Play Ougon no Taiyou - Shikkokunaru Yoake (J) Online

Ougon no Taiyou: Shikkokunaru Yoake came out for the Nintendo DS in 2006, developed by Konami. It was part of that early DS wave of ambitious, sometimes quirky, RPGs that really tried to use both screens and the touch interface in interesting ways. It never got a huge following outside Japan, but it had a distinct style that set it apart from the more traditional fantasy games of the time.

You control a young hero gathering a party of warriors, each aligned with a different element, to fight back a spreading darkness. The main goal is to explore dungeons, solve environmental puzzles, and defeat bosses to progress the story. Key mechanics include recruiting and swapping party members to exploit enemy weaknesses, and a day/night cycle that alters dungeon layouts and enemy behavior, making some paths accessible only at certain times. The pacing is deliberate, with a difficulty that punishes careless exploration; you need to manage your resources and think about your team composition. It feels like a thoughtful, slightly melancholic adventure where every decision carries weight.