I'm playing through Nostalgia no Kaze, one of RED Company's late-era DS RPGs. At first I expected to not get very far into it after dropping it for something else, but I'm surprised how much it ended up clicking with me. There's nothing super groundbreaking here, it's traditional turn-based combat with a battle queue system. But this game ended up being comfort food for my Dragon Quest-loving brain and I haven't been able to put it down.
The game's airship exploration across the world map really evokes the sense of adventure and wonder that a system like this should, and it's so fun to sail around for optional areas and hidden treasures before having to hightail it out as you wander into a random encounter of a secret late-game area. If you've been jonesing for a Skies of Arcadia sequel, I highly recommend this game to see if it scratches that itch!
Once I got the hang of the combat system, managing agility and learning how to push enemies back in the queue to get a bunch of attacks in before they can even move, it's addictive to pull off a tough fight efficiently and get an S-rank in each battle. It's simple enough to not overload my brain while being just deep enough to give you the options you need for battles to stay interesting.
This game is going to be nothing special for most people, but if you're like me and enjoy a good classic comfort food RPG with a unique setting, I recommend giving it a shot!
I just finished this game, and I really loved it! It gave me the same warm fuzzy feeling as playing other comfort food JRPGs like Golden Sun, and I totally recommend it to anyone who is always chasing that same high :P
This game has surprisingly little info about it online for a game of its scope. It's a real shame - I'd love to see this rediscovered as a hidden gem of the DS because it absolutely deserves the love!
