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Square Hits a Home Run

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 38 / 41
Date: April 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The first thing that struck me about `The World Ends With You' is the high quality of the production values. This is a one slick looking game. The next thing that hit me was how complicated the game is. I tend to prefer simpler RPG's like Paper Mario and the fantastic Mario and Luigi games but once you get past the moderate learning curve this is an awesome game. It's also a game the devilishly hard to put down.

As with just about every RPG ever created the meat of the game involves battles and leveling up. The action takes place on both the top and bottom screens. The top screen is managed using the directional pad while the lower requires the stylus. Players are given the choice as to which screen to control while the action in the opposite screen is taken care of by the system. I would generally switch back and forth in mid battle. The stylus attacks are more fun and powerful but the directional pad attacks can allow for devastating synced attacks. It all works very well and has yet to grow tedious. As a player gets more confident in fighting she can chain battles to fight multiple enemies in a row for greater rewards.

The rewards for battles include the standard experience points, cash and treasure but you also get experience points for the pins you bring to the fight. Pins? Pins are a way to customize your attacks. By attaching one or more pins you can employ various attacks including flames, ice, bullets using motions of the stylus. Most pins are upgradable through experience and some even evolve into more powerful pins.

The game I'm most reminded of playing TWEWY is the classic River City Ransom and that is high praise indeed. The game involves traveling around a city, fighting battles and purchasing clothes, foods and pins to increase your fighting abilities. River City Ransom was one of the all time great games and I always wondered why its formula wasn't emulated more. I'm not sure that the developers of The World had River City Ransom in mind when they created this game but it certainly was on mine while I played it.

This is one of the best handheld RPG's I've ever played. The story is very good if a bit more verbose than I usually like. The best thing I can say about this game is I never got bored and that's not always the case with RPG's. There is so much character building in the game whether it be upgrading your pins, creating relationships with salespeople or just increasing your attack and defense stats. I would have to put this game in the must get category for RPG fans.

OUTSTANDING for *any* Gamer even this middle age Mom!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 22
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I won't rehash all that has been said previously about this game in the other reviews. Simply put: This is the best game I've ever played on the DS. It ranks right up in the Top 3 I've ever played.

I am mainly writing this review for all you casual gamers out there. This game walks you through the steps and actually teaches you what to do PLUS you get practice time. One of my big issues with games is the frustration level since you don't know what to do or where to do it. I bought a DS and a Wii as a way to play more with my kids, since they prefer video over board games (board games are what I grew up with). In an effort to spend some more time with them doing things *they* like to do I started playing the DS. We have found a few Wii games but the majority are only so-so. I was very worried that the DS would have the same problem but we've found quite a few excellent games that really are varied. I have to say this 40+ year old mom has a new love.

Back to the game: I cannot express how awesome this game is. As a FIRST TIME RPG/Action player I have had no problem picking up all the skills needed to play. It is varied and has many options for difficulty. In fact (much to my surprise!) I have been doing much of the game at all 3 levels in order to collect the most pins and level them up.

For any type of gamer I highly recommend TWEWY. I can only hope they make a sequel.

Spectacular

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 25
Date: April 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Square Enix comes out of nowhere with The World Ends With You, which ends up not only being a spectacular RPG, but also ends up being one of the absolute best games available for the DS. Taking place in Tokyo, you start out playing as Neku, and are forced to complete tasks. Failing to do so will do nothing more than just erase you from history is all. Though you can't really tell from that small synopsis, The World Ends With You features a dynamic and engaging storyline that draws you in, as well as some rich characterizations. The first thing you'll probably notice is that the game features some simply gorgeous art design and stylish presentation. The game also features an innovative and easy to get into combat system that is a breath of fresh air for portable RPG's, and the uses of the touch screen are wonderfully done as well. As a whole, The World Ends With You makes great use of the DS' technical aspects, possibly the best uses that a third party game has done for the system yet. If there are any drawbacks to The World Ends With You, it lies in the game's Tin Pin Slammers mode. While it is just a fun little extra, there isn't really much to it. Other than that though, nearly everything else here is flawless: the music, the character animation, the effects; things couldn't be much better. All in all, it's rare that a game like The World Ends With You comes out of the blue and ends up being something so special. That alone makes the game worth owning, and here's hoping that this is the start of a bold new franchise that can only get better and better from this point forward.

