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This thread has been linked to the game 'Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies'.
I left my DS on all day. The plan was that by utilising the built-in wireless communication, I would pass close enough to somebody else doing the same thing and they would then stay as a guest in the Questers Rest Inn. I would have been a guest in their game at the same time, and we could even have exchanged items. Alas, this never happened. Either I was the only person in the whole city to have the game, or I was the only person in the whole city who was prepared to even try.
Another possibility does present itself, though. And that is that I was the only person in the entire city who even realised that such a thing was possible. This is because there are elements of the game that are not explained particularly well. At times, direction is practically non-existent. I had been able to form a party of NPCs for several hours before I actually did so, and consequently made things a lot harder for myself. This was not out of some need for additional challenge, this was simply because I was never told of the possibility. I discovered it purely by chance.
Later in the game, as the game world opened up in traditional RPG fashion, I found myself with no idea of where to go next. Up until then things had been pretty clearly signposted. On more than one occasion I bit off more than I could chew by not running away from the random battle, and faced monsters far more powerful than my party was able to cope with. I spent a good couple of days just randomly sailing around the world, fighting monsters with no clear heading, and landed on the next chapter of the story owing more of a debt to serendipity than I did to narrative.
Sorry to start out with such a negative. Be satisfied, therefore, with the knowledge that this is where the criticism ends. From this point on, all will be glowing praise!
Over the years, I have fallen somewhat out of love with RPG as a genre. A focus on epic stories told over increasingly long cut-scenes has, for me, taken away from that which I once played the games for. All I wanted was a reason to move forwards, a world to save, a princess to rescue, and a litany of optional quests to attempt along the way. Not to mention, a veritable boatload of monsters to engage in combat with! As long as I have options in combat, and character development, I would be enjoying myself. I am the kind of gamer who would much prefer to spend an hour looking at a status screen as I change every conceivable piece of equipment to see what bonuses they offer than spend 20 minutes doing nothing but watch the latest plot twist unfold, even if the CGI is jaw-dropping.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies gives me exactly what I want, and precious little of the stuff I don't want. It feels in many ways like I have travelled back in time to the RPG 'Golden Age', before production values took centre stage. Combat is strictly turn-based, and enemies just stand there and smile at you until you have finished queuing your moves for the current round. In a world obsessed with pushing more towards real-time systems, it feels like a quaint, but welcome, return to simpler times. As if I have returned to a comfort-zone.
The story is pretty standard fare, if truth be told. You play a Celestrian, who are basically angels, and you are charged with being the guardian of a small town. By doing good deeds, you collect benevolessence from the people down on the surface. This is offered as an act of faith, as they can not actually see you. You then take this benevolessence back up to the Great Observatory, to offer it to the great tree Yggdrasil.
Until, suddenly, it all goes wrong. You awake in the village you were previously protecting, only now you are in human form. Thankfully, you retain some of your angelic abilities. You can see ghosts, and other things that people are simply unaware of. This allows you to unravel the early mystery, and set the games bigger plot into motion. What this amounts to is a succession of "Go to the next town, find out what the problem is, solve it, make people happy." That the solution to the problem usually entails going into a dungeon and fighting a boss monster is only to be expected. That the main game involves gathering the rewards from these battles to get them all together should come as no surprise at all.
What is unexpected is the sheer level of charm that the game possesses. There are no random battles, as such, just a series of encounters that are clearly marked on the world map. You can engage, or avoid, as you see fit. Monsters look quite playful, come replete with a series of amusing names, and the localisation of all the text in the game is of the highest quality. Place-names, character names, even quest names; It really is a joy to read, with puns both groan-inducing and delicious. (Some are blatant, others sneak up on you.) I laughed out loud when reading what was clearly meant to be a Welsh accent, and the NPC ended their speech with the word "Tidy."
