The BIG DS Voting Thread, Coming to You Weekly: Thanks For Voting!

Pokemon Platinum - 16 points (1st places - 1)



You say: "There is no shortage of Pokemon games on DS which made choosing which could go in the list pretty difficult. I thought only one could go into the list as the core gameplay and base plotline is pretty similar from game to game.  I came to the conclusion that this game was best because it took what was, in my opinion,  a very good Gen 4 and added many good enhancements. Most Importantly they took the D/P stories and added a great amount of depth to them. It also improved the look of the battle menu which I wasn't particularly keen on in D/P. The extra online options were also a plus. Those are what set it apart from the other pokemon games on this system. But what sets it apart from the other games on this list? It's pokemon, and the best one I've played on this system. Sinnoh is the best region in my eyes as well."

"The best complete Pokemon game yet, the marginally different story and new areas helped and it fixed all the problems with Diamond and Pearl to create a good staple for the future of Pokmon games."

"Diamond and Pearl arrived too early in DS' lifecycle, and the games showed it. They were ugly and slow, and the new selection of 'Mon were underwhelming and poorly represented. Thanks then to Game Freak for making such a wonderful remixed version! A damn sight prettier with much nicer spritework, a livelier overworld, and a handful of new additions to welcome old hands back to Sinnoh. This game marked the last time I felt inclined to fill the National Pokédex, then spanning 493 'Mon."

I say: Confession time - I've not played a single Gen IV Pokemon game. I dabbled in Diamond and Pearl, but found them lackluster compared to previous Pokemon titles and elected not to rejoin the series until Gen V. Mistake? Possibly, considered the outpouring of praise most of you had for Platinum. It seems to have rectified what I found lacking during my time with Diamond and Pearl.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - 17 points



You say: "This was my first foray into the Mario RPG series, and I was impressed. The story was strong and compelling, the combat with mario and luigi as enjoyable as ever but what made this game brilliant was playing as Bowser. Something I'm sure we've all wanted to do, and I wasn't disappointed. The dialogue was also witty at times and did I mention how much fun it was being Bowser? A truly enjoyable game."

"Fun, hilarious and a good look at the non Princess-snatching side of Bowser."

"Though I found Fawful an underwhelming main antagonist, the battles, fantastical locations, unsurpassed (by DS standards) spritework, engaging gameplay and general all-round sense of fun made up for any other shortcomings. Bowser was a bit on the slow side, but the beefy battles were a ton of fun, and the giant Bowser battles were so much fun that I didn't want this one to end. Makes me wish Nintendo had one one two other RPG franchises doing the rounds as regularly as Mario & Luigi."

"The best game in the series, it gripped me in a way that Superstar Saga and Dream Team Bros didn't."

I say: Confession time #2 - I've not played Bowser's Inside Story, and for no good reason. Where with Platinum I chalked it up to being dissatisfied with Gen IV, my love of Superstar Saga and Partners in Time should have meant I'd leap to this. I'll chalk it up to a lack of funds when it came out. One that shall be played very soon, what with a bumper student loan this year.  

Pokemon Black/White - 21 points  (1st places - 2)



You say: "After the heavily disappointing Diamond/Pearl, Game Freak went back to basics with 150 completely new monsters (including a much less annoying bat), and brought in the series' first genuine character outside Blue (and arguably Silver) in N.  Great finale as well.  Now, if only they'd SCRAPPED THE BLOODY TUTORIALS. "

"White gets my top spot because they introduced all new monsters which was refreshing for an experiended player. Improved wireless features made multiplayer more fun and the story was an improvement for the series."

I say: The game that redeemed my love of Pokemon. The best story of the series, fantastic finale, good set of new 'Mons - good return to form after Diamond and Pearl.

The World Ends With You - 21 points (1st places - 4)



You say: "Great plot, great characters, great battle system... but the postgame was too protracted and too hard and I suffered fatigue.  Quite simply, there was a bit too much stuff for me.  (Oh, and I hated the final "comedy" chapter.)"

"Balla be damned."

"If only I could vote a dozen games as my #1 pick....what a wonderful world such would be...but alas, you're a meanie and I have to pick. Damn you, Jay. Damn you. (Jay:  ) Still, about the sole thing Square actually did right this outgoing gen and by the goodness fucking blazes did they do it well. An absolute gem of a game, but not only that, it just feels so...different, too. The modern Shibuya setting, the cast, the dual screened battle system, the plot, the soundtrack, that flipp'n lovely manga-like art style, the whole way you had the smaller things like how your equipment was effected by their brand's popularity in the area and the food system, it just all came together to create this brilliant unique rollercoaster ride of a game. It can't think of anything like it, and I think there may well never really be. Absolutely completely and utterly unforgettable." ***

"For me, there is no other first choice. I'm not a massive fan of non-tradition RPGs - particularly realtime combat ones - so imagine my surprise when TWEWY came along and instantly marched to the top of my favourite DS RPGs list. And it stayed there. The combat was simple, tactile, versatile and (above all) fun; the soundtrack was PERFECT for the game's setting, and the story grabbed you by the knackers and wouldn't let go 'til it was concluded. You eventually grew to like Neku, and he had a more instantly likeable supporting cast to fall back on as things progressed. Top class game that begs for a sequel, though at the same time a follow-up is a daunting prospect: how can they build on something they got so right in the first place?"

