This game is a lot better than many give it credit for. Sadly, the mediocre presentation makes it very unsatisfying to play, so it's really for genre enthusiasts only, but mechanically it is sound as hell, which comes as little surprise, considering it was made by Julian Gollop, the creator of the original X-COM.
i played mario 3d, it was good. and 100% beated mario kart. also good. Zelda i beat that on n64. but ghost recon... i duno i guess im a sucker for turn based. BRing back advance wars!! haha
I got this game free with my 3DS and its made me want to look into other tactics game. I thought it was really good (outside of a couple of cheap skirmish missions) and its good to hear that its considered average by fans of this genre.
@petplatypus No. 3D doesn't change the gameplay. It's still the same old control system. Just with 3D now. NGP on the other hand looks quite refreshing. It has a normal ps controller plus the backscreen touch. It looks really fun. Nintendo should try to do something a liiiitle more, than adding 3D. That's just my opinion
Mark: towards the end of this review you give a list of alternates within the genre that outclass the game being reviewed. Just wanted to say that that little nugget was worth the price of admission all by itself. Reviewers with high breadth of experience really ought to do that more. By situating a game within a brief list of superior/inferior titles, you can save your audience a helluva a lot of time wrestling with a game that is completely fine but better served elsewhere. Thanks!
So...did we buy every 3DS game Mark? I think you are so awesome with your attitude towards these games. Everyone is always so critical, but you find something positive even in the most mediocre or average games. Why do people have to be so cynical about the 3DS? It only just started! What happened to patience these days? It seems like everyone just wants everything at once.
@MrRallemulle But how many great games backed up that unique gameplay? Hardly any. I got burned when I thought that motion controls would be the future for videogames. I'm keeping my distance here with 3D.
@eklipsegirl I was kind of afraid of that too, but it has a lot more 3rd party support, already more games than the entire virtual boy library (I think), and I heard that it doesn't give you headaches like the Virtual Boy, so let's all just keep our fingers crossed!
@eklipsegirl Virtual Boy failed as soon as it begun production. The naming was wrong, the hardware was wrong, the games were wrong (for the system) and the side effects were wrong. Virtual Reality was completely misleading. It was really an early 3D gimmick they were trying to pull. The 3DS doesn't lie in its name. It IS 3D, and it works!
@TherianthropeAndrewH The Xbox360 and PS3 do pretty much the same thing- a bunch of third person cover-based shooters and first person shooters with different paintjobs. And I am not making a blind comment, as I have played a few Xbox360 games, though I do not own an Xbox360 myself, and have played a lot of PS3 games. Just look- the (arguably) top exclusive games on the PS3 are Killzone (a First Person Shooter) and Uncharted (a third person cover-based shooter).
@waterhawk64 I'm not a fanboy, so i am going to support the nintendo ds as well. It has 3D, which no other handheld has got, yet. Also, it has some very unique games and play styles.
Yo bro, have you ever played a Disgaea game? A lot of people consider the Disgaea games to be the superior among strategy rpgs. Try to get yourself Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS2 if you haven't. I'd love to see your take on it.
@CastroL94 But price wise; it's way cheaper to get a 3DS then any of the items you listed. And the 3DS has a pretty great line-up of games and apps on the way. So for those of us who don't want to drop a 1000$ on a 3D Tv alone, I think the 3DS is a pretty nice substitute. Is it as great quality? No. But you get what you pay for.
Well, PSP have a lot's of rpg-strategy games like Gungnir, Disgaea, FF Tactics, also the DS have a lot of RPGs, you could buy then and play in the 3DS.
@FACEeatingPIXEL well the regular DS didn't have Wii graphics or motion control or the other features the 3DS has like a mii maker and a slide pad also the 3DS has the e-shop which once its available lets you download old game boy and game boy color games
@KaiserBecks Nope, haven't missed them. Didn't care for Jagged Alliance 2, Advance Wars was pretty good but not as good as FFT, and I'm not sure I would categorize the Might and Magic games with FF Tactics, but I can see how you're thinking there.
Thanks for the review, guys, I was going to buy this game but decided to just stick with Advance Wars titles if I ever want my strategy fix. I still have nothing to do on my 3DS. :
Whoa, they still make ghost recon games? Yeah I know it's nothing like the classics.... but I had no idea they were still putting games out under the name.
@SomeTotalRandom EShop, ability to download demos for 3DS games, 3DSware, and etc, movie playback, better speakers, 3D, more processing power, an expandable stylus, 8 GB max to each 3DS game cart (That's more than GTA4 -_-), new games, better graphics, better screen, analog stick, virtual console, friends list, soon to come message board, soon to come video recording in 3D, and I didn't even mention what EShop had -_-.
wow, this game is like metal gear acid without the card based strategy, i might just buy a 3ds for this game or if they make a sequel to mga2 for this handheld
@MrRallemulle Yes, but in the mean time, let's enjoy with what we got. I don't like these handheld wars that mean crap all. I would rather have them all to be honest.