This charm spreads into the look of the game, along with the enemy attacks and death-animations. It really is hard to get angry with a battle you were unable to escape from when you are forced to spend an attack round doing some hilarious disco-dancing. The effect is even better when you have completely customised your party, from their names to their equipment. Maybe you want armoured hulks, but maybe you would have a better time dressing them all in bunny ears and tails? The choice really is yours, and the game is all the better for this level of personalisation. After all, what could be better than speccing a Warrior for maximum damage, dressing him in next to nothing, and then taking "Punchface" into your friend’s game?
Taking him online would be better, but sadly this is not possible. Multiplayer is limited to local wireless communication only. This is still extremely enjoyable, as there are no restrictions on location. Your colleagues can go whichever way they feel like, and you can do the same. (If need arises, you can always summon them to your side.) A strict 4-player limit is in place, but gaps can be made up with NPCs. This enters a class of its own post-completion, when a myriad of quests and treasure maps open up. (There are also additional quests available via Nintendo WFC, along with selections of items every week.) Your character from single-player still earns EXP and loot whilst in a multiplayer game, but can not move their story on. A neat EXP system also prevents power and over levelling via this method, with the highest level character getting the bulk of the EXP from every battle. This is a double-edged sword, in that grinding to level up additional characters can become extremely time-consuming, and also counts as a hindrance when the ability to change your characters class presents itself. Since every character starts a new class from level 1, switching from the default Minstrel class to the far more interesting Paladin class involves quite a large amount of hunting for specific high-EXP gain monsters. Especially frustrating if said monsters run away from the fight!
A lot was made of the decision to release this title on the DS instead of one of the more powerful consoles. The decision has been well and truly vindicated. What we have is a title that grabs hold of all the advantages of its host console, whilst simultaneously revelling in the restrictions. Being on a cartridge-based handheld, there are few opportunities for the plot to become self-indulgent. Instead, the experience is a refinement of all that has made Dragon Quest such a respected name. At the same time, however, the unique functionalities offered by the platform allow the game to innovate in subtle, social ways.
Ultimately, the mark of good RPG is in how much you enjoy the time between the major story events. As there will always be some grinding to do, and some villagers to talk to, it is important that these sections feel as strong and enjoyable as the main quest does. Whilst some may find the easy-going and relaxed pace to be less than ideal, or the ease with which the main story can be completed too trifling, Dragon Quest IX will have most who play it smiling throughout. Indeed, the game simply does not end with the defeat of the final boss, as there are so many other things to do. A large part of the optional quests and treasure maps are not available until post-game, and this is also the best time to join with friends.
For me, Dragon Quest IX epitomises everything that is great about both the RPG genre, and the DS itself. A game that I can bury myself in for hours, or play for a short while at the bus stop, grinning like a child the whole time! On the surface it is a simple game, but scratch beneath and there is so much more to be revealed. A title that I would reccomend to all RPG-loving DS owners, and also to all who just wish for a good time!
8/10
Another possibility does present itself, though. And that is that I was the only person in the entire city who even realised that such a thing was possible. This is because there are elements of the game that are not explained particularly well. At times, direction is practically non-existent. I had been able to form a party of NPCs for several hours before I actually did so, and consequently made things a lot harder for myself. This was not out of some need for additional challenge, this was simply because I was never told of the possibility. I discovered it purely by chance.
Later in the game, as the game world opened up in traditional RPG fashion, I found myself with no idea of where to go next. Up until then things had been pretty clearly signposted. On more than one occasion I bit off more than I could chew by not running away from the random battle, and faced monsters far more powerful than my party was able to cope with. I spent a good couple of days just randomly sailing around the world, fighting monsters with no clear heading, and landed on the next chapter of the story owing more of a debt to serendipity than I did to narrative.
Sorry to start out with such a negative. Be satisfied, therefore, with the knowledge that this is where the criticism ends. From this point on, all will be glowing praise!
