Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time sends a pair of heroes, Time and Sherlotta, across rifts in time to save a world threatened by the disappearance of the crystals on which civilization's survival depends. It's a dungeon crawler in the series' action mold – players make their way through dungeons, gather resources, and fight in real time, while a signature Crystal Chronicles element remains: the need to carry a protective crystal that shields the characters from poisonous miasma.

The Nintendo DS version uses the touch screen for quick access to inventory and spells and offers local wireless multiplayer for up to four players, who can even connect with just a single copy of the game thanks to Download Play. The handheld treatment meant shorter dungeons suited to short sessions and a simpler interface than the previous console entries, bringing the game closer to gaming on the go. Cooperating on a small handheld's single screen also changes the dynamic of play – players keep a much closer eye on shared resources and hash out their next moves in a hurry between dungeon floors.

Unlike the series' older entries, where the party had to make do with a single shared crystal, in Echoes of Time each character carries their own protective crystal, so players don't have to stick together around one carrier and can split up in the dungeons and move more freely. Resources gathered from monsters are also used to craft and upgrade equipment between expeditions, which brings the game closer to shorter, single-sitting dungeon crawlers rather than sprawling console adventures.

Why play: For fans of cooperative dungeon crawlers who want the Crystal Chronicles experience adapted to short handheld sessions with friends close at hand.