r/rpg_gamers • u/TheThirstyMage • 17h ago
Discussion Best Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable RPGs?
I’ve really been enjoying digging back into the libraries of the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. I’d have to say that The World Ends With You and Trails in the Sky are the best in class for respective system.
What other games would folks consider top 5 on each system?
I’ve started SMT: Devil Survivor and nearing the end of Final Fantasy Tactics: WOTL, both fantastic in their own right, but what else should I add to my backlog?
3
2
u/N8THGR852 16h ago
Listen, it’s not a 10/10, but I love Sands of Destruction. It’s an RPG set in a world full of both humans and beast men, the latter of which hold the most status. The MC accidentally ends up becoming involved with The World Annihilation Front … who are the good guys!
3
u/CurtisManning 17h ago
Jeanne d'Arc on PSP is one of the greatest.
Also The Legends of Heroes : Trails in the Sky 1 and 2 (but they are also in PC)
2
u/TheThirstyMage 17h ago
Trails in the Sky 1 & 2 are two of my favourite games, I’ll add Jeanne D’Arc to my list.
Thanks for the rec!
2
u/NollieBackside 15h ago
I’d like to second Jeanne D’arc! Been playing it before bed for a week or so and it’s been a treat
1
u/Mattius14 14h ago
I never see Jeanne d'Arc mentioned but it is indeed glorious. What an amazing game to never get franchise, remade or ported. A Level-5 classic
1
u/thetrickyginger 17h ago
Are you limiting it to DS, or is 3DS cool too? Devil Survivor has a sequel, then there's SMT: Strange Journey/Strange Journey Redux (3DS), the Overclocked/Record Breaker versions of the Devil Survivor games on 3DS, the Etrian Odyssey games are good but not for everyone, first 3 are on DS, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Dragon Quest 4, 5, 6, and 9, and Chrono Trigger is worth it.
As far as PSP, Astonishia Story is honestly kinda meh but I personally loved it. There's also Jeanne D'Arc, and Persona 3 Portable. I don't remember many games from it.
1
u/TheThirstyMage 17h ago
I didn’t realize there was a 3DS version of Devil Survivor lol. I’ll have to check it out.
2
u/thetrickyginger 17h ago
It adds in some extra stuff, including an 8th day. Since you're adding 3DS stuff too, SMT IV and its' sequel Apocalypse are worth checking out, and Dragon Quest 7 and 8, which are arguably the best in the series (personal preference), and if you wind up enjoying the Persona series and Etrian Odyssey, Persona Q and Q2 are a blend of them.
1
u/jurassicbond 5h ago
The 3DS version of Devil Survivor adds an 8th day. For Devil Survivor 2 they added a second campaign.
Both versions have voice acting which I think the DS versions don't have.
1
u/Sarothias 17h ago
Hrmm I have a few suggestions. Some have better versions elsewhere though:
SMT: Strange Journey - Great game but does have the Redux version on 3DS with extra content, QoL and endings. This version is still perfectly fine imo.
Dragon Quest IV - VI - Parts IV and V are two of my favorites in the franchise. VI was decent but not amazing. Still worth a play though imo
Any (or all) of the 3 Castlevania games - Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia - Also part of the recent Dominus Collection on modern systems
Etrian Odyssey 3 - also included in the HD version for Steam, Switch and IDK if other systems
The Dark Spire - If you like dungeon crawlers, specifically the Wizardry series, this is worth a play. Very dark atmosphere and unique art style too
PSP:
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony - Recently part of collection that includes Lunar 2
Jeanne d'Arc - one of the top SRPGs for PSP and is just great in general imo
Persona 3 Portable - Great game but their is Reload on modern systems (I haven't played the new version so opinion regarding it)
Popolocrois - this was a fun game that i honestly remember really enjoying! That said, it's been so long I don't remember the story or anything other than the enjoyment I had and the nice spritework lol
Valkyrie Profile
edit: forgot to mention, Crimson Gem Saga for PSP i have heard many say is good but very grindy. I can't vouch for it as I just barely started it myself lol.
Double edit: Maybe also for PSP the Final Fantasy IV collection. Includes FF IV, the Afteryears sequel and an interlude story as well!
I went a little past 5 lol, my bad >_>
2
u/TheThirstyMage 17h ago
lol, no those are great recs. I’ve played a few of these but need to get around to Lunar and Etrian Odyssey games.
Nobody has mentioned Radiant Historia which is a fantastic too.
