History VideoGame / GoldenSunDarkDawn

''Golden Sun: Dark Dawn'' is a 2010 EasternRPG developed by Creator/CamelotSoftwarePlanning for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, a sequel to the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' duology that was released for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance in 2001 and 2003. It was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK3PiBJvElE announced]] at Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s E3 2009 conference as ''Golden Sun DS'', then promptly disappeared off the radar for a year before [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th_DDyyxKNg resurfacing]] at next year's E3 as with the ''Dark Dawn'' subtitle and was confirmed for a release near the end of 2010.

For a list of characters in the game, refer to [[Characters/GoldenSun the original character sheet which has Dark Dawn characters too.]]

** [[spoiler:Later, upon meeting Laurel and Tret, Tret specifically indicates that Amiti is somehow related to Mia. Piers is completely unrelated, but Alex is Mia's cousin. Tret lampshades the possibility of "dark family secrets" at this point.]]

** Rief figures it out too. [[spoiler:His own relationship to Alex (first cousins once removed) is used as a RedHerring for Amiti's relationship to them.]]

** The bonus boss Ancient Devil [[spoiler:will do this to ''one of your party members in battle'']].

* TheBrute: Compared to the other {{Bonus Boss}}es, the Ogre Titans are very straightforward. They don't have any special techniques like mind control or stealing your summons, but they do have a lot of bulk[[note]]Each one has at least twice the health of the previous one, with the last having more health than any other enemy in the game[[/note]], a HealingFactor, an area of effect axe swing, and friends: there are five of them in total.

* LegacyBossBattle: there are two optional fights against the Star Magician and the Dullahan, two of the strongest {{Bonus Boss}}es of the previous game, now even ''stronger''.

** Later in the game, right before the final boss, [[spoiler:Tua Warriors]] appear on every random encounter and drop Waters of Life and give tons of experience (i.e. five-digit amounts), making power-leveling very easy (and making it easy to level up for the post-game {{Bonus Boss}}es). You can easily make it to level 99 within two or three hours.

** [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss The Chaos Chimera]] wields Blados's]] and [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Dullahan]]]] has a rather large blade too. The Lizard monsters get progressively larger ones, until the sword is the same size as its body.

* BonusBoss: It wouldn't be ''Golden Sun'' without these. Just as in ''The Lost Age'', bosses guard the more powerful summon tablets. [[spoiler:And Star Magician and Dullahan make a return, guarding Azul and Iris, just like in ''The Lost Age''. They're more powerful than in ''The Lost Age''. OhCrap indeed.]]

* BrutalBonusLevel: The easiest game in the series has the most grueling BonusDungeon in the series. Every mook monster in [[spoiler:Crossbone Isle]] is [[BossInMookClothing easily as difficult as most of the game's bosses]] (the Great Dragons even more so), and the actual BonusBoss is [[spoiler:a souped-up ''[[MemeticBadass Dullahan]]'']]. As if to compensate, the puzzles in the dungeon are rather easy; they all entirely rely on the Move Psynergy, the most basic Utility Psynergy in the game that you've been using since the very beginning (though the Move puzzles are a little more complicated than what you've been used to throughout the game).

* ElementalTiers: Carried over from the previous games, the strongest weapon is Venus-aligned and the strongest summon is Mars-aligned (though it is impractical) but subverted because the majority of the enemies are weak against Jupiter and resists Venus, including the BonusBoss. This makes Venus ironically the weakest element overall despite its versatility.

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: In the last dungeon, [[spoiler:Tuaparang mooks spawn which drop [[PeninsulaOfPowerLeveling 5-digit numbers of EXP]] and [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist Water of Life]]. Surprisingly enough, you will need them. Chaos Chimera, while no Doom Dragon, is surprisingly tough, and then comes [[BonusDungeon Crossbone Isle]] and [[BonusBoss Dullahan]], who has become ''[[SerialEscalation even more badass than before!]]'']]

** StatusEffects [[SubvertedTrope are very handy]] against the [[BonusBoss Ancient Devil]]. The Devil itself is immune to them, but [[spoiler:allies it has brainwashed with Demon Sign are not, allowing you to neutralize them.]]

** Oddly enough, the final boss also counts, due to the fact that it has very powerful attacks and can haunt your party. Although it's generally tame compared to other final bosses, it's a major step up from the rest of the game, and serves as an indicator of what to expect from the [[BonusBoss Bonus Bosses]].

* GenerationXerox: A young blond Earth Adept with a yellow scarf, his HotBlooded and redheaded Fire Adept friend, a [[JustForPun short]] tempered Wind Adept, and a blue-robed Water Adept go on a journey to save the world...and they're the children of the heroes who exactly fit those descriptions [[VideoGame/GoldenSun previously]]...although Garet was supposed to be and [[SuddenlyBlonde finally is]] a brunet.

** The Djinn now all have unique designs, the problem is that a number are punning off their Japanese name. For example, Rescue (English: Breath) looks like a knight's helmet and Kiss (English: Steel) now has a pair of puckered lips. [[labelnote:*]]Though in Steel's case, it should be noted that the description still states it kisses the foe to [[JustForPun steal]] their HP[[/labelnote]].