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{{Infobox VG | {{Infobox VG | ||
|type=Main series games | |type=Main series games | ||
|title= | |title=Sentinels of the Starry Skies | ||
|image=[[Image:DQIX_Logo.png|center| | |image=[[Image:DQIX_Logo.png|center|300px]][[File:Dq9ds art 007.png|center|300px]] | ||
|caption= | |caption= | ||
|designer = [[Yūji Horii]]<br />[[Akihiro Hino]] | |designer = [[Yūji Horii]]<br />[[Akihiro Hino]] | ||
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''Dragon Quest IX'' continues the ''Dragon Quest'' tradition of turn-based combat, with a few modern twists. The game allows players to have a cooperative wireless multiplayer experience with up to four players. | ''Dragon Quest IX'' continues the ''Dragon Quest'' tradition of turn-based combat, with a few modern twists. The game allows players to have a cooperative wireless multiplayer experience with up to four players. | ||
The game includes a quest system. Quests serve as side-stories helping non-player characters around the game's world. Multiple quests can be performed simultaneously with some even interlocking and unlocking various stages in fellow quests. Early quests include gathering magical spring water, slaying monsters and stealing for a fellow thief. Unlike previous ''Dragon Quest'' installments, ''Dragon Quest IX'' contains many open ended mini-quests. Upon | The game includes a quest system. Quests serve as side-stories helping non-player characters around the game's world. Multiple quests can be performed simultaneously with some even interlocking and unlocking various stages in fellow quests. Early quests include gathering magical spring water, slaying monsters and stealing for a fellow thief. Unlike previous ''Dragon Quest'' installments, ''Dragon Quest IX'' contains many open ended mini-quests. Upon accepting a quest, the "Quest List" log is unlocked, which keeps track of all the quests the player has accepted or completed. | ||
Unlike many other ''Dragon Quest'' games, the game includes only one save slot. | Unlike many other ''Dragon Quest'' games, the game includes only one save slot. | ||
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==Characters== | ==Characters== | ||
*[[Hero (Dragon Quest IX)|Hero]] - The hero is a Celestrian under the tutelage of Aquila, assigned to watch over the village of Angel Falls in his/her master's stead. Later fell from the Observatory after strange beams struck through the heavens during the Fyggbloom, losing wings and halo. | *[[Hero (Dragon Quest IX)|Hero]] - The hero is a Celestrian under the tutelage of Aquila, assigned to watch over the village of Angel Falls in his/her master's stead. Later fell from the [[Observatory]] after strange beams struck through the heavens during the Fyggbloom, losing wings and halo. | ||
*[[Aquila]]: A fellow Celestrian and mentor of the Hero. A firm but fair master, he went missing after the hero and the fyggs fell from the Observatory. | *[[Aquila]]: A fellow Celestrian and mentor of the Hero. A firm but fair master, he went missing after the hero and the fyggs fell from the Observatory. | ||
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By helping and protecting his/her town and earning their thanks, the main character obtains enough benevolessence for the World Tree to produce the fyggs. Just as the Starflight Express that will take the angels to the kingdom of God arrives, the Protectorate is attacked from below by a mysterious and powerful force. The force scatters the assembled angels and knocks the fyggs, the Starflight Express, and the main character down to the Protectorate. | By helping and protecting his/her town and earning their thanks, the main character obtains enough benevolessence for the World Tree to produce the fyggs. Just as the Starflight Express that will take the angels to the kingdom of God arrives, the Protectorate is attacked from below by a mysterious and powerful force. The force scatters the assembled angels and knocks the fyggs, the Starflight Express, and the main character down to the Protectorate. | ||
The main character awakens without wings or a halo and finds he/she has been rescued from the base of the waterfall in Angel Falls. As he/she comes to he learns a little about his/her fall and the great earthquake that happened at the same time. Having lost most of his/her Celestrian's powers, but not his/her memory or the ability to see deceased and magical spirits, he/she travels about trying to find a way back to the Observatory. During an adventure to reconnect his/her village to the nearby castle after landslides caused by the great earthquake, the main character finds the broken down celestial train and its faerie driver, Stella. Stella promises to help the main character return to the kingdom of angels if he/she can prove he is one. | [[File:Observatory.PNG|right|thumb|220px|The Observatory]]The main character awakens without wings or a halo and finds he/she has been rescued from the base of the waterfall in Angel Falls. As he/she comes to he learns a little about his/her fall and the great earthquake that happened at the same time. Having lost most of his/her Celestrian's powers, but not his/her memory or the ability to see deceased and magical spirits, he/she travels about trying to find a way back to the Observatory. During an adventure to reconnect his/her village to the nearby castle after landslides caused by the great earthquake, the main character finds the broken down celestial train and its faerie driver, Stella. Stella promises to help the main character return to the kingdom of angels if he/she can prove he is one. | ||