@petplatypus it's pretty cool i think but still not worth buying if u already have a ds, though i have to agree with MrRalleMulle the NGP looks great so far
@SuperEpic64 Yeah, but I want full 3D GTA again. There's only so much you can do from a top-down view? I want San Andreas setting again. Every other city has been done many times (Liberty City is HEAVILY used).
you should try Front Mission 5 for ps2 (tho you cant pay for it, you have to get a converted free copy somewhere in english, otherwise is japanese only)
looks like this was supposed to be a ds game but was delayed so it would come out on the 3ds, wich is ok i guess, it just doesn't show the 3ds potential
I love TBS, but im not into this setting, was excited about this review for how the use the 3DS. cause the 3DS is kinda bad for this genre. either u have it in 3D but without touch cointrols, or touch controls (which r perfect for that genre) but no 3D. it seems that they didnt use touch controls in this game, which sucks. still a decent game I guess
@eklipsegirl the gameplay looks like cell-shaded GBA, but the video cutscenes look better than FFIII on DS, check out some other 3DS games, many of them have far superior graphics to the GBA, but graphics aren't important, just because something looks nice, doesn't mean its a good game
If the best portable graphics are what you want, you don't buy a Nintendo handheld. It's been this way since... well, Gameboy. 3DS is an awesome system. As was the DS, GBA, and GB, regardless of there being handhelds with more power. PSP is also an awesome platform. One doesn't have to suck for the other to be good.
@TherianthropeAndrewH I think that's for the best. Let Mario and Zelda FTW, why not? And there are lots of other good games published by Nintendo. I said - published, not developed.
This game is a lot better than many give it credit for. Sadly, the mediocre presentation makes it very unsatisfying to play, so it's really for genre enthusiasts only, but mechanically it is sound as hell, which comes as little surprise, considering it was made by Julian Gollop, the creator of the original X-COM.
I didnt expect this game to be as good. This game is to date the best game i've play on 3ds
really??what about mario kart,super mario 3d land,zelda ocarina of time,or even wwe all stars?
i played mario 3d, it was good. and 100% beated mario kart. also good. Zelda i beat that on n64. but ghost recon... i duno i guess im a sucker for turn based. BRing back advance wars!!
haha
If you liked this game, do yourself a favour and play Fire Emblem Awakening.
Levi Davis ive been waiting for a price drop tbh. paying 30£ is abit too much for a handheld game
Simen Jesken I have. I will be reviewing it soon on my channel isolated Gamerz
I LOVE this game
I just got this game free, CIB. So I look forward to playing it. Yup, STILL gaming on my NEW 3DS XL and lovin' every minute of it.
I got this game free with my 3DS and its made me want to look into other tactics game.
I thought it was really good (outside of a couple of cheap skirmish missions) and its good to hear that its considered average by fans of this genre.
@spidervovan It is a PORT of a regular DS game, it was meant for the DS ported to the 3DS.
@petplatypus No. 3D doesn't change the gameplay. It's still the same old control system. Just with 3D now. NGP on the other hand looks quite refreshing. It has a normal ps controller plus the backscreen touch. It looks really fun.
Nintendo should try to do something a liiiitle more, than adding 3D. That's just my opinion
Mark: towards the end of this review you give a list of alternates within the genre that outclass the game being reviewed. Just wanted to say that that little nugget was worth the price of admission all by itself. Reviewers with high breadth of experience really ought to do that more. By situating a game within a brief list of superior/inferior titles, you can save your audience a helluva a lot of time wrestling with a game that is completely fine but better served elsewhere. Thanks!
@MrRallemulle It was rumored 250$ for 3DS as well. And yes, it is 250 bucks if you buy it in United States.
This game got me into strategy games, it's perfect for newcomers
@spidervovan It was intended to be released on the DS, but was ported over to the 3DS.
So...did we buy every 3DS game Mark? I think you are so awesome with your attitude towards these games. Everyone is always so critical, but you find something positive even in the most mediocre or average games. Why do people have to be so cynical about the 3DS? It only just started! What happened to patience these days? It seems like everyone just wants everything at once.
normally i wouldnt watch a review of a game i dont even know.... BUT HIS VOICE is just tooo damn good ..
@MrRallemulle But how many great games backed up that unique gameplay? Hardly any. I got burned when I thought that motion controls would be the future for videogames. I'm keeping my distance here with 3D.
I can't wait for Devil Survivor: Overclocked!
Omg first view for CGR!?
awesome
It looks like fun!*Adds it to the must get 3DS list* .
"Pathway To Glory: Ikusa Islands" on N-Gage .. best mobile tac strategy I've played !!
