Nintendo's new mobile RPG, Dragalia Lost, is now available as a free download for iOS and Android devices, continuing the company's foray into smartphones that started with Super Mario Run.
Nintendo has learned a lot of things since Super Mario Run and has applied them to Dragalia Lost, which is already looking like a major success.
Dragalia Lost: A Free-To-Play JRPG For Smartphones
Nintendo teamed up with Cygames for Dragalia Lost, creating a game that contains all the classic elements of a JRPG. Players will battle with their anime-style characters through a turn-based combat system, in a quest to save the world from utter destruction.
The game works like many mobile, free-to-play action RPGs, with players dragging their finger across the screen to move, while tapping on-screen buttons to attack and swiping to evade. Dragalia Lost ups the coolness factor by giving characters the ability to transform into dragons, which can be done through just one tap of a button. Characters only stay as dragons for a few moments, but that is enough time to dish out a lot of damage.
Dragalia Lost also has a "gacha" element to it, which is basically the Japanese version of microtransactions. As players complete missions and accomplish achievements, they will be rewarded with the in-game currency known as Wyrmite, which can then be spent to summon more characters.
Dragalia Lost is not redefining the mobile RPG genre, but it is much more polished compared to most of the options currently available to iOS and Android gamers. It is free to download, so there is no harm in trying it out.
'Super Mario Run' vs 'Dragalia Lost'
Nintendo formally entered the smartphone gaming industry with Super Mario Run, which was launched two years ago. The game did not follow the traditional formula of a free-to-play game littered with in-app purchases though, as it instead offered a few levels outright and then offered a full unlock for a one-time charge of $9.99.
Super Mario Run, however, never lived up to its potential, according to Nintendo. It moved to the more traditional free-to-play set-up for Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and it is implementing the same formula in Dragalia Lost.
Dragalia Lost, however, is a brand-new property, compared to the iconic Super Mario series. However, by teaming up with Cygames, a company with experience on how to monetize smartphone games, Nintendo has full freedom to allow gamers to explore a new world.
