So, a friend of mine sent me a list of these challenges to write out, and I figured what better way to spread news of my tastes and interests than through this comprehensive list? Let’s give this a shot for the next month (and end it on the note of Metroid: Other M coming out), and see what goodies come our way!

Day 1 – Your current favorite game

DRAGON QUEST IX – Nintendo DS

Square-Enix



So maybe it’s just a matter of this game coming out at the right time, but there’s something terribly special about the way this series has always struck me.  It doesn’t have quite the same overwhelming and majestic narrative that Final Fantasy game MIGHT have (oh 13, you son of a bitch), but it does what it aims to do simply, and it does it well.  The design of these games is overwhelmingly concise, and it’s all the better for it.  Basically, it’s an RPG constructed from the bare bones recipe of Fighting, Leveling Up, going after the ‘bad guy’, changing jobs, using herbs, etc.  It doesn’t break much new ground in terms of core mechanics, but it doesn’t need to, because in a world of unnecessarily complex systems that pretend they’re a lot deeper than they are, this little butthole just wipes your ass for you and keeps on smiling.

But what about that is so much fun?  Well, it introduces a system where you get to customize the Eff out of your characters, due to the fact that every single piece of armor or weaponry has a fully unique 3D model for your character, giving your entire party the ability to stand out from each other at your discretion.  Now, there HAVE been other games that allow for this, such as many big name MMOs, but for a small DS game, this is a big deal.  The main idea behind it is likely stemming from the fact that if you want to partake in one of the most enjoyable digital orgies this planet has seen, you can basically turn this game into a small scale MMO.  Granted, it’s only 4 players, taking away from the MASSIVE part, but when you invite friends to your world to hang out, level up, find treasure, and do quests, they can come and go at their leisure.  If you’re in a fight they can come join, or if they want to explore a different part of the world entirely, it’s available for them to do so.  But remember that character customization I was talking about? Having such colorful and unique clothing options lessens the chance of you having characters that look exactly like your friends, making my bug-eyed, dark skinned Martial Arist with a Viking Hat and Blue Jeans all the more interesting to fight alongside in battle.

Oh, and the music is everything I could ask for as well.  Obviously it’s a step down from a fully orchestrated soundtrack like seen in DQ8, but it’s just as well written, and fully appropriate for every moment in this game.

Currently, I can’t make enough time to dedicate to this game that I’m so in love with, and hopefully through the coming weeks I will get more of an opportunity to hang out with other Dragon Questers and finish up some of the games many, many, many extra (and downloadable) missions.  It’s truly a gem an RPG fan should be without, and even if you’re not into RPGS, this is the least intimidating one I can even think of and should be at least worth a try.

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