etrian-odyssey
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Etrian Odyssey II director speaks about the unexpected hit series
Kazuya Niinou, director of the original Etrian Odyssey (as well as Trauma Center) left Atlus last year before any work began on the sequel. The design responsibilities were given to Shigeo Komori, who wrote the scenario for the first game, and who seems to understand what made it so great. 1up's Jeremy Parish interviewed Etrian Odyssey II's director about the classic style of the Etrian series and its surprising popularity.The decision to almost blank out the party's storyline (as in, they don't really speak or have backgrounds, nor do they appear) is unusual for a Japanese RPG, but not for a classic dungeon crawler. "But I thought, on the other ... There must still be those players who like classic RPGs where you create your own characters and go on an adventure," Komori said. "As a developer, I like those types of games." Despite this, the characters have become popular among fans, which Komori attributes to the art by Yuji Himukai.Due to the mapping feature, Komori feels that the Etrian series is at home on the DS. "The foundation of this game is drawing a map on the Nintendo DS' touch screen, so if we were going to bring it to a home console, we'd have to come up with a new 'hook.'"%Gallery-15249%
Meet the heroes of Lagaard
Atlus revealed some of the characters and classes in the upcoming Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, and while Etrian veterans will recognize the Alchemist and Landsknecht classes, there's also a new Gunner class in the game. As you might imagine, Gunners are marksmen who use guns and ammunition to deal out single-target damage. On the other hand, the Alchemists are magic users and Landsknechts specialize in swords and axes.Based on those descriptions, you should be able to tell which class each character belongs to by their pictures. If you'd like to give them a look, then, be sure to check out our updated gallery below.%Gallery-15249%
European dates for Etrian Odyssey, LOL, Pokemon Explorers
News of a European release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl has dominated coverage of Nintendo's latest European release schedule, but there are a number of tasty morsels on the list for DS owners.For a start, the continent will finally be getting Atlus roguelike Etrian Odyssey, and it's about time -- lest we forget, the title made its U.S. debut last May! Notably, there are also dates (of varying specificity) for Race Driver: GRID (May), the new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games (July 4th), New International Track & Field (Q2 2008), and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? (June), the European version of Cooking Navi. "ArchimDS" appears on the list as well, though we presume this refers to LOL, or Bakushow as it'll be known in Euroland.Add all of those to this morning's Final Fantasy IV announcement, and Europe has quite the line-up of games to look forward to. Check past the break for the full list!
Readers' Choice: The best of 2007
It was a good year for games with titles beginning with the letter "P" -- at least, according to you guys. When asked, you didn't hesitate to rattle off some of your favorite titles of the year, from Phantom Hourglass to Puzzle Quest, and now the time has come to crown the winner. Just to make things interesting, we're allowing you to choose more than one game -- and to vote more than once (though only once per day). So get in there and duke it out, DS fans. There's a title at stake.Tomorrow, we'll take a look at some of the year's other great games, those selections that didn't receive quite as much attention when we asked you to name your favorites, but all the same, games that are deserving of a little extra time in the spotlight. What's your pick for the best game of 2007? Bleach: Blade of Fate Contra 4 Etrian Odyssey Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Picross Pokemon Diamond/Pearl Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Site recalls worst boxart of 2007, DS titles dominate
Games Radar's choices for the worst examples of boxart in 2007 don't necessarily coincide with our own, though even we would be hard pushed to dispute the inclusion of the above travesty in this hall of shame. Of the fifteen titles listed by GR, five are to be found on the DS, with OMG 26: Our Mini Games (#2), Julie Finds a Way (#4), John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland (#6), Touch Detective 2½ (#11), and Etrian Odyssey (#14) all charting.Jump past the break for more boxart that only a mother could love. Just remember that DS boxart can also be hella awesome.
DS Fanswag: And Etrian Odyssey goes to ....
Reader Max will be collecting a spankin' new copy of Etrian Odyssey! The winning comment was #248, as shown here. Congratulations, Max! And to everyone else: we'll be doing another giveaway soon, so watch this space for your chance to win free games. We here at DS Fanboy would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered -- you made it worth flipping through pages and pages of comments to get to the lucky entry as determined by our trusty RNG.
