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Oh, but who says good things don’t come to those who wait? At last, the real Final Fantasy III comes to North America and - even better - it comes to the Nintendo DS. Actually, think of it as a remake that actually makes the game even better while keeping all the elements that made the game such a classic back in Japan. This third chapter follows a lad named Luneth, an adventurous orphan who finds a crystal of great power. The crystal speaks to him, offering a message that would send him and three others on a journey to find the rest of the crystals and thus save the world. Luneth is joined by his bookish best friend Arc, a soldier in King Sasune’s royal army named Ingus and the lovely Refia who is the runaway daughter of a mythril smith.



Together these four characters embark on a lengthy, perilous journey that is a familiar staple of the Final Fantasy games. There is a lot of the world to explore and, of course, towns to enter and a large number of NPCs to meet and chat with along the way. You will be hooked in by the world and all it has to offer but most importantly you’ll be invested in the characters that don’t come off as cardboard cutouts. They’re actually likeable and thus making their plight and journey one that overshadows the stories and characters in Dawn of Souls for the GBA SP. It’s also a game with a much bigger map, enough that the game includes alternate modes of transportation to get around whether you pick an air or sea ship or those loveable Chocobos.

While most of what you’ll experience is familiar territory, there’s an interesting features that sets Final Fantasy III apart from the first two games and that’s the job system. There are 23 jobs in total and, while you can always change your occupation at any time during the game, it’s chose wisely since not only do you level up your character’s stats but you will also level up a specialty connected to your job. The jobs range from thief, ranger, knight, mage (White, Black and Red) and even a ninja. Each occupation comes complete with unique skills that work in combat as well as their own outfits.



Combat in the game is handled just a little different from past Final Fantasy games with the exception that you can equip two weapons for each hand (e.g. two swords) and with more experience you gain the more your melee attacks and spells become more effective in battles. Combat is purely turn-based, of course, but be prepared to be thrown into some pretty difficult battles. I’m talking battles that will wipe out your party before you know what hit you. While leveling up on your spells and making good use of your Summon creatures like the powerful Bahamut, Shiva or Ifrit (just to name a few), the battles are still pretty unforgiving. Worst yet, the save points are pretty sparse when you die you’ll have to restart from the last save point.

While the touch screen is utilized in the game, you can also play the game by completely dismissing it and just stick to the control pad. Either way the game controls perfectly on a portable format. The game does use the DS online function as well, although it doesn’t mean you’ll be joining a friend online for a co-op mode. This game introduced Mognet, a way to exchange messages to friend. It’s actually a neat way to trading neat new items you can use in the game. You can even send messages to NPCs in the game … which is, I have to admit, an intriguing feature.

hOn the graphics front, Final Fantasy III is a visually impressive game that takes advantage of the DS’ graphics capabilities to its fullest. From the FMV cinematic that would feel right at home on a console to the colorful in-game graphics; this is a great-looking game. While the character models look like cuddly living dolls, the backgrounds are actually incredibly detailed. There are also some flashy effects that light up the screen. This game also has a beautiful score that plays throughout the game and more than decent sound effects as well.



In the end, Final Fantasy III is just one of those classic role-playing games that make for one incredible handheld experience worthy of the Nintendo DS. All the right elements are in place including a great story filled with endearing characters, decent combat and some interesting concepts. Yes, its one tough cookie that shows no mercy but if you’re a hardcore fan of the genre or have always wanted to experience this “lost” chapter of the Final Fantasy series you will certainly like this one.

Review Scoring Details

Gameplay: 8.0

It plays like a classic Final Fantasy game and it’s also quite lengthy even in a portable format. The story is endearing and exciting and you’ll love every minute of it. On the other hand, the difficulty setting is unforgiving from start to finish.

Graphics: 9.0

This is, by far, one of the most visually impressive Nintendo DS games you’ll own. The character models look mighty cute but it’s the detailed and colorful locales that steal the show. The 3D visuals look great on the two screens but it’s the FMV that makes you feel like you’re playing a Square Enix game.

Sound: 9.2

You have to hand it to Square they certainly know how to make their game feel completely cinematic. The game’s beautiful score does just that and comes out perfectly through the DS speakers. There are also some great sound effects that really stand out.

Difficulty: Hard

“Whoa,” you’ll say to yourself as your party is wiped out for the 50th time. “They certainly don’t make them this hard nowadays.” Ouch, you’ll say as you yank hair from your head after you’re stuck in one very difficult battle. And if you’re just a casual admirer of the role-playing game genre, you’ll be saying “bye-bye.” Really, this is one seriously challenging RPG so hardcore RPG fans need apply.

Concept: 8.5

It has long been the Final Fantasy game us North American gamers never got to play but thanks to the magic of the Nintendo DS we finally get our hands on it. It might be an old-school role-playing game but the neat job system and the Summons creatures add an interesting twist. You can also write messages to characters in the game as well as other gamers via a WiFi connection.

Multiplayer: 7.0

There’s an online function that makes good use of the Nintendo DS WiFi connectivity but it’s used as an interesting correspondence feature where you can exchange letters with other gamers. This is a great way of unlocking neat new items you can use in the game.

Overall: 8.0

One of the most thrilling and enjoyable chapters of this beloved RPG franchise, Final Fantasy III is a truly impressive role-playing game for your Nintendo DS and one well worth the purchase price. While it is a brutally challenging game that might turn off the more casual gamer, it stands as one of the best portable RPGs available for the DS this year.



