Suikoden, Blue Dragon headed for DS

Konami aligns 108 Stars of Destiny on Nintendo's handheld with online community features, as Ignition snags portable follow-up to Xbox 360 game.

Japanese role-playing game fans on the go will soon have a few more options to choose from, as a pair of prominent franchises are set to make Nintendo DS debuts in North America. Konami today confirmed that it would be bringing Suikoden: Tierkreis to the US, while Ignition Entertainment will release Blue Dragon Plus in Europe and North America.

When Suikoden first arrived on the original PlayStation in 1996, one of the Konami role-playing game's claims to fame was the inclusion of 108 playable characters. The "108 Stars of Destiny" motif has endured throughout the series, but it's returning with a twist. Suikoden: Tierkreis will give players control of the last three remaining Stars of Destiny. At the outset, the goal is to resurrect the remaining Stars for a climactic battle with the One King.

Konami is promising the game will feature the series' established gameplay conventions, but it will also add new online and community functions to the mix. Players will be able to send their characters on quests, which will then be completed by other gamers. When the quest is complete, the characters will return with new powers and loot. Unfortunately, Konami did not disclose a release window for Tierkreis' debut on the DS.

As for Blue Dragon Plus, the game is a follow-up to Mistwalker's 2006 Xbox 360 role-playing game and will arrive in March. The game picks up the original's story one year after the defeat of Nene. However, not all is well, as the protagonist Shu now is faced with the coming spectre of a three-headed dragon. Ignition is promising a 30-hour single-player campaign, punctuated by more than an hour of full-motion video cutscenes.

For more on these games' origins, check out GameSpot's reviews of Suikoden V and Blue Dragon.

65 Comments

  • DarkSunRising

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 1:08 pm PT

    Cool The 1st Suikoden on the PS1 is my favourite RPG of all time.

  • dr_doongy

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 11:13 pm PT

    i havent even heard of either series, but the more i look into it, the more interested i'm becoming.

    thank god i'm a ds gamer.

  • lewser5

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 6:26 pm PT

    I'm going to do a wait and see on both. Even though i got high hopes for the Suikoden game.

  • majere613

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 11:22 am PT

    Well I'm bloody cross with Konami on this one, I've been a Suikoden series loyalist since the first game despite being in the UK and having to import half of them, but I'm not buying a DS for one game. Though having said that, the sudden switch to a Nintendo platform combined with all these 'online elements' and other faffing about with the format make this sound less like a continuation in the traditions of a classic series, and more like a balance-sheet booster.

  • zgreenwell

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 10:59 am PT

    I loved Blue Dragon and will buy it for the DS.

  • Grandstream

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 9:03 am PT

    I liked Blue Dragon, but I kinda got drawn on by it. But since its 20 bucks at Gamestop now brand new, I'd buy it again for that price. And then Lost Odyssey's next...once it hits 25, 30 bucks. Blue Dragon Plus I heard's pretty decent in Japan. It looks somewhat like FFXII: Revenant Wings, with hordes of enemies on screen and their little health bars overhead, and the graphics, so on...as for Suikoden, if they're just doing a custom one for the DS, that's terrible...they have 1+2 on PSP in Japan ever since 2007...it needs to come out here...or at least port a DS version of it.

  • edubuccaneer Site moderator

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 8:56 am PT

    I enjoyed Blue Dragon in the 360, I'm kinda interested in this new game. Hope they don't take too long to put it out, since I've been hearing about it for a while now...

  • Lightfellower

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 8:29 am PT

    I am excited about both games!

  • Lord_Regnier

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 6:14 am PT

    Good news!

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 3:39 am PT

    I don't care about Blue Dragon since the 360 release was a disappointment. But I do love my Suikoden. Damn shame this isn't for the PS3 or 360. I'm not really into the portable scene. Guess I better blow the dust of my DS.

  • MSG-Deathscythe

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 2:57 am PT

    looks awesome!

    http://ds.ign.com/dor/objects/14275824/suikoden-tierkreis/videos/Suikoden-DS-3.html

  • MSG-Deathscythe

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 2:36 am PT

    first of all, i'm surprised that there are still people posting on this game site who still don't own a DS or three. secondly, i'm even more surprised that there are DS haters. Even though it is the oldest of the current gen consoles and has the weakest graphics, it still has an awesome library of games and is hands down the most played console i own (and i own them all). Finally ... i still can't believe there are "gamers" out there who don't own a DS. shocking!!!

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 12:11 am PT

    TheTenth10

    Umm.... Konami's already done GBA and DS games... they're called Boktai and Solar Knights... the music is in MGS4..... shut... the... hell... up. Your stupidity precedes you, so just be quiet from now on. Plus, the DS has more worth-while games on it than the PS3 right now, so I think you better pull back on your "real" game bit.

  • TheTenth10

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 12:01 am PT

    very disappointed to see that Konami too wants to get easy bucks by doing a DS game rather than doing a "real" game on PS3 ; lust for money sucks

  • blackace

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:45 pm PT

    I have a DS and will be picking both of these games up.

