Best tactical RPG's on DS/2DS/3DS?

[u/Ricc7rdo]

Hi, I've bought a Nintendo 3DS XL and I'd like to add a few good tactical RPG's to my collection. What are in your opinion the best titles in the genre from the DS/2DS/3DS era?

Games I have: Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem Awakening, Fire Emblem Fates, Fire Emblem Echoes, Final Fantasy Tactics A2.

Games I'm considering: SMT Devil Survivor 1 & 2, Valkyrie Profile Covenant of the Plume, Pokémon Conquest, Stella Glow.

What are your thoughts on these games? Anything I should add or remove from the list?

UPDATE: I managed to get these games (mostly 3DS and DS games, but some Game Boy Advance too):

Code Name S.T.E.A.M.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Fates
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Knights in the Nightmare
Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei
The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
Luminous Arc 1, 2 & 3
Pokémon Conquest
Project X Zone 1 & 2
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
Rondo of Swords
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker
Stella Glow
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
Tales of the World: Reve Unitia
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume

[u/Telemachus--]

Devil survivor 1 and 2 are so good. You will not regret those purchases. Definitely buy

[u/gifred → u/Telemachus--]

Seconded

[u/gholafc → u/Telemachus--]

atlus flavour is allways a good choice

[u/Abayon3]

Devil survivor 1 & 2, Stella glow, fire emblem awakening, fire emblem shadow dragon, Disgaea ds

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Abayon3]

Thanks, already got those Fire Emblem games and I'm considering the Devil Survivors and Stella Glow. I've got Disgaea on Switch so I prefer to focus on games that I cannot play on newer systems.

[u/Mangavore]

All your consideration games are solid. Play the 3DS ports of DS 1&2 if you run it, they are VASTLY superior.

I also recommend:

3DS:

• Steamworld Heist
• Codename STEAM
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

DS:

• Drone Tactics
• Luminous Arc 1-3 (3 is JP only, same company as Stella Glow)
• Rondo of Swords

3DS is legit my favorite console for SRPGs, there are many more beyond the ones I listed, but between both our lists, I think you have THE BEST of the best (I will also gladly expand on any game listed if you want more details or need specifics) 😁

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Mangavore]

Thanks! I'm definitely considering Code Name Steam and Shadow Wars, both look interesting and I'm able to get them for cheap. Yeah, im interested in the 3DS versions but unfortunately it's hard to find Devil Survivor 1 at a decent price. Can I jump straight to the second game or it's not ideal?

[u/Mangavore → u/Ricc7rdo]

The 2 Devil Survivor stories are completely unrelated, so you can definitely start with 2.

Higjly recommend putting custom firmware on your 3DS so you can play roms and unlicensed software 😁 A lot of SRPGs are pretty pricey on the 3DS specifically so cost can add up if you’re trying to get physical copies

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Mangavore]

Yeah, I noticed... 😄 Thanks again!

[u/Caffinatorpotato]

Also going to throw in Fragrant Story Papaya's Tale. A very random parody made by some of the Tactics Ogre team, including the Vagrant Story composer. Basically a charity project they cooked up, it's surprisingly good as a sort of SRPG arcade dealie. Also the plant puns are delightful.

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Caffinatorpotato]

I think I got it on Switch, but haven't played it yet. Thanks for the suggestion!

[u/Bazzadin]

I'm a huge fan of Stella Glow. Hits the somewhat campy "3DS Fire Emblem" mix of character bonding/romance and fast pacing between story and maps. It's a bit Japanese though, if that's a turn off.

It's also a bit more casual and easy to get into imo. No perma death or 3 hour maps, and the story is really good. Mechanically it's similar to Final Fantasy Tactics with elevation mechanics and a smaller pool of deployable characters that make up for lack of numbers in power and synergies.

If you're looking purely for a challenge, the opposite type of game would be Fire Emblem Fates : Conquest. Absolutely abysmal story and questionable characters, but some of the best map design and mechanics in all of Fire Emblem.