Over the years, I have fallen somewhat out of love with RPG as a genre. A focus on epic stories told over increasingly long cut-scenes has, for me, taken away from that which I once played the games for. All I wanted was a reason to move forwards, a world to save, a princess to rescue, and a litany of optional quests to attempt along the way. Not to mention, a veritable boatload of monsters to engage in combat with! As long as I have options in combat, and character development, I would be enjoying myself. I am the kind of gamer who would much prefer to spend an hour looking at a status screen as I change every conceivable piece of equipment to see what bonuses they offer than spend 20 minutes doing nothing but watch the latest plot twist unfold, even if the CGI is jaw-dropping.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies gives me exactly what I want, and precious little of the stuff I don't want. It feels in many ways like I have travelled back in time to the RPG 'Golden Age', before production values took centre stage. Combat is strictly turn-based, and enemies just stand there and smile at you until you have finished queuing your moves for the current round. In a world obsessed with pushing more towards real-time systems, it feels like a quaint, but welcome, return to simpler times. As if I have returned to a comfort-zone.
The story is pretty standard fare, if truth be told. You play a Celestrian, who are basically angels, and you are charged with being the guardian of a small town. By doing good deeds, you collect benevolessence from the people down on the surface. This is offered as an act of faith, as they can not actually see you. You then take this benevolessence back up to the Great Observatory, to offer it to the great tree Yggdrasil.
Until, suddenly, it all goes wrong. You awake in the village you were previously protecting, only now you are in human form. Thankfully, you retain some of your angelic abilities. You can see ghosts, and other things that people are simply unaware of. This allows you to unravel the early mystery, and set the games bigger plot into motion. What this amounts to is a succession of "Go to the next town, find out what the problem is, solve it, make people happy." That the solution to the problem usually entails going into a dungeon and fighting a boss monster is only to be expected. That the main game involves gathering the rewards from these battles to get them all together should come as no surprise at all.
What is unexpected is the sheer level of charm that the game possesses. There are no random battles, as such, just a series of encounters that are clearly marked on the world map. You can engage, or avoid, as you see fit. Monsters look quite playful, come replete with a series of amusing names, and the localisation of all the text in the game is of the highest quality. Place-names, character names, even quest names; It really is a joy to read, with puns both groan-inducing and delicious. (Some are blatant, others sneak up on you.) I laughed out loud when reading what was clearly meant to be a Welsh accent, and the NPC ended their speech with the word "Tidy."
This charm spreads into the look of the game, along with the enemy attacks and death-animations. It really is hard to get angry with a battle you were unable to escape from when you are forced to spend an attack round doing some hilarious disco-dancing. The effect is even better when you have completely customised your party, from their names to their equipment. Maybe you want armoured hulks, but maybe you would have a better time dressing them all in bunny ears and tails? The choice really is yours, and the game is all the better for this level of personalisation. After all, what could be better than speccing a Warrior for maximum damage, dressing him in next to nothing, and then taking "Punchface" into your friend’s game?
Taking him online would be better, but sadly this is not possible. Multiplayer is limited to local wireless communication only. This is still extremely enjoyable, as there are no restrictions on location. Your colleagues can go whichever way they feel like, and you can do the same. (If need arises, you can always summon them to your side.) A strict 4-player limit is in place, but gaps can be made up with NPCs. This enters a class of its own post-completion, when a myriad of quests and treasure maps open up. (There are also additional quests available via Nintendo WFC, along with selections of items every week.) Your character from single-player still earns EXP and loot whilst in a multiplayer game, but can not move their story on. A neat EXP system also prevents power and over levelling via this method, with the highest level character getting the bulk of the EXP from every battle. This is a double-edged sword, in that grinding to level up additional characters can become extremely time-consuming, and also counts as a hindrance when the ability to change your characters class presents itself. Since every character starts a new class from level 1, switching from the default Minstrel class to the far more interesting Paladin class involves quite a large amount of hunting for specific high-EXP gain monsters. Especially frustrating if said monsters run away from the fight!
A lot was made of the decision to release this title on the DS instead of one of the more powerful consoles. The decision has been well and truly vindicated. What we have is a title that grabs hold of all the advantages of its host console, whilst simultaneously revelling in the restrictions. Being on a cartridge-based handheld, there are few opportunities for the plot to become self-indulgent. Instead, the experience is a refinement of all that has made Dragon Quest such a respected name. At the same time, however, the unique functionalities offered by the platform allow the game to innovate in subtle, social ways.
