Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Game Details:

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker was first released in Japan on December 28, 2006, and in North America on November 6, 2007. It is the first in the series to support 3D holographic battle and cel-shaded animation, using the engine style of Dragon Quest VIII .

Monsters can be seen and actively triggered in the game, avoiding traditional random encounters. The protagonist can gain the upper hand by attacking from behind and use a whistle to trigger special encounters. The map consists of seven islands, and you can travel between them using a jet ski. There are also hidden islands and pirate encounters that can be triggered randomly.

Players can have up to three monsters in battle, with five AI command styles or manual orders. The protagonist does not fight directly, only using items to assistDragon QUEST Monsters. The monster cultivation system uses level upgrades to obtain skill points and apply skill trees, supporting the synthesis of two monsters to create higher-level new monsters, inheriting skills or choosing new skills. There are over 200 types of monsters (Rank F to X), covering the eight major categories of Slime, Dragon, Nature, Beast, Material, Demon, Undead, and Incarni.

The game also supported daily downloads of other players' team AI data via Nintendo Wi-Fi for battles and obtaining reward monsters or items, but the online service was discontinued on April 1, 2011. Metacritic's overall score is about 75/100, with a player score of about 7.2/10. Media reviews are generally "recommendable," but with the problem of strong grind.

Editor's Recommendation:

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker brought revolutionary evolution to monster collection RPGs on the DS platform: adopting 3D visuals and cel-shaded style, making it visually pleasing, and faithful to the classic settings of the Dragon Quest series. Its core fun lies in the "monster synthesis system" -- through strategic synthesis and skill point allocation, creating a more powerful monster team, greatly enhancing the gameplay depth and sense of accomplishment. In addition, hidden islands, Jack series boss monsters, and night/day encounter differences all enrich the exploration experience. Although online battles have been discontinued, the game's built-in AI battle simulation system is still challenging. Overall, if you like games like Pokémon but want more strategy and freedom of growth, this work is well worth experiencing.

Game Guide:

I. Initial Exploration and Monster Recruitment

• The game starts in a cell on the Arena Island. After leaving the island as soon as possible, try to recruit monsters by defeating wild monsters or scaring them. Attacking enemies from behind can trigger "Scouting" mode and increase the recruitment success rate.
• It is recommended to initially target the fast-growing Slime family or Nature-type actively supportive monsters to facilitate the rapid synthesis of higher-Rank monsters.

II. Monster Leveling and Synthesis Strategies

• Monsters gain skill points through leveling up, which can be invested in three skill trees to learn attribute attacks, auxiliary abilities, or stat bonuses. Skills can be inherited from parents during synthesis, or new skill trees can be activated, and skill points are generally inherited by half.
• Synthesis is recommended to prioritize monsters with higher ranks (such as A/S levels) and ensure that the skills of the mother and father complement each other to build a sustainable team.

III. Movement and Exploration Skills

• Use a jet ski to freely travel between islands; different monsters and hidden islands appear at night and during the day, and it is recommended to regularly switch times to trigger special encounters.
• Encountering a pirate ship can challenge Pirate Captain "Crow", which is a rare encounter, and you have the opportunity to obtain rare monsters after winning.

IV. Tournament Challenges and Ranking Mechanism

• The main storyline unfolds with the seven island tournament in Green Bays. Winning the game can unlock new maps and NPC challenges. It is recommended to adjust the team lineup and optimize attribute combinations before each promotion.
• Use synthesized high-Rank monsters and diverse skill combinations as much as possible to take the initiative in the tournament.

V. Online Battles and Reward Acquisition

• The game used to support daily logins to Nintendo Wi-Fi to download other people's team data for AI battles and obtain rare rewards (such as Liquid Metal Slime), but the service was terminated in 2011, but you can still exchange experiences through local networking.

VI. Later Stage Full Encyclopedia and Perfect Cultivation Advice

• The total number of monsters in the game is about 210, including F to X Rank. It is recommended to gradually obtain high Rank synthetic monsters through a synthesis genealogy plan.
• The player community recommends keeping multiple high-potential monsters for alternating training, avoiding over-reliance on rapid training of a single monster. The Reddit community pointed out that Joker is a relatively straightforward and easy-to-use beginner version in the series.
• If the goal is to complete the 100% encyclopedia, repeated synthesis and battle leveling are required. It is recommended to make record tables and use online synthesis tools to assist in planning.