Which 3DS games should I take to Germany with me?

[TristanBelmont]

If you want something that will take up a lot of time, I'd suggest Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate or Pokemon X/Y. Something that can take less time but still be a lot of fun, I'd go with any Mario platformer. Heck, go with NSMB on DS.

 

[Zarkov]

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Bravely Default has kept me entertained for way too long. There's just so many ways to play, so many classes to unlock, so many nooks and crannies and characters to find.

And to answer your later question, yes I think a newcomer would enjoy Bravely Default. The main problems I personally had with JRPGs were random encounters and an unchanable difficulty level. However, in Bravely Default you can start on medium which would be your normal difficulty experience, or if you just want to breeze through and experience the world and story without worrying as much about combat switch to easy. Or if you want a challenge there's hard. And this difficulty can be changed any time in game, so if you're on medium and come across a boss that's just really you mad, you can switch to easy and switch back after the boss.

And you can adjust how much your random encounters happen, making them very frequent or turning them off completely if you prefer. I would turn off random encounters if I just wanted to run through the area to get somewhere, or if I was running low on health and didn't want to face anymore monsters. Toward the end of the game I would just grind right outside a town for a few levels, then go through dungeons with monsters turned off. You always want to leave the dungeon and go heal up whenever you get to the deepest level anyway, because after fighting your way through an entire dungeon you are NOT going to want to take on the boss with your health and MP low. So if you fight your way through the dungeon, you can just turn off random encounters, exit, then make your way back through the dungeon and take on the boss with full health.

So basically, Bravely Default (for me, anyway) removed the biggest annoyances from the JRPG model, which are the inability to play and explore the world on your own terms. Plus, the way the battle system is structured, it turns defending into an actually useful thing to do (basically every time you defend which is called Defaulting in the game, you store up a turn or "Brave" point so the next time you attack you can attack twice with impunity. So even if you defend, you don't completely waste the turn).

I have heard of the optional difficulty and random encounters before, but they don't make me want to buy the game unfortunately. For some reason being able to change the difficulty and turn off random encounters kinda feels like cheating or something.

Of course, random encounters was one of the things that put me off to JRPGs, so maybe this is just the right game for me. I just kinda wish they handled it in a different way, although that might change the feel of the game entirely. I really like that in Pokemon you can buy repel to avoid the random encounters, which feels like the optional encounters in Bravely Default, but Pokemon handles it in game instead of through a menu.

The defaulting mechanic sounds really neat though. I always love mechanics that allow me to kinda charge up a combo to pull of crazy damage. (Or at least that's what I imagine it's used for anyway.)

 

[Zarkov]

My top picks for a long journey would be Monster Hunter 3 ultimate or Shin megami tensei 4. Shin megami tensei 4 is a jrpg with very good story telling and a cool moral choice system. It's turn based which turns some people off but I've been in love with it for the last couple months. Monster hunter is an action game where you hunt big creatures and make their remains into armor and weapons. It has a slow start up but a ton of content. It's more fun if you have someone to play with but it's a great game regardless.

I played a bit of Monster Hunter and it's surprisingly cute and funny, which I really didn't expect from the cover. It was only a demo, but I can see how it would get addicting.

I've been hearing a lot about Shin Megami, but I still don't know much about it.

 

[Lilani]

The defaulting mechanic sounds really neat though. I always love mechanics that allow me to kinda charge up a combo to pull of crazy damage. (Or at least that's what I imagine it's used for anyway.)

Yeah, and there is a good mix of bosses that allow you to take advantage of defaulting in different ways. For example, there's one that will turn itself invincible for about three turns, and then turn into another form which is vulnerable for another three. BUT, the turn after it becomes invulnerable it pulls off a move which will basically wipe you out if you don't have everybody defaulting (defending) that turn. So the key is to default while he's invincible (but he's got a few moves that can mess you up during this time), and the turn you know he's going to switch unleash all your moves. Then the very next turn default, and then keep attacking until he transforms again.

And you're allowed to basically mix two classes together, so you don't have to choose just one. I have a white mage as my healer, but I also have leveled up time mage on him so I can cast slow and haste and such. I have a black mage, but I also leveled up a class called archanist which allows you to use the brave points and status effects to cause massive amounts of damage. I have a thief/pirate which can steal stuff and leech HP, but also use lots of enfeebling skills pirate has. And my knight also has sword mage leveled, so I can give her weapon different effects like drain or thunder.

