Final Fantasy: Echoes of Time - DS
The DS game is pretty standard Final Fantasy fare.
I played it first on the DS but I was mainly interested in the DS/Wii connection.
As hero/heroine, you can choose to be a master of swords; a peace loving scientist,
adept at magic; an agile warrior with special jumping and leaping skills;
or as a child-like fighter who makes up for their small size with hammers and spears.
As the 16-year old protagonist you must go though an initiation to adulthood by going
through a forest and learning how to fight. This is the tutorial. As soon as you return, a
resident of the town has been found to be affected with the crystal sickness and it is only you who is
willing to disobey the village's strictures about leaving and goes to seek a cure. And so
begins your quest - running, jumping, meleeing, casting spells and fighting bosses. You
pick up your allies in the first town you enter. Progress and leveling up is done gradually
and so it is a good game for a beginning RPG players. Spell casting, by moving a target
circle under your opponent and then selecting a spell yields more spectacular effects than
simply hacking and slashing. On the DS you can press buttons and conveniently select
the spells on the touch screen at the same time. Saving is done by touching the Save
Stone. It is also the spot where you can enter multiplayer/Wii.
See the following review for the Wii version.
Interesting that the two platforms are identical in price.
Is the Wii getting cheaper - or the DS more expensive?
Reviewed by: Editor - 06/09
Ages: Everyone +10
Fun Factor: Pretty standard Final Fantasy fare.
Female Factor: You can choose the gender of the protagonist.
Player Friendly: Early hints good - Save Stone too infrequlent.