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[nailbombxx]

By "dungeon crawlers" I am referring to games like Wizardry and with "roguelikes", its self explanatory. I am very intrigued by these types of games, due to the high tension and risky exploration.

We all know that games of these genres are easily found for personal computers and handhelds, however it seems to me that their console counterparts seem to be much more elusive. The reason why I ask for console games is because I imagine that they would have higher quality of production and aesthetics at least compared to a lot of freeware and indies you can find for PC. I

So which retail games made it out of Japan and which games were never localized and are forever locked behind the language barrier? Can be from any generation. This may be a lost cause seeing that they almost stopped localizing these games for consoles with the advent of PS3 and Xbox 360 (though The Guided Fate Paradox was released recently).

Whatever the case, recommend me some old school dungeon crawlers and roguelikes on consoles!

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Dungeons of Dredmor.

This is the only correct first reply.

 

[L Thammy]

NetHack's an obvious choice for roguelikes, my friends have also been telling me that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is very good.

There's a game called Mordor that I used to like. You could hire monsters as slaves. I can't tell if it was actually any good or if I just don't play enough roguelikes to know better.

 

[Shingro]

ADOM is still good, and I feel a good compromise between the traditional difficulty and flexibility

Also: Azure Dreams for PSX is a great one, Pokemon/Rougelike/City builder/Dating sim. Trust me it's great

 

[Cheddahz]

Dungeons of Dredmor.

This is the only correct first reply.

This is a incorrect first reply, since it's not on consoles

 

[almostheathen]

Only two that come to mind are Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls which I'm assuming you have played and Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land for PS2 as far as first person dungeon crawls go.

 

[jackal27]

Nightmare of Druaga for PS2 was a great roguelike. I still play that game all the time. It's more from the Shiren the Wanderer school of roguelikes, but that is definitely not a bad thing. Chocobo's Dungeon for the Wii was a lot of fun for me too.

There are a few in the roguelikes in the Xbox indie games section I know for sure.

You may have more luck on handhelds actually. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was a great dungeon crawler. So was The Dark Spire. Shiren the Wanderer was a great roguelike too.

 

[ronito]

Does Etrian Odyssey count? If so you should play #4. I'm playing #4 now and it's an incredible game.

Also Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon on the Wii is surprisingly competent.

 

[speculawyer]

Dude, you just missed a Rogue-like Humble Bundle.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Legasista is ok

 

[doctorcdcs]

Dude, you just missed a Rogue-like Humble Bundle.

? it still has a day left on my page

 

[Persona7]

Dude, you just missed a Rogue-like Humble Bundle.

It is still running right now. Ends thursday morning.

 

[Mozendo]

No handhelds? ;_;

Some of the wizardry games were remade on the SNES/SFC only in nippon but there are translation patches.

Also check out King's Field series they're first person action dungeon crawlers, but combat is really slow, it's the spiritual predecessor to Demon's/Dark Souls. Also Shadow Tower another series from From Software that plays like it, but in a more modern setting I believe. First game in the Shadow Tower series came out in North America, the sequel did not

Phantasy Star is another great one but only is a dungeon crawler inside dungeons, not fields, and I really have a sweet spot for the Genesis dungeon crawler called Shining in the Darkness.

But besides the check out the Shin Megami Tensei series has some pretty good dungeon crawling, Shin Megami Tensei 1, 2, if...(currently being translated), Soul Hackers, and Persona 1 (dungeons only, not battles) are all available in English in one way or another.
Oh wait nevermind, Soul Hackers English PS1 translation was abandoned iirc

The only rougelike I know is for consoles is on the Genesis called Fatal Labyrinth. Didn't really like it.
Edit: Just remembered Dragon Quest has 2 roguelikes! Torneko: The Last Hope which came out in North America for the PS1, and a PS2 rougelike that I think is the prequel to Dragon Quest 8, and you play a younger Yangus.

looking forward to see more dungeon crawler titles in the thread so I can collect some more.

 

[doctorcdcs]

wasn't there a wizardry ps2 game?

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

This is a incorrect first reply, since it's not on consoles

Really?

Could have sworn.

 

[FourMyle]

The Nightmare Of Druaga

 

[Damaniel]

Nightmare of Druaga for PS2 was a great roguelike. I still play that game all the time. It's more from the Shiren the Wanderer school of roguelikes, but that is definitely not a bad thing. Chocobo's Dungeon for the Wii was a lot of fun for me too.

There are a few in the roguelikes in the Xbox indie games section I know for sure.

You may have more luck on handhelds actually. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey was a great dungeon crawler. So was The Dark Spire. Shiren the Wanderer was a great roguelike too.

Seconded on Nightmare of Druaga. Even though it's missing the 'randomly generated dungeons' part of normal roguelikes, it still captures the tension of permadeath in a slightly more accessible form (you can choose to preserve a single piece of equipment, with the eventual ability to preserve a small number more, but everything else is lost upon death). It even punishes you for attempting to cheat death by resetting.

 

[jackal27]

The Nightmare Of Druaga

It really is all that you need. That shizz will keep you busy for a long time.

