Lately I've found that the most recent big console JRPGs have ended up disappointing me midway through the game, which usually results in me stopping the game and very rarely coming back to it. The DS however offers a much better experience as it doesn't require the player to sit through hours of redundant scenes that only serve to show off the extreme graphics or learning a battle system that requires a 500 page instruction booklet just to learn how to move around and attack.
My point is you get more gameplay from a DS JRPG; now onto Rhapsody.
Anyone who watches Shoujo anime can easily pick up the story; you play a girl named Cornet who has the magical ability to talk to puppets and what starts as a simple job to collect some fire stone, quickly turns into the classic prince saves the girl from a monster encounter. You spend the first three short chapters trying to get the prince's attention until chapter four where he is kidnapped and the real RPG begins.
Rhapsody… more »

Lately I've found that the most recent big console JRPGs have ended up disappointing me midway through the game, which usually results in me stopping the game and very rarely coming back to it. The DS however offers a much better experience as it doesn't require the player to sit through hours of redundant scenes that only serve to show off the extreme graphics or learning a battle system that requires a 500 page instruction booklet just to learn how to move around and attack.
My point is you get more gameplay from a DS JRPG; now onto Rhapsody.
Anyone who watches Shoujo anime can easily pick up the story; you play a girl named Cornet who has the magical ability to talk to puppets and what starts as a simple job to collect some fire stone, quickly turns into the classic prince saves the girl from a monster encounter. You spend the first three short chapters trying to get the prince's attention until chapter four where he is kidnapped and the real RPG begins.
Rhapsody has many unique selling points that make it unique among it's rivals.
1. It's shorter than most JRPGs as it's only seven chapters long but I assure you that chapters 4-7 make up for the shortness of the first three.
2. The areas are split into small segments so your never in the same place for too long.
3. It's a musical game so you hear some fantastic Japanese singing from the impressive musical score.
4. You get rewarded for healing & powering up your party.
5. The reward you get for doing so is the ability to attack all the enemies on screen with one of the following: Sugar Candy, Flan, Cake or Pancakes.
I'm not kidding here, you drop giant desserts on your enemy.
The selling points out weigh the shortcomings of this game which in the eyes of many can be seen as a little too easy & basic to play compared to more popular titles.
I can understand why but then again I don't really want Rhapsody to be complicated as it wouldn't make it very unique.
Overall Rhapsody is the perfect example of a JRPG that doesn't require all the big graphics, complex story and heavy gameplay features to be good; it has just enough to be as good as any JRPG.