When it comes to dungeon crawlers, Rogue springs to mind, and with it plenty "rogue-likes." However, there are others that differ significantly from the Rogue formula, allowing multiple-character parties that you create individually, a 3D perspective, and random battles. The only examples I have played are the two Etrian Odyssey games and Dark Spire. I think Class of Heroes is supposed to be similar, but I am waiting for the Go before getting a PSP.

I noticed Shining in the Darkness sort of fits the bill on VC, but the characters are ready-made. Creating your party gives a unique feeling of ownership or responsibility over the game, which is what I'm looking for. The review also makes it sound pretty bad, anyway, so...

Anyway, can anyone name similar games? Or is there a name for this specific sub-genre that I could look up on my own? I thought maybe "3D dungeon crawler" would cover it, but that just brought up more rogue-likes, except with 3D third-person graphics. I tried "first-person dungeon crawler," but it didn't produce any solid results, either.

Etrian Odyssey is said to be inspired by older games, so I am assuming there are other games like it -- I just can't find them! Dark Spire's formulaic similarity only furthers my belief that this is a sub-genre of the dungeon crawler that I simply can't find the word to search for.

Evolution Worlds offers 3D randomly generated dungeons (in the first part and a special dungeon from the second, anyway...the rest are set), but the characters are pre-set (quite customizable, but still pre-set). For Rogue-likes, I like Chocobo Dungeon.

I'm just about to get rid of Dark Spire for the same reasons, but I do love Etrian Odyssey and recommend you pick those back up. I don't know if Class of Heroes is any good but more importantly, I don't know if it will be made available as a download. It isn't now, and if they don't bother, you won't be able to play it on a PSP Go!

re: Shining in the Darkness -- according to GameFAQs you can name your own character, but you start off as a knight, and the two others who start with you are a cleric and a magic user, and it looks like you've only got the three characters for the entire game. ouch.

@ Stuffo
Right, I'm still not sold on the PSP Go. Some people are optimistic that most of the current library is being prepped for download, but Sony has never commented on this. Let's say I'm being cautiously optimistic on that front.

Evolution Worlds looks okay, though it doesn't seem to have been well received and I'm without a Gamecube controller or memory card, unfortunately. Thanks though!

@ Dragon
I wouldn't expect much more than that, really. The fact that they're not really customizable makes it much less appealing though.

About Shining in the Darkess: Seriously, just get Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. It has that, Golden Axe Warrior (which I think you showed interest in recently), and 47 other games, all for $30! Why waste cash at $5-8 a pop?

I don't know how well Evolution Worlds was received overall, but I think it's great. Shame if you don't have the accessories needed to play it, though.

I loved Shining in the Darkness. I own the cartridge and still play it every now and then. Good times.

Dark Cloud 1 and 2 are the only ones I've played. I didn't care for 1 but 2 is amazing.

And on the Wii, there is Baroque(sp?). l think that's what you're looking for.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is a great action RPG dungeon crawler the DS version is better because of the control scheme

I guess this thread title is misleading, but since I don't know what to call this imagined sub-genre of Dungeon Crawler, it was hard to name it more clearly. I am seeking to find a specific sub-genre of dungeon crawler in the first post. None of those games really fit the bill, Popy and Irken, but thanks.

And since you mentioned them: Dark Cloud seems vaguely interesting, though I know next to nothing about the games. Baroque and Crystal Chronicles both seem a bit dull. I haven't played either, though I did play the original Crystal Chronicles.

I was specifically wondering if there are more games along the lines of Etrian Odyssey I & II and Dark Spire (all DS games) where you move along a grid like in Rogue, except there are random battles in JRPG fashion, and most importantly a customizable team that you create before going in, not just one character or multiple ready-made characters.

The way EO and Spire feel so similar and old-school implies that they are based on a certain type of old game, but I can't figure out what this supposed sub-genre would be called or what games they might be based off of that I could play.

If you can get your hands onto Phantasy Star Online for the Gamecube, you'll fall in love with it since its such a great dungeon crawler. Oh and you don't have to play it online to play it. Offline can support up to 4 players at once, so if you have friends that also like this gem then your in luck Adam!

Dang, I got rid of my Gamecube stuff already, so I don't have the controller to play it. I always wanted to try it but thought you had to have the GCN online to play!

Fatal Labarynth. Like that one. I still have yet to crank up Shining in the Darkness cause I started Blue Dragon Plus. But as of other dungeon crawlers....... Campions of Norath, Diablo are my other favs.

Fatal Labyrinth looks really cool. I wish Sega would put that on VC, though that would also require Nintendo to update the VC.

But once again not really what the topic was asking for (not that I mind). I need to change that title.

The term I always heard for these games is 1st person dungeon crawlers. I think Atlus themselves said Etrian Odyssey was based mainly on the Wizardry series. In fact about 90% of the great games in that genre were on the PC such as Wizardry, Might and Magic (6 and 7 are fantastic but a bit different since they combine real time and turn based), Bard's Tale, Stonekeep is ok but it's only $5.00 on GOG, and of course the most famous game in that sub-genre which is Dungeon Master which I am ashamed to say I have never played. Unfortunately, other than Etrian Odyssey I can't say I have played a decent dungeon crawler on a console.

That's what I had thought it'd be called. I searched first-person dungeon crawler on Google and didn't really get the most solid results. I was hoping to find some indie games free online. For whatever reason you can search for roguelikes and find a million free ones online, but this similar game type yields almost no results. How sad.

Wizardry is the only one I'd heard of before, but unfortunately the Wizardry Archive goes for about $100 used on Ebay. It looks like I'll have to wait until I get a PSP and hope Class of Heroes is better than IGN thinks it is.

Dungeon Hack (a commercial game from 1993 or so for DOS) had random-generated dungeons from the first person perspective, but it had only one player character but you could customize him/her pretty well. The game used AD&D 2nd Edition rules and you moved square by square and in 90 degree turns. And it wasn't turn-based.

EDIT: The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall for PC is now freeware. Again, it's a single-character 'team', I presume, but AFAIK it had random-generated dungeons etc. I'm not certain, since I haven't tried it out yet. One notable problem with the game is that you need an emulator to run it on modern computers and operating systems.

Sorry Adam, I saw "dungeon crawler" and Dark Cloud is the game that fits that bill to me.

However, now that I know what you want, you should look into the new Shin Megami Tensei game that's coming out on the DS. It IS a first person dungeon crawler. I don't know it's subtext, but there are only two SMT DS games so you should figure out which one I mean =P

Shin Megami Tensei and Elder Scrolls II... noted. Thanks, guys. Downloading the first two Elder Scrolls now (already have DOS Box), and I'll look into SMT. I know nothing about it, but someone was telling me about Persona recently. I just shrugged it off because the one video I saw looked confusing. I'll have to give it another look!

Well, SMT isn't set in one genre (besides RPG). Most are like Pokemon (The early ones, in fact, came before Pokemon) and others are action RPGs, strategy RPGs, and the first person dungeon crawlers that you're looking for. I can't give you much info on them as I've only played P3 and P4.

As for Persona, it's a spin off series. The first two are first person with turn based battles, but the newer ones (3 and 4) are life SIM type deals with third person dungeon exploring and, again, Pokemon type monster collecting and rock paper scissors abilities.

I think someone mentioned them above, but he Bard's Tale games (run 'em through DOsBox, you should be able to 1-3 online as abandonware) might be up your alley.