“Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor” Review: A Perfect Mix of Traditional and Strategy RPGs

How many times has Tokyo been destroyed? It seems every anime, movie or game set in Tokyo has enough imminent chaos to warrant Tokyo setting aside plans for alien, giant reptile and mech attacks. The heroes in “Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor” for Nintendo DS have seven days to escape Tokyo before it's wiped off the map.

“Devil Survivor” is part of the “Megami Tensei” or “MegaTen” series and translates to “reincarnation of the goddess.” The series’ title and first game were based on the first of Aya Nishitani’s Digital Devil Story series. Each “MegaTen” game has similar elements such as a high school-aged main character players can name and summoning demons in battle. The summons' names are mythological references from Greek, Japanese and Egyptian mythology among others. Another similarity is the critical philosophical choice at some point in the game which affects the following storyline and ending. Consequently, several endings are possible in “Devil Survivor.”


In “Devil Survivor,” the main objective is to escape Tokyo. An alleged gas leak caused the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces to block the exits in Tokyo by sealing the Yamanote train line, and all communications outside Tokyo have stopped due to a massive blackout. The guards seem suspicious to your party when you confront them, and it's as if there is something more to the lock down. Unlike other characters met in “Devil Survivor,” the guards are missing the “death clock” indicating how many days are left until they will be killed. However, characters met in the streets have less than six days on their clock, which leads your party to believe the catastrophe will occur at the end of the week.

The death clock is activated by your party’s COMP, communication player systems, which were left by the hero’s cousin, Naoya, and look remarkably like a Nintendo DS. The COMP’s main screen contains a map of Tokyo with icons next to areas that have events. Events marked with clocks take 30 minutes of time within the game, but some events will only occur at a certain hour and cannot be accessed afterward. Your hero’s email can be accessed from the COMP's menu where Naoya will send the time and place of battles along with the devil auction and fusion programs.

The characters quickly learn that Tokyo’s problem is not poison gas, but that demons are running rampant through the streets. The COMP allows players to befriend and control certain demons to fight back. While the first three demons are captured, others can be purchased from the devil auction, a list of demons the party has fought against so far. New listings are posted every 30 minutes of game time. There will often be more than one of the same demon up for auction as each one will have a rating of one to five stars based on strength, which will also affect the price. Once demons are purchased they can be assigned to a party member in the Team function or fused with another in devil fusion. Fusion can be done randomly or through a search database which lists all demons necessary for a certain fusion.

Once the perfect party is assembled, players can access one of the battles listed in Naoya’s email. There are also “free battles” on the map that do not pass time, but are great for leveling up characters. Starting the battle is like a typical strategy RPG. Area maps are gridded and each character must be placed before starting. Also, players may only move a certain number of spaces per turn. Your party’s demons travel with them and therefore aren’t placed separately on the map. Before the battle starts, players can use “Skill Crack” on an enemy to learn one of their abilities after they are defeated.

When a character or enemy attacks, the battle style changes. The screen changes into a traditional RPG setting where enemies line up across from you. Player and enemy stats are on the top screen and will indicate any magical weaknesses or strengths. The attacking team often has an advantage and get extra turns, which can be taken away by the defending side by performing critical hits or casting the spell an enemy is weak to. Instead of giving general directions like other “MegaTen” games, the player can control each specific move for the hero’s party and demons. Your party’s demons have their own turns apart from assisting your characters. Although the battle system is a hybrid of the two styles, it's very easy to learn.

For a game where majority of player’s time is spent in battle, the story is intriguing because of the air of mystery around the government’s role in the lockdown. “Devil Survivor’s” multiple endings lend to its replay value, and with so many devils to collect, it’s easy to spend time in the fusion menu. My only disappointment is the lack of touch screen capabilities – even the start-up screen will not react to the stylus. Touch capabilities might have less place in a strategy RPG, but the option should still be available. Despite this, “Devil Survivor” certainly lives up to the series’ roots in futuristic, apocalyptic style gameplay and is able to seamlessly merge two battle styles into something any Japanese RPG fan can enjoy.

“Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor”
Rating: A-
Platform: Nintendo DS
ESRB: T
Publisher: Atlas
Players: 1

“The Legendary Starfy” Review: A Simple, Yet Refreshing Platformer

Sushi, kimonos, giant battle robots... some things just scream Japan. That was the thought that came across my mind as I fired up my copy of “The Legendary Starfy” on my DS. Cutesy music immediately greeted me along with a full cast of undersea creatures sporting “chibi” faces, there was no escaping it. In fact, the little star-shaped prince from Pufftop was kept out of the United States for seven years, excluding minor appearances in games like “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” as a trophy, for that very reason – would American gamers be willing to try such a game?

I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a game whose online screenshots reminded me of my old Kirby games for Super Nintendo. The levels and enemies brought back plenty of memories of my favorite pink fluffball from Pop Star, and Starfy's end-of-the-level dance on a seashell certainly gives a nod back. However, Starfy doesn't split into three of himself, which never made sense to me. While the similarities are fairly unavoidable, Starfy can hold his own against his aquatic-themed enemies.

The story is presented in scenes like a comic book with panels of speech bubbles and sound effects written out. Starfy and his friend, Moe the clam, are literally attacked by a shadowy gang and are knocked into the sea where they meet the gang's real target – a spacesuit-wearing rabbit named Bunston. Bunston has lost his memory and has no information on his pursuers, but his memory reacts to a silver crystal shard – thus beginning the main quest of the game.

Most of “The Legendary Starfy” takes place underwater and the player controls Starfy using the directional pad. Gameplay is on the upper screen, while the touch screen can be set to different options such as a treasure finder, current key item collection or hints from the mermaid who saves your game. Starfy's main 'legendary' attack is the “Star Spin,” which can take down nearly anything in your path. However, doing a few in succession sends Starfy into a dizzy stupor for a couple of aggravating seconds. He also recieves special abilities after a few levels are cleared.

Levels are designed on a simple overworld map where secret areas appear as dark circles until they are unlocked in the main story. There are five or six levels in each location of the game that end with a boss battle, then Starfy heads to the next place a crystal shard has been sighted.

New side characters are introduced at each location and some inspire Bunston to create a new ability for Starfy. The two can combine powers and become a fire-breathing dragon or an ice-shooting seal. These could sound somewhat fearsome, but the sight of Starfy's face showing through the dragon's stomach is almost too much to take. Unfortunately, a dense, purple fog before each boss battle negates Bunston’s abilities.

Although gameplay is simplistic, it’s accompanied with a load of special features which can be accessed from the overworld map through “Moe's Chest.” There are five mini-games which can be played individually or through a local wireless connection. My favorite is a race against the timer to stack octopus dumplings. Another feature is the “Stuff” menu where Starfy and his sister Starly can be dressed in outfits found throughout the game in treasure chests. These outfits show up on the pause screen. Special combinations will unlock more options.

Soon after Starly’s early introduction, the option to play certain levels two-player is available. The game’s option allows a friend with or without the cartridge to play. Starly has her own set of abilities and can sometimes fit in areas Starfy cannot to find treasure or health items.

Though the extra features help, nothing about “The Legendary Starfy” is complex. The story isn't crucial to playing. If tons of blood, guts and gore are more your style and you don't think you can handle the cutesiness, Starfy probably isn't the game for you. Starfy is a great platformer that reminds me of simpler times, and it’s a great way to pass a bus ride or the time until the latest reality show is over and your mom, sister or girlfriend stops hogging the TV. It took a while for the “legend” to arrive in America, but I hope to see more of Starfy in the future.

Rating: B

Platform: Nintendo DS

Price: $34.99

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: TOSE

Players: 1-2