"He is lighting Charlie on fire right now" lol
Zippity zappiti zoo and now so are you
@spidervovan
it was a DS game, but it was coming out at the same time as the 3DS, so it will never sell unless it was on a 3DS
the graphic is so GOOD our eyes can't handle it!!!
@MAT0R0 It's because it is a port of a DS game.
@eklipsegirl I was kind of afraid of that too, but it has a lot more 3rd party support, already more games than the entire virtual boy library (I think), and I heard that it doesn't give you headaches like the Virtual Boy, so let's all just keep our fingers crossed!
Will there be a SPACE GAR NINJA CYBORG ZOMBIE DRAGON HAPPY FUN TIME MISSION PRO 3000 for the 3DS? I'm waiting for that review in THREE DEEEEEEEE!
@eklipsegirl Virtual Boy failed as soon as it begun production. The naming was wrong, the hardware was wrong, the games were wrong (for the system) and the side effects were wrong. Virtual Reality was completely misleading. It was really an early 3D gimmick they were trying to pull. The 3DS doesn't lie in its name. It IS 3D, and it works!
@TherianthropeAndrewH The Xbox360 and PS3 do pretty much the same thing- a bunch of third person cover-based shooters and first person shooters with different paintjobs. And I am not making a blind comment, as I have played a few Xbox360 games, though I do not own an Xbox360 myself, and have played a lot of PS3 games. Just look- the (arguably) top exclusive games on the PS3 are Killzone (a First Person Shooter) and Uncharted (a third person cover-based shooter).
@waterhawk64 I'm not a fanboy, so i am going to support the nintendo ds as well. It has 3D, which no other handheld has got, yet. Also, it has some very unique games and play styles.
Yo bro, have you ever played a Disgaea game? A lot of people consider the Disgaea games to be the superior among strategy rpgs. Try to get yourself Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS2 if you haven't. I'd love to see your take on it.
@CastroL94 But price wise; it's way cheaper to get a 3DS then any of the items you listed. And the 3DS has a pretty great line-up of games and apps on the way. So for those of us who don't want to drop a 1000$ on a 3D Tv alone, I think the 3DS is a pretty nice substitute. Is it as great quality? No. But you get what you pay for.
Yes devil survivor reference dude awesome.
Now it's time for you to review Pilotwing's Resort, right?
Well, PSP have a lot's of rpg-strategy games like Gungnir, Disgaea, FF Tactics, also the DS have a lot of RPGs, you could buy then and play in the 3DS.
@chrisrulz333 yes it does this game just doesn't use the hardware to the limit. Check out Super Street Fighter 4 3D great graphics and game play
@FACEeatingPIXEL well the regular DS didn't have Wii graphics or motion control or the other features the 3DS has like a mii maker and a slide pad also the 3DS has the e-shop which once its available lets you download old game boy and game boy color games
@pufixas
yup most of the release titles where not that impressive. But it will probably get better soon with a new pokemon game etc.
@spidervovan Well it does have smoother graphics then the regular DS even if it does not harness the pure strength of it.
@rahnyc4 that makes sense, I just assume that the 3d would improve them since it adds depth
It's a bit sad to see that no game released after FF Tactics has beaten its gameplay yet. Still waiting for it, it's been 14 years.
@KaiserBecks Nope, haven't missed them. Didn't care for Jagged Alliance 2, Advance Wars was pretty good but not as good as FFT, and I'm not sure I would categorize the Might and Magic games with FF Tactics, but I can see how you're thinking there.
There's going to be a port of Devil Survivor for the 3DS in the summer :P
This is so unusual for the Ghost Recon series!
Thanks for the review, guys, I was going to buy this game but decided to just stick with Advance Wars titles if I ever want my strategy fix.
I still have nothing to do on my 3DS. :
I got this game cheap today. Much better than I thought. About 20% into it and it's great fun.
Whoa, they still make ghost recon games? Yeah I know it's nothing like the classics.... but I had no idea they were still putting games out under the name.
Just remember that this was originally supposed to be an original DS game before you go on about the graphics....original 3DS games look amazing.
Don't forget about Shining force 1 and 2 on the SEGA genesis.
It's also in the xbox 360 and ps3 ultimate sega collection and downloadable on the wii.
If you want a magician there, you need to try SpellCross for the PC.
@SomeTotalRandom EShop, ability to download demos for 3DS games, 3DSware, and etc, movie playback, better speakers, 3D, more processing power, an expandable stylus, 8 GB max to each 3DS game cart (That's more than GTA4 -_-), new games, better graphics, better screen, analog stick, virtual console, friends list, soon to come message board, soon to come video recording in 3D, and I didn't even mention what EShop had -_-.
