Monday, December 28, 2009

Five DS games I hope to see stateside in 2010

It's hard to believe how many "must buy" games were released for the DS last year--its fifth on the market. Even harder to believe: The number of such titles that should be released stateside in its sixth.

Here are the ones I'm anticipating most:

1. 7th Dragon--As of now, this retro-styled RPG is a Japan-only affair. Thankfully, the word on the street is that someone will be bringing this imageepoch-developed and Sega-published (in Japan) title to the States in the new year. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, but I'll take it whenever I can get it.



2. Dragon Quest IX--Truth be told, I haven't played a Dragon Quest game since the series' very first entry. I'm intrigued by the art and the online aspects of this latest entry, though, so I expect to pick it up when it's released sometime this year. It'll be interesting to see how many other Americans pick it up along with me, as it has sold more than four million copies in Japan so far.



3. Four Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden--Ah, another retrorrific RPG. This one is a Final Fantasy spin-off that supposedly takes the series back to its roots. Square-Enix has yet to let the cat out of the bag regarding the game's release outside of Japan, but it's a good bet it'll happen at some point in 2010. I mean, when's the last time a Final Fantasy game wasn't brought to the States?



4. Friend Collection--Throw Animal Crossing and The Sims into a blender (don't forget to add a few Miis) and blitz until creamy and you'll end up with a game that's a close approximation of this one. The title has sold nearly two million copies since its Japanese release, so it's likely Nintendo will localize it in 2010--just like it localized the similarly leggy Rhythm Heaven and Style Savvy last year.



5. Okamiden--If you're anything like me--and you've played Okami--you squealed with joy when Capcom announced this chibi-fied sequel. The folks responsible for the original (especially Hideki Kamiya) aren't involved this time around, but that won't keep me from ordering a copy as soon as its available on Amazon.com.



So, those are some of the games I hope will jump the pond in the new year. Which games do you hope will do the same?

3 comments:

Flex said...

Didn't Know there was a ds okami type game coming out! Will keep my eyes peeled in the UK for that!

Bryan Ochalla said...

I think it was announced at this year's Tokyo Game Show--if not slightly earlier. Unfortunately, I don't think Capcom has announced a Japanese release date yet, so who knows if/when it'll make its way to Europe and the US?

Bryan Ochalla said...

I could have added at least one more game to this list, BTW: Ripening Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love. The first didn't make it to the States (just Europe), but considering this game apes the storyline (in a way) of The Wizard of Oz, you'd think the folks at NOA would give it a look. Hopefully NOE will release it at the very least...