Games Happy

Roguelikes and Dungeon Crawlers – DRPGs – really feel like they need to go collectively about in addition to water and oil, and that was my preliminary worries when Etrian Thriller Dungeon was launched on Nintendo 3DS all the best way again in 2015. But, whereas the mash-up between Atlus’ personal Etrian Odyssey and Spike Chunsoft’s Thriller Dungeon definitely wasn’t a match made in heaven for everybody; it was for me. Now with the primary three Etrian Odyssey video games seeing a remaster for Nintendo Change and PC, I’m left questioning; why can’t the identical occur for Etrian Thriller Dungeon?

Etrian Thriller Dungeon, which was launched in 2015 was a landmark title for each Atlus and the Etrian Odyssey sequence as an entire; for one, it was notable for being a near-simultaneous launch within the period the place localizations would take months on finish to occur. Etrian Thriller Dungeon as an alternative solely took a modest month-long await North American gamers to get their hands-on with the title. Whereas Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth provided a spin-off for each the Etrian Odyssey and Persona sequence in 2014, Etrian Thriller Dungeon was the primary spin-off for Etrian Odyssey that actually shook up its gameplay – and the methods through which each Etrian Odyssey and Thriller Dungeon’s DNA meshed for Etrian Thriller Dungeon nonetheless impresses me to at the present time.

In 2020, two of Spike Chunsoft’s earlier Thriller Dungeon titles noticed re-releases on Nintendo Change; Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Cube of Destiny, in addition to the remake of the unique Pokemon Thriller Dungeon in Pokemon Thriller Dungeon: Rescue Group DX. Each of those releases had been nice in their very own proper, however it’s arduous to disregard that we’ve but to see some other releases from the franchise since. Notably, we by no means received Etrian Thriller Dungeon 2, both – the sport itself launched far too late within the 3DS’ lifecycle, bombed in Japan, and seemingly the primary recreation didn’t fare too significantly better both. Regardless of the purpose was, Thriller Dungeon followers have been left wanting over the past a number of years, and the final actual new entry within the sequence exterior of the Pokemon Thriller Dungeon remake primarily by no means existed for anybody exterior of Japan.

Now, for these of us that even had entry to a Japanese 3DS that was wanted to play it natively, there’s no simple strategy to entry the sport. In fact, the identical goes for Etrian Thriller Dungeon – the primary one – in addition to each different Etrian Odyssey recreation that launched on the Nintendo 3DS, too. But even past the hope that Etrian Odyssey IV, V and Nexus would possibly get ported to fashionable platforms – or that Etrian Odyssey Untold and Untold 2 would possibly see the identical – now’s the right probability for Etrian Thriller Dungeon to get a second (third?) lease on life, and for followers of the spinoff to be afforded the possibility to play its follow-up.

With the 3DS eShop’s closure, a landmark title for 2 sequence stands the possibility of being misplaced to time. Whereas each Etrian Odyssey and Thriller Dungeon might need seen video games launch of their respective sequence after Etrian Thriller Dungeon 2’s Japanese launch, there’s an argument to be made that the sport was the final really new entry in both franchise. Etrian Odyssey Nexus, as nice because it was and is, acted as extra of a celebration of the sequence’ historical past; incorporating many areas and lessons from prior video games within the franchise. Etrian Thriller Dungeon 2, then, was the final time that both the Thriller Dungeon or Etrian Odyssey franchises launched one thing really new.

I nonetheless have hope we would see a brand new Etrian Odyssey launch sooner or later, or a brand new Thriller Dungeon. But even when that involves move, it will be a disgrace if such a serious launch in each sequence’ historical past was by no means given one other probability to shine. Etrian Thriller Dungeon and its follow-up are each fascinating video games in each franchises’ historical past; I can solely hope that extra gamers are given the chance to expertise the video games for themselves.