Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker may not be a mind-blowing, innovative experience on DS, but it carries on the DQM lineage just the same. Combining some impressive 3D work on the DS with over 200 collectable monsters, a lack of the somewhat irritating random dungeon generator, far more depth and production value overall, and impressive depth in a monster battler, Joker is a great chance for the more niche RPG gamers on DS to dive into the Monsters series for the first time and see for themselves what all the fuss is about. It’s far from perfect though, as the game is essentially more of the same for the series, and ends up cutting a few corners to squeeze it all in, specifically when looking at monster diversity (change the color palate, give it a new name), a somewhat basic interface, and some technical limits in 3D draw distance and world geometry. Those expecting a product with the overall polish, scope, and grandeur of the Pokemon series may be let down. That being said, DQM is easily worth the cash for monster battlers that are looking for a new game to latch onto after Nintendo’s first party effort grows stale, as it’s more ambitious technically, has a stronger battle mechanic, and brings monster battle customization to whole new level on DS.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker feeds that compulsive need to customize as many monsters as you can and is great if you don't mind a little level grinding.

"Though the pacing is quite nice for a 40 hour quest, you spend way too much time gallivanting about the land to just level up. The scenery may be pretty, but it's a chore to go through."