Why I Will Now Use the Word "Slimegrinding"

YMMV.

I just recently received (as an engagement gift) a new RPG for my Nintendo DSi. That's right, kids, it's time for another one of Reverend Red Mage's video game reviews!! This time, I'm going to be gushing over the latest installment in yet another Square Enix brainchild, the Dragon Quest series.

Aside from Pokemon SoulSilver, this is only the second large-scale RPG I have thoroughly enjoyed on the handheld dual-screen timekiller. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DQIX) is one of those titles that I would immediately recommend to anyone who has even rudimentary experience with the series as a whole. This game is a handheld RPG done right.

Graphics: 8/10
The artist behind DQIX, just like a few of its predecessors, is the unparalleled Akira Toriyama. Toriyama is well-known for his artistry behind the characters of the anime Dragonball. He did a wonderful job with all the art direction of this game, as the customizable characters, the quirky and classic enemies, and items all have that distinctive DQ polish.

Your party is very customizable, and characters in your game will likely look completely different compared to the party of another player's due to equipment and class setup.

Attacks, spells, and abilities all look very flashy and colorful despite the blockiness of DS 3-D graphics. You can tell that the developers did their best in making everything fun to just look at.

Story: 6/10
You begin the game as a member of a race of heavenly guardians known as Celestrians, whose responsibility is to watch over mortals in the realm below. In true JRPG fashion, something goes horribly wrong in heaven and you fall to the world below completely stripped of your halo and wings. However, you seem to retain your Celestrian sight, and the fact that this sets you apart from your mortal companions is what drives the story along.

However, that's where the character interaction ends. Your personality is pre-determined; there's no character interaction in the party due to the fact that you can create all of them yourself. If interpersonal relationships is what you're looking for, you're going to be sorely disappointed. However, if you are easily engaged by an intriguing plot that follows the DQ formula of "town has problem - dungeon conquest solves problem - return to town for happy parade", then you'll definitely be over-satisfied.

Gameplay: 8/10
DQIX tosses pretty blatant hints your way that inviting people "from other worlds" is probably a really good idea. Having a friend join you in your game to help you powerlevel is definitely a lot of fun, despite the fact that only your party leader (the Celestrian hero) is allowed to traverse this dimensional gap. I only recently had one of these powerleveling experiences with a friend, which I will now call "slimegrinding". Monsters called metal slimes (and members of its species) yield the highest Exp. output in the game, but they are incredibly hard to find and very elusive once you actually do encounter them. Share this frustration with someone, and it makes the game all the more fun.

Did I mention powerleveling? I hope I did, because this word will be at the forefront of your mind after you start playing and are able to undertake different vocations, or character classes. Each class for your character has its own level; this does not transfer along with your vocation, but skill points, experience, and abilities acquired during class leveling do. This means that there is an intuitive system revolving around party management and determining what kind of party setup is best in any given situation. Your hero learns the Zoom spell early on in the game (this spell lets you instantly traverse to any town you have previously visited), which will be your only method of changing vocations until you earn a specialty class ability much later in the game.

Because of the wide range of weapons, armor, accessories, and alchemise-able items, there is never a shortage of things to do and look for. If you want to focus on looking pretty, search for components that will alchemize snazzy gear. If you want your party to be a powerhouse of death, grind through monsters, get money, and outfit with the best gear possible regardless of style. It's your choice. Secret dungeons, hundreds of sidequests, and extra experience-gaining dungeon masters (that you can come back to fight again!) keep things interesting far after you have beaten the final boss.

Overall: 9/10
Powerleveling, dungeon crawling, seemingly pointless NPC interaction, and item hunting is pure torture on the wrists, but thankfully DQIX comes with stylus support. And you know what? It's fun as hell. It's all the classic RPG elements that you love to hate, but combined into one fun handheld package. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is one of the best titles in the series to date.

For those of you already familiar with the DQ franchise, yes. It's all still there and then some. This time, bring a friend or two.