A 2008 release date for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker was always on the cards for Europe, and Square Enix has now settled on March 14th. Yes, that's a whole 146 days after the Pokémon pretender monster-hunting RPG first arrived in North America, and well over a year since it cropped up in Japan, but heck, are we really all that surprised? We probably don't need to mention that the region won't be seeing any consolatory preorder bonuses.
Fellow Europeans are welcome to quash their sense of injustice by perusing our gallery below for some pretty images of the game in action. Pretty images solve everything.
Treasure Gaust, BandaiNamco's Pokemon-esque monster game that uses magnetic fields to generate monsters, is headed toward a Spring 2007 release in Japan. We've got some new screens that show off the battle mode, which is more Pokemon Stadium than Pokemon Ruby, in that it is presented in full 3D. We like the pseudo-cel shading they've used.
Treasure Gaust's battling appears to be more action-based than Pokemon, as well. Players pick three creatures and battle with an opponent's three creatures in an underwater arena. You can capture defeated enemies to train them as partners. If a monster-collecting game with more action and more mysterious natural forces sounds good to you, then this may be exactly the game you're looking for! At least, it's as close as anyone's ever going to get to that specific description. We hope Banco decides to localize this one, because we're eager to play with the magnetism gimmick.
The latest update on Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker comes from Famitsu's site, placing the game's setting at center stage. With two islands in Nobisu and Sandoro, the first being a lush and green place that possibly hides a large monster inhabitant and the second being a desert island with a large dragon monster constantly roaming about. Famitsu also talks about encountering NPCs out in the wilderness ...
During a preview look at Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, Famitsu revealed that players will be able to splice two different monsters together in order to create a new, hybrid monster for use in battling over Wi-Fi Connect. The cool thing about combining monsters is, if our translation is correct, that the "parent" monster may pass on attacks and skills to the new hybrid monster. It appears as if this only applies when the original "parent" monster has learned this technique or skill through experience, not the stock traits of said monster.
Taken from Nintendo World 2006, this embedded video reveals more on the battle system for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker. Featuring a turn-based system, it appears that the player will have a roster of 3 monsters that are out, in battle, by default. Also, is it just us, or does this game look amazing?
If there's one thing we'll say about Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker after having watched the embedded video is that this game is pretty. The graphics look excellent and following our first taste of the game in action, you may assume we are plenty intrigued.
As always, you'll have to continue into the post to check out the video.
The Dragon Quest franchise has hit the ground running on the DS. The next installment in the franchise looks to offer fans a different experience in the universe, albeit more traditional in the gameplay department from the looks of it. The embedded video is a promotional video for the game, yet features the first ever bits of gameplay. As always, the video is embedded into the post after the break.
Dragon Quest, as we all know, is getting a lot of recognition. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker is shaping up rather well even though we swear we are looking at another episode of Dragon Ball Z every time we get a new screenshot. Doesn't the main character look like Trunks with extra crazy hair?
Too bad Pokemon already grabbed the main concept of the game or DQM:J would really cause a ruckus in this industry. We realize that not everything similar to Pokemon can be traced back to it but you have to admit the similarities are present.
Joker doesn't have a set release date for Japan and who really knows if we will see it stateside. It would be a nice change of pace for Pokemon lovers or haters.
Thanks to the typical chaos-incarnate informative advertisements found in Japanese magazines, some new details regarding the upcoming Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker have surfaced. The game will have the player choose a team of monsters to battle for him or her, and in typical RPG fashion, they'll get stronger as you use them. You can (genetically?) combine two monsters together, providing for new abilities and balance: the key is not simply choosing the strongest two of your bunch, but to pick the pair whose abilities compliment each other.
We'll be honest, the game does remind us vaguely of a Pokemon clone. However, the Dragon's Quest series is nigh revered in Japan; the depth of the game, in both complexity and plot, will most likely exceed the typical "defeat the Elite Four" business found in everyone's favorite cuddly GBA cartridge.
While it is unconfirmed which magazine source these scans originate from (the forum poster assumes V-Jump), the media within is very appealing to the eye. It appears that DQMJ will retain the cell-shaded graphical style of Dragon Quest: Journey of the Cursed King. While DQMJ will have the player capturing, training, and battling with monsters, the article does not present any further information on the game unless you're fluent in Japanese.
Supposedly the newest iteration in the Dragon Quest series, geared to release on the DS and set to release over in Japan this year, is being officially dubbed Dragon Quest Monsters Joker and will feature 3D visuals for both battle and movement. Also, the game is to support Nintendo's wonderful Wi-Fi service, allowing the Japanese to have at it in by causing their monsters to battle in a tournament called Jokers' GP.
As if that wasn't enough "Pokemon inspiration" for you, the lead character holds the Scout Ring, something which delegates his Monster Master status. In all, however, these tidbits of info do sound reasonably appealing, so let's hope that when a trailer and/or screens are released, they live up to the promising ideas presented by the game so far.
A 2008 release date for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker was always on the cards for Europe, and Square Enix has now settled on March 14th. Yes, that's a whole 146 days after the 
The latest update on Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker comes from Famitsu's site, placing the game's setting at center stage. With two islands in Nobisu and Sandoro, the first being a lush and green place that possibly hides a large monster inhabitant and the second being a desert island with a large dragon monster constantly roaming about. Famitsu also talks about encountering NPCs out in the wilderness ...
During a preview look at Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, Famitsu revealed that players will be able to splice two different monsters together in order to create a new, hybrid monster for use in battling over Wi-Fi Connect. The cool thing about combining monsters is, if our translation is correct, that the "parent" monster may pass on attacks and skills to the new hybrid monster. It appears as if this only applies when the original "parent" monster has learned this technique or skill through experience, not the stock traits of said monster.
Dragon Quest, as we all know, is getting a lot of recognition. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker is shaping up rather well even though we swear we are looking at another episode of Dragon Ball Z every time we get a new screenshot. Doesn't the main character look like Trunks with extra crazy hair?
Thanks to the typical 
While it is unconfirmed which magazine source these scans originate from (the forum poster assumes V-Jump), the media within is very appealing to the eye. It appears that DQMJ will retain the cell-shaded graphical style of Dragon Quest: Journey of the Cursed King. While DQMJ will have the player capturing, training, and battling with monsters, the article does not present any further information on the game unless you're fluent in Japanese.
Supposedly the newest iteration in the Dragon Quest series, geared to release on the DS and set to release over in Japan this year, is being officially dubbed Dragon Quest Monsters Joker and will feature 3D visuals for both battle and movement. Also, the game is to support Nintendo's wonderful Wi-Fi service, allowing the Japanese to have at it in by causing their monsters to battle in a tournament called Jokers' GP.
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