Hot Japanese Imports: Top 5 import DS games in 2009
Section: Exclusives, Originals, Features, Columns, Japanese Imports, Lists, Handhelds, DS, Genres, 2D, 3D, Adventure, Puzzle, Role-Playing, Sim
Happy New Years! This year, Hot Japanese Imports ended up landing on both Christmas and New Year’s Surprise! I bet you expected Hot Japanese Imports would take the holidays off. Nope! Let’s welcome in 2010 together.
2009 was a great year, with a lot of fantastic games released throughout the world. Hopefully, you even got some of them for Christmas or Hanukkah.
Today’s column is going for the nostalgia factor. We’re going to look back over the five biggest, most influential and exciting DS releases in Japan in 2009. Maybe you’ll see something that you’d love to import, or perhaps you’ll get a little glimpse at a game that’ll be appearing in North America or Europe in English this year.
I bet you thought the Pokemon remakes would be first! Nope, Dragon Quest IX was Japan’s major star this year. It marked the first time the series debuted on a portable console, the first time the series allowed for major customization and the first time game game offered multiplayer play.
In Dragon Quest IX, players are an angel who has fallen to earth as a human while searching for the Goddess fruit that would allow him/her to enter God’s Land.
If you’re interested in it, I recommend being patient. Square Enix is releasing it worldwide in 2010 as Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies.
The DS remakes of the Game Boy Color games Pokemon Gold and Silver have been quite popular in Japan, just like all Pokemon games are. And, chances are, they’ll be just as popular in North America when they debut in March, 2010.
The story’s the same as in all Pokemon games. You’re an ambitious young boy or girl who sets off to collect pokemon and challenge the Elite Four in your region of the world, but also end up saving pokemon from some villianous group which wants to exploit them for selfish purposes.
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver also came with PokeWalker pedometer accessories, which allowed you to transfer any pokemon from your team into them to search for items and new pokemon while walking.
Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden is a Final Fantasy game that was designed to return to the series roots, while also making a game that’s more accessible to people who don’t normally play RPGs.
The story is very simple, a young man named Brand is sent to search and rescue the first princess of Horun from a witch. Along the way he teams up with four other youths from his village, Jusqua, Yunita and Air, to save the princess and the world.
Everything can be controlled with the stylus, you equip character’s abilities, characters look different depending on what they’re wearing and jobs are determined by what kind of hat they’re wearing.
The fourth Professor Layton game, which may be more recognizable if referred to as Professor Layton and the Specter’s Flute, is a prequel. It shows how Professor Layton met Luke, who is his apprentice in previous games, and also introduces Remi, a young woman who is Layton’s apprentice during the adventure.
Professor Layton and Remi head to Mist Haley, a town haunted by a ghost, at his friend Clark’s request. Once there, Layton learns Clark’s son Luke has seen visions of horrible things happening to the village and area and also discovers Clark didn’t send him the letter asking him to come.
Professor Layton and the Specter’s Flute also includes the “London Life” Professor Layton RPG. However, you first must defeat the main storyline to unlock it.
Tomodachi Collection was an intriguing release which hopefully will make its way outside of Japan. It’s a life simulation from Nintendo that tasks the player with taking care of and watching over Miis.
You either create your own Miis in your DS, or connect your DS to your Wii to copy Miis you’ve made there to your game cartridge. You then help your Miis live productive and happy lives, talking to them, providing for their needs, helping them make friends, attending special events and entering their dreams.
One of the most intriguing parts of the game is that the Miis actually speak a sped up version of Japanese. So your Miis really are talking to you in a language you may be able to understand.
COMING NEXT WEEK: Hot Japanese Imports lists the top 10 import PSP games of 2009.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Hot Japanese Imports talked about Christmas in Japan
Read [Japanese Lifestyle] Also Read [Japan-Guide.com] Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [Strapya World]
Full Story » | Written by Jenni Lada for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article »
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