Ultimately, the mark of good RPG is in how much you enjoy the time between the major story events. As there will always be some grinding to do, and some villagers to talk to, it is important that these sections feel as strong and enjoyable as the main quest does. Whilst some may find the easy-going and relaxed pace to be less than ideal, or the ease with which the main story can be completed too trifling, Dragon Quest IX will have most who play it smiling throughout. Indeed, the game simply does not end with the defeat of the final boss, as there are so many other things to do. A large part of the optional quests and treasure maps are not available until post-game, and this is also the best time to join with friends.
For me, Dragon Quest IX epitomises everything that is great about both the RPG genre, and the DS itself. A game that I can bury myself in for hours, or play for a short while at the bus stop, grinning like a child the whole time! On the surface it is a simple game, but scratch beneath and there is so much more to be revealed. A title that I would reccomend to all RPG-loving DS owners, and also to all who just wish for a good time!
8/10
Hi to bad no one went to your inn i would and you could help me cause i need serious help finding the locations of two more fyggs could you tell me the locations of all the fyggs you no about
thanks Cheeky Lee
From GamerSam
thanks Cheeky Lee
From GamerSam
Thanks for the kind words, pb, but don't sell yourself short! Your Darksiders review was very good, especially with the song title chapters.
DQIX doesn't really require a massive time investment. You certainly won't find yourself unable to save for long stretches of time, like in some other RPGs. It is an extremely relaxed game at times, and I often pick it up for a half hour or so session before bed.
DQIX doesn't really require a massive time investment. You certainly won't find yourself unable to save for long stretches of time, like in some other RPGs. It is an extremely relaxed game at times, and I often pick it up for a half hour or so session before bed.
This is a fantastic review CheekyLee. Puts mine to shame!
Sounds like a great game too. I don't have time for RPGs, much as I'd like to, put this really makes me want to play it.
Sounds like a great game too. I don't have time for RPGs, much as I'd like to, put this really makes me want to play it.
Warhunt wrote:
.......tidy
Speaking as a resident of an area where this word is included in around 1 out of every 5 spoken sentences I believe the correct pronunciation is ''tie -deeee'.The start of the sentence is usually ''orite sh*g'' which I believe translates as ''greetings to you my dear friend''.There will most likely be a ''fair do's'' stuck in there at some point as well.
Hope this helps :)
.......tidy
Speaking as a resident of an area where this word is included in around 1 out of every 5 spoken sentences I believe the correct pronunciation is ''tie -deeee'.The start of the sentence is usually ''orite sh*g'' which I believe translates as ''greetings to you my dear friend''.There will most likely be a ''fair do's'' stuck in there at some point as well.
Hope this helps :)
.......tidy
I left my DS on all day. The plan was that by utilising the built-in wireless communication, I would pass close enough to somebody else doing the same thing and they would then stay as a guest in the Questers Rest Inn. I would have been a guest in their game at the same time, and we could even have exchanged items. Alas, this never happened. Either I was the only person in the whole city to have the game, or I was the only person in the whole city who was prepared to even try.
Another possibility does present itself, though. And that is that I was the only person in the entire city who even realised that such a thing was possible. This is because there are elements of the game that are not explained particularly well. At times, direction is practically non-existent. I had been able to form a party of NPCs for several hours before I actually did so, and consequently made things a lot harder for myself. This was not out of some need for additional challenge, this was simply because I was never told of the possibility. I discovered it purely by chance.
Later in the game, as the game world opened up in traditional RPG fashion, I found myself with no idea of where to go next. Up until then things had been pretty clearly signposted. On more than one occasion I bit off more than I could chew by not running away from the random battle, and faced monsters far more powerful than my party was able to cope with. I spent a good couple of days just randomly sailing around the world, fighting monsters with no clear heading, and landed on the next chapter of the story owing more of a debt to serendipity than I did to narrative.