A True Masterpiece.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: June 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I just wanna tell everyone about an EXCEPTIONAL game. From beginning to end, in every way, I found it to be a true work of art... in fact, the elements come together to make it one simple thing; a masterpiece.

It is called The World Ends With You, by Square-Enix for the Nintendo DS. I won't go into details about exactly what happens... but just know, the plot, storyline twists, and character development are some of the best in any game I have ever played. They are on par with the best movies I have ever seen.

The game takes you through a journey questioning what it means to be alive, and what the point of living truly is. It keeps you on your toes trying to guess the end, and in the final moments still leaves you absolutely shocked, and even leaves many points unresolved (but luckily you can go back after you beat it and complete tasks which answer these ideas which were vaguely laid out for you). It does so in a mind-twisting way that is so distinctively Japanese its brilliance is astounding.

On top of all of that, it features an exceptionally unique art style, with an innovative and fun battle system. In fact, every system or menu in the game is extremely original, yet simple and easy to get a hang of. The music is also top notch (all sorts of j-pop & rock), and theres lots to collect and play with.

Its rare I will praise ANYTHING this much... but this game rekindles that majesty Square used to be known for; the ability to touch the player with a story told not in a couple hours, but through a course of dozens of hours and countless interactive experiences. The ending, as well as several moments in the game, struck a cord with me and what I am dealing with in my own life. Almost never has a game been so inspirational and therapeutic, while completely avoiding sounding like a self-help book.

The World Ends With You mixes fun and an incredibly powerful narrative into one interactive masterpiece. Its games like these that make me remember why I consider video games to be the most potent art form in our world today.

One of the Best Games on the DS! Get it while you can!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: June 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The game stars a young teenager, Neku, a kid sick and tired of the world and the people in it, who wakes up in a strange version of his hometown with all his memories gone. It turns out to be a game organized by a strange group that calls themselves "Reapers" where he has to work with this strange preppy stalker girl, Shiki, to win the game in 7 days or face "erasure"!

The game play takes a little time to get use to, but feels extremely satisfying when you do get good at it. You control Neku at the bottom screen with the stylus and control Shiki at the top with the buttons, at the same time. This sounds a little confusing, at first but you quickly do get the hang of it, the game also features many ways to adjust the difficulty to your liking. You equip pins to modify Neku's psychic powers, most pins also have brands that get enhancements depending on the trends in your location. In fact, even the clothing that your characters equip get bonuses based off of the trends.

The game even takes the ideas of trends and fashions and applies it to the art and music. It's soundtrack features a trendy mix of Hip-hop, Rock, Techno and JPop reminding some of other artistic games with trendy music such as Jet Set Radio. The art as well is hard and edgy, with many sharp edges and strange proportions, it definitely takes style and cranks it past 11.

The only thing I can say where it lacks is the lack of a multiple player battle mode or co-op, (It features multiple player in the forum of a fun mini-game) and that it has only one save file. However with the intriguing story (with it's surprising plot twists), addictive gameplay, quantity of things to explore, collect, and customize, and killer sound track and art, The World Ends With You is a game you do not want to miss! (And with the game being hard to find you should check back as often as possible to see when it is available)

A WARNING TO PARENTS: This game is rated T for Teen. Some games rated T are more okay for children than others, (with content matching what is often in children's cartoon shows despite being rated T) . This game however, is not the case, despite the kid-friendly design of the characters this game this game features a lot of STRONG LANGUAGE and ADULT CONTENT, and I strongly suggest this for ONLY AGES 13 AND UP.

