Play MapleStory DS (J) Online

MapleStory DS came out in 2010 for the Nintendo DS, developed by Nexon. It was a time when a lot of big console and PC games were getting scaled-down, portable versions, and this was MapleStory's turn. It tried to capture the feel of the online game on a much smaller screen, with mixed results.

You control a custom character from one of the classic classes, like a warrior or an archer, and you run through side-scrolling areas fighting monsters. The main goal is to progress through the story by completing quests and defeating bosses. Signature mechanics include touchscreen-based combat, where you swipe or tap to attack, and a simplified skill system for upgrading your abilities. The pacing is fairly slow, and the difficulty can feel uneven, especially with the imprecise controls. It feels like a condensed, sometimes clumsy, but still earnest attempt to bring a big world into your hands.