I say: YOU WERE ROBBED TWEWY, YOU WERE ROBBED  My favourite DS RPG, and one of my all-time favourites. It just captivated me like no game has - the battle system got me interested in RPGs again, the setting was fresh and the art style just clicked with the environment. It was even the little things - not having to do any random battles, the way your pins gained XP when the game was turned off... I adored it, and Squeenix broke my heart with that iOS port countdown tease. It's interesting to note that out of the 5 who voted for TWEWY, 4 gave it their top spot (one of them being me, natch). It saved it from a third place finish because those that loved this really loved it, and it shows in your passionate response. I may be biased, but the comment with three asterisks next to it is one of two GNamer Comments of the Week for demonstrating how passionate RPG fans can be.

Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver - 29 points (1st places - 3)



You say: "A truly excellent remake of some of the series' best and brightest.  From old things, like Blue being a git with a Heart of Gold (heh) and the rival just being a git; to new things, like the remade soundtrack and the Pokéthlon, not to mention the dinky little Pokéwalker; this one really felt like a labour of love rather than a cynical cash grab.  Kanto still feels a bit empty though.  Now, if only they'd SCRAPPED THE BLOODY TUTORIALS. "

"I think Johto's the best middle ground between Kanto's first draft and the subsequent over-complication of the series."

"Because I have unfinished business with Silver and its dead battery."

"A remake that brought all the memories back and incredibly well done with all the extras and updates to make a classic fit the modern era."

"All the Pokémon games ooze an epic quality that's just pure Nintendo magic. What they lack in amazing sound or brilliant graphics, they make up for in universal appeal and immense playability. I consider HeartGold to be the peak of the series and the greatest RPG to ever appear on a handheld." ***

"Now this is how you handle a remake. Streamlining the original games almost beyond recognition, it baffles me slightly that the partner Pokémon and auto-run mechanics were nowhere to be seen in later games. If the reason for this was to give HeartGold/SoulSilver their own feel, they succeeded tremendously. And the Pokéwalker was a fantastic little gizmo, even if they could've perhaps taken the idea to more places."

I say: Okay, when I said I hadn't played any of the Gen IV games, I lied a little. I hadn't played the main series games - this however I leapt upon like a starving child to a burger. My favourite Pokemon games remade - what could be better? Well, TWEWY in my eyes, but this is a deserving winner. I'm glad this won instead of the other DS Pokemons as to me, Gold and Silver were the best Pokemon games until this came along. A veritable treat and the best Pokemon around. The comment with three asterisks is the second GNamer Comment of the Week for very succinctly putting into words why this is a deserving winner. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go mourn the lack of a TWEWY sequel *sobs*

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl:

(This disgruntled forumite provided a list, but I couldn't get the bloody formatting to work, so imagine some bullet-points in front of the following, please.)

"Didn't have enough monsters, to the extent that the fire-type Elite Four member had all of two fire-types in his team.
Many of the new monsters introduced were rubbish anyway.  Palkia?  Ambipom?  Lopunny!?  Cripes.
Game Freak had seemingly fired the (brilliant) sound team from RSE.  As such, the music was easily forgettable.
Titles show a team running out of ideas.  And why on earth didn't Platinum go with Gold & Silver?
They didn't SCRAP THE BLOODY TUTORIALS.  

In short, if HGSS and BW were legendary birds, DP was a lv. 1 Sunkern."

"The Pokemon weren't very good, they ruined the brilliant secret bases from the 3rd gen and they took away the decent contests. Disappointing and naff."

Zenonia: "Seduced by the words 'like Secret Of Mana' in a review, it turns out that Zenonia is arse of the lowest order. Shocking translation and awkward attacks make for a ploppy experience."

Final Fantasy IV: "The characters needed American voice acting like they needed Kain's whiny jealous antics.  The game also got rid of the (good) extra dungeons and characters from the GBA port, and replaced it with touch-screen minigames.  Sigh."

Chrono Trigger: "Metacritic's pick of the bunch, it always felt old and clunky to me, and the new sub-quests were dire.  Plus, I loathe multiple endings."

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn: "This is up there with the very worst on the DS.  I feel that the game tried to distract me from the poorly developed characters, unbalanced Djinn system, and unfinished plot by going, 'Pretty!  Look at the pretty!  PRETTYYYYYYYYY!'  Guess what, game?  It didn't work, and you're still awful."

Solatorobo: Red the Hunter: "Metacritic has it on its RPGs list, so I'm mentioning it again because it really was that bad."

Squeenix: "For that countdown.  You know the one.   "

Children of Mana: "The best part of this was two mates and I being able to join up and my seriously over-powered buddy beating the boss my third friend was stuck on with two hits. The whole game was gash. If you ever need an example of a series with diminishing returns, use the Mana series. Sad."

Infinite Space: "The worst game I have ever played. Being made by Platinum I was really excited to try this as I'd heard great things. I then did try it and it was awful. The combat was a pitiful guessing game that is poorly explained leading to a first boss fight that is near impossible to beat. Horrible stuff."