Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, announced on June 2nd, 2009 at E3 2009, is the third game in the Golden Sun series. Originally shown as "Golden Sun DS", the game was revealed to have the subtitle "Dark Dawn" at E3 2010 on June 15th, 2010.

The announcement of this title comes over five years after the release of The Lost Age in 2003. For information about hoaxes and fan speculation prior to this game's confirmation, see Golden Sun 3 Prerelease Speculation.

Plot and Setting
At present, there are many details of the game's story and setting that are unrevealed; however, the names of the three pictured characters have been confirmed to be Matthew, Karis, and Terrell. Nintendo Power magazine had claimed that Matthew is the son of the previous games' hero, Isaac. What has been revealed about the plot from E3 2010 is that it will revolve around the failure of the Golden Sun to restore peace to the world, apparently due to something "going wrong" with the Golden Sun during its return to the world of Weyard.

It has been stated at the Nintendo press release in E3 2009 that the game will follow the story of the previous heroes' descendants. In addition, at E3 what appeared to be prologue text for the game was displayed. The known text reads:
 * ...of a disaster the likes of which had never been seen before.
 * The heavens stormed. The lands quaked. The seas raged. Across the land, people prepared for the end of the world.
 * The tale spread that this calamity was caused by some unknown soul who had released a forbidden power upon the world.

E3 2010 saw an extended trailer, revealing the tagline "The Golden Sun was supposed to restore peace to the world, but something... Went wrong", as well as the reveal of the game's subtitle, Dark Dawn. Further information appears to substantiate the claim that the new characters are the direct descendants of the original cast, revealing that "A generation has passed since the Golden Sun rose above Weyard", and that ''"A new generation must rise to meet this challenge." ''

The trailer seems to show that the embodiment and/or result of whatever it was that "went wrong" is the appearance of dark spheres across Weyard that may be akin to black holes, such as near one town that the playable characters and some NPCs are seen watching.

Gameplay
The game features a world with 3D environments and entirely 3D battles, and it will feature touch-screen controls that are described by official sources as "pushing the boundaries of intuitive touch-screen controls".

Attendees to E3 reported that the demo of the game that was available on the show floor consisted entirely of a short playable segment where the protagonist could be controlled to walk around, but do little else other than cross a bridge. As soon as the end of the area is reached, the demo fades into the gameplay trailer. The trailer itself shows the protagonist walking through various cavernous and rocky locations in 3D, and shows several battles in 3D as well, featuring completed models of the three known playable characters as well as models of various monsters, some appearing familiar and otherwise.

The primary aspect of the battles shown in both the initial trailer and the hands-on trailer are several summon sequences, and from what is discernible from one video of the hands-on trailer, the top screen of the DS shows the party's Djinn walking around in 2D while the battle takes place in 3D below. When a summon sequence is used, Djinn from the upper screen visibly disappear, as though that is how the game represents Djinn On Standby being used up for summons. Summons shown are Ramses, Atalanta, Eclipse, and what appears to be a water-based summon resembling a woman on a Hippocamp riding in and calling forth a tidal wave to wash over the enemy monsters; portions of the fan community allege this to be a redesign of Nereid, particularly because two Mercury Djinn on the top are seen disappearing when she is summoned, which was the same amount and element of Djinn needed to summon Nereid in the previous two games. This and other aspects of the game remain unconfirmed, though.

Extended Gallery

Trivia

 * The August 2009 issue of the U.K.-circulated Official Nintendo Magazine made the erroneous claim that the main playable character seen in the E3 trailer was Isaac himself, rather than a descendant of Isaac as confirmed by the E3 press release. Nintendo Power reported him to be Isaac's son beforehand.
 * A Spanish-language site provided Golden Sun DS a subtitle, "A New Dawn", late September 2009. Of course, since the source of this claim is not Nintendo or Camelot, this cannot be taken as reliable information on the game's full title until further notice, considering in particular its resemblance to what Reggie Fils-Aime metaphorically referred to it at the unveiling of the sequel at E3 2009 (i.e. "2010 will bring a new dawn with Golden Sun DS").