I think the major aspects of the game which make it such a time-hole for me are the: dungeon crawling, cuteness, completionism. On the last one, it's very possible to be completionist ('catch them all,' unlock every dungeon, etc.) in the game, without the aid of another player/game system/cartridge/etc. I likes this, I do.
I'm not sure it's particularly difficult--I unintentionally power-leveled through the plot without realizing it, one-shotting bosses. I didn't find out what the issue was until post-credits in some of the auto-unlocked extra dungeons. It's not too hard, really, to get back up to power-leveled status if you take the extra dungeons in the right order. Though, once you max out on level, there's a couple tasks which are still difficult, and a few dungeons which reset your level (temporarily), which definitely make things...interesting.
There's an unholy number of items and skills, which is something in games I always have fun discovering as games go on. I'm still finding new things now, in the later dungeons (there's only two I haven't explored all the way through yet) and as I max out various pokemon. Note: last Pokemon game played, Blue on GB. The skills are the same as with other games (if sometimes necessarily different in function), so there might be only few surprises to the fan/atic there.
Non-plot rescue missions are actually kind of dull, don't have much in variety. I've this impression that rescues can be done between players over the wifi? I'd like to check into that, cuz that sounds neat. One of the few cooler things about the missions is that they have codes to them--write down the code and you can share it with someone. Likewise, you can get someone else's code and enter it into your game prior to loading your save--you'll have that mission available to you. Also, of course, someone/s has/have figured out the pattern to these codes and posted up a list of a number of possible codes on the internets, which is convenient for when you need stuff (if a bit twinky).
A lot of items and skills seem pretty superfluous, but I think this may be due to my play style (power-level, offensive brute force). I've found myself using more varied items/skills in the dungeon which sets your level to one, takes your items and money, and makes it so you have to go it alone.
Plot is simplistic and there's a very few translations which come out awkward. It's actually kind of reminiscient of old SNES, only much clearer on what's being communicated. Only one save spot, and saving at a save point (your base) or a quick save (anywhere) is necessary--no autosave.
I think that about covers it. <p><hr /><div style="text-align:center">
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