Standard Edition
StandardIn the box
- Nintendo DS game card
- Case with cover art
- Instruction booklet
Nintendo DS
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. Published by Square Enix in Japan in July 2009 and by Nintendo overseas the following year, it is the ninth mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series.
Role-playing (RPG)Turn-based strategy (TBS)Adventure
- Update patch
- No patch
- Time to beat
- about 50 hours
- Plays offline
- Partly
Overview
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is a 2009 role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. Published by Square Enix in Japan in July 2009 and by Nintendo overseas the following year, it is the ninth mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series. The storyline follows the protagonist, a member of the angelic Celestrian race, after a disaster in their home scatters magical fruits across the mortal realm. While carrying over traditional gameplay from the rest of the series with turn-based battles, the game is the first Dragon Quest entry to feature a customizable player character, and the first to include a multiplayer mode, with the option of trading treasure maps and loaning player characters through Nintendo Wi-Fi. Online functions ended in 2014 when it ceased operations.
Development began in 2005, with Level-5's Akihiro Hino both acting as co-director and encouraging the game's development for the DS. Series creator Yuji Horii acted as game and story designer, with artist Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama also returning from previous entries. While an early prototype used an action-based combat system, negative fan feedback and internal testing prompted a return to the turn-based gameplay of earlier entries. Due to the focus on multiplayer, the games narrative and gameplay were designed around these features. Some of the game design drew inspiration from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Diablo.
Announced in 2006 with a planned release the following year, the game was delayed by two years, with the final delay to allow bug fixes. These delays prompted Square Enix to cut its profit forecasts. Localization was handled by PlusAlpha and Shloc, who had previously localized Dragon Quest VIII. Upon release in Japan, the game posted strong sales, and with over five million copies sold worldwide by 2011 was the best-selling entry in the series until the multiplatform Dragon Quest XI (2017). Reviews in both Japan and the West were generally positive, with most of the praise being directed towards its gameplay design and graphics. Several critics felt that its traditional design restricted or undermined its other elements. Hugely popular in Japan, the game's anonymous communication mode would inspire the Nintendo 3DS's in-built SpotPass and StreetPass.
Official trailer
Trailer. Watch on YouTube
Gameplay
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS) Playthrough [1 of 3], NintendoComplete. Watch on YouTube
Screenshots
Game details
- Genres
- Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS), Adventure
- Developer
- LEVEL-5, Square Enix Product Development Division 9
- Publisher
- Nintendo, Square Enix
- Series
- Dragon Quest
- Platforms
- Nintendo DS
- Age rating
- ESRB E10+
- Modes
- Single player
- Yes
- Co op
- Yes
- Age ratings
- CLASS IND
- 10
- PEGI
- 12
- ESRB
- E10+
- ACB
- PG
Release dates
| Platform | Region | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo DS | Japan | 2009-07-11 |
| Nintendo DS | North America | 2010-07-11 |
| Nintendo DS | Europe / PAL | 2010-07-23 |
| Nintendo DS | Australia | 2010-08-19 |
Editions
Space and patches
Update patchNo patch
Playable today
Playable offline todayPartly
The story and local multiplayer still play; the online extras are gone.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ever released on disc | Yes, on Nintendo DS game card |
| Ever released in the store | No Never sold digitally. |
| In the store to buy today | No Never sold digitally. |
| Can be downloaded again if you already bought it | Does not exist Never sold digitally. |
| Disc runs with no patch | Yes |
| Disc runs with the final patch | Does not exist No patch was ever released. |
| Has online features | Yes Online extras over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, including treasure map and character trades. |
| Online servers running today | Shut down Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection closed on 20 May 2014. |
| Playable offline today: campaign | Yes |
| Playable offline today: local multiplayer | Yes Up to three players join the host's game over local wireless. |
| Playable offline today: online multiplayer | Does not exist Multiplayer is local only. |
Online
Plays offlinePartly
Reception
- Aggregates
Outlet Platform Score Scale Metacritic DS 87 100 - Critics
Outlet Score Scale Eurogamer 9 10 Famitsu 40 40 Game Informer 8 10 GameSpot 8 10 IGN 8 10 GameTrailers 8.5 10 Official Nintendo Magazine 90 100
Staff and cast
- Staff
Role Name Developers Level-5, Square Enix Publisher Nintendo (outside Japan), Square Enix (Japan) Directors Akihiro Hino, Jin Fujisawa Producer Ryutaro Ichimura Designer Yuji Horii Writers Yuji Horii, Masahiro Kataoka, Atsushi Narita Artists Akira Toriyama, Eiichiro Nakatsu Composer Koichi Sugiyama
Notes for collectors
- The first Dragon Quest with a custom hero and the first with multiplayer.
- Up to three friends join a host's world over local wireless.
- Players could trade treasure maps and lend out their characters.
- One save slot only, because the save data was so large.
- Famitsu gave it a perfect 40 out of 40; over five million copies sold by 2011.
Credits
- Publisher
- Nintendo, Square Enix
- Developer
- LEVEL-5, Square Enix Product Development Division 9
- Director
- Akihiro Hino, Jin Fujisawa
- Released
- 2010-07-11
- Age rating
- ESRB E10+
- Region
- US
- Time to beat
- about 50 hours
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