  • REDSEED

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:25 pm PT

    at lest they release a suikoden game I dont care which console we have been waiting to long since 5

  • mjk_1

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 11:11 pm PT

    I

  • Trogeton

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 10:28 pm PT

    poor little ds.. can't ever get a game with a perfect rating and doubt that these little game will make a difference

  • jsmoke03

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:55 pm PT

    suikoden for the ps3 please!

  • nintendoboy16

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:40 pm PT

    @Kvain
    "Bah... Why not PSP"

    Because it could be either

    A: The devs behind Suikoden and Blue Dragon can choose what system they want to make the game on
    B. The DS sells better than PSP (well maybe that may not be the reason).

  • cegmp

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:36 pm PT

    Another sign that's telling me to get a DS! Wish they'd port it to the psp. I do love the Suikoden series!

  • xdeiri

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:35 pm PT

    ds is the best system this gen , it has every game out there

  • rulo_rezn0r

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 8:02 pm PT

    nice
    i liked blue dragon for the 360

  • ShirkDawg

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 7:59 pm PT

    Funny how people are already proclaiming "2 more great games for DS". I have a DS, and like the system as much as the next guy, but come on, we don't even know if this Suikoden will be anywhere near as good as 1,2, and 5. This sounds like it is a spinoff, and who knows if it will measure up in quality to those games. Don't get me wrong, I love Suikoden, but I'm not getting ahead of myself here. Now for Blue Dragon, I still haven't beaten the first one yet, so I'll wait and see. I think Mistwalker should focus on making more great games like Lost Odyssey though. Blue Dragon isn't anywhere near as good as Chrono Trigger. Having the same artist doesn't make everything the same. What they need is a creative story that doesn't follow modern or past conventions, and a brilliant soundtrack, complimented by lush art. A fun battle system, not the repetitive one found in Blue Dragon, is something that can set a great RPG apart as well.

  • N8A

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 6:23 pm PT

    well yahoo for suikoden

  • mr_squibble

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:56 pm PT

    Just two more reasons why the DS is hands down my favorite gaming system right now.

  • PhazonBlazer

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:53 pm PT

    Two great games for the DS

  • Dirk13

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:53 pm PT

    both have had games that suck, so this could go either way.

    They need to kind of "relaunch suikoden".

    I liked the 1st, the 2nd eluded me until i finally got it, but am now too afraid to put the disc in my playstation, and 3, while it seems to be the last really well received, looks kind of staled......i kind of gave up after that.

  • svaubel

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:25 pm PT

    Sweet. Glad BD+ is coming Stateside

  • axelviiii

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 5:07 pm PT

    I do love the Portable RPGs.

  • Pfilosophy

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 4:57 pm PT

    More Suikoden?! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!

  • AgentA-Mi6

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 4:20 pm PT

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Where is my Next Gen Suikoden for Ps3?

  • Ryuketsu2043

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 3:56 pm PT

    wow blue dragon was 2006?!?! wow time flies..as for Suikoden..oh gods yes

  • BioShockOwnz

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 3:40 pm PT

    Both awesome games. I have Blue Dragon Plus imported, and I'm loving it. It stinks that Ignition Entertainment is the publisher, though. That's a fatal blow to the marketing side for the game. And sales will reflect that.

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:57 pm PT

    Cool. Suikoden games are generally pretty good. If Blue Dragon was a just a port I'd pass, but a sequel might be enjoyable.

  • bluej33

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:45 pm PT

    I know nothing about Suikoden, but Blue Dragon looked cool back when it first came out on the 360. I might have to check it out.

  • zhivago_x

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:30 pm PT

    OK. New Suikoden. Time to get a DS.

  • Chico_Azteca

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:20 pm PT

    another 2 great RPG's to the Ds, my favorite genre.

  • SLjimbolian

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:19 pm PT

    Even though I don't have a DS, I'm stoked Konami is finally bringing back Suikoden.

  • VenDaler

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    About time to hear about a new Suikoden. I was wondering about a console one.

  • nocoolnamejim Site moderator

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:57 pm PT

    Wow. The DS is definitely becoming the handheld of choice for JRPG remakes and ports.

    Not that excited about Blue Dragon, but Suikoden rocks.

    It sure would be nice to see some more quality RPG goodness on the regular consoles and PC though... It has been a long, dry generation.

  • Kvain

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:51 pm PT

    Bah... why not PSP?

  • akuya32

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:21 pm PT

    Suikoden is one of my favorite rpg series and its good to know a new one is coming out even though its on a handheld.

  • Holdwick

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:19 pm PT

    Wow, that's awesome news, another two rpgs to the DS!!!

  • Lord_Artix

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:16 pm PT

    God it's great to have a DS. Can't wait for either of these games.

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 1:07 pm PT

    sounds good to me

  • Mamba219

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:49 pm PT

    Too dang cool, I'm a huge Suikoden nerd however much I hate to admit it. Hearing about a new Suikoden game is always great news.

  • Shadow_Fire41

    Posted Sep 16, 2008 12:44 pm PT

    omfg, suikoden, its a ****ing miracle, i don't believe it yet here it is, God has answered my prayers.

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