Little-Known Nintendo DS JRPGs from Famous Developers

Though I've been a fan of the JRPG genre since the SNES era, I played a lot of amazing entries on my Nintendo DS. Which may not be a system you associate with that genre, but trust me, there were tons of them. What's truly amazing, though, is how many of those incredible JRPGs on the DS were by famous developers.

Sure, the focus on stylus play may not immediately make you think of the JRPG genre, but not all of these games forced stylus mechanics down our throats. What they did do, however, was make great use of the dual screens to really show off visually, as well as featuring streamlined yet engaging adventures.

There are many famous developers featured on this list, ranging from Matrix Software to Brownie Brown, BioWare, Platinum, and even Konami. I've ranked them according to their aggregate reception, with some exceptions made from personal preference. The only thing these games have in common is that they're all some flavor of JPRG, and that they're all adventures that made the Nintendo DS shine.

10 Rondo of Swords

Chart a Course

You might know Success for the Cotton series of cute 'em ups. But you probably don't associate them with a DS JRPG called Rondo of Swords. It was a sort of tactical take on the genre that implemented a unique Route Maneuver System. It could potentially allow multiple attacks in a single turn, but it could be turned on its head by counterattacks and other hazards.

It might sound simple, but Rondo of Swords was incredibly challenging and really forced you to master the Route Maneuver System or suffer the consequences. Thankfully, it also lets you tweak your team with Skill Points, letting you pick Magic or Support techniques to even the odds. And it even featured multiple endings, which is always nice.

For those able to get past the game's difficulty, Rondo of Swords was an amazing adventure. But there are many who were stymied by the game's overall lack of balance.

9 Avalon Code

Into the Matrix

Though not every gamer is old enough to remember Alundra, I grew up loving that strange action-adventure game. Many years later, Matrix Software gave us a DS adventure called Avalon Code. It's all about manipulating the "elemental code" of the world by using a magical book of prophecy.

This entailed using the stylus on the bottom touch screen. While doing Code Scans to generate codes was definitely innovative, the story itself was somewhat lackluster. The story is about being the Chosen One and fighting against a fast-approaching apocalypse, which is fine, but it just lacked that special something gamers crave.

That said, fans of innovative mechanics and playing using a stylus on the DS definitely found Avalon Code a worthwhile adventure from an iconic developer.

8 Nostalgia

Steampunk London

Though it took them a while to get going, Red Entertainment really made a name for itself starting in the late '80s. They brought us Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, Gungrave, Trigun, and even Record of Agarest War. And they also brought us an alternate reality adventure in a Steampunk London called Nostalgia.

While not as innovative as the last game, Nostalgia was very solid and featured conventions that older JPRG fans crave. That includes turn-based battles, a clearly demarcated turn order, and even scores at the end of battle that can provide additional rewards.

Perhaps the best part of the game was the airship-to-airship battles, as well as the varied cast of playable characters, including an amnesiac young girl, an orphan, and even a witch. It's a weird mix, but this Steampunk adventure was a lot of fun on the DS.

7 Magical Starsign

One Delicious Brownie

While they're officially called 1-UP Studio now, I'll always remember them as Brownie Brown; the team behind many of the Mana games, Mother 3, and Blue Dragon Plus. And though not everyone knows it, one of their most enjoyable handheld adventures was a DS JRPG called Magical Starsign.

Even though it's a sequel to a game we didn't get stateside, I loved Magical Starsign. It can be hard to appreciate from the small DS screenshots, but it was a stunningly gorgeous JRPG, just bursting at the seams with charm. It also made exceptional use of the dual screens to showcase gigantic, monstrous bosses.

The game featured different planets to empower your team (hence "Starsign"), clever use of the stylus, and QTE mechanics reminiscent of Super Mario RPG. The only true downside to Magical Starsign, and the reason it wasn't higher on this list, is that the game is incredibly linear. Put that aside, though, and it's still one of the best games on the Nintendo DS.

6 Luminous Arc 2

Tricky Witches

One of my absolute favorite developers back in the day was Imageepoch. I was truly saddened when they filed for bankruptcy in 2015, because they created a lot of amazing adventures, including the Luminous Arc series. Though of those, the one I enjoyed a bit more was Luminous Arc 2.

This was a game about witches, tactics, and romance. I hadn't played a lot of games before the series where your relationships affect gameplay elements, sort of like a more streamlined Fire Emblem. I actually grew to love that aspect, especially because it was coupled with wonderful hand-drawn art and hilarious dialogue.