@MrRallemulle so 3D game play and motion control don't count as unique for a hand held
wow, this game is like metal gear acid without the card based strategy, i might just buy a 3ds for this game or if they make a sequel to mga2 for this handheld
@MrRallemulle Yes, but in the mean time, let's enjoy with what we got. I don't like these handheld wars that mean crap all. I would rather have them all to be honest.
@subject153 Any game on the 3DS doesn't "need" to be on the console. What the hell does this question even mean or imply?
@rourin I guess you've missed Jagged Alliance 2, Advance Wars and several Heroes of Might and Magic games.
The first Gundam games, like Gundam G-Generation/ FIF are and will always be the mest games in the genre!
@xTHExFALLx No game has to be in 3d which pretty much means taht the whole points of the 3ds is null and void
@rossclark69 Ok then thanks ;) The guy from game said the 3DS and the DS were exactly the same in screen size.
raining chokobos are nothing to joke about. im serious.
if every launch title was as good as ssf 4 then people wouldn’t think this way about the 3ds
@spidervovan I don't know, they should have atleast upgraded the graphics.
Looks like one of the most content-rich games in the 3DS line-up.
@petplatypus it's pretty cool i think but still not worth buying if u already have a ds, though i have to agree with MrRalleMulle the NGP looks great so far
@Choppr777 You never played the original Ghost Recon?
@animefanclay this game is ported from the ds onto the 3ds, the reason why the graphics isnt that good.
oh great, now it's raining chocobos... ahaha
CGR = AWESOME
@SuperEpic64 Yeah, but I want full 3D GTA again. There's only so much you can do from a top-down view? I want San Andreas setting again. Every other city has been done many times (Liberty City is HEAVILY used).
you should try Front Mission 5 for ps2 (tho you cant pay for it, you have to get a converted free copy somewhere in english, otherwise is japanese only)
1:50 Isn't that "damage" sound from DooM 3?
The best games ever in this genre for me are Soul Nomad and Namco X Capcom for the PS2.
Damn I love those two games.
i love rpgs with numbers so i'm pretty much getting SMT:Overclocked instead of LoZ on release.
@MrRallemulle The 3DS isn't a DS...
3D where every cut scene will have something flying towards or away from the screen. T_T
Loved COD:World at War on my DS :)
I really like this game, its really underrated.
@jimmyelgringito fun fact, you can get this game from toys R us for $15 right now, check it out
@spidervovan
what power? 3DS is 7 year old hardware
@spidervovan So, you're complaining about the graphics?
@NintendoDSVampire Whats the point if you can play regular DS games on 3DS?To take 10 more bucks from customer?>.>
@spidervovan isnt the 3ds as powerfull or more powerfull than the psp by like 20-30%?
I want to see a turn based End war game on the 3DS.
looks like this was supposed to be a ds game but was delayed so it would come out on the 3ds, wich is ok i guess, it just doesn't show the 3ds potential
I love TBS, but im not into this setting, was excited about this review for how the use the 3DS. cause the 3DS is kinda bad for this genre. either u have it in 3D but without touch cointrols, or touch controls (which r perfect for that genre) but no 3D. it seems that they didnt use touch controls in this game, which sucks.
still a decent game I guess
Is the top screen of the 3DS bigger ? Just asking,
@eklipsegirl the gameplay looks like cell-shaded GBA, but the video cutscenes look better than FFIII on DS, check out some other 3DS games, many of them have far superior graphics to the GBA, but graphics aren't important, just because something looks nice, doesn't mean its a good game
3DS needs a Shining Force (old-school style) game ASAP
@RhansleyWii I'll throw in SRW as well.
@ultimatebman good for you. whats your point?
@petplatypus >3d gameplay
explain me what is that. So far i know about '3d view' but not that.
If the best portable graphics are what you want, you don't buy a Nintendo handheld. It's been this way since... well, Gameboy.
3DS is an awesome system. As was the DS, GBA, and GB, regardless of there being handhelds with more power. PSP is also an awesome platform.
One doesn't have to suck for the other to be good.
@TherianthropeAndrewH I think that's for the best. Let Mario and Zelda FTW, why not?
And there are lots of other good games published by Nintendo. I said - published, not developed.
Oh great, now it's raining chocobos.
Oh great, now the console wars have reached a handheld console that's new and one that won't be out of a while.
@risingfall Mark does beat his games....And his reviews have all pointed people to good games, which is what matters.
@rahnyc4 Yes I'm going to just trust. I don't like 3D. So what's in store for me?
so glad i bought this hidden gem for under $8!!!
@xTHExFALLx Yeah thats what Im planning so heres hoping they do not really mess up on game choices! XD
@petplatypus not in my opinion, it just feel like the normal ds just with 3D
@subject153 Neither does most of the games announced
I'll wait for Fire Emblem or Advance Wars on 3DS.
Fire Emblem please.