Scanner: 7/15 (Japan)
- Seikaiju no Meikyuu (Atlus Best Collection): 7/15 (Japan)
- Puzzle Quest 2: 7/15 (Europe)
- Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble XX - Kessen! Real 6 Chouka: 7/22 (Japan)
- TV Anime: Fairy Tail Gekitou! Madoushi Kessen: 7/22 (Japan)
- Spectral Force Genesis: 7/30 (Europe)

Overall Summary

Meh, it's an alright month for a system that's been having a drought of good titles. Dragon Quest IX headlines, with a new Fire Emblem and TrackMania right behind. There's also a new Harvest Moon, but I'm starting to think "new" isn't the correct term for the series now.

I'll be honest and say next month has nothing at all. No big titles. A bunch of shitty ones at most. Sorry for the downer.

Have a nice July!

 

[nugundam0079]

Thanks Guild, Ive tried hard to get into Dragon Quest and everytime ive just been bored by them..But for some reason I want to try again for IX.

 

[Anne Noise]

Puzzle Quest 2 and DQXI are all I need this month.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Puzzle Quest 2 and DQXI are all I need this month.

Puzzle Quest 2 was actually dumped for the US a few days ago. Take a look yourself. That is, unless you're multilingual and want to see if the European version has multiple languages (since Europe usually gets more titles with multiple languages than the US).

 

[Raika]

This is a boring year for the DS compared to other years.

 

[personager]

All I'm waiting for is Last Window: Midnight Promise. Is there a confirmed release date for that in North America or Europe?

 

[evening]

I'm definitely looking forward to DQIX. For some reason I thought it was coming out in September, but it's only a couple of weeks away. There go my plans for the rest of the summer!

 

[Langin]

FIRE EMBLEM OMG! HELL YEAH CURSE YOU! Wow thats fats I believe!?

Some weeks ago they showed us a trailer thats it!?


edit:



Meh...

 

[pitman]

When DQ IX is come out I'll probably start playing it and get bored pretty fast, although I finished IV, V (even with cheats) and VIII (up until I got the flying bird) I just didn't want to play them anymore.

Too busy trying to beat MMZ Collection which is kicking my ass and loving every moment of it.

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

DQIX was boring as hell IMHO. I couldn't stand playing it for more than 5 hours...

Another Fire Emblem game.

Another Harvest Moon game.

Hopefully Trackmania will have some of the bugs and annoyances of the previous game fixed (ie: you were driving on the road, all of a sudden you fall off and you can't get back on -_-)

Another Digimon game.

Another Inazuma Eleven game.

Dragon Ball Origins 2 was pretty fun but except for a couple of gameplay fixes it wasn't any different from the previous game.

DQMJ2 was pretty cool.

Atlus Best Collection could be sweet.

Another Puzzle Quest game.

Another Hitman Reborn game.

Another random anime game.

Spectral Force Genesis was boring and excruciatingly difficult. Don't play it. Ever.

 

[Hadrian]

Well thats my DS staying switched off.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Holy crap, another Fire emblem game, this is gonna be so aw-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

 

[wanderone]

This is one of the reasons why DS game sales are tanking now, everyone's getting bored of the same thing again and again.

The 3DS is really gonna need to make the games that the DS couldn't do easily. I'm talking full 3D (As in FPS shooters, not 3D 'effect') game enviroments and Wii-like games. I don't think the flashy tactical RPGs and touch-screen dramas are gonna do it anymore for alot of people.

Personally, I wouldn't mind it if they went crazy and just started porting Wii-titles left and right and completely cast off any game-style remnants of the GBA/DS-era.

I wonder if all the current DS shovelware providers will opt for releasing only 3DS/DSi-Ware titles instead of trying to actually use the 3DS hardware to make more advance games?

 

[Hadrian]

Just noticed another game called Despicable Me.

Looks shitty and is a movie tie in but its by Wayforward and they can make some great games so maybe its something I may play as it sounds different and they occasionally have some great gameplay ideas and being a puzzler it looks like they're not going with the usualy platformer route.

 

[Raestloz]

There is also another Taiko no Tatsujin up next month. Specifically, 1st of July. Gameplay might be repetitive, but new musics and scores is really great!

And they say there's a real RPG element now. I'd say the RPG aspect is not worth the hype (imagine hitting an enemy by playing Taiko?) but at least a new thing

 

[Anne Noise]

Puzzle Quest 2 and DQXI are all I need this month.

Puzzle Quest 2 was actually dumped for the US a few days ago. Take a look yourself. That is, unless you're multilingual and want to see if the European version has multiple languages (since Europe usually gets more titles with multiple languages than the US).

Yeah, I'm a couple days in, haha. I'm going to run out of games for the DS this month. (Again.)

 

[Isabelyes]

Can't wait for Trackmania. Absolutely loved the first one.

Also, what the hell is Sekaiju no Meikyuu doing there?
More info would be greatly appreciated. Is it a reprint, or has it got some added extras?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Also, what the hell is Sekaiju no Meikyuu doing there?
More info would be greatly appreciated. Is it a reprint, or has it got some added extras?

Oh, it's actually a reprint of Etrian Odyssey, just now part of a "collection" (like Platinum Hits or Greatest Hits or budget collections).

 

[Uncle FEFL]

There's been way more videos on Fire Emblem. Check the main site.

Also, Fire Emblem is the only interesting thing on that list. Besides Dragon Quest, I mean.

 

[ShinRyouma]

It seems I have no interest in July's games but I might grab one or two (Fairy Tail). I'll be playing this month's games