If you like messing with mechanics and coming up with your own battle strategies, I think it'd be right up your alley. Just be prepared for a bit of overacting with the voice actors, lol. It's a cool story I think, but sometimes the voice acting can be a bit melodramatic (though that's rather the point, I think).

 

[Charli]

Honestly I'd just buy a pokemon game. If you really need a timesinker. And for less intensive gameplay which can get uncomfortable on flights. (not to mention draining on the battery)

I'm a frequent flyer so I know the kinda shit you need for flights, and honestly as appealing as more fast paced games may seem at the time, I'd go with a slower paced RPG game for a flight.

Especially since I doubt you're travelling first class or anything, something to relax you in that sardine crate that is economy class.

 

[Zarkov]

Honestly I'd just buy a pokemon game. If you really need a timesinker. And for less intensive gameplay which can get uncomfortable on flights. (not to mention draining on the battery)

I'm a frequent flyer so I know the kinda shit you need for flights, and honestly as appealing as more fast paced games may seem at the time, I'd go with a slower paced RPG game for a flight.

Especially since I doubt you're travelling first class or anything, something to relax you in that sardine crate that is economy class.

Sardine crate is a very apt description! As RPGs like Bravely Default and Pokemon are a bit expensive at the moment for me, it's unlikely I'll be able to get them before I depart. But, maybe in the same feeling, I may get something like Pushmo. It looks relaxing and I generally enjoy puzzle games.

 

[Zarkov]

If you like messing with mechanics and coming up with your own battle strategies, I think it'd be right up your alley. Just be prepared for a bit of overacting with the voice actors, lol. It's a cool story I think, but sometimes the voice acting can be a bit melodramatic (though that's rather the point, I think).

I must have been incredibly biased or something because I honestly didn't expect so much depth in a JRPG! Mixing and matching classes is right up my alley. For some reason when I think of a JRPG I think mostly story with turn based combat.

Also, you had me sold at "time mage". I mean, that just sounds awesome.

 

[FancyNick]

My top picks for a long journey would be Monster Hunter 3 ultimate or Shin megami tensei 4. Shin megami tensei 4 is a jrpg with very good story telling and a cool moral choice system. It's turn based which turns some people off but I've been in love with it for the last couple months. Monster hunter is an action game where you hunt big creatures and make their remains into armor and weapons. It has a slow start up but a ton of content. It's more fun if you have someone to play with but it's a great game regardless.

I played a bit of Monster Hunter and it's surprisingly cute and funny, which I really didn't expect from the cover. It was only a demo, but I can see how it would get addicting.

I've been hearing a lot about Shin Megami, but I still don't know much about it.

SMT 4 is like a cross between pokemon and final fantasy(for lack of a more well-known jrpg) game play wise. You ally yourself with demons and use them to fight along side you. They make up your party members. You have to recruit them through conversation and/or fusing(taking 2 or more demons and combining them to make a different one). Combat is very fast paced and a tad unforgiving. The game uses your choices to determine what happens story wise however it's not black and white. The alignments are Law (Order, Peace, Hierarchy) and Chaos (Freedom, Disorder, Individuality). It won't always be clear what your choices mean and neither side are all good or all bad. If you ever played a Persona game than you should have an idea of what it's like as those games are a spin-off of this series. However, it's less dating sim and more straight forward jrpg.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Damn fine choice with Fire Emblem Awakening, that game had me hooked for hours upon hours.

Anyway I'd recommend you get Devil Survivor Overclocked. It's a Strategy RPG with quite possibly the best story I've ever played though. The gameplay is a fast and addictive cross between strategic and turn based elements. If you like Fire Emblem you'll definitely enjoy this game.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

EDIT: There's actually DS game I can't remember the name of that I'd like to get... it was about a kid that was able to control monsters and use magic, but you'd have to draw on the touch screen to pull off the magic. Does anyone know its name?

I hope this isn't too late pal, but the game you are thinking of is Lost Magic. It was pretty fun actually... although remembering all the runes was difficult, and you end up spamming one or two! :S Combining them is cool though!