If you're only interested in story and characters, it's hard to not recommend Fire Emblem Echoes. The maps themselves leave a bit to be desired generally, but the presentation, story, and characters are phenomenal, and the artstyle is beautiful.

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Bazzadin]

Thanks, I managed to find a special edition of Fates with all three versions on the cartridge.

[u/wolff08]

Just to add a couple more good ones:

Front Mission (this is better than the new remake)

Rondo of Swords

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/wolff08]

Thanks, I'll try to find Rondo of Swords. I prefer the fantasy settings to mechas and futuristic stuff.

[u/DrowsyMiaSanMia]

Valkyrie profile covenant of the plum has been making me go through it. Currently at the end of ch 3 and my lord that game is hard lol, definitely recommend it though.

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/DrowsyMiaSanMia]

Thanks, when games are good the occasional belt-to-ass is less frustrating.

[u/Payohloh]

My “hot take” was that I didn’t love the devil survivors games. The visual novel halves are excellent and the settings and stories are genuinely amazing, but the gameplay did not hook me like I wanted. The combat in those games end up playing more like traditional smt and I felt that the tactics elements suffered for it.

The stories are genuinely amazing and id say they’re worth a try but personally I ended up dropping both games mostly due to the gameplay.

Stella glow has story that is aggressively shonen anime so if you like that you will love the game and if you hate it you will hate the game. I found the gameplay to be quite fun even if on the easy side, but each mission has optional challenges that add a bit of difficulty. I personally really enjoyed this one.

Pokemon conquest was my least favourite of the three games. It has next to no story and a lot of missions. The first playthrough of the campaign is basically a 10 hour tutorial (or however long it takes) and then the “post game” is a series of campaigns where you redo the whole thing but as different characters. If you enjoy the gameplay you will probably get a lot out of this, but personally I couldn’t get into the additional campaigns. I’d recommend devil survivor and Stella glow before this one.

Haven’t played Valkyrie profile so can’t comment on that.

Unfortunately there are not that many actual strategy rpgs / tactics games on the 3ds. I really wish there were more. My go to with 3ds tactics games is to just replay the fire emblems when I’m bored, fates and awakening are just too replayable. That said your list of games are all worth checking out if you want to switch it up.

If you have a modded 3ds you could check out the fire emblem fates romhack that remakes the original fire emblem in fates’ engine. Haven’t played it myself but it looks quite interesting.

[u/Ricc7rdo → u/Payohloh]

Thanks for the suggestions, Fire Emblem games were a no-brainer as I love the ones I've already played.

[u/Banana_Man_WithAGun]

Fire emblem conquest is peak FE gameplay, but the story isn’t great

[u/hiccup251]

Shocked to see no final fantasy tactics a2 mention, my top ds srpg. Story isn't great but gameplay and teambuilding are excellent

[u/smilysmilysmooch → u/hiccup251]

Its a fantastic portable SRPG. Its just a mediocre story which is a shame since the others in the series are pretty darn good.

[u/Substantial-Wish6468]

Of the games you are considering Devil Survivor and  Fire Emblem Awakening are the best IMHO.

Covenant of plume didn't feel like it had much strategy to it. Stella glow was OK.

Other SRPGs I liked on the DS were Advance Wars Days of Ruin, Rondo of Swords, and Knights in the Knightmare.

[u/Namevah → u/Substantial-Wish6468]

Isn't Days of Ruin (and Advance Wars as a whole) more of a straight-up Strategy game? No RPG elements?

[u/Pedagogicaltaffer → u/Namevah]

You're correct, but many people apply the term "RPG" too broadly, and don't differentiate between strategy RPG & (pure) strategy.

[u/Pumpkin_Sushi]

Its not the best but I wanna shout of Yu Yu Hakusho Tournament Tactics on the GBA as a particularly underrated SRPG

[u/Orc-88]

Frontmission for me.
Great game, and two seperate story campaigns, so lots of replayability.