Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

  • Summary: Joker is the first game in the series to have online play, via Nintendo Wi-Fi. The battle system is similar to previous Dragon Quest Monsters games. The player has three monsters in a party which can be given direct orders or set to one of 4 AI settings. A player's main character does not directly participate in battles with the exception of using items when directed as such. The sole method of encountering enemies is to run into them on the overworld. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. It's awesome. Joker features the same style of RPG-lite storyline and team-based combat from the earlier "Monsters" games, only everything here has been prettied up. [Dec 2007, p.62]
  2. This is a game that people are going to really enjoy if they can get into it, but Joker does a player no favors when it comes to helping you get into the game.
  3. Dragon Quest Monsters – Joker delivers some much-needed freshness to the monster collecting genre, but don’t expect it to be Dragon Quest IX. It’s just pure monster-collecting fun.
  4. A welcome twist on the Pokemon formula, but only an English translation will really uncover the game's possible depths. For now, it's fun and a joy to look at. [Mar 2007, p.75]

See all 30 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. MattM.
    10
    This is the best RPG on the DS to date, everything from the original with stunnign graphics.
  2. DavidTheBaka
    10
    DQM:J was a great game! The graphics are nice, and if you think that they are a Dragon Ball Z rip-off, it may surprise you to learn that the same guy who drew DBZ also drew this game. The sound is alright, considering there have only been a handful of games (all of them final fantasy) that I consider to have good sound (IE, Final Fantasy VI Advance has some pretty awesome music. You rock Nobuo Uematsu!) The story is short but sweet, and enjoyable. The battle system is one of the best non-Final Fantasy battle systems I have experienced. The fact that you can attack AND use items in the same turn is very nice, compared to some OTHER games. The out of battle movement system is very awkward, and there is a lot of moving around (Seed of Skill hunting...). There is a huge amount of level grinding required, and the only game that REQUIRES you to level grind more than this game is Final Fantasy X (And I have the US version. I pity the guys who have the International version. Dark Aeons.) The wi-fi feature is nice, but beware: you will probably end up fighting all level 99 monsters. The most annoying part of level grinding is that in order to get 2.5 minutes in the metel menagarie, which contains the highest exp monsters available is that you have to do the Madame Rummy Challenge each time; kill (from 15-24, it increases each time you attempt the challenge) slimes in 5 minutes. Really frustrating, that is. Synthesizing is about the worst thing you can do to a game. Honestly, it's okay to change synthesizing to breeding, and make it teen rating, it's only a three year difference in audience... Anyway, some monsters are + rating, some are - rating, and some are ± rating (o.O). You can synthesize a + with a -, a + with a ±, and a - with a ±. When you synthesize, you lose the two original monsters. the amount of skill points both monsters have in one skill category are averaged and the new monster has the averaged amount. if a monster has the skill slimer with 90 points in it, and the other monster doesn't have the skill slimer, then new monster will/might have slimer with 45 points in it. after the monsters synthesize, the new monster can have up to three skill sets. it can choose from any that the parents have, any from that monster species usually has, and any upgraded skills. upgraded skill rock. Attack Boost III is awesome. Monsters also have some "odd" (that's the polite way of saying it) ranking system which ranges from F,E,D,C,B,A,S, and X. There are 15 X monsters. Expand
  3. This game have a very good combat system, cool monsters, good system of fuse monsters and heir or evolve abilities from previous monsters. The only bad aspect of game is in the scenarios. Is poor. But is a very good game. It's very cool see the monsters in your natural size in the scenarios. Expand
  4. I am an avid fan of the original DWM series. The newest monster game does it best to bring back all the cute (or ugly) monsters we love. But I find the entire world to be too contained and linear for it to be a great monster game. I wish i could have explored countless worlds like I have with DWM2. Expand

See all 11 User Reviews