Etrian Odyssey was made by creator Kazuya Niinou, already famous for his Trauma Center DS games. Wanting to go back to the days of early gaming and graph mapping, he came up with the concept for Etrian Odyssey.

At first glance the game is as basic as it gets. There are no character personalities to get attached to, and while there is a story it is so subtle at first that for fifty percent of the game, you do not see it. The gist of the game: you create your party of fighters, enter the labyrinth, map it out, and see how far down you can go.

The game's big selling point is its difficulty. Etrian Odyssey is unusually difficult. That's not saying that it is the most difficult out there. On the contrary, the game is difficult without killing the fun and becoming impossible. A game over is promised. Level hammering is a must. Patience is rewarded.

Map creating is the highlight of the system. Remembering to mark down where enemies are is crucial to your survival. In addition your party combination is unlimited. With nine classes each with four character styles and nearly unlimited character creation, your five party team will more than likely get changed several times over before you find what works best for you.

Key Game Features:

• Use the touch screen and stylus to create your own unique map. Use icons to help remember locations of monsters, treasure, and other important events.
• Create and name your own unique guild and create as many characters as you need for a vital and powerful five-person team.
• Choose from nine different classes: protector, medic, landsknecht, alchemist, survivalist, dark hunter, troubador, ronin, and hexer.
• Each class has over a dozen different skills. Use your limited skill points to create your own unique, powerful adventurers.
• Each adventurer has a level cap at Level 70.
• Enter a labyrinth full of many enemies and traps and see how deep you can go - and solve all the secrets of the labyrinth.