By helping humans, the main character gathers benevolessence though he/she can no longer see them. His/her ability to aid and protect the humans convinces Stella who, restoring power to the Starflight Express with the benevolessence, helps the main character return to the Observatory. Upon his/her return, the main character discovers that the fyggs have also fallen to the human world and that many Celestrian have been dispatched to find them, though no one has yet returned. His/her prayers to become a Celestrian again are unanswered but a vision is presented to the main character as he/she stands before the World Tree. Taking the vision as a sign, the main character is charged with returning to the human world to help collect the Fyggs. | By helping humans, the main character gathers benevolessence though he/she can no longer see them. His/her ability to aid and protect the humans convinces Stella who, restoring power to the Starflight Express with the benevolessence, helps the main character return to the Observatory. Upon his/her return, the main character discovers that the fyggs have also fallen to the human world and that many Celestrian have been dispatched to find them, though no one has yet returned. His/her prayers to become a Celestrian again are unanswered but a vision is presented to the main character as he/she stands before the World Tree. Taking the vision as a sign, the main character is charged with returning to the human world to help collect the Fyggs. | ||
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=== WiFi Shop === | === WiFi Shop === | ||
''Dragon Quest IX'' features an online WiFi shop which can be accessed from Quester's Rest. This shop sells items and treasure maps which the player can purchase. The contents of the shop vary each week from player to player, so 2 different players will likely have different items for sale each week. [[Nintendo]] and [[Square Enix]] have used the shop to distribute special bonuses such as bonus party members from past games | ''Dragon Quest IX'' features an online WiFi shop which can be accessed from Quester's Rest. This shop sells items and treasure maps which the player can purchase. The contents of the shop vary each week from player to player, so 2 different players will likely have different items for sale each week. [[Nintendo]] and [[Square Enix]] have used the shop to distribute special bonuses such as bonus party members from past games, such as [[Hassan]] from ''Dragon Quest VI'', and treasure maps which lead to caves featuring past bosses, such as [[Zoma]] and [[Dragonlord]]. The WiFi shop can be accessed by talking to [[Sellma]] at Quester's Rest. | ||
The WiFi shop is the only multiplayer mode that uses WAN internet rather than the DS-to-DS wireless. | The WiFi shop is the only multiplayer mode that uses WAN internet rather than the DS-to-DS wireless. The service ended on May 20,2014. | ||
=== Tag Mode === | === Tag Mode === | ||
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==Development== | ==Development== | ||
[[File:Monster Battle Victory DQ IX group.png|right|border|430px]] | |||
''Dragon Quest IX'' was primarily designed around the idea of attracting a wider overseas market by "giving the game a more action-oriented premise than previous games in the series. In mid-2006, ''Dragon Quest'' series composer Koichi Sugiyama confirmed that ''Dragon Quest IX'' was in development. He is quoted by Japanese video game magazine Famitsu as saying, "I'm not sure when ''Dragon Quest IX'' will be released, but it seems that progress is continually being made. I'm personally excited." On December 12, 2006, during a press conference celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ''Dragon Quest'' franchise, Square Enix announced that ''Dragon Quest IX'' will be released exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console making it the first numbered ''Dragon Quest'' title to debut on a handheld. | ''Dragon Quest IX'' was primarily designed around the idea of attracting a wider overseas market by "giving the game a more action-oriented premise than previous games in the series. In mid-2006, ''Dragon Quest'' series composer Koichi Sugiyama confirmed that ''Dragon Quest IX'' was in development. He is quoted by Japanese video game magazine Famitsu as saying, "I'm not sure when ''Dragon Quest IX'' will be released, but it seems that progress is continually being made. I'm personally excited." On December 12, 2006, during a press conference celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ''Dragon Quest'' franchise, Square Enix announced that ''Dragon Quest IX'' will be released exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console making it the first numbered ''Dragon Quest'' title to debut on a handheld. | ||