Sorry to start out with such a negative. Be satisfied, therefore, with the knowledge that this is where the criticism ends. From this point on, all will be glowing praise!
Over the years, I have fallen somewhat out of love with RPG as a genre. A focus on epic stories told over increasingly long cut-scenes has, for me, taken away from that which I once played the games for. All I wanted was a reason to move forwards, a world to save, a princess to rescue, and a litany of optional quests to attempt along the way. Not to mention, a veritable boatload of monsters to engage in combat with! As long as I have options in combat, and character development, I would be enjoying myself. I am the kind of gamer who would much prefer to spend an hour looking at a status screen as I change every conceivable piece of equipment to see what bonuses they offer than spend 20 minutes doing nothing but watch the latest plot twist unfold, even if the CGI is jaw-dropping.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies gives me exactly what I want, and precious little of the stuff I don't want. It feels in many ways like I have travelled back in time to the RPG 'Golden Age', before production values took centre stage. Combat is strictly turn-based, and enemies just stand there and smile at you until you have finished queuing your moves for the current round. In a world obsessed with pushing more towards real-time systems, it feels like a quaint, but welcome, return to simpler times. As if I have returned to a comfort-zone.
The story is pretty standard fare, if truth be told. You play a Celestrian, who are basically angels, and you are charged with being the guardian of a small town. By doing good deeds, you collect benevolessence from the people down on the surface. This is offered as an act of faith, as they can not actually see you. You then take this benevolessence back up to the Great Observatory, to offer it to the great tree Yggdrasil.
Until, suddenly, it all goes wrong. You awake in the village you were previously protecting, only now you are in human form. Thankfully, you retain some of your angelic abilities. You can see ghosts, and other things that people are simply unaware of. This allows you to unravel the early mystery, and set the games bigger plot into motion. What this amounts to is a succession of "Go to the next town, find out what the problem is, solve it, make people happy." That the solution to the problem usually entails going into a dungeon and fighting a boss monster is only to be expected. That the main game involves gathering the rewards from these battles to get them all together should come as no surprise at all.
What is unexpected is the sheer level of charm that the game possesses. There are no random battles, as such, just a series of encounters that are clearly marked on the world map. You can engage, or avoid, as you see fit. Monsters look quite playful, come replete with a series of amusing names, and the localisation of all the text in the game is of the highest quality. Place-names, character names, even quest names; It really is a joy to read, with puns both groan-inducing and delicious. (Some are blatant, others sneak up on you.) I laughed out loud when reading what was clearly meant to be a Welsh accent, and the NPC ended their speech with the word "Tidy."
This charm spreads into the look of the game, along with the enemy attacks and death-animations. It really is hard to get angry with a battle you were unable to escape from when you are forced to spend an attack round doing some hilarious disco-dancing. The effect is even better when you have completely customised your party, from their names to their equipment. Maybe you want armoured hulks, but maybe you would have a better time dressing them all in bunny ears and tails? The choice really is yours, and the game is all the better for this level of personalisation. After all, what could be better than speccing a Warrior for maximum damage, dressing him in next to nothing, and then taking "Punchface" into your friend’s game?
Taking him online would be better, but sadly this is not possible. Multiplayer is limited to local wireless communication only. This is still extremely enjoyable, as there are no restrictions on location. Your colleagues can go whichever way they feel like, and you can do the same. (If need arises, you can always summon them to your side.) A strict 4-player limit is in place, but gaps can be made up with NPCs. This enters a class of its own post-completion, when a myriad of quests and treasure maps open up. (There are also additional quests available via Nintendo WFC, along with selections of items every week.) Your character from single-player still earns EXP and loot whilst in a multiplayer game, but can not move their story on. A neat EXP system also prevents power and over levelling via this method, with the highest level character getting the bulk of the EXP from every battle. This is a double-edged sword, in that grinding to level up additional characters can become extremely time-consuming, and also counts as a hindrance when the ability to change your characters class presents itself. Since every character starts a new class from level 1, switching from the default Minstrel class to the far more interesting Paladin class involves quite a large amount of hunting for specific high-EXP gain monsters. Especially frustrating if said monsters run away from the fight!