By Eduardo Zacarias, www.gamezone.com

The Nintendo DS exclusive Digimon World DS is more of what you love, and could turn out to be the series' most significant release. Whereas before Digimon went head-to-head with the leader in monster battles, this game is without a great competitor. There are a couple of differences between the two 'mons (Poke and Digi), but it's not what Digimon World DS does differently that will lure you in.

Gotta Train 'Em All

You start off as an unnamed boy or girl. Choose your gender, think of a name, and the intro will start to unfold. The game will notify you of someone who could be in danger. You'll be given the chance to select one of three different Digimon, each of which excel in a different category. While this is going on, a talking Digimon chimes in to tell you all about the game, how it's played, how battles are fought and won, etc.

Grab your Digimon, enter the forest and walk around until a battle begins. Enemy encounters are random, and it doesn't take long for one to occur.

In battle you have the options Fight, Move (change position), Item, and Flee. Choose fight to do the obvious. Your attacks will be displayed with a number on right side. That number indicates the MP cost of each attack. Fight and win – earn EXP, food, bits (currency), and possibly items. Flee and you get nothing.



Everything I've described could be applied to a Pokemon game, minus the acquisition of food which does not work that way in those games. But these words are about Digimon World DS.

Touch, Farm, Breed

After the game was announced I wondered, "Will the touchscreen be enabled?" The answer is yes, but the results – to no fault of the developer – are not what you'd expect. This being a turn-based RPG, I assumed that touching the screen would be a faster way to execute my moves. The game is very responsive to touch actions, but I found it faster to click buttons as normal.

Digi-Farm is like a training kennel for Digimon. Drop off your monsters, provide lots of food (won in battle), and the game does the rest. Pokemon fans should remember a similar option in the Gold and Silver sequels. In those games you could breed at the farm to create a new monster. Digimon saves its breeding for later, opting for other farm activities instead.

Digimon may ask you to go on a Favor Quest. The quests are side objectives that do not have to be completed. But if they are, your Digimon's friendship level will increase, and you'll receive more TP. No, not toilet paper – tamer points. The friendship level is important to how the monsters react to their tamer. Refuse to complete a Favor Quest, or fail to keep the food supply strong, and the Digimon will lose respect for you. Their reliability in battle will decrease, increasing the likelihood that you will lose the fight.

And when you lose, they lose – their health and a chunk of their friendship rating. You're better off taking the Favor Quests. They're not that difficult (more exploratory than anything else), and will save you and your monsters from a lot of turmoil.



Breeding is not a word Digimon World DS takes lightly. Game producers have referred to it as "combining," while the manual calls it "matching." They're trying hard to stay away from anything that could be perceived as adult content. That's a little extreme – won't kids learn about the real thing in school anyway?

To breed, match, or whatever you want to call it, players will need to go online. They can do this from a Wi-Fi hotspot (like Panera or McDonald's), or from their own broadband connection using Nintendo's Wi-Fi adaptor (that plugs into your PC's USB slot and creates a wireless frequency) or a wireless router. If you have a friend code, or are willing to shuffle through the cumbersome setup and find someone online, you can start the breeding process.

Once both players have agreed to breed, a Digi-Egg will be born. Watch over it for a bit and a new Digimon will hatch. Both players get the Digimon, which may or may not be rare and exclusive to the breeding process. Digimon that are exclusive to breeding cannot be obtained in any other way.

Aside from breeding, players can go online to battle.

"Wow, that's great! That's better than Pokemon!"



Technologically, yes – that is a lot better. But just as games without split-screen multiplayer are disappointing, so are those with online battles but no offline option. Digimon World DS does not offer any wireless communication features. Consequently, you can't battle and breed with friends locally.

The gameplay is potentially enjoyable for all ages, but that's not who the box art speaks to. It speaks to kids. Young players are not likely to run off to McDonald's to play online – they'd rather play with their next-door neighbor.
Review Scoring Details for Digimon World DS

Review Scoring Details

Gameplay: 7.6
Fun and lazy turn-based battles that anyone can learn and love. This isn’t for the hardcore RPG crowd unless you’re into Pokemon. That’s the only thing you should ask yourself before buying this game. “Do I have fond memories of Ash and Pikachu?” The gameplay is nearly exact to the Nintendo classic, having a few differences but not enough to label this game unique. I’m disappointed in the lack of local multiplayer, but as far as clones and rehashes are concerned, Digimon World DS is a satisfying game.

Graphics: 6.0
Game Boy Advance-quality visuals are wonderful on that platform. On the DS they’re less than spectacular.

Sound: 8.0
Ignore the 16-bit sound quality and listen closely for one of the deepest and catchiest soundtracks in a DS game.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
No more challenging than Pokemon. Easier in some respects (there are fewer puzzles).

Concept: 6.0
Same old Pokemon story. Digimon World DS is better than the latest Pokemon game, but that doesn’t make it an original concept.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Online multiplayer is nice, but this game does not have a wireless gameplay option. That means you must go online to battle with another player, even if he or she is standing right next to you.

Overall: 7.4
The next best thing to Pokemon ... when Pokemon still rocked. DS owners are without a great Pocket Monsters adventure, giving Digimon World DS a chance to swoop in and steal its thunder. The quick, straightforward, and familiar gameplay will appeal to any Pokemon or Digimon fan.


By Louis Bedigian, www.gamezone.com