Dragon Quest Monster: Joker (DS)

It's still Sunday, so this review isn't really late. Sure, the game has been out for a while, but oh well, I wanted to review it anyway.

Story: Your dad is the head of a secret organization, and he tells you that you should compete in the monster competition. Of course he has his own agenda, and his own restriction is that you will obey any orders he gives you. Shortly after you arrive on the island where the competition is being held, there are seven main islands in the world, by the way, you are told that the opening ceremony is delayed and you should go capture some monsters so you have a fighting chance. Stuff happens, you meet a strange monster who decides to call you master, and you have to help him on his quest too. It's not an amazing story, but it's not bad, and while you generally have a path, you ahve given leeway in how you want to invest your time. 3/5

Audio: The music takes tracks from older Dragon Qest games, so fans of the series will enjoy the reminiscing. Besides nice music, there are sound effect to give the game a more realistic feel (footsteps, etc). 4/5

Graphics: I loved the graphics. i think it's probably some of the best on the DS. They could be a little cleaner, but they were by no means unattractive. The game has that anime cartoon look which suits it well. Characters and monsters are distinct, and the scenery looks good. 4/5

Gameplay: If you've played any of the DQM games before then you know that the concept is to tame wild monsters and have them fight for you. After a certain level you cna merge your monsters together to create an even stronger monster with traits from its parents. In order to progress in the contest, you have to collect darkonium, which can be found in a variety of ways. But the main focus of the game is getting monsters which will fight for you. When you want to capture a monster, ou scout it. This means that the monster(s) already in your party will attack the monster you want, and depending on how much damage they do will depend on the amount you impress the monster. This leads to a percentage amount which will determine the chances of the monster joining you. 4/5

replay: There's not a lot of reason to replay. 2/5

Overall: The game is fun, attractive, and worth picking up. Especially if you like monster raising/fighting type games. 4/5