Unique RPG for the DS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: April 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Update 04/24/08: Updated review

Synopsis: The World Ends With You is not a traditional RPG where you encounter random enemies or even see them on the screen, rather you scan and search for your enemies (this might sound a bit weird but trust me you will understand once you start playing the game). You start out the game as Neku (name cannot be altered) who is given a strange "pin" and in the beginning you cannot attack any enemies by yourself until you have a partner who happens to be Shiki. Neku and Shiki are part of a "game" where they are given missions to complete otherwise they will be erased.

Playing the game (Battle): The game is pretty much controlled by the stylus though moving around can be controlled by the d-pad. When you are fighting with Neku everything is controlled by the stylus (movement and attack). When partnered up with Shiki, you can control Shiki's attacks with the d-pad (if you are a lefty the A, B, X, Y buttons will act similar to the d-pad). You do not however control her movements, only her attacks. Pins are your main source for attacks. Each pin is used by the stylus and it differs for each one. Make sure you understand how to use each Pin (there is a hint screen that will appear to help you understand how to use the Pin). Once Shiki becomes your partner you have to fight on both screens as Shiki will be on the top and Neku will be on the bottom. Also, once you obtain a specific "Pin" you will be able to perform special attacks called "fuse" where you will need to sync correctly with your partner in order to charge this up. Shiki has the difficult task as you need to match the right card to activate the skill. If you set Shiki on Auto the chance of getting the fuse is not high, though at the same time if you set on manual you might end of losing the battle if you are not paying attention to Neku (I advise most people to leave Shiki on either "Auto" of "Auto after 3 sec" unless you are pretty comfortable controlling both Neku and Shiki to charge up the fuse).

Playing the game (ranking/leveling): This game has a ranking system where the amount of damage you inflicted on your enemies and the amount of time that you took will determine your rank for that battle and how much PP points you will be awarded after each battle. Also, whether you take any damage, get 10+ consecutive hits will also factor into the PP points as well. PP points is what you need to raise the ranking of your pins. Ranking are from E, D, C, B, A, and * (* being the highest and you need to get both * ranking in time and damage to get this ranking, A + * will not get you a * ranking) You also gain Exp Points but that depends on the enemy you face and has nothing to do with the type of rank you receive at the end of the battle. In addition, you will get base PP Points and this number is determined by the level you set in your option screen (unlike conventional RPGs where you level up and cannot alter your current level you can change your current level and bring it down all the way to level 1). Decreasing your level means more enemy drops such as Yen (currency of the game) and more PP Points, however the battles can be more difficult and you might find yourself getting the game over screen often (I played the game on low level and found the challenge and extra enemy drops to be more rewarding and besides once you figure out which Pins to use the game isn't that hard, of course the same can't be said of boss battles).

Playing the game (food): Food is a vital part of the game to raise the stats of your characters. Each character is allowed to have 24 bytes of food each day. Each food will have the number of bytes listed and in order to digest the food you will need to fight battles equaling the number of bytes of the food. Reminder that your limit for 24 bytes disappears the next day (real time) and you can start the process over again.

Misc: The story starts off way too quick for anyone to follow, but it does unravel itself so you'll need to play to find out what's going on. The graphics are very good for the system and I have to say the art is done very nicely. Soundtrack is another great feature for this game as it features J-Pop and Rock music. Also, the battles feel refreshing since you are fully in control of the battle unlike many traditional RPGs where you choose what you want to do.

So far I have to say I am impressed with this game. It has a very interesting battle system and it takes skill to control both characters at the same time. Also, the game takes place in Japan so those unfamiliar with the culture will get to understand a bit of Japan. Even though I've had good things to say about the game so far that doesn't mean the game is perfect, here are a few gripes for the game.

The battle system takes time to learn especially when you are controlling both Neku and Shiki. Controlling both at the same time can take a while getting used to and many might find this a bit annoying especially when you are dealing with a group of enemies. Activating the fuse skill is even more annoying since you need to guess the right combo to obtain the right card. This is especially annoying when your attention is on the top and Neku is getting pummeled. Other than that the story and setting might turn some people off especially for those who are into fantasy RPGs (e.g, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire, Tales of Destiny, etc.)

