Write Review Price Watch

Product Features

Genre
Role Playing
Publisher
Square Enix
Release Date
April 18, 2008
Available Platforms
Nintendo DS

Related Items

The World Ends With You

Great Games and Accessories for the Nintendo DS from Gamesbuyer.

  • Ross Mcindoe September 03, 2010 DS
    ****

    TWEWY is one of these games that for all that was always going to go sadly unnoticed by the majority of gamers, regardless of how may reviews urged people to pick it up and lavished praise on its enthralling story, quirky characters and innovative Gameplay. It's the Okami of the Nintendo DS, overlooked for its oddness whilst and lack of grey-brown environments and assault rifles.
    This is truly a great shame, as the millions of people who bought the DS (or one of its many incarnations now available) and overlooked this gem have missed out on one of the most finely grafted gaming experiences ever squeezed onto a handheld.
    The story begins with Neku, a typical teenager (read: hates the world) who wakes up in the middle of a shopping district in Tokyo with no memory and is promptly attacked by monsters. If this sounds like typical JRPG fodder then stay with me as things promptly get a lot more interesting (read: crazy).
    Neku is quickly forced to partner up with a girl name Shiki who teaches him how to use pins ( as in pin on badges) to gain superpowers like telekinesis, control of the elements and a whole host of others. She explains to them that they are part of a game run by a mysterious group known as Reapers and that every day this week they'll be sent a text message with their next mission (whether or not this particular evil group is sponsored by Orange is never confirmed) which they must complete within the time limit that appears on the palm of their hand (obviously) if they want to survive.
    TWEWY immediately sets itself apart from any other game on DS with a unique art style and quirky J-Pop soundtrack that really helps give it its own identity and feel. Its incredibly stylish and the games version of Shibuya is lovingly crafted .
    The story is completely insane but also full of clever twists and great dialogue between some of the most unique and interesting characters gaming has seen for some time. Its often extremely funny as the larger than life characters exchange banter and generally bounce off one another but also has a serious story to tell.(albeit a suitably cheesy and OOT one, like all good JRPGs)
    Of course, all this would be worthless if the Gameplay wasn't up to scratch and a quick glance at the battle system would bemuse most people into not buying it.
    During battles, players control one character on each screen, fighting the same monsters ( i.e kill a monster on one screen and it'll die on the other).
    The top screen character is controlled using the D-pad to enter combos whilst the bottom screen one (Neku) is more directly controlled with the touch screen, swiping and drawing shapes to use the hundreds of powers available throughout the game. The key to victory is to get both characters working in unison to build up combos and unleash mega-powered team attacks which are as deadly as they are spectacular.
    Its confusing at first but once you get the hang of it, it's extremely satisfying and leads to frantic battles that constantly play out differently as you gain new powers, new partners and encounter different monsters.
    The powers Neku has depend on the pins he is wearing, only a certain amount can be equipped at the same time, creating hundreds of possible combinations as more are bought and levelled up throughout the game.
    There are other elements to the Gameplay like fashion trends - you can buy clothes for characters that, on top of giving stat boosts, make you especially powerful when worn in an area that their brand is popular in.
    However, such elements are optional extras for those who want to get even more out of a game that already offers a lengthy story which gets you hooked from the word go and wont let you go until you've beat the game after many hours and the loss of many real-life friends due to neglect.
    TWEWY isn't perfect, the touch screen controls can be a little awkward if two pins require similar inputs and the difficulty curve is a bit off but it offers an experience completely different from anything else, something extremely rare right now in gaming, and a story that is immersive enough to be reason alone for picking this up.
    To conclude, if you own a DS, buy this now. If you don't, buy one and then buy this.
    Those are your orders, thanks for reading.