Ragnarok DS (Nintendo DS)

I have to say waiting for this game was murder, my girlfriend preordered it for me because well this may seem odd to some of you but we met in RO, we now live together and I plan on proposing to her, anyways while the story line as said in the first is base RPG fluff, the game itself retains most of the RO feel from the enemies, to the job classes, the added dark knight and shaman classes gives it a broader feel and Sierra the heroine is a shaman so you get to see early the power the class boasts, I gotta say for me I love the chalenge of collecting the cards and won't leave a zone till I've gotten the cards from all the monsters in it same for a dungeon. I love the feel of the game and I must say that despite how repetetive, the music mixes in quite well for the stuations, I especially like the powerfull beat of the boss battles. All in all if you want a base RPG you'll not be dissapointed and at the same time this would be a wonderfull addition to any Ragnarok fan's library.

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Most of the bad reviews you read are from people who have played the PC version of Ragnarok. Obviously the online version isn't the same as the hand-held version.

I have never played the online version and I really like this game. It is a good strong RPG.

Bad

* As others have said the story is a linear but many RPGs are.

* As with all RPGs it has a lot of grind.

* The Taekwon Master class is weak and confusing. It could have been an interesting standout from other RPGs.

Good

* A lot of varied classes e.g. Merchant/Blacksmith, Archer/Hunter, Taekwon kid/Taekwon Master.

* Interesting level system. You have a character level and a separate class level.

* Good use of the touchscreen controls.

* Despite what some people have said there is a fast travel system. You just have to unlock it.

Overall this is a really good game. They tried a few classes that didn't work but at least they tried. One of my common complaints with DS games is the controls but this game does it really well. As I mentioned several other reviewers have complained about the lack of a fast-travel system even though there is one.

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Okay, I just want to say that I have been waiting to play this game for months and months. I used to play the MMORPG version of this particular game; it was my drug of choice. I was addicted to the combat system in addition to the oh, so adorable graphics. And while it has been many years since I've played the MMORPG version (I quit cold turkey), I often found myself missing it but never able to play it due to its addicting qualities.

The DS version just arrived in the mail today. I played it for several hours today, and so far, here are my impressions:

The game has a storyline like your regular linear RPG. I haven't gotten too far in the story as of yet, but it seems to me that as far as linear RPGs go, this story is mostly fluff. So far, I've had to do an awful lot of running back and forth over a small area. You can't skip the cut scenes, which are lengthy and can get irritating if you're in it more for the nostalgia of the MMORPG version. If you're playing this simply for the story rather than the RO feel, you'll find that it is a fairly easy and relaxing game and a very simplistic, kind of cliche storyline.

The enemy sprites take me back; they're all the same and make the same noises. Plus an awful lot of the music is the same as in the online version, although the game seems to recycle the same tracks over and over again, making me long for the music variety of the online version (I understand that music files take up a decent amount of memory so they can't use 'em all). Also, the combat system is as fun as ever, and using a stylus to perform certain attacks adds an extra facet to an already amusing system. Because the game is 100% stylus driven, movement is similar on the DS as it was on the PC. You can use the R button to bring up a memo screen, though.

You have job classes and job levels as you do in the PC version. You start out as a novice and must work your way up to at least level 10 in order to switch to a new job. You don't have to do any sort of quests before changing your job; you just tell them you want to change it at the guild and it's done instantly. You can also switch your jobs if you like, but your base level is reduced by half when you do so. Oh, and don't expect to see any transcendent or extended job classes in this game. From what I've read from others who played the game when it first came out in Japan, you will see only the first job classes and 2-1 job classes in this game. Kinda sad. However, you WILL gain access to two brand new job classes, which are Shaman and Dark Knight.

To me it seems like it's way easier to level up in this game. I'm already at level 26 and I've only been playing for three hours. To me, this is a good thing, since I'm the type who'd waste days level grinding in order to earn one level. Also, it seems like you'll never do your adventuring solo. You'll always have party members, which makes the fighting a lot easier. Oh yeah, and the monsters drop cards fairly frequently! If you have a slotted weapon you can mount it without really having to hm and haw over the possibility of wasting it, since you can just kill a bunch of whatever monster you want and probably get the same card again. In three hours, I've earned cards from almost every enemy I've encountered.

Out in the field and inside of dungeons, you need to locate a map in order to see an overview of the area in your top screen. MANY of the maps are exactly the same as those seen in the online version, which was very refreshing to me. Unfortunately, you don't get as much freedom to explore. The game is still quite linear, so if the story doesn't allow it, you can't wander where you're not allowed to. Despite many of the map and dungeon similarities, don't expect to see a lot of the dungeons you may be familiar with in the online verson; the game has only included a small few. You also don't get to walk around in Prontera or any other city, so don't be fooled by any cut scenes. You get around the city through a menu rather than exploration. Another disappointment, since exploration was somethign I greatly enjoyed in the online version.

I'm not too impressed with zoom feature on this game. You only get to see the sprites in crisp detail if you're zoomed in all the way, but if you do that, you don't get a clear picture of your surroundings at all. Plus, one problem with this game on the DS is that the DS has such a very small screen; ifyou happen to become a magician class, it's difficult to maintain a safe distance while casting spells. Zoom all the way out and the sprites look pretty crappy. Unlike the PC version, you can't orient your surroundings at all. The perspective in the DS version is fixed.

If you're expecting to play online with tons of other players, you're going to be disappointed (I purhased this game because it WASN'T an MMORPG; the massively multi-player aspect was what had me addicted in the first place). You can, however, connect wirelessly with up to two other players in a randomly generated dungeon that has fifty levels. It seems like you can only unlock this dungeon after playing the game for a while.

Some rarer drops from monsters include headgear!! I happened upon a poring hat and some bunny ears. Like in the online version, you can wear them around and see them on your avatar. One downside to this game is that you can't customize your character's hair or sex or anything like that until you go to the multi-player dungeon. :\

So far, my feelings are mixed, but altogether they are positive. It is a fun game and far more casual than the online version in terms of difficulty, but I worry a little that it was made as a lure to get people addicted to the online version. ;) I hope they'll eventually make another RDS that feels more like the original but without the addicting online play. (But we know that won't make any money!)

I'll be making more edits to this review once I've played the game some more and noticed more things.

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