DS Fanswag: Etrian Odyssey reminder
Don't forget -- the clock is ticking and there's less than two days remaining to throw your comment-hat in the ring for a chance at Etrian Odyssey. Since it's all about the mathematics of the thing, yapping an extra time can only increase your chances (but you have to get everyone else to stay away, so get creative). Also, many of the comments are packed with comedy, so they make for interesting morning reading.Remember -- comment there, not here, for your chance to win. Not that we don't love it when you talk to us. And if you're not the lucky winner, don't despair ... we may have a few more things around here to give away in the coming weeks.
DS Fanswag: Win a copy of Etrian Odyssey
Wouldn't it be awesome if your mailbox randomly generated spankin' new DS games? While we may not have mastered nanotech, we can offer you the next best thing, which is a chance for a free copy of Etrian Odyssey. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Convince us that you burn with the desire for Etrian Odyssey, and we just may draw your name. It helps if mathematics happen to be on your side. Entries will be accepted through June 21 -- as soon as the clock ticks over to midnight on the 22nd, your chance to enter will disappear, so get commenting! We'll notify the winner on Friday, June 22.The rules are simple, but all fine print aside, all you have to do is leave a comment on this very entry. Make sure you enter a valid e-mail address in the applicable field, because if you don't, it won't matter if we draw your name -- if we can't get in touch with you, we'll have to give your game to someone else.The official rules for the DS Fanswag giveaway
Metareview: Etrian Odyssey
Here's the thing: the games Atlus USA sees fit to bring over tend to be love-it or hate-it propositions. Don't expect anything different with Etrian Odyssey. The RPG has collected the usual run of mixed reviews so far, but if you were looking forward to it, take heart and remember that the same lead dev behind Trauma Center headed up the Etrian Odyssey team, and if we learned anything from that title, it's that the best of all possible games tend to be brutally punishing. 1UP: 80% -- "Etrian Odyssey is old-school tough, but it's new-school fair. The maps are easy to make thanks to the simple, grid-based layout, and warp items and spells are easily accessible; their use is actively encouraged. The labyrinth is divided into several "strata," and each one has its own teleportation point. So, while it may be easy to get lost in the dungeon, it's almost impossible to get trapped ... Etrian Odyssey will definitely appeal more to the OCD'd than the ADD'd, and its punishing difficulty and very deliberate pacing may turn off younger gamers who grew up on flashier roleplayers. But it offers a real sense of wonder and a sense of accomplishment -- feelings missing from far too many modern games."GamePro: 60% -- "The first-person gameplay is effective when combined with the shiny new 3D graphics engine that renders the Labyrinth in rich detail, day or night. As you work your way downwards through the twists and turns of the Labyrinth, it really feels like you're lost in a maze. The novelty wears off, though, as you'll find your eyes glued to the 2D map rather than taking in the 3D world to plan your route and avoid roving enemies that pop up. Despite the detailed setting graphics, the character models are anime-styled 2D cutouts and enemies have no attack animations and only one wobble animation and a flash of light indicating that your attack hit them."Since we only have two reviews for you so far, we thought a bonus gameplay video might help you decide. Check it out after the jump!
DS releases for the week of May 14th
This week, gamers in the U.S. have some options again, but the big news is in import titles, with the release of the Ouendan sequel. How many of you will be shelling out the extra cash required to bring this one across the ocean? Probably more than a few, considering this is one of the most hotly anticipated sequels ever.DS releases in the U.S. Code Lyoko Etrian Odyssey Touch the Dead For the rest of the globe, check after the jump.
Yggdrasil Labyrinth gets new name, US release
Looks like the U.S. is about to see yet another RPG for the DS -- Yggdrasil Labyrinth, in development by Atlus, will hit the U.S. as Etrian Odyssey. Maybe they decided labyrinthine games weren't such a good idea after all.Etrian Odyssey is a first person RPG that puts you in the role of an explorer searching for riches and glory in the just-discovered labyrinth of -- you guessed it -- Etria. The touch screen features a customizable map, allowing you to track your own progress and mark spots that you find useful in your exploration. We half-wish they'd keep the original name. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the tree that connects the nine worlds, including Midgard, the world of man. The name Midgard gets so much game love in various forms that it's about time Yggdrasil had a moment in the sun. Oh well. Etrian Odyssey is scheduled for release early next year in the U.S.More screens after the jump.
