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Nostalgia

EMAIL PRINT ds

7.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 35 critic reviews
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Based on 11 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ignition Entertainment

Developer: Matrix Software

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: October 22, 2009

Summary

Set in an alternate-reality version of 19th-century Earth, Nostalgia casts you as Eddie, a headstrong Londoner who amasses a group of memorable companions to traverse the world in his steampunk-inspired zeppelin. As you navigate the open skies, you'll explore mysterious foreign locales, slay all manner of fantastical enemies, complete a variety of thrilling quests, and ultimately, save the world from unfathomable evil. [Ignition Entertainment]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Nintendo Life

One of the more refreshing RPG releases to hit the DS system and a game that no RPG fan will want to miss out on.

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Zentendo

"Nostalgia" is a title that takes all that was once good and lovable about the genre and reinvigorates it into a brand new adventure that is set in the real world instead of one of pure fantasy. It doesn't bring much new to the table, but takes what has worked well in the past and puts it to good use.

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GameZone

Playing Nostalgia is a joy, plain and simple, in a way that too few RPGs are anymore. It’s a game that can make you feel like a fresh-faced kid, stepping out into a world of excitement and adventure for the first time – and let me tell you, it’s a good feeling.

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Video Game Talk

Sure it may have its flaws, and yes it’s not the most creative RPG ever, but it’s such a joy to play that it’s an instant classic in my eyes.

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NintendoWorldReport

Nostalgia is a classic RPG with enough tweaks to make it feel new, and it's very enjoyable because of that. It's a no-brainer if you like the genre, and even newcomers will find something to like.

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Game Informer

Despite these complaints, Nostalgia is a worthy distraction. [Nov 2009, p.114]

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Digital Chumps

Forgiving the tedious side-quests, aggravating random battles, and cliché cast and storyline, Nostalgia is actually a fairly solid role-playing title. If it weren’t so tragically constrained by its decades-old allegiances, however, it could have been much more than that.

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Pocket Gamer UK

Nostalgia stirs memories of classic role-playing with its turn-based battles and familiar narrative themes, yet explores a new horizon with fun airship battles and a sense of adventure.

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My Gamer

Nostalgia is very niche, being a must buy for anyone old enough to get the feeling.

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NGamer UK

A decent yarn with unashamedly retro mechanics. [Christmas 2009, p.67]

Nintendojo

Overall, Nostalgia delivers as solid a gameplay experience as its venerable influences but ultimately fails to deliver the same spirit and energy that truly makes a game classic.

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GameFocus

It might not offer anything original to the genre, it doesn’t alienate its audience by appealing to only one specific type of player. Those looking to play something that re-captures the great era of 16-bit gaming, this is what you need.

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Cheat Code Central

The story holds together fine, but poor dialogue and structure make it almost impossible to care about Nostalgia's characters. The gameplay - though completely old-school - is polished and very well balanced.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

But the game’s biggest strength may be how much material there is.

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Da Gameboyz

Created by a veteran team of designers from various development crews, Nostalgia for the DS shows that they know exactly how to squeeze the most out Nintendo’s handheld system to bring us a game that is not only fun to play, but pleasing to watch unfold too.

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Play Magazine

This is how you do the basics. Solid, familiar JRPG that is better-than-good. And you get to fly around the earth in an awesome airship!

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GamerNode

There's nothing here you haven't seen before, and while normally I would balk at such sameness, there's an underlying charm here that I can't quite turn away from.

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Gamervision

There is enough content in Nostalgia to keep you occupied for a long time; the question is simply whether or not you will remain interested long enough to get there.

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GameTrailers

If it were released back on the Saturn as originally planned, Nostalgia probably would have become a cult classic. But there's a reason some of the elements that drive it have gone the way of the dinosaur. If you're looking to experience an RPG from the days of yore, Nostalgia certainly delivers on its namesake.

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RPG Fan

I'm a big fan of nostalgic "old-school" style RPGs as my catalogue of reviews suggests, but honestly, Nostalgia fell completely flat in almost all areas.