A lot was made of the decision to release this title on the DS instead of one of the more powerful consoles. The decision has been well and truly vindicated. What we have is a title that grabs hold of all the advantages of its host console, whilst simultaneously revelling in the restrictions. Being on a cartridge-based handheld, there are few opportunities for the plot to become self-indulgent. Instead, the experience is a refinement of all that has made Dragon Quest such a respected name. At the same time, however, the unique functionalities offered by the platform allow the game to innovate in subtle, social ways.
Ultimately, the mark of good RPG is in how much you enjoy the time between the major story events. As there will always be some grinding to do, and some villagers to talk to, it is important that these sections feel as strong and enjoyable as the main quest does. Whilst some may find the easy-going and relaxed pace to be less than ideal, or the ease with which the main story can be completed too trifling, Dragon Quest IX will have most who play it smiling throughout. Indeed, the game simply does not end with the defeat of the final boss, as there are so many other things to do. A large part of the optional quests and treasure maps are not available until post-game, and this is also the best time to join with friends.
For me, Dragon Quest IX epitomises everything that is great about both the RPG genre, and the DS itself. A game that I can bury myself in for hours, or play for a short while at the bus stop, grinning like a child the whole time! On the surface it is a simple game, but scratch beneath and there is so much more to be revealed. A title that I would reccomend to all RPG-loving DS owners, and also to all who just wish for a good time!
8/10
Another possibility does present itself, though. And that is that I was the only person in the entire city who even realised that such a thing was possible. This is because there are elements of the game that are not explained particularly well. At times, direction is practically non-existent. I had been able to form a party of NPCs for several hours before I actually did so, and consequently made things a lot harder for myself. This was not out of some need for additional challenge, this was simply because I was never told of the possibility. I discovered it purely by chance.
Later in the game, as the game world opened up in traditional RPG fashion, I found myself with no idea of where to go next. Up until then things had been pretty clearly signposted. On more than one occasion I bit off more than I could chew by not running away from the random battle, and faced monsters far more powerful than my party was able to cope with. I spent a good couple of days just randomly sailing around the world, fighting monsters with no clear heading, and landed on the next chapter of the story owing more of a debt to serendipity than I did to narrative.
Sorry to start out with such a negative. Be satisfied, therefore, with the knowledge that this is where the criticism ends. From this point on, all will be glowing praise!
Over the years, I have fallen somewhat out of love with RPG as a genre. A focus on epic stories told over increasingly long cut-scenes has, for me, taken away from that which I once played the games for. All I wanted was a reason to move forwards, a world to save, a princess to rescue, and a litany of optional quests to attempt along the way. Not to mention, a veritable boatload of monsters to engage in combat with! As long as I have options in combat, and character development, I would be enjoying myself. I am the kind of gamer who would much prefer to spend an hour looking at a status screen as I change every conceivable piece of equipment to see what bonuses they offer than spend 20 minutes doing nothing but watch the latest plot twist unfold, even if the CGI is jaw-dropping.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies gives me exactly what I want, and precious little of the stuff I don't want. It feels in many ways like I have travelled back in time to the RPG 'Golden Age', before production values took centre stage. Combat is strictly turn-based, and enemies just stand there and smile at you until you have finished queuing your moves for the current round. In a world obsessed with pushing more towards real-time systems, it feels like a quaint, but welcome, return to simpler times. As if I have returned to a comfort-zone.
The story is pretty standard fare, if truth be told. You play a Celestrian, who are basically angels, and you are charged with being the guardian of a small town. By doing good deeds, you collect benevolessence from the people down on the surface. This is offered as an act of faith, as they can not actually see you. You then take this benevolessence back up to the Great Observatory, to offer it to the great tree Yggdrasil.
