Play Megaman Star Force 3 - Black Ace (us) Online

I picked up Megaman Star Force 3: Black Ace when it came out for the Nintendo DS in 2009. It was developed and published by Capcom, and it felt like a solid part of that late-era DS library, a time when developers were really comfortable with what the dual screens and touch input could do. This was the third game in the Star Force series, and it landed right as the handheld was hitting its stride with these kinds of action RPGs.

You control Geo Stelar, a boy who can merge with an electromagnetic being called Omega-Xis to become Mega Man. Your main goal is to stop a wave of noise corruption and an invading FM-ian army. The gameplay splits between exploring the real world screen by screen, talking to people, and then diving into the Wave World for combat. Battles happen on a 3x5 grid; you lock on to enemies and fire your buster, but the real strategy comes from selecting and activating Battle Cards in real time. You collect hundreds of these cards, building a custom folder for each encounter. The pacing is brisk, with frequent random battles that keep you on your toes, and some of the boss fights require quick reflexes and good card management. It feels like a constant back-and-forth between thoughtful preparation in the overworld and fast-paced decision making in a fight.