Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts
| Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Hudson Soft |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Dungeon Explorer: Meiyaku no Tobira (ダンジョンエクスプローラー 盟約の扉) and Dungeon Explorer: Jashin no Ryouiki (ダンジョンエクスプローラー 邪神の領域) are a pair of 2007 action RPG video games for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS, respectively. Both games were localized and released as Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts in the United States and as simply Dungeon Explorer in Europe. The games are related to the PC Engine game Dungeon Explorer.
Both games are action RPG game similar in style to Phantasy Star Online. They feature wireless connectivity to allow multiple players to connect to each other, and Jashin no Ryouiki also allows for online play using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on the Nintendo DS.
Meiyaku no Tobira features 3 races and 6 beginning classes that the player can select from at the beginning. After a certain point, the character has the option of changing classes while not in the dungeons, each of which retains its own rankings (Rank E all the way up to Rank S.) There are also 6 advanced classes which require a combination of two of the basic classes; one at rank B and the other at rank A. These advanced classes include the abilities of the previous two classes, plus new abilities of their own as well as unique weapons that can be wielded. All of these abilities are acquired as the characters level up their weapon ranks as well as their job ranks, and two of these can be equipped and changed on the fly.
Jashin no Ryouiki contains also 3 races with 3 warriors each. Once selected, players choose points they distribute on their character. The type of arts they are given is done in the Artrium in the Lost Forest.
Characters
The bulk of the storyline for Meiyaku no Tobira takes place in various dungeons, as the title implies. Each dungeon is unlocked after various quests are completed by acquiring "plates" and can be leveled up by inserting jewels in said plates. Each level is more challenging than the previous one and can be selected at any given time. At one point Dungeon level progression is stopped until an item called a Sirius Jewel is acquired, a reusable item that unlocks further dungeon empowerment. Specific levels have specific challenges in them, such as Level 6 of a dungeon are considered blind; without the usage of a specific item, the mini-map is blanked out with only the character icons visible.
The jewels have multiple purposes in addition to powering up dungeons, they can be consolidated, used in alchemy or installed onto weapons are armor. These jewels are elemental in nature and match each element of the dungeons, which follow a planetary theme (Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, etc.) In addition, each element has a status ailment associated with it.