I picked up Jam Session today, and I agree with the previous posts about it. As a game, it just seems fairly pointless. If I wanted to actually learn guitar, I'd buy a guitar. Trying to approximate it using a DS stylus is fairly ridiculous in the end, I guess I was expecting something more game oriented than what it was. Lesson learned: read up on the game really carefully next time.

From what I played of it, it seems like it would be great if you're into serious/old-school JRPGs. I'm kinda bummed since I used to love those games growing up. I guess I just had more patience back then, or maybe just more free time. :)

In other news, my European import copy of the Tingle RPG is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I'll post some impressions tomorrow night after I get some time to play.

Etrian Notes
 

xmiyux - I think the key thing is not to get discouraged. My advice would be to spend inordinate amounts of time simply 'leveling up', particularly on the levels where you are now. Further, in the process of doing so, pick a specialty or two to apply the skill points towards. This is particularly true for any spell casters (clerics, magic users). For your 'muscle' characters, I have had good luck so far with focusing on a single weapon specialty (e.g. axes) and trying to max that stuff out. A good axe skill is 'stunner'. it is cheap to use (5 tp/use) and packs a nice wallop when you need it, plus it can actually stun an opponent and cause 'em to lose their turn.

I would also advise against being anxious to explore new areas until you have almost bored yourself to tears leveling up in your 'already known' areas. This game will definitely give a player a merciless beatdown if they don't play somewhat conservatively.

You will really have to grind through on the early levels. At least later on, the leveling more naturally occurs as a part of exploring. Right now, one of my burning desires is to whack a monster I know of, but am nowhere near ready to fight just yet. I tried it for a lark & got a massive beatdown a little while ago. The monster will whack a character for 250-300hp of damage in a single shot.

Well my characters are up around level 40 or so now. It is kinda fun to be able to wander around the first few levels with complete impunity. For some reason, this is a rather addictive, old-school style dungeon-crawler to 'grind' through.

If you (or anyone else) needs hints, ask. I will say I haven't paid a lot of attention to the side quests, though.

My main offensive guy is level 9 and focusing on swords. My dilemma is whether i should put the next five points into axes to unlock 2-hit which sounds like a good passive skill. Unlocking 2-hit is also needed to unlock Allslash which will be useful. It is that or level up TP Up to get the elemental sword attacks. That part has me puzzled due to the wording on the skill. It says it "follows an elemental attack with a sword slash." Does this mean my character hits for elemental and physical damage or does it mean i have to be hit for elemental damage (in the element i learned) and my character counterattacks?

My Dark Hunter is slowly grinding to learn Ecstasy which i think will be useful... if only the bind attacks he does would actually bind a little more often.

My Troubador i think will be sweet at higher levels. I'm working towards the song that increases the XP you receive as well as the Relax but until i hit that point she doesn't hit for much damage and her buffs aren't that useful.

My Alchemist is focusing on fire and hits pretty hard with the spell. I just unlocked the 3rd tier fire spell (inferno).

I have FFV and VI Advance on their way from the CC buy 1 get 1 50% off deal. First GBA games I've bought for my DS.

Introducing the Jumbotron DS:

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If anyone has Drawn to Life, close the DS and reopen it while playing :D

Very nice. I want one.

Mine is an axe specialist but I did put enough into swords to max out 2-Hit, great skill. The elemental skills activate after a spell has been cast. So you use the sword skill and the next time an ice spell goes off, he'll follow up with the special attack. I've slowed down a little, but I'm down to about floor nineteen. It's still my favorite DS game.. but with Ketsui and Bangai-O coming out, it might have some tough competition!

So until i get to a low enough level that the creatures are using elemental spells on me, learning the sword skill to special counter attack would be dumb?

also, what level do the skills max out?

I decided to get DK: Jungle Climber and Drawn to Life because of the Circuit City "buy 1 handheld game, get another at 50% off" deal. Haven't tried them yet but both look very entertaining.

Hmm.. I don't know if they trigger from monster spells, I was referring to your alchemist spells. Basically, you use the ice sword skill and then when your alchemist casts an ice spell, your landsknecht will follow it with the ice sword attack. Skills max at 10 points.

Ah, ok that makes sense now. So if i'm rocking a fire Alchemist then the fire sword skill would be great with my LandWarrior.... ok, that makes sense now.

I will probably work towards that skill next then. It would be useful for hitting boss monsters hard.

That is my issue, i can kill everything on level 2 no problem, it is just the monsters that get a special icon that own me. I tickle them and they just about outright kill my characters in one hit.

Yeah, the FOEs are a real bitch at first. Like I said before, the first five floors have to be taken real slowly. Once you get past the first big boss, things tend to ease up inasmuch that you will be ready to take on bigger challenges; it's getting your characters started that makes the first stratum such a trial.

While you are playing Drawn To Life, close the DS and reopen it :D

For those of us who don't have the game - throw what happens in a spoiler. I must know!

Pixy,
I have been taking the floors slowly, only poked my head into floor 3 once. My issue is i have a quest to encounter 10 different enemies and in the first 2 levels there are only like 6-8. It just bugs me that the quests given from the very beginning aren't something you can complete in a timely fashion.

In Drawn To Life, when you close or open the DS while playing...

Very cute :D

A lot (a few?) games do that.. Mario says "Bye Bye!" in one of the Mario games, there's a coffin open/close sound on one of the Castlevania games, there's a computer sound effect in Metroid Prime Hunters, etc.

Mother fucker. Metroid Prime Hunters is CRIPPLING. :mad: :brickwl2:

Pretty much.

Just a few quick thoughts on the games I got yesterday:

DK: Jungle Climber: They took the excellent concept behind DK: King of Swing and fleshed it out with a few new moves and some interesting gameplay elements. Definitely recommended for those who enjoyed King of Swing.

Drawn to Life: Really cute little game, and the drawing tools work well. The concept of drawing your own characters and other elements takes what would otherwise be a somewhat dull and generic platformer and makes it something cool and unique. It's very fun to see the characters you draw running through the levels.

Freshly Picked: Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland: Tingle fans rejoice! This one is hard to classify...I guess it's an action/RPG/bargaining game where you help Tingle accumulate rupees by helping other characters and exploring dungeons. I think it's really funny that Tingle can hire bodyguards to fight for him, since he's not much of a fighter on his own. :lol: His swishy walk animation is pretty funny too, and the game has a great, unique art style. Probably not worth the cost of importing for casual fans, but so far it's a surprisingly good game.

Where did you get Tingle?

If I can find them all, I'll be picking up Jam Sessions, Drawn to Life, and DK: Jungle Climber this weekend.

Now all I'm waiting for for the rest of the year is Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Phoenix Wright 3, Contra IV, and Geometry Wars: Galaxies.

I used to order a lot of imports from there. That's where I got my black SP when they were only released in blue and silver in the US.