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.

3D graphics doesn't come without a price, but in this case the price is definitely worth it. The universe of Joker is alive with seven islands which are completely different from each other in monsters and settings. Beaches, deserts, jungles and cities are colorful and should make players want to explore every corner, not just to open chests, but to enjoy the view and the details. The level design is clever, as it often allows you to get a glimpse of what's on other parts of the island. Climbing all the way to the top of a mountain gives an overview of the whole area, where even the smallest monster on the farthest beach is still visible. Not bad for a DS game.

Unfortunately, as the game doesn't use the stylus much, you have to rely on the d-pad to navigate the 3D environment. Sure, the left and right triggers do an excellent job at turning the camera sideways, but there's no way to tilt it up or down, a serious flaw when trying to decide where to go next. Moreover, the main character will sometimes keep running in the same place, as invisible walls prevent him from moving too close to a corner or a vertical surface.

Akira Toriyama's hand is once again noticeable in the humorous and always peculiar character designs, especially the monsters. Apart from scouts and plot-relevant characters, there are only six human character models in the game. Some more variety wouldn't have hurt, but Toriyama's efforts were clearly focused on monsters, and with excellent results: the over 200 collectable creatures in the game include well-known monsters from the classic Dragon Quest series, as well as a few new units, all differing in size and color palette. Players will likely go for S and SS-ranked monsters, but some of them might end up liking their Bodkin or Notso Macho too much to give it up or synthesize it into a more powerful creature.


The plot in Joker is lighter than in regular Dragon Quest installments, but still more significant than in other monster-collection games. As it progresses very slowly, though, players will likely concentrate their initial efforts on scouting, breeding and leveling up a large number of monsters, in order to have a well-stocked roster. Battles are truly fun, as they allow players to decide the level of control they want to have. When fighting bosses or challenging enemies, players can pick the "Give Orders" command, deciding actions individually, but "Fight" is a good option for more casual battles. In this case, monsters will choose their own moves according to the tactics previously set: some of them will concentrate on healing, others will cast spells or perform powerful physical attacks. The AI of allied monsters is pretty advanced: they cast protective spells when the enemies' level is high and, even if they are focused on healing, they usually go for a physical attack when their opponent is low in HP and there's a good chance to defeat it with a single blow.