So I've been astonishingly happy with
Hero's Saga: Laevatein Tactics for DS. I bought it on a whim, and discovered later that reviews were pretty middling, but I can't put it down. In some ways it's fairly average, but the translation and localization are good (interestingly, it's got a Spanish flair going on with the main country, which is rather unusual but very well done), and it really manages to do things in a way that appeals to me. Even though it's an SRPG, it's lighter on the RPG stuff. To many this is a downside, but to me it's a godsend. For instance, I love FFT, but I'll be damned if trying to level my dudes up and keep track of all their gear doesn't drive me absolutely batshit insane. In Laevatein, your leveling is handled automatically, and the only gear you keep track of is your weapons. Whatever weapon you equip on a character (they can each use different specific gear) will change their class, conferring a new ability on them and forcing them to fight in a manner reflective of the weapon.
It's the usual beyond that, but you actually get into fights on the main strategic map, and it goes down to a screen with the two units and their supporting soldiers hacking at each other. Becomes kind of a rock-paper-scissors affair from there, where you can either attack, defend, charge, or go into phalanx formation, and your opponent can do the same. The results depend on what the two of you choose, and whether or not you've chosen to attack his soldiers or his hero. It's not the first game to do something like this, but I haven't seen any go this route in a long time. It's refreshing.
Anyway, check it out if it sounds appealing. The gameplay is pretty strong and the story seems pretty good for a lesser-known DS game. The graphics are quite pleasing, too.