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IGN

With the exception of the airship fights and the graded battles, Nostalgia does not innovate much beyond genre roots.

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SpazioGames

One name, one destiny. Nostalgia is an old-fashioned game, which adds nothing new to the actual RPG standards. Still, it's worth playing by those who recalls Skies of Arcadia's days with a tear in their eye.

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Everyeye.it

Old fashioned RPG, with many elements similar to Skyes of Arcadia and Wild Arms.

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GamingExcellence

Nostalgia is a game for those who, well, want to experience some nostalgia. It's a simple, old-school RPG with new twists here and there that make the experience more fun to play through without changing things up too much.

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Worth Playing

If you're the kind of gamer who grew up on SNES and PS1 RPGs, then Nostalgia is a welcome trip back to your childhood and is sure to bring forth some fond memories. To gamers without that sense of nostalgia for the older genre, though, the title may be too simplistic and average to really enjoy, especially with so many more exciting and innovative RPGs available on the DS.

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GamePro

Even with it's impressive handheld graphics, assortment of interesting characters and intriguing steampunk setting, Will couldn't help but feel that he'd played this JRPG somewhere before.

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Nintendo Power

The gameplay is extremely typical of the genre, and the story is so derivative that you stop caring about it after a few hours. ]Dec 2009, p.86]

GameSpot

This simplistic, old-fashioned role-playing game sends you adventuring around the world but never manages to feel like an adventure.

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Armchair Empire

There's nothing that Nostalgia does that's explicitly bad - the storyline isn't great and the writing is drab, but it's serviceable, and the battle system is solid without doing anything really interesting.

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GameCritics

Nostalgia cheerfully opts to evoke our memories of other RPG experiences, most notably Final Fantasy X and Skies of Arcadia, but because it lacks the coherence and originality of its predecessors it never develops an identity of its own.

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Game Revolution

Nostalgia suffers from being stunted and stuck in the past, but then I suppose that's where the title comes in. But it's more a placebo for the genre than anything productive.

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1UP

Nostalgia is determined to make its way in a crowded market on sweetness alone. It's charming and competent, but you can do much better on the DS. In this lousy economy, with so many quality alternatives, Nostalgia's attempt at repurposing fond memories isn't quite good enough.

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Gamers' Temple

Aside from the random battle system, I can't think of anything bad to say about Nostalgia. Interesting setup? Check. Good story? Check. Amazing presentation? Check. Exciting method of travel? Check. Plenty to do? Check. But none of that stuff can overcome the developer laziness and player annoyance that comes with the random battle system, which is even more grievous here because it extends to the airship travel, not just the on-foot dungeons.

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Gaming Age

If you've got some time to waste, and you're looking for a new RPG, than Nostalgia can fit that bill. However, don't go in with your expectations too high, it's certainly a very average approach to RPG's that's hindered by a slow plot, boring characters, and a very standard approach to combat.

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RPGamer

For some it may be worth trying out, but there are many JRPGs on the DS right now that are more fun, more charming, more worth your time, and more likely to remind you of the good old days of being a young RPGamer.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

DJ gave it a7:
Not a bad game, and not a bad story. It's just that I personally could not get past the graphics. They are horrible compared to most other DS games.

Vicki J gave it a10:
Great game, great graphics and a lot of fun! It's the best RPG that I have played this year! Buy it!

Leonard A A gave it a10:
True to its name, Nostalgia brings back memories of times when everything was simple and new and fun. This is the first recent RPG on the DS that has kept my attention for more than 10 hours!

Lucas G gave it a10:
One of the best rpg for Nintendo DS, regarding the epics rpg games that i've played in my life.

Jordan S gave it a9:
I'm currently playing this game and loving ever minute of it. I thought the graphics looked pretty week from trailers, but the lighting and animations are top notch. The soundtrack is nice as well. The characters may look generic, but their personalities are anything but overall. Pad is certainly my favorite. If you're a fan of old-school RPGs and are sick of all this "WOO HOO! NEW BATTLE SYSTEM!" crap on the current generation of home consoles, you totally need to pick this one up.

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