The cherry on the cake for Luminous Arc 2 was that it was from an era where almost every pre-order of an Atlus game came with a sweet bonus. In this case, that meant I got a music CD and artbook for no additional cost, an extravagance that is something of a novelty in this overpriced era.

5 Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

Racing to a New Genre

When I write the name BioWare, what titles immediately come to mind? Probably stuff like Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Mass Effect. Decidedly not Sonic the Hedgehog. But believe it or not, they did make a DS JRPG called Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood!

This adventure was in a similar vein to Super Mario RPG, where timing is king. Unlike that game, the story here left something to be desired, even though the artwork was colorful and engaging. This was actually supposed to be the first of a series, but then a controversy happened, and BioWare got gobbled up by Electronic Arts. Combined with lackluster sales, this Sonic spinoff was unfortunately only a one-off.

Depending on how hardcore you were, you might not have liked the idea of Sonic dipping his red shoes into this particular genre. But as someone who appreciates novelty, I thought it was a worthy attempt from a talented team.

4 Infinite Space

Sci-Fi Goes Platinum

PlatinumGames has developed a wide roster of unconventional and creative adventures, usually in the style of action games. That includes stuff like MadWorld, Bayonetta, NieR: Automata, and even Astral Chain. What's a bit rarer for the team, though, is tackling a DS JRPG like Infinite Space.

Put simply, Infinite Space is one of their most ambitious adventures. It's an epic sci-fi journey featuring an eclectic crew fighting against the Lugovalian Empire. Combat is initially focused on ship battles, though you'll also go boots-on-the-ground with small teams. Though the story is one where the main arc is set, your decisions will affect smaller aspects of the gameplay. There's even New Game+ for fans.

While I was really impressed by the sheer scope of Infinite Space and how it implemented touchscreen functionality, it was more than a bit opaque. This isn't a game that did a great job of explaining things to new players, which made it less satisfying for me. Definitely not what you'd expect from a company like PlatinumGames.

3 Suikoden Tierkreis

Konami's Stars of Destiny

The Suikoden series has been around for a long time, and it's one that we immediately associate with Konami. But one of the games many missed out on was Suikoden Tierkreis. It was set in a side universe where you're fighting against a mad king trying to use force to show that fate is predetermined, and willpower is an illusion.

Since the Order of the One True Way is a dangerous cult, it will take a huge team to defeat them. Meaning you'll assemble 108 different heroes. Which sounds insane, unless you've played another Suikoden game before. For those gamers, this is just part of the process.

Suikoden Tierkreis made great use of touchscreen functionality and was also a challenging turn-based adventure. It's honestly a really engaging and well-made adventure, and one that more people should experience. But the last two games managed to just edge it out for the top honors.

2 Radiant Historia

Turn Back the Clock

One of the names I associate with amazing JRPG experiences is Atlus. They've continued that grand tradition for decades now, and they didn't skimp on the DS handheld. And while you might think of stuff like Etrian Odyssey or Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, one of their best handheld adventures was Radiant Historia.

It's very hard to handle time travel well in fiction, especially in games. Here, though, they managed to effectively weave that into not just the plot, but the gameplay as well. Combat is turn-based and focused on positioning and interrupting enemy attacks. What's most engaging, though, is jumping back and forth through time to alter it for the better.

What's strangest about Radiant Historia is that I still prefer it to the 3DS remake, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology. There's just something about the game that was handled better the first time, in my estimation. But the next game is one that few have played, and which really exemplifies the DS JRPG era.

1 Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Dreams of AlphaDream

Aside from Super Mario RPG, the JRPG series I most enjoyed featuring everyone's favorite plumber was Mario & Luigi. AlphaDream brought heart, creativity, and care to this series, even providing remakes of many of the original games to the 3DS. The one exception was Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

Put simply, this was a beast of an adventure, and it featured incredible artwork that rivaled other entries in the series. It was also easily the most difficult one, since it featured not two, but four plumbers. That consisted of grown-up Mario and Luigi, as well as their baby versions. This made the input-based combat much, much more complex.

Throw in an alien invasion, time travel, and a very diminished Fawful, and you have a superb time. Yes, it's linear, but it's also a very memorable adventure that stands apart. Which only makes it that much more tragic that AlphaDream is done with making video games.