Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

 DS
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. RPG Fan
    Oct 20, 2011
    71
    Diehard DQ loyalists and tacticians will enjoy what this game has to offer, but those who want an experience – a game with heart and a story to tell – should spend their hard-earned medals elsewhere.
  2. Eurogamer Portugal
    Nov 14, 2011
    70
    Dragon Quest Monster: Joker 2 is a game aimed at combating and only for this purpose can it be truly enjoyed.
  3. Gamer.nl
    Nov 9, 2011
    70
    Capturing monsters and making them stronger by using them in fights: It's a concept that has been done to death, but Joker 2 uses it with flair. The gameworld and story aren't as impressive.
  5. Multiplayer.it
    Nov 7, 2011
    70
    Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 might look like a soulless clone of the Pokémon franchise but it actually develops its own identity very fast. Although it's missing all the fun and charming features which make the Pokémon worlds such enjoyable in the first place, the addictive and depth monster-making system makes up for the lackluster plot and characters.
  6. GameSpot
    Sep 17, 2011
    70
    A combination of endearing critters and solid role-playing gameplay make Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 a pleasant portable adventure.
  7. Eurogamer Sweden
    Nov 29, 2011
    60
    A monster collector game that draws on the Dragon Quest series fauna of iconic monsters. Being more complex than Pokémon, this is a game to be played primarily for the joy of breeding and raising little monsters, as the story offers little interest. If you like Dragon Quest and Pokémon, this is the a game for you.
  8. Gameblog.fr
    Oct 9, 2011
    60
    If you feel more like a geneticist than an adventurer yourself, Dragon Quest Monster Joker 2 might keep you interested enough thanks to its enticing monster synthesis gameplay and its bestiary of hundreds of Dragon Quest monsters. But aside this core aspect, the journey lacks the extra spice, the combats sometimes feel out of place and artificially added in order to boost the game's longevity. Depending on your own tastes, you may see the full or the empty half of that glass.
  9. Gamekult
    Oct 5, 2011
    60
    Quotation forthcoming.
  10. GamesRadar+
    Sep 17, 2011
    60
    Joker 2 is one of those games that's fun in short bursts, but isn't all that memorable. It does borrow some of the great parts of Pokémon while carving out its own identity in the rich Dragon Quest world. But of all the things it had to borrow from Dragon Quest, why, why did it have to be the endless grind?
  11. Metro GameCentral
    Oct 3, 2011
    50
    Dragon Quest meets Pokémon but the resultant synthesis really only inherits the worst of both parents, despite some impressive visuals.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best DS Game of 2011
20
#20 Most Discussed DS Game of 2011
11
#11 Most Shared DS Game of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 25
  3. Negative: 2 out of 25
  1. skibum232
    Oct 16, 2011
    8
    Fun to any DQ or even JRPG player, I didn't realize where the time goes because you get immersed in the world and building/leveling yourFun to any DQ or even JRPG player, I didn't realize where the time goes because you get immersed in the world and building/leveling your team.

    For me the DQ and DQM series haven't been necessarily about story, it has been exploring and growing as well as changing my team. Moving from area to area is just a way to test and grow your team. At this DQMJ2 does an awesome job, you have a variety of monsters and moving them up is a fun process.

    The synthesis process, while fun, still is not 100% there. Changing classes, monsters is a crap shoot unless you go through lengthy online forums or even guides to say monster a is this and b is that. Through trial and error I managed to make a large dragon and some level B creatures, but never advanced beyond there. This also leads into the reason why the game is a solid 8.

    In synthesizing and leveling I guess I lost track of the games end goal as well and the ending, at least to me, seemed very sudden and I personally thought the game had more to it.

    But those gripes are minor at best, I still put in close to 30 hours into the game and again I would put this in the must buy for RPG fans and DS owners.    … Full Review »
  2. sadsonicfan
    Oct 7, 2011
    8
    It's definitely a fun and addicting game. I think the game now has nearly twice the monsters as DQM 1 which was my main gripe in the previousIt's definitely a fun and addicting game. I think the game now has nearly twice the monsters as DQM 1 which was my main gripe in the previous instalement. I'm still not a fan of the synthesis in comparison with the breeding system found in Dragon warrior monsters 1 and 2, as it doesn't feel as natural. Despite how breeding has been omitted (which I think is because of the younger target audience), the synthesis of some monsters is extrodinarily time consuming. To make matters worse, monsters that are scouted once, or have been owned, are much harder to scout. The ranking system is also strange, and makes some monsters more valuable than others (though this doesn't usually reflect how valuable or how rare the monster is). Some cool features about DQM 2 Joker is that size was introduced. Now huge monsters actually are huge, and make up two or three monsters. This means that your team may consist of a single huge and powerful monster!

    I had fun with this game, just don't expect to collect every monster as this would require you to win some online tournaments.    … Full Review »
  3. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 4, 2023
    5
    A combat-based RPG-lite that's pretty much just a rather graphically ugly Pokémon rip-off. It may find fans amongst those who enjoy itsA combat-based RPG-lite that's pretty much just a rather graphically ugly Pokémon rip-off. It may find fans amongst those who enjoy its inspiration, but I personally find the Pokémon games pretty tedious.… Full Review »
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