skip to main |
skip to sidebar
"The last time we saw a Dragon Quest Monsters game in North America was six years ago on the Game Boy Color, when the franchise still went by the moniker "Dragon Warrior." Importers aside, then, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker for the Nintendo DS is a triumphant return to the Western world. Boasting gorgeous 3D visuals, a plethora of monsters to capture, and a compulsive monster-breeding system, this entry in the series should keep monster collection fans playing for hours on end. The emphasis on grinding, however, will make newcomers want to approach with caution."
Full Source:
Gamespot
"After almost a year since its Japanese release, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker finally makes its U.S. debut to appease many fans of the series since its original Gameboy outings. Dragon Quest Monsters in general can be seen as Square-Enix's modern day answer to Nintendo's Pokémon games, namely Diamond and Pearl. What differs Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl isn't so much its gotta catch'em all complex but rather its ability to take what's best about the Pokémon games and combine them with what's always been a trademark about all Dragon Quest games to date; the journey being more important than the destination, grinding and turn-based battles, and witty humor that always manages to charm the game through completion. Of course fans of both games will have no trouble enjoying this title, but those new to either the gotta catch'em craze found in Pokémon or the oldschool charm found in Dragon Quest need not worry about whether they'll enjoy this game. Unlike previous Dragon Quest Monsters titles, Joker features no random generated dungeons."
Full Source:
Siliconera
"Whether you want to call it "fashionably late" or "missed the party," Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker has finally hit North America. During Q4 and its incredible torrent of releases, DQMJ still manages to stick out as one of the highest-profile titles releasing on the system this year. Is it the real deal, or just another imitator? Read on and find out!"
Full Source:
DSFanboy
"The release of a new Dragon Quest game always constitutes an epic date for hardcore fans, yet nothing more than one more game released for everybody else. This is especially true in the case of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, as this spin-off series' latest installments have been only released in Japan, a situation that has generated hordes of drooling fans on one side and mobs of young gamers who will only look at Joker as "another Pokemon clone" on the other. This time, however, the series has broken some new ground that should interest anyone, as it's finally stepped up to full 3D graphics and mixes the usual monster collection with some enjoyable RPG elements."
Full Source:
Gamespy
"It's been a long while since we've seen the Dragon Quest Monsters series outside of Japan, but 2007 is the homecoming year for the Square Enix franchise worldwide. Originating in 1998, Dragon Quest Monsters (Dragon Warrior Monsters, here in America) was Square's answer to the Pokemon craze. Teaming its series characters with turn-based battle perfected for nearly a decade before, Dragon Quest Monsters seemed to have the best of both worlds, as it became an instant pocket classic. Now nearly a decade - and a few Japan-only releases - later, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker is making its return to the US, and it's a pretty decent homecoming indeed."
Full Source:
IGN
"When Nintendo discovered big money with its Pokémon games, everyone else hopped aboard the bandwagon -- including the venerable great-granddad of console RPGs, Dragon Quest. Fair enough -- Pokémon borrowed its share of essentials from Dragon Quest, so its own innovations being borrowed back (in the form of the Dragon Quest Monsters portable titles) was just Enix squaring things up."
Full Source:
1up
"In Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, you play as a young man with an enormous chip on his shoulder--though it's understandable considering that in his case, being grounded means being hurled in a dungeon for ten days.
His father, Warden Trump (a shoo-in for Father of the Year), releases you on the condition that you participate in the Monster Scout Challenge as an agent of the mysterious CELL organization--meaning he probably wants to get his hands on the prized Scout's Mark. And thus, you're effectively been launched into your monster-collecting adventure."
Full Source:
Gamepro
"The regular Dragon Quest series is far more known in the States than its Monsters spin-off. This situation might change, however, with the American release of Joker, the latest effort by the legendary trio who created the Dragon Quest world: the "mind" Yuji Horii, the designer Akira Toriyama and the composer Koichi Sugiyama. After having been compared to the Pokemon series for years, Monsters celebrates its first appearance on DS with a total restyling that makes it closer to an RPG than to a simple monster-fighting game."
Full Source:
Gamespy
"If you're someone who's just "gotta catch 'em all," then Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker will be right up your alley. Though you shouldn't dismiss it as a Pokémon knockoff: This Nintendo DS turn-based role-paying game has a personality all its own. We had a chance to sit down with it this week and are pleased to see how well it's shaping up."
Full Source:
Gamespot
"Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker has about one subtitle too many for comfort. But though it may be a sequel to a spin-off, Joker has more in common with its traditional Dragon Quest parents than you might expect -- and features some of the highest production values yet seen on Nintendo DS.
That may come as a surprise; video game spin-offs tend to be quick dirty efforts to wring a little extra cash from beloved series with a minimum of time, effort, expense... and polish. Joker defies that rule, with style. It's less a cynical cash-in than simply a different application of Dragon Quest standards and traditions, with gameplay that looks to have every bit the depth of a regular entry in the series."
Full Source:
1up
"Back in 1999 Enix games debuted a new spin-off title taken from the Dragon Warrior franchise (Dragon Quest, in Japan) to combat the insane Pokemon craze that was - and still is - sweeping the world. Dragon Warrior Monsters was a different take on the monster-battling genre, as players would capture and train their minions, but instead use them as a conventional Dragon Warrior party instead of utilizing the swap-in, swap-out method of its Nintendo competitor. Dragon Warrior boasted a random level generator, 200 different monsters taken directly from the cult classic series, and some seriously traditional RPG action. It was a hit."
Full Source:
IGN
"With a name like Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, you'd think Square Enix's latest foray into the franchise would be funny. Instead, it's trying to stay serious. Square says it's meant for Pokemon trainers ready to take off their training wheels and play a more mature monster hunter."
Full Source:
IGN
"Earlier this year at Square Enix's 20th anniversary festival, Japanese fans clamored to watch a live tournament on stage of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. Some of the best players in the country battled it out to prove who had the best monster-taming skills in front of a nearly packed house of fans cheering for the contestants as if they were pro athletes. It was a testament not just to the very different space video games inhabit in Japanese culture, but to the overwhelming popularity of the DQ series in that country. Soon, American fans will be able to see what all the fuss is about, as Square Enix is set to bring this Nintendo DS game to American shores in November of this year. We had a chance to get some hands-on time with the game at Square Enix's E3 booth to see just how the localized version of this monster-hunting RPG is coming along."
Full Source:
Gamespot
"Unlike the recent and hugely popular Pokémon DS outing, Joker's presentation looks more like a modern 3D RPG thanks to the slick, cartoon-shaded graphic engine mimicking Dragon Quest VIII.
This game also tries to one-up Pokémon by offering 3-on-3 monster battles and a deeper breeding/customization system. And you've gotta give it up for the delightful character designs by renowned Dragon Ball Z artist Akira Toriyama and the majestic musical score by longtime series composer Koichi Sugiyama."
Full Source:
1-up