1
1
u/Forward-Seesaw-1688 17h ago
For PSP, you pretty much have access to a good chunk of Vanillaware’s hits. Princess Crown PSP I don’t think has a translation but I don’t know if it has extra content. There’s also the entire Dept Heaven series by Sting, multiple Final Fantasy games, Fate Extra and a translation of Fate Extra CCC, fan translations of the Yakuza Kurohyou games, Crimson Gem Saga (this one’s arguable to a lot of people), Jeanne D’Arc, Persona 1-3 in some way, Black Rock Shooter: The Game, Disgaea 1 and Disgaea 2, Valkyria Chronicles 2 and 3 (not 1), Phantasy Star Portable 1 and 2, and a bunch of really weird and experimental games. For some reason R-Type, the SHMUP franchise, got two SRPG spinoff games on this console.
For DS, it can be a bit more hit or miss. Radiant Historia, SMT Strange Journey, A Witch’s Tale, Etrian Odyssey I-III, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, The Dark Spire, and Dragon Quest I-VI + IX are a few of the hits. Definitely worth looking into these games. Deep Labyrinth is one of the stranger yet obscure ones I’ve played.
Almost forgot, The Legend of Heroes III-V (the games that came directly before the Trails franchise became a thing) are on this console as well. They were localized as Legend of Heroes I, II, and III. I is actually IV, II is III, and III is V. Confusing I know. I hear the translation is spotty but I wouldn’t know because I haven’t gotten to them yet nor have I played the PC 98 originals.
1
u/KnightGamer724 16h ago
Personal Rankings below.
For the Nintendo DS ONLY:
5: Super Robot Wars OG Saga Endless Frontier is what happens when you tell MonolithSoft of Xenosaga (and later Xenoblade) fame to make a traditional RPG out of the SRW OG Saga franchise. This game is wacky and chaotic in the best ways, and I love how the combos in this game works. This isn't an all time masterpiece, but it is fun.
4: TWEWY is a game you've already mentioned, but it would be dishonest if I didn't include it in my top 5. The story is slick and stylish, the combat is wild, and I still listen to this soundtrack. Great game that Square continues to fuck up getting to the people.
3: Devil Survivor from the Shin Megami Tensei series would easily be my third favorite game of all time if it was a more traditional RPG. Not to say that the tactics formula isn't bad, far from it, I just prefer the classic formulas. Still, though, the lockdown itself has only become more relevant since 2020 and I love how nearly every ending in this game is defensible. There's no Neutral or Chaos bias here, almost all but two of them have merits and demerits worth discussing. Great game.
2: Final Fantasy IV was my second entry into the hallmark series, after emulating the GBA version of VI. While this game was pretty hard for me and basically told me that I didn't like Turn-Based games (something I have since repented of, as seen earlier), the story of Cecil going from a Dark Knight to a Paladin and then saving the world, along with that ending, has always stuck with me. Fantastic remake of the original classic.
1: Kingdom Hearts - 358/2 Days is my favorite game on the DS bar none. Roxas is one of my favorite characters, and his story here of learning how to make friends and the tragedy of his existence is fantastic. Play this game as intended (in bite sizes pieces of the course of a few weeks or months) and you'll find yourself wondering who you will have ice cream with.
For the Playstation Portable:
5: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII is the prequel to the landmark title, and while some people have issues with the additions (I get it, Genesis is "Sephiroth at Home"), I ultimately think Zack's journey of wanting to be a SOLDIER 1st Class to becoming the Hero we've known him to be is amazing. And that music, man...
4: Fate/Extra is a Persona-Lite Dungeon Crawler with VN elements where you play as a Wizard who hacked the Moon's super computer to do battle with other Wizard Hackers using Ancient Heroes and Legends as Pokemon. If that premise sounds insane, it is, but it's insanely fun, even with how janky and grindy the game can be at times. It has a sequel, Fate/Extra CCC, that explores more of the concepts at play, as well as a full remake coming next year. I also recommend reading the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel (peak fiction here), but you could make due with just the anime adaptations in a pinch.
3: Persona 2 is told across 2 games, but I count them as one story, so they take one entry. While lacking the mechanics that would popularize the franchise, this story is widely considered to be one of MegaTen's best. The story of Innocent Sin is that of teenagers coming into their own, while Eternal Punishment is that of the adults trying to protect them. Overall, one of the best stories ever told. Highly recommend.
