MapleStory DS

Lore & Background

MapleStory DS was announced at E3 2006 and first showcased by Nexon and Nintendo of Korea in January 2007 with a trailer. Originally projected for a September 2007 release, the game faced numerous delays before its Korean premiere on April 15, 2010. A unique MapleStory-themed Nintendo DSi was released alongside the game in Korea. The game was developed as a single-player title with limited multiplayer features and does not support Wi-Fi, as confirmed by Stephen Lee, manager of international business development at Nexon.

Reader's Guide

MapleStory DS holds significance as a rare console adaptation of the massively popular MapleStory MMORPG, but it was explicitly developed for the Korean market only. In 2010, Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim stated that the game was for the Korean market only, quashing hopes for an English release. However, in 2012, director Hong Sungjoon mentioned interest in porting the game to the Nintendo 3DS eShop, though no such port materialized. The game received a score of 28 out of 40 from Famicom Tsūshin. Its legacy includes a sequel for the Nintendo 3DS, MapleStory Unmyeongui Sonyeo, released on April 25, 2013 in South Korea. The game's plot revolves around a jewel called Rubian that causes the destruction of the kingdom of Sharenian, with four playable characters each acquiring a piece of the jewel and uniting to destroy an ultimate evil.

Did You Know?

• MapleStory DS was announced at E3 2006 and first showcased in January 2007.
• The game was originally projected for a September 2007 release but faced numerous delays.
• A unique MapleStory-themed Nintendo DSi was released alongside the game in Korea.
• The game does not support Wi-Fi and is a single-player title with limited multiplayer features.