Dragon Quest Monsters (GBC) [75/75]

[The Shadow Dragon]

This game is also known as Dragon Quest Monsters in the US

Box Shot

This review is for a game that is very special for me- It was the first RPG I ever played other than Pokemon. It turned me on to Dragon Quest (known as Dragon Warrior at the time,) and eventually Final Fantasy and Elder Scrolls.

Gameplay 45/45
Simply amazing. The game flows really well, your never at a loss of what to do next due to the simple progression system. You beat 2 traveler's gates, challenge the arena, then do it over again. It may seem repetitive, but due to a fully randomly generated dungeon system, and 22 dungeons (including the 6 family-specific ones you unlock after the game,) it never feels repetitive.

Breeding is huge part of the game, it is essential for beating the later arena classes. Breeding monsters just isn't about finding the right combination of monsters(Though that is rather important,) but also about having good stats and skills. All of the parent's skills are passed for the child to learn, and the parent's current stats directly influence the child's (I think it's around 1/5 of the parent's combined stats are the child's Lvl 1 stats.)

All in all, it is a good game, with a good, simple story, but it's never really prevalent during the game. That being said, it doesn't need much of a story because it's an amazing game without it.

Graphics 20/20
For a 10 year old 8-bit game, it has amazing graphics. The monster sprites are rather detailed for a game of this era end every monster has an overworld sprite that follows Terry around as he explores the traveler's gates.

Sound 10/10
The sound in the game is amazing. I fondly remember the battle and exploration theme, but if you play it enough, it does get a little old.

Final Thoughts
I debated whether this game deserved a perfect rating or not, but in the end, I figured that a game that can hold attention for 10 years off and on, has such good graphics and memorable music, deserves a perfect rating. It is a masterpiece of early 2000s gaming, and deserves the rating.

Links and Other Games

TOC's GBC A-E Database- Includes Dragon Warrior Monster and Dragon Warrior Monsters 2

TOC's GBA D Database- Includes Quest Warrior Monsters: Caravan Heart (J)
IPS Translation patch for Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart

Dragon Quest Monster: Joker GameFAQs Page
Upcoming Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 GameFAQs Page

[JAHGoVeg]

great review!
Approved!