 

[Mona]

i don't want to be that guy but i know you've got a computer that can handle Legend Of Grimrock, it should be spot on for what you're asking,

and when you're done with that, play FTL, its a great space-faring roguelike

EDIT: Rogue Legacy is coming to PS3, so you can go for that

 

[doctorcdcs]

Are you looking for 360 roguelikes?

I played and liked Epic Dungeon on the 360.

also, there's another called dungeons of desolation, but I haven't tried that.

 

[Noogy]

I played and liked Epic Dungeon on the 360.

IMO Epic Dungeon is the best XBIG title no one knows about. I keep bugging the dev for an iOS or PC port.

I can't remember if the current name is Epic Dungeon or Cursed Loot... I do know he had to change the name at one point.

 

[Durante]

By "dungeon crawlers" I am referring to games like Wizardry and with "roguelikes", its self explanatory. I am very intrigued by these types of games, due to the high tension and risky exploration.

Since the reason you ask for console titles is that you want games with high production values, I guess PC games with high production values are also fine?

If so, check out Legend of Grimrock and Might & Magic X. They both look about as good as any FP dungeon crawling Wizardry-like game I know of in terms of production values, and they are both really good.

In fact, I don't believe there's a game in that particular genre that can touch them on consoles, neither in terms of gameplay nor graphical quality.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Play this game if you hate yourself:

 

[Tsukumo]

Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey on DS.
Superb soundtrack, cool graphics, story... well, it's Megami Tensei, role-play system to die for. The tube will give you ample chance to witness this game's greatness.

 

[Razma1]

IVAN http://www.attnam.com/wiki/Main_Page

Very tough game and has a lot of random elements and is punishing until you learn what to do its really fun.

And no playthrough will ever be the same.

 

[2+2=5]

If you have Vita:

Dungeon crawlers:
Demon Gaze(Vita,coming soon)
Class of Heroes 1&2(PSP)

Roguelike:
Adventure Bar Labyrinth(PSM)
ZHP(PSP, ultra awesome)
Cladun 1&2(PSP)

Not really a roguelike:
Silent Hill Book of Memories
Tokyo Jungle Mobile(PSM)

 

[KPJZKC]

Holy crap, thanks for this thread, was finally able to pick up The Pit without either
a) resorting to piracy
or
b) giving any money to the devs!

Really made my day guys, thanks.

 

[mclem]

Add me to the list of people celebrating the Etrian Odyssey series. I've also got to highlight Chunsoft's Mysterious Dungeon series, too. Shiren the Wanderer DS is *superb*. Trying to think what of the series has actually come out in the West; there's Shiren (did the Wii one make it?), Pokemon...

 

[Mistouze]

Apart from BoI which I already adore, how are the other games in the humble bundle?

Holy crap, thanks for this thread, was finally able to pick up The Pit without either
a) resorting to piracy
or
b) giving any money to the devs!

Really made my day guys, thanks.

What's this about?

 

[KPJZKC]

Apart from BoI which I already adore, how are the other games in the humble bundle?

What's this about?

Kerberos fucking people with SotSII - I am still bitter. Should have listened to the advice I got from people in other Paradox Studios before I preordered though!


And in response to the first part, Dredmore is great fun (if a little rough around the edges in some respects (easily worth $1, in fact I would say worth at least $15).
Teleglitch is fun, but hard as nails. And The Pit....think of an incredibly un-user friendly roguelike game and that's it. Still sort of interesting though.

 

[FlyingSaucer]

The Etrian Odyssey series is great. Being able to draw your own map without the bother of doing it on graph paper is perfect, the labyrinths and the use of FOE to force the player to plan his navigation are generally clever. The series is light on puzzles, though.

The SMT series have deep roots in the dungeon crawler genre (I've deep suspicions the whole 'invoke your own monster party' has been influenced by Wizardry IV - throught the lens of the Devilman manga for the fusion mechanism ); it's still manifest in some of the more recent games, like Strange Journey.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Nevermind. My bad. I'd just say Etrian Odyssey.

 

[Briarios]

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land is one of my favorites - there's a constant pressure on you because Death could show up to attack you at any time in the dungeon, you have full control over creating party members, the enemy designs are great, and it has a surprisingly good story.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Apart from BoI which I already adore, how are the other games in the humble bundle?

Dredmor is fantastic. Wide range of difficulty, incredible amount of builds/customization, and pretty funny but it is a little rough around the edges. The Pit is pretty good until it decides to become stupidly unfair. The first time I died was before floor 10. I starved to death because the game never gave me any food/ingredients. The second time I died was at around level 25 because the game decided to stop giving me the means to repair my gear and refused to provide me with any new weapons though I had a massive stockpile of food and ammo.

 

[nailbombxx]

Since the reason you ask for console titles is that you want games with high production values, I guess PC games with high production values are also fine?

I appreciate the recommendations but I don't have a gaming PC and my laptop is way past its prime. Plus, I am familiar with a lot of PC and handheld games of these genres.

I have a PS Vita but I need to get a DS/3DS.

 

[BlackLagoon]

I have a PS Vita but I need to get a DS/3DS.

