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Shop Watch June 2019 – So Long DS Edition
By Russ | July 1, 2019 at 3:38 am
June’s so late, why even write it?
To say goodbye to a system whose library consisted of some great RPGs. But first:
June saw the release of Symphony of the Night spiritual successor Bloodstained; remaster Trails of Cold Steel II, Warhammer titles Chaosbane and Vermintide II; Lapis X Labyrinth; Dragon Star Varnir on the PS4; Elder Scrolls Online expansion Elseweyr; and impetus for this article Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.
Persona Q2 is looking to be the last 3DS game release outside of some shovelware and maybe a first party title or two. The game culminates the system’s history spanning 15 years of top tier RPGs and two distinct iterations of handheld system, the DS and 3DS. And by extension, the 2DS; I guess.
The list of titles released this month offers some insight to the DS family of systems rich history with RPGs. Castlevania – specifically the Metroidvania family – with Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia.
Persona – or rather Shin Megami Tensei – saw core series iterations with Shin Megami Tensei IV and SMTIV: Apocalypse; not to mention Strange Journey, Persona Q, and the Devil Survivor series.
Square-Enix has enjoyed the DS family of systems, with releases of Dragon Quest games IV – IX; with IX being an all new main series release instead of a port from another system. Final Fantasy III and IV received complete 3D remakes; which in turn inspired 4 Heroes of Light and eventually the Bravely Default games. The World Ends With You premiered on the DS, and the Kingdom Hearts series had three releases to keep its fans going. North America never even got to see the Sa-Ga remakes.
Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey series has made its home on the DS systems. So did Radiant Historia. Several of Nintendo’s Pokemon games. The Fire Emblem series. PSOne releases such as Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth and Rhapsody found new homes early on. After Mistwalker’s 360 outings, their games found a home on the DS systems. And after all of these titles, there are still hundreds more.
And none of this takes into account the DS family of systems were made for children. A lot of kids have undoubtedly been initiated into the world of RPGs – likely by accident or through Pokemon – purely by having access to these systems.
There’s a lot of history in this system and its games, and as June comes to a close I’d like to ask everyone to take a moment and think on your favorite DS or 3DS titles. There were a lot of titles to choose from and these game encompassed every type of RPG available. Very few systems have been able to accomplish this feat.
So long, DS and 3DS. Thanks for 15 years of RPGs. I find it fitting a RPG is likely the last title for North America with the rich history of the genre the systems displayed over time.
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