
	Platform Nintendo DS Genre RPG Developer Square-Enix Publisher Square-Enix ETA TBA
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Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

There really is no lack of monster hunting / collecting games out on the market. Pokemon started things off, and the whole phenomenon has snowballed into a huge moneymaking machine over the years. Square-Enix is no exception to the procession of companies to hop onboard this gravy train, with their Dragon Quest Monsters series (now in its ninth year). That being said, a new installment to the series is in the works with Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker.

Joker will be split into two separate experiences, a single-player adventure, and a two-player head-to-head mode. In the single-player mode, one has to wander the globe, hunting for new monsters to train and have fight for you. Each monster has

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it’s own strengths and weaknesses, leaving it up to players to mix and match the different creatures to suite their needs. The head-to-head mode allows gamers to face off against one another, and see whose litter of monsters is strongest.

As one might expect, Joker continues the Dragon Quest tradition of presenting an environment where the

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aesthetics are dictated by the art style of Akira Toriyama (Dragonball, Dr. Slump, etc.). A lot of what is present in the game looks like it was lifted from Dragon Quest VIII, but not quite as vibrant. The visuals are par for the course, but thus far appear to be manageable on the DS’ twin screens. Then again, Rocket Slime turned out just fine graphically on the system, so there isn’t much of a reason to doubt that Joker will be similarly successful in pulling off some pleasing visuals.

There really isn’t much else to say at this point about Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. It’s a monster hunting, Pokemon-like game, and the title is already out in Japan. All that remains now is whether or not Square-Enix will decide to localize it for the North American market.

Mr. Nash

January 27, 2007