Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
© 2010 Nintendo of America
Fun and fast moving, this DS fantasy game from the long-running Dragon Quest series lets you become an angelic guardian who must do good deeds around the world to gather fruits from the mystical world tree. These deeds usually involve fighting monsters. You create your own character, choosing a face, hairstyle and body type, and then further customize it with classes, abilities, weapons and armor. The graphics are beautiful, with art by Akira Toriyama, who also worked on Dragon Ball and Chrono Trigger. Features include a four player mode that uses the DS's built-in Wi-Fi. So you can take on up to three of your friends at once; something rarely found in this style of RPG. By connecting to the internet with this you can also download new items and quests. On the whole this is an excellent title with a number of innovative features. If you like fantasy adventure fighting games, you won't be disappointed.
$35, Nintendo DS
Teaches: logic, creativity
CTR Rating: 92%