I personally thought the game was executed very well and it definitely warrants a purchase for those who are fans of RPG. My score remains the same as before.

Excellent new RPG from SQUARE

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: April 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have been waiting for this game for over a year now, ever since I saw Square was doing an RPG for DS designed by Tetsuya Nomura (FFVII). I must say the wait was worth it. This game has some of the best 2D mechanics on the DS system. It is set in modern day Shibuya, Japan (the shopping district) and you control a band of hip kids who find out they will be erased in 7 days if they do not eliminate "noise" from the world. The controls require a learning curve, but it's nothing the average teen or adult can't handle. There are over 300 different attacks you can learn through the use of "buttons", not to mention buffing your character with different clothing and food items. One of the best thought out RPGs for a handheld system ever, and definitely worth a purchase.

Zetta fabulous and fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First off, I will have to state for the record that The World Ends With You is the game that broke me into buying a Nintendo DS. I'd seen the previews when the game first was announced in Japan, and eagerly awaited its debut there and eventual port into English. I was not disappointed at all, and this game was well worth the wait.

The World Ends With You is truly innovative gameplay from Square Enix, and I'd say it's one of THE games for a Nintendo DS. The controls are intuitive and work well with the touchscreen (slash for 'slashing' attacks, tap for 'bullet' attacks, etc.), but the top screen is not ignored. It takes some time to get used to watching both screens at once, but thankfully the game has Autoplay settings that allow the game to take over for you.

Aside from the gameplay itself, TWEWY is full of fresh and appropriate music (you're in Shibuya, so of course there will be Jpop/Jrock). There is also tons of customization to be had, from the Pins you use (over 300) to the clothes you wear (laugh at the gothic loli dresses all you want, but they provide great stat boosts). There's even the Squeenix staple of a minigame -- Tin Pin Slammer -- that you can have fun with when you don't feel like slaughtering Noise.

The 'time limit' of 7 days makes the whole game seem like it's going fast, though you can really take it at your own pace. Aside from the plot-related fights, all battles are controlled by the player, so there's no random encounters or turn-based combat. Even in these "7 days", the characters themselves are engaging and much more than they seem on the surface -- even the Reapers are different from each other and have their own quirks, and the NPCs you encounter are quite fabulous. While the main character of Neku Sakuraba starts off as a misanthrope, you can't help but get captured by his changes through the game; he's definitely not a static, cookie-cutter character.

The World Ends With You is a great game, and I recommend that anyone with a DS buy it and enjoy it as well.

Amazing game! It's a blast!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: April 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

SE delivers again! This game is absolutely amazing. It's fun and challenging. The graphical style is sweet and the sound... The sound is so good they released the soundtrack on itunes.

I wish they would have included graphical change on clothing styles since it does play a role in the game. I understand it's not necessary but it would've been a nice addition.

For those of you thinking this game is only for kids, it's not. I'm a 30 y/o guy and find this game to be one of NDS's overall top ten.

excellent action RPG that lets you choose your play style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The best thing about this game is the combat. It is excellent, if you don't mind working fast with both of your hands at the same time (one on the stylus, one on the keys). The depth is very impressive for a DS game. Furthermore, you can really challenge your skills by reducing your level and increasing the difficulty (yielding better drops). Monster behavior is quite diverse, and if you want to excel at combat, it will take you a lot longer than just finishing the storyline.

That said, if you can't stand button mashing, you might be frustrated at times. Also, ultimately you are still bound by the rules of RPG -- regardless of how good your skills are, you can always achieve all the game's objectives by simply putting enough time into the game.

The storyline is very good, but the characters are barely decent (or worse, depending on your taste).

The game has a lot of unique features that are just fun to learn about.

Music is excellent if you like j-pop. Overall feel and quality of the game is also excellent, despite being set in a modern Tokyo (which is kinda less fun than middle-earth dungeons and dragons, IMO).

Overall, I consider it one of the top DS games.

You can read more about this game at the general and gameplay wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Ends_With_You
http://twewy.wikia.com/wiki/The_World_Ends_With_You

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