2: Final Fantasy Type-0 is best played either on the PSP as originally intended, or on the Steam Deck with the HD port. Either way, this war-torn story may not have the writing prowess of the War of the Lions, but it has the heart. Whether it's the brutal combat, the insane philosophies justifying this indefensible war, or the relaxing cooldown in between missions, I adore this game. It's a 7/10, but it's a 7/10 that freaking tries man.
1: Persona 3 Portable is how I was introduced to the amazing world of Persona and Megami Tensei, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The second I saw Soul Phase play on my laptop while coming home from school is a core memory, alongside riding the train the next day with the protagonist also taking the train to his school. This game also taught me how I can like Turn Based combat under the right conditions, and the Visual Novel presentation meant I could play and read faster than a typical game. I'm not saying this should be your first intro into Persona 3's amazing story... but I still hold claim it isn't a bad one, and it's the version I stick to for quick replays in the years since.
1
1
1
u/kupomogli 1h ago
Final Fantasy 4 is my favorite in the series and while the agility stat for enemies on the PSP version matches the GBA games, that's really my only complaint, but it finally makes the GBA titles not suck. The US version of the GBA titles is a laggy mess, all Edge's boomerangs take half damage in the back row instead of full damage, the game is constantly giving you duplicate turns, etc. The Europe version fixes some of these issues, less duplicate turns, except the input lag is fu---ing horrendous, it's worse than the US version for that reason alone. It's literally unplayable and the only version of Final Fantasy 4 I dropped halfway in.
The PSP version takes the original SNES graphics and updated graphics of the GBA and enhances them furhter. Compare the enemies in their original 2D forms and a near perfect like for like representation with far great detail. There are a very few enemies that don't have identical matching sprite positions. It's just a jaw dropping rendition of the best game in the series.
It also includes Final Fantasy 4 The After Years, which the first nine chapters chapters very mediocre fanfic, but suffer your way through them because the last chapter great and alone makes the playthrough worth it.
----
Then there's Final Fantasy 4 DS, which is the same but not at all the same game. Final Fantasy 4 DS is not 4D unfortunately, but it is an actual hard mode for Final Fantasy 4(yes, the PS1 version is harder than the US SNES version, which is not the Easy Type as people constantly state, it's atleast decently challenging.) Final Fantasy 4 DS is a true hard mode. New enemy formations, enemies hit a lot harder, enemies have some pretty high agility, some of the AI from the enemies is rough. Either you know Final Fantasy 4 in and out or you'll need to grind.
For instance, when you reach the Tower of Babil while underground and you fight two flame dogs, what are you going to do... times up, you're dead because both of them just cast flame on your entire party back to back. hold, pin, break, all good options,
The only complaint I have is everything is too far zoomed in. Plus the tiles are now expanded to be 3x3 or 4x4 as a single title. They want to make the game to scale, but when they zoom everything in you can only see what's essentially that one tile. Now I've played Final Fantasy 4 20+ times, but I atleast like to look at the graphics in a dungeon. And I know that it's possible to not do this because outside of dungeons they have it zoomed out a bit in towns, so it's just an annoyance.
Some people complain that FF4 DS doesn't have the extra content that the GBA and PSP versions have, but it's like, do you like content just for content or do you actually like the games? Because while I do agree that Final Fantasy 4 GBA content was better than the content we received for FF1 DOS, FF5, and FF6, I really feel it's mostly fluff content than anything. It's there to get more out of Final Fantasy 4 but not in any way representative on how good the main game is or even chapter 10 on FF4 The After Years.
1
u/kupomogli 1h ago edited 1h ago
Half Minute Hero is a really enjoyable puzzle game that plays like an RPG. The idea of it is you have 30 seconds to complete the area, time only stopping in towns(there's a hard mode where time runs in towns as well though,) and you can pay gold to reset the time, and in each stage you have to get money to purchase new equipment, gain levels, and complete the objective on that particular part of the world map. There's a few other modes as well, like one where you're defending a wizard or dark overlord can't remember which that needs 30 seconds to cast a spell and the countdown stops whenever you pick him up to move him, or the princess mode where the knights are getting the princess to the castle in 30 seconds in this really boring shoot em up. The hero mode is the main draw and it's really good.
I'm not sure when you unlock it, maybe after completing everything but there's also a 300 second mode where you run through a much larger sized map, collecting the other characters from the other modes to be your allies in order to finish that more epic RPG run.
Here's a video of a Hero 300 run so you have an idea of how the game plays.
3
u/Alive_Regret_5172 17h ago
Does 3ds count? You've already said devil survivor, but smt4 and 4A are amazing.