If Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 were to sponsor a Sesame Street episode, the number 1 and the word grind would be featured in that program. I say this because those two factors are found within the game. 

Joker 2 takes place on an island that holds many secrets. The island’s surroundings are fairly generic. At times, dungeons will feel almost empty. But while the game’s locales are plain, the characters on the island make up for it. Like any other Dragon Quest, Akira Toriyama’s art direction dominates the game. Humans have wonderful character models and the monsters stand out with some quirky designs. 

At its core, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 is about rescuing the main character’s fellow shipmates. In the beginning of the game, the player sneaks into a crashing airship. Once the ship makes its bumpy landing, the place is empty with exception of the main character and one other survivor. In order to find everyone, the player must assemble a band of stout warriors.

- The Dragon Quest art style is charming -

A party consists of three active members and three substitutes. With experience shared between the party, the player does not have to constantly switch monsters. However, once the player fills up the party, any monster captured thereafter will be sent to the airship. 

Capturing monsters in Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 takes a lot of patience to weather the random number game. Weakening a foe will increase your chances of capture, but it won’t sway the probability too much. Despite the luck involved, the ability to capture monsters is one of the best features of the game. A feeling of delight fills the air when it’s time to encounter a new enemy.

In Joker 2, combat is a standard affair. The battles are turn-based and the player can issue commands directly or opt to use the AI to make decisions. Enemies are shown on the map and battles are initiated when the player touches the monster. Players that dislike randomized combat may appreciate the game’s take on battling. 

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 gives the option to choose what skills a monster will take. Some monsters may have attack spells or stat enhancements, while others may have temporary buff and debuff spells in their skill inventory. Choosing what skills to level will have an effect on the player’s party, but it will also have an effect on the game’s featured element.

Monster synthesis is one of the key features in the game. When the player raises two monsters to level 10, the player can combine them to create a more powerful monster. From the two parts, the new monster can take whatever skills the parents had. For example, if parent "A" had healing spells, then the child may inherit those skills based the player’s choosing.

Remember the word grind and the number one? Well, here is how these two factors hurt this title. During monster synthesis, after the player has made their decision, a new more powerful monster is created! Unfortunately, the new and powerful monster starts at level one. In order to see the fruits of monster synthesis, the player must grind to get that monster caught up to the rest of the party.

- The game's full of challenge, but grinding gets tedious -

Grinding is easily DQM: Joker 2’s greatest weakness. When a newly created monster starts at level 1, grinding is necessary to keep the party strong. Players may spend a large amount of time in the battle screen, rather than exploring the island or progressing through the story. If not for the constant leveling, the system is actually fun to use.

In the end, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 is a solid game with some flaws. The island’s locales may be plain, but the characters have a great amount of detail poured into their look. Capturing monsters is a random affair, but the ability to recruit everything in your path is really fun. Grinding, the game’s biggest eyesore, may hurt Joker 2, but combining monsters can get addicting. For fans of JRPGs, Joker 2 may quench your thirst. For the gamers on the fence, if you are prepared to grind, the game is fun to play. 

GameDynamo's Score for Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (DS/DSi)

	Score	Description
Graphics	85	A mixed bag of generic-looking locations with awesome-looking character models.
Sound	80	Koichi Sugiyama graces the game with his presence, but the tracks are not as memorable as the ones in other Dragon Quest games.
Gameplay	78	Finding and creating new monsters is fun and addictive, though leveling them up can be a chore.
Play Value	80	If it weren’t for the grinding, this would be a blast to play. Recruiting everything in your path is a nice take on an RPG. The online modes also add some replay value to the game.
Final Score	79	There are some things that Joker 2 does well, and some others that make the game suffer. If you can look past its flaws, then you ought to give the game a try.

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