Jonnas

Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume is an excellent, if overlooked, little gem on the Nintendo DS. And yes, it's a tactical RPG. Gameplay-wise, it has interesting aspects, like the fact that your characters can all gang up on a single enemy, and you decide the order of attacks, which can lead to some interesting combos. Air combos increase experience gained, while ground combos have the potential for most damage (Enemies can do this too, which can be a pain) There are plenty of ways to micromanage your characters: "tactics" are abilities your characters can perform during movement (you can acquire these, and permanently give them to basically any character), "techniques" are abilities automatically activated in battle (they work like the "tactics", but they have more limitations). You can also change the character's default order of attacks (useful for combos) and the usual equipment. There's also limited items/money, which is a difficulty I don't mind in SRPGs. Finally, there's a gameplay aspect that ties with the plot: in each map, you must collect a certain amount of "sin". You can do this by "overkilling" your enemies a.k.a. dealing huge damage on them after they're dead, or by permanently killing off one of your own party members. Completing the sin quota nets you the best items, and if you did this by sacrificing a party member, the main character also gains an incredibly useful tactic. Underachieving this quota basically forces you to sacrifice a character in the next map you play. And like I said, it ties in with the plot. The main character made a pact with the Devil in a quest for revenge. The story is divided into chapters, and there are always 3 available paths in each chapter (usually the same conflict in a different perspective) and 3 available endings. The plot is nothing too long or epic, but it's excellent, thanks in part to the great translation. Anyway, you can find it on ebay for less than 20€ (I never saw it in stores), and it's definitely worth it.

Piercing Silence from Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Even though I didn't initially pay attention to this track against the first bosses, it really grew on me during those last few stages, where we face those really good bosses. Considering those few bosses had proper entrances/introductions, the beginning of the song fits those battles to a T, and pumps you up for the awesome enemy you're about to face. I recently found a better version of it in Harmony of Despair, but I haven't actually played that game. It certainly sounds fantastic, though. Another one is Fighting of the Spirit, which I'm sure you've heard about before I love how the track conveys not only the idea of a tense, important battle, but also the fact that you're essentially fighting a supernatural, divine entity. In Tales of Symphonia, this is especially noticeable in the fights against Volt, Origin and Luna/Aska. This music is the closest thing there is to a "Tales of" series theme, and for good reason, too. After all, this theme only plays a handful of times in Tales of Phantasia.