The Japanese release of ''Dragon Quest IX'' was subsequently delayed from 2007 to 2008. The company cited the need for more time to make a better game as reason for the delay. At the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, a new trailer was shown at the Square Enix booth which showed a glimpse of the changes made to the gameplay and graphics. At the end of the video, a confirmation of the release date (set for March 2009) was unveiled. Square Enix released another new trailer for the game, showing various aspects of the storyline, boss battles, along with cutscenes; the end of the trailer showed a then-correct release date for March 28, 2009, along with a price point of ¥5,980, which still stands. | The Japanese release of ''Dragon Quest IX'' was subsequently delayed from 2007 to 2008. The company cited the need for more time to make a better game as reason for the delay. At the 2008 Tokyo Game Show, a new trailer was shown at the Square Enix booth which showed a glimpse of the changes made to the gameplay and graphics. At the end of the video, a confirmation of the release date (set for March 2009) was unveiled. Square Enix released another new trailer for the game, showing various aspects of the storyline, boss battles, along with cutscenes; the end of the trailer showed a then-correct release date for March 28, 2009, along with a price point of ¥5,980, which still stands. | ||
On February 12, 2009, after having delayed the release of its quarterly financials by a week, Square Enix announced the game would be delayed once again to a Japanese release on July 11 of the same year. The game's release delay worried ''Final Fantasy'' fans, who were told by Square Enix president Yoichi Wada that ''Dragon Quest IX'''s delay may affect ''Final Fantasy XIII'''s release, stating that he "[could] not say there [would not] be an effect." | On February 12, 2009, after having delayed the release of its quarterly financials by a week, Square Enix announced the game would be delayed once again to a Japanese release on July 11 of the same year. The game's release delay worried ''Final Fantasy'' fans, who were told by Square Enix president Yoichi Wada that ''Dragon Quest IX''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s delay may affect ''Final Fantasy XIII''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release, stating that he "[could] not say there [would not] be an effect." | ||
''Dragon Quest IX'' was designed to be the hardest ''Dragon Quest'' game yet. The rationale is that, according to Brian Ashcraft, Night Editor for Kotaku, the ''Dragon Quest IX'' developers say "people can always find out information on the internet — like that's part of the game experience." In addition the game has only one game slot. Ryutaro Ichimura, producer of ''Dragon Quest IX'', clarified the reason explaining that there is not enough space on the system for two traditional save-slots given the amount of freedom the game allows. Instead, the save area is used for a backup save-slot in case of battery failure. | ''Dragon Quest IX'' was designed to be the hardest ''Dragon Quest'' game yet. The rationale is that, according to Brian Ashcraft, Night Editor for Kotaku, the ''Dragon Quest IX'' developers say "people can always find out information on the internet — like that's part of the game experience." In addition the game has only one game slot. Ryutaro Ichimura, producer of ''Dragon Quest IX'', clarified the reason explaining that there is not enough space on the system for two traditional save-slots given the amount of freedom the game allows. Instead, the save area is used for a backup save-slot in case of battery failure. | ||
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==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
===Japan=== | ===Japan=== | ||
[[File:Marching Through The Streets.png|right|border|150px]] | |||
Famitsu has scored the game with 40/40, the tenth game to achieve a perfect score. After its international release, it received better reviews, including an 87% on Metacritic.com and a user score of 9.0. | Famitsu has scored the game with 40/40, the tenth game to achieve a perfect score. After its international release, it received better reviews, including an 87% on Metacritic.com and a user score of 9.0. | ||
===Europe=== | ===Europe=== | ||
In the spanish magazine Hobby Consolas the game was scored | In the spanish magazine ''Hobby Consolas'' the game was scored on two occasions: the first time it received 96/100 and was reviewed by a journalist of the Nintendo department, the second time it received 93/100 and it was a mix of all the reviews made by the users of the game in the website of the magazine. | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <center><gallery> | ||
File:DQIXDS_box_art.jpg|North American box art | File:DQIXDS_box_art.jpg|North American box art | ||
File:DQIX Michikusa adventure guide.png|Michikusa guide | |||
Image:DQIX_soundtrack.png|Soundtrack | |||
File:DQIX Piano Album.png|Piano Album | |||
File:DQIXDS icon.gif|Game icon | File:DQIXDS icon.gif|Game icon | ||
Image:Dq9ds char collage 1.png | Image:Dq9ds char collage 1.png|Celestrians | ||
Image: | Image:Random Encounter.png|Ambush | ||
File:DQIX Alltrades Abbey scene.png| | File:DQIX Alltrades Abbey scene.png|Vocation changing | ||
File:DQIX Atlas battle.png|Giant slaying | |||
Image: | Image:Erinns_Inn.png|The Questor's rest | ||
File:IX callback art.jpg| Homage to ''III'' | |||
</gallery></center> | |||
</gallery> | |||
==External links== | ==External links== |