This game, along with the DS Lite it was bundled with, was pre-owned by the son of a family friend. Don't remember if I had started my first playthrough from the beginning or an existing save file, but I eventually deleted my progress and started over. Even then, I only managed to make it to the final area before abandoning the game.

In retrospect, as a child I didn't understand the importance of leveling up regularly or equipping the proper gear, which would explain the massive difficulty spike I experienced in the late game. Should I return to this game to finally finish it off, it will not be on the original hardware.