Nintentunes: Labor day edition

Gameboy – Sword of Hope 2
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KyeNmXyQw&feature=related[/youtube]
Sword of Hope was known along with Final Fantasy Legend as one of the first RPGs to appear on the Game Boy. Kemco later released a sequel to the title, and although I don’t remember much of story other than the need to find some dude named Zakdos, but I do rembember the awesome soundtrack. Throughout the entire adventure the music is catchy and rhythmic, and for a 2-megabit gameboy cartridge, is very well done. 

Gameboy Color – Crystalis
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hni61FkADVk&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL619C926464099546[/youtube]
Crystalis was originally released for the NES and told the tale of a post-apocalyptic world one hundred years after a global thermonuclear war. The Gameboy title contained many changes to the story and music that the version was considered by many to be a remake rather than a straight port. Personally, I think the intro music for the Gameboy title far outshines the NES original.

Gameboy Advance – Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgNXtzf_UTE&feature=related[/youtube]
Typically, I don’t find any of the ”˜numbered’ Final Fantasy titles particularly entertaining, but I do like many of the spin-offs such as the Crystal Chronicle titles. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is another spin-off that shares several traits with the PSX Final Fantasy Tactics, but is not a direct sequel. The GBA title was very deep and contained a boat-load of fantastic music to see gamers through the 60+ hour adventure. Composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Nobuo Uematsu really outdid themselves with the tactical role-playing game, and was well worth the price of admission.

Nintendo DS – Tales of Tempest
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUFLvt2hwA&feature=related[/youtube]
There is no RPG franchise I enjoy more than the Tales franchise, and it’s such a shame that most of the series best titles have only been released in Japan. Those with the know-how could download translation patches for some of the titles, making them playable to those outside of Japan, and ensuring that fans everywhere are able to enjoy the titles they most want to play. If you have yet to play a game in the Tales franchise, there is no better time than the present to get your action RPG feet wet.

Nintendo 3DS – Samurai Warriors Chronicles
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGwXEfXwsq4&feature=related[/youtube]
Video game critics were mixed on Samurai Warriors Chronicles, perhaps because the Warriors franchise has spawned a near countless amount of titles that are mostly mediocre. Although the title follows much of the same basic gameplay mechanics of its predecessors, there are a few elements such as the ability to switch between four characters during battle that have never before been included in a prior Samurai Warriors game. As the game was a launch title it can now be found on the cheap, so if you are looking for a fun title for your 3DS, give it a shot.

Eugene lives in New Mexico and has been a life long gamer since getting his hands on an NES. Always partial to Nintendo, Eugene has made it a point to keep informed on all things Mario.