For the Vita, the obvious choices would be Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God, which is a cutesy mystery dungeon style roguelike, and Demon Gaze, which is a Wizardry style dungeon crawler. SS is out, while DG is coming in April.

 

[nailbombxx]

For the Vita, the obvious choices would be Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God, which is a cutesy mystery dungeon style roguelike, and Demon Gaze, which is a Wizardry style dungeon crawler. SS is out, while DG is coming in April.

Yup. Excited for Demon Gaze. Such awesome illustrations. I also have Elminage Original and Class of Heroes 2 downloaded on one of my memory cards.

 

[Teasing_Pink]

Shiren the Wanderer is a pretty pure roguelike for the SNES, DS, and Wii. Turn based, things move when you move, bump into things combat. Hard as nails, and lacking in the handholding and accessibility features a lot of more recent takes on the genre have. I really enjoyed the DS version. Haven't gotten a chance to play the Wii version, but I imagine it's similar.

 

[ys45]

The Guided Fate Paradox on PS3 is quite good

 

[Cheddahz]

Really?

Could have sworn.

Yeah, it's only available on PC and Mac (it's a good game though!)

 

[TnK]

I believe there is Shiren the Wanderer for the Wii, but I am not sure if it is as good as the DS version.

 

[jackal27]

I believe there is Shiren the Wanderer for the Wii, but I am not sure if it is as good as the DS version.

I have it. It's solid. The DS game is one of the best roguelikes of all time so it's hard to top that, but the Wii game certainly gets the job done.

 

[2+2=5]

If you have Vita:

Dungeon crawlers:
Demon Gaze(Vita,coming soon)
Class of Heroes 1&2(PSP)

Roguelike:
Adventure Bar Labyrinth(PSM)
ZHP(PSP, ultra awesome)
Cladun 1&2(PSP)

Not really a roguelike:
Silent Hill Book of Memories
Tokyo Jungle Mobile(PSM)

As expected i forgot some games:

Dungeon crawler:
Eliminage Original(PSP)

Roguelike:
Sorcery Saga

But there are others for sure...

 

[Brandon F]

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land is one of my favorites - there's a constant pressure on you because Death could show up to attack you at any time in the dungeon, you have full control over creating party members, the enemy designs are great, and it has a surprisingly good story.

This. If you are capable of playing ps2 games it's worth tracking down. One of the best dungeon crawls out there.

 

[KiTA]

Edit: Just remembered Dragon Quest has 2 roguelikes! Torneko: The Last Hope which came out in North America for the PS1, and a PS2 rougelike that I think is the prequel to Dragon Quest 8, and you play a younger Yangus.

Dragon Quest 9 has a roguelike element in the random Grotto system. Basically it's a spiritual remake of DQ3 with a roguelike that unlocks about a third of the way through the game and adds a few hundred hours to it. Without the roguelike it's a great game, with it and the stuff involved (there's cosplay gear and bosses from previous DQ games in them thar hills) it's probably the best JRPG not named "Persona" out there. The only problem with it is finding the actual dungeons are hard, since you aren't given a good hint as to where the entrances are. There are maps, best to keep them handy.

The Wii/WiiU/PC MMO (that we aren't likely getting) also has the same Grotto system, apparently, and solved the problem with finding the entrances because you can teleport to them a limited number of times per day.

The Dragon Quest Monsters remakes we aren't getting are also monster-catching roguelikes. DQM: Terry's Wonderland uses a "box" system for map generation which at the time was really amazing (since the original Gameboy didn't have much in the way of ram). DQM2 had a more complex one (including world generation and not just dungeon generation) which should be out next month.

And just so I can shake the "DQ Fanboy" thing -- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, announced last week for US/EU release, has a roguelike system. It's called the Unknown Grest Forest or something similar, and basically is an implementation of the DQ9 Grotto system. Maps that you can share via streetpass that are randomly generated and have random monsters and item spawns in them. (If nothing else, DQ9 pushing more developers to add Roguelike elements to their games is going to be great.)

Monster Hunter Roguelike. Ow.

 

[kick51]

I started messing around with Nightmare of Druaga - ps2 by Namco.

Seems alright but I don't know exactly what goes into a good/bad roguelike. If the tension ratcheting up to a billion after you've gone 10 floors deep and acquired a bunch of unidentified gear is an indication, then I guess it counts cause that's how it feels.


and Teleglitch!! PC game. Imagine a smash TV roguelike

 

[Damaniel]

I started messing around with Nightmare of Druaga - ps2 by Namco.

Seems alright but I don't know exactly what goes into a good/bad roguelike. If the tension ratcheting up to a billion after you've gone 10 floors deep and acquired a bunch of unidentified gear is an indication, then I guess it counts cause that's how it feels.

If you're playing a game and not feeling like that, then it's not really a roguelike. One of the main selling points of the genre is a heightened risk/reward dynamic, which is something missing from a lot of supposedly roguelike-like games.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Shiren the Wonderer 3 for Wii is very nice.

 

[Hubb]

The Guided Fate Paradox on PS3 is quite good

Playing this right now. Pretty good for a console rogue-like.

 

[vagabondarts]

Brogue is the best roguelike, don't know if it's on console though. It is on the ipad