New Dragon Quest IX Nintendo DS Information

Recently it was revealed that there was a special treat in store for fans buying Dragon Quest IX on DS next year, and with the game due for release at the end of March 2009 in Japan, further details on the game have emerged.

First up there is a new Class of the 'Travelling Performer' included, which has balanced defence and offence, an acrobatic skill that can be levelled-up over time, leading to new special techniques being learned (such as making an enemy laugh!). The Travelling Performer also has new equipment, like the Serpent Whip, Feathered Cap, Dancer's Shirt, Gaudy Pants and Acrobat Shoes. There is also the possibility of another new class in the form of the Bodybuilder.

There are also numerous new monsters on offer, such as the Zucchinya (vegetable monster that is good with a spear), Tiger Lance (uses a lance and can cast spells such as Rukani), Moomon (a cow-like beast), Ponpoko Tanuki (the 'dance hero' that uses dance steps as its attack move), as well as the Argon Devil (a very fast creature with a slender body that allows it to attack quickly with its sharp claws). In terms of Non-Playable Characters, one particular newcomer is the winged angel Laviel who works in Luida's bar and allows players to connect to multiplayer aspects of the game, with one player hosting, whilst others play as guests, with four characters allowed and some treasure chests that can only be opened by the host.

In addition, information on the multi-player battles has been released, showing that if players fight separately, they can call for guests to jump in and help out, with guests being transported to the host if called upon for a helping hand (although they CAN decline to pitch in). Players can approach others to help them out, whilst finally multi-player detailed records are kept (such as Class, Name, Time played, Battles Won, Titles received, Quests cleared, percentage of items required acquired going up, and the same with recipes.

Watch out for even more details pouring forth as the game's 27th March, 2009 release date draws ever closer. For now, fourteen new screenshots have been added to the media folder below...