Until, suddenly, it all goes wrong. You awake in the village you were previously protecting, only now you are in human form. Thankfully, you retain some of your angelic abilities. You can see ghosts, and other things that people are simply unaware of. This allows you to unravel the early mystery, and set the games bigger plot into motion. What this amounts to is a succession of "Go to the next town, find out what the problem is, solve it, make people happy." That the solution to the problem usually entails going into a dungeon and fighting a boss monster is only to be expected. That the main game involves gathering the rewards from these battles to get them all together should come as no surprise at all.
What is unexpected is the sheer level of charm that the game possesses. There are no random battles, as such, just a series of encounters that are clearly marked on the world map. You can engage, or avoid, as you see fit. Monsters look quite playful, come replete with a series of amusing names, and the localisation of all the text in the game is of the highest quality. Place-names, character names, even quest names; It really is a joy to read, with puns both groan-inducing and delicious. (Some are blatant, others sneak up on you.) I laughed out loud when reading what was clearly meant to be a Welsh accent, and the NPC ended their speech with the word "Tidy."
This charm spreads into the look of the game, along with the enemy attacks and death-animations. It really is hard to get angry with a battle you were unable to escape from when you are forced to spend an attack round doing some hilarious disco-dancing. The effect is even better when you have completely customised your party, from their names to their equipment. Maybe you want armoured hulks, but maybe you would have a better time dressing them all in bunny ears and tails? The choice really is yours, and the game is all the better for this level of personalisation. After all, what could be better than speccing a Warrior for maximum damage, dressing him in next to nothing, and then taking "Punchface" into your friend’s game?
Taking him online would be better, but sadly this is not possible. Multiplayer is limited to local wireless communication only. This is still extremely enjoyable, as there are no restrictions on location. Your colleagues can go whichever way they feel like, and you can do the same. (If need arises, you can always summon them to your side.) A strict 4-player limit is in place, but gaps can be made up with NPCs. This enters a class of its own post-completion, when a myriad of quests and treasure maps open up. (There are also additional quests available via Nintendo WFC, along with selections of items every week.) Your character from single-player still earns EXP and loot whilst in a multiplayer game, but can not move their story on. A neat EXP system also prevents power and over levelling via this method, with the highest level character getting the bulk of the EXP from every battle. This is a double-edged sword, in that grinding to level up additional characters can become extremely time-consuming, and also counts as a hindrance when the ability to change your characters class presents itself. Since every character starts a new class from level 1, switching from the default Minstrel class to the far more interesting Paladin class involves quite a large amount of hunting for specific high-EXP gain monsters. Especially frustrating if said monsters run away from the fight!
A lot was made of the decision to release this title on the DS instead of one of the more powerful consoles. The decision has been well and truly vindicated. What we have is a title that grabs hold of all the advantages of its host console, whilst simultaneously revelling in the restrictions. Being on a cartridge-based handheld, there are few opportunities for the plot to become self-indulgent. Instead, the experience is a refinement of all that has made Dragon Quest such a respected name. At the same time, however, the unique functionalities offered by the platform allow the game to innovate in subtle, social ways.
Ultimately, the mark of good RPG is in how much you enjoy the time between the major story events. As there will always be some grinding to do, and some villagers to talk to, it is important that these sections feel as strong and enjoyable as the main quest does. Whilst some may find the easy-going and relaxed pace to be less than ideal, or the ease with which the main story can be completed too trifling, Dragon Quest IX will have most who play it smiling throughout. Indeed, the game simply does not end with the defeat of the final boss, as there are so many other things to do. A large part of the optional quests and treasure maps are not available until post-game, and this is also the best time to join with friends.
For me, Dragon Quest IX epitomises everything that is great about both the RPG genre, and the DS itself. A game that I can bury myself in for hours, or play for a short while at the bus stop, grinning like a child the whole time! On the surface it is a simple game, but scratch beneath and there is so much more to be revealed. A title that I would reccomend to all RPG-loving DS owners, and also to all who just wish for a good time!
8/10