Dragon Quest Wars

Dragon Quest Wars
Developer(s)Intelligent Systems
Tose
Publisher(s)Square Enix
Director(s)Daisuke Nakajima
Producer(s)Toru Narihiro
Taichi Inuzuka
Designer(s)Yuya Ishii
Programmer(s)Yuya Ishii
Artist(s)Akira Toriyama
Composer(s)Koichi Sugiyama
SeriesDragon Quest
Platform(s)Nintendo DSi
Release
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Dragon Quest Wars[4] is a 2009 turn-based strategy video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DSi via its DSiWare download service. It is part of the Dragon Quest series and supports up to three other players in multiplayer.

Gameplay

Screenshot showing the general interface and gameplay of Dragon Quest Wars

Dragon Quest Wars allows up to four players to battle one another with four monster units each on a four-sided battlefield made up a squares.[5][6] Battles during the game are limited to five to ten turns. Players move units by touching and dragging them using the DS stylus. Commands are issued to units also by touching and dragging them onto a unit from the bottom of the screen. These commands are color-coded and include red (physical attacks), green (recovery), blue (defence), and yellow (magic).[6] Each monster unit has between one and three hearts.[7] These hearts deplete as monsters are attacked, and when they reach 0, the monster walks off the field. A player can win a battle either when all enemy units are defeated or if one of their units crosses into an enemy's base. Dragon Quest Wars also features "survival matches", which require the player to set all of their moves within a time limit before the battle begins.[6] The game has six playable units: Slimes, Hammerhood, Dracky, Golem, Chimera, and Healslime.[7] All are recurring monsters in the Dragon Quest series.

Development

Dragon Quest Wars was developed by Intelligent Systems as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and Square Enix for Intelligent Systems to design six video games for Square Enix on the DSiWare service.[8] As with most other games in the Dragon Quest franchise, development on Dragon Wars was supervised by Yūji Horii, while Akira Toriyama and Koichi Sugiyama fulfilled their respective duties as character designer and composer.[9] Producer Taichi Inuzuka states that has long been his hope to create simulation game (strategy game) with Dragon Quest. The developers wanted to design a game to "convey the fun of simulation games and to provide a gateway to users who’ve never played simulation games."[10] Intelligent Systems previously developed the Wars and Fire Emblem series for Nintendo.

Reception

Dragon Quest Wars received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[11]

1UP.com editor Justin Epperson described Dragon Quest Wars as a board game, going so far as to say he wishes it were a board game so it would be more entertaining. He added however that it was definitely worth the price.[14] Wiiloveit.com offered a high recommendation with a 24/30, praising the "surprising amount of strategy", as well as the "robust" online mode which "[brought] the title to life".[15] Dragon Quest Wars was nominated for Game of the Year by Nintendo Power, as well as DSiWare Game of the Year.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Art Lessons, Auto Racing, and Arcade Action Multiply the Downloadable Fun". Nintendo of America. 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  2. ^ "おなじみのモンスター達がボード上でバトルを繰り広げる，ニンテンドーDSiウェア「ドラゴンクエスト ウォーズ」が2009年6月に発売". 4gamer. 2009-05-18. Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  3. ^ "Dragon Quest Wars". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  4. ^ ドラゴンクエスト ウォーズ, Doragon Kuesuto Wōzu
  5. ^ "Fire Emblem Dev Making Dragon Quest Wars on DSiWare". Wired. 2009-05-18. Archived from the original on 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  6. ^ a b c Spencer (June 25, 2009). "Dragon Quest Wars: A Strategy Game So Simple A Slime Could Play It". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2019-09-07. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  7. ^ a b Spencer (June 26, 2009). "Meet The Units Of Dragon Quest Wars". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  8. ^ Clegg, Aaron (May 18, 2009). "News: Square & Intelligent Systems Team Up". N-Europe. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  9. ^ McFerran, Damien (May 18, 2009). "Square Enix Confirms Dragon Quest Wars For DSiWare". NintendoLife. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  10. ^ Spencer (October 21, 2009). "Taichi Inuzuka Details Dragon Quest Wars". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  11. ^ a b "Dragon Quest Wars for DS Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  12. ^ M. Thomas, Lucas (September 29, 2009). "Dragon Quest Wars Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Dillard, Corbie (September 30, 2009). "Dragon Quest Wars Review (DSiWare)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  14. ^ "Dragon Quest Wars Preview for the Nintendo DS from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. 2009-06-24. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  15. ^ "Wiiloveit.com: Dragon Quest Wars Review". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
  16. ^ Nintendo Power 250th issue!. South San Francisco, California: Future US. 2010. p. 73.