This week’s Friday 10s comes to us from Phil, of Super Philip Central. Be sure to visit his website – he is constantly throwing up interesting articles and top 10 lists. Be sure to check his site out by clicking here.
A good number of Nintendo DS games have already seen sequels arrive on Nintendo’s newest handheld hardware. However, there are still a slew of titles that have been cast to the wayside and have been overlooked for new games on the 3DS. This list is comprised of such titles. From Super Princess Peach to Elite Beat Agents, there are some interesting things that could be done to bring some DS favourites to the 3DS.
10) Super Princess Peach – Luigi just got another chance to be the star in his own game, so why limit it to Mario’s twin brother? Why not give Mario’s main gal another shot at the spotlight with a sequel to the insanely charming (but quite easy) Super Princess Peach? Peach could reunite with Percy for even more parasol action, or how about a new friend to accompany her? What new emotions could have new powers to aid the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom on her new quest? Just the thought of seeing a 2D platformer with parallax scrolling in stereoscopic 3D makes my eyes water. No, those are manly tears.
9) The Legendary Starfy – Another platformer from the Nintendo DS was The Legendary Starfy, a game from a series that is not only handheld-centric, but it’s also one that was formerly exclusive to Japan. The little starfish that could finally swam all the way across the Pacific for us Westerners to play. Like Super Princess Peach, The Legendary Starfy was full of platforming peril to show the player’s prowess with, and like Peach’s first starring game, Starfy possessed a mix of 2D sprites and beautiful backgrounds. The 3D effect on the 3DS would look phenomenal, in my view. Not only that, but we need more Starfy, Nintendo! One game was simply not enough!
8) Custom Robo Arena – Custom Robo is another Nintendo franchise that has been on a bit of a hiatus recently. In fact, the last game that released in the series was indeed the Nintendo DS instalment, Custom Robo Arena. The premise is simple: you participate in one-on-one battles with your robotic toys in 3D battle arenas. The first person to lose all of their health is deemed the loser. With a 3DS instalment, not only could you battle your robos online with other people, but you could trade parts and robos via StreetPass locally and SpotPass online. The possibilities excite me heavily, and it would be another franchise that Nintendo could return to. They have so many of them, after all!
7) Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure – I am just going to say that the hopes of Henry Hatsworth returning are very slim, but still, I can only wonder what if. Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure was designed by the studio behind Monster Tale and Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (at least they did well with one of those…). It had a proper, tea-drinking English gentleman running, jumping, slashing, and shooting his way through the game’s many levels and bosses. The gameplay element that made it so interesting was that the bottom screen filled up with blocks, and if you let them overflow, they would affect the top screen where the platforming action was. Thus, you had to routinely play Tetris Attack with the blocks to clear rows, and earning helpful items and bonuses because of it. I say a sequel is hopeless is because EA published the game, and they don’t seem too interested in Nintendo platforms right now…
6) Soul Bubbles – Soul Bubbles is most likely a title you have never heard of. That’s okay as it released with little fanfare, but those who did play it found a relaxing and lovely experience. The game had you using the stylus to blow a bubble through numerous levels, filled with increasingly more challenging obstacles, such as spikes, fire, and strong winds. You could learn skills to break up the bubble to enter smaller, narrower passages to collect special items that unlocked new levels and gave you a high score. No doubt Soul Bubbles wouldn’t fly in a retail setting. That’s just fine, as I dream of the game getting a sequel on digital, downloadable services, like the Nintendo 3DS eShop, for instance.
5) Drawn to Life – The developers behind Drawn to Life, 5th Cell, just released Scribblenauts Unlimited (basically) worldwide. If you don’t know what Drawn to Life is, was a game where you drew what you came in contact with. A missing platform that makes it so you can’t cross a gap? Draw a cloud or leaf to serve as the platform. It was a hugely inventive game that gave the player a lot of opportunity for their own creativity. I’d love to see the series return to handheld systems, particularly the 3DS, with the option of sharing drawings, much like you share objects in Scribblenauts Unlimited. I could see myself and many other players losing countless hours coming up with some crazy creations.
4) Advance Wars: Dual Strike – Some may wonder why Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (as it’s known in North America) or Dark Conflict (as it’s known in PAL regions) is not the game listed here, but instead it’s Dual Strike. Dual Strike has a much more lighthearted feel to it, with humour, charm, and colour. I’d love to see a 3DS sequel with glorious sprites or even 3D models (as Fire Emblem: Awakening proved that also works) as players assume the roles of one of the many commanding officers the series contains. The idea of sharing custom maps and battling friends and total strangers online excites me totally. Intelligent Systems staff stated they were interested in going back to the Advance Wars series, and off the heels of Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Fire Emblem: Awakening, isn’t now the best time to do so?
3) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time – There are not too many loot RPGs on handhelds. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates and then later on Echoes of Time brought tons of loot, action-RPG mayhem, four player cooperative play, savage bosses, and simple puzzles to create one unforgettable handheld experience. The Wii’s Crystal Bearers game was a totally different beast than what most fans expected, and while it was good, it was not what a lot of us were looking for. No, we want to gather online to participate in quests, tackle bringing down behemoths and marlboros, and equip ourselves with the best armor and weapons possible. Echoes of Time gave us that, and I wish that a 3DS sequel would do it again.
2) Elite Beat Agents – Agents are go. They solve your everyday problems, and they do it while keeping in time with the music being played. Of course, you would get cover versions of the popular songs, but you take what you can get. Elite Beat Agents was based heavily off of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, except instead of a Japanese cheering squad, North Americans got a group of funky agents. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy had similar but not quite identical gameplay to Elite Beat Agents, and scratched my itch for a rhythm game on the 3DS, but I’d love Nintendo to return to their cheering squad/musically inclined agents for a 3DS-exclusive grand return.
1) The World Ends With You – Perhaps it’s no surprise that The World Ends With You is number one on this list, and perhaps you were very much expecting it. It’s no wonder as it is one of Square Enix’s most original games in a decade. The dual screened battles using unique touch gestures for different attacks, modern world story, and sensational soundtrack made for a game that many players thought about long after they turned off their DS systems. We saw the characters in last year’s Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, but what about a new game? A 3DS sequel could allow for pin trading via StreetPass and new pins distributed via SpotPass. The more powerful hardware of the 3DS would grant the developers more room for better visuals, sound, and more content. It is a lot of people’s wishes (mine included) that Square Enix delivers a fresh and fun sequel.
