"This game absolutely rocks"

-------Introduction
Wow. What can I say, this is probably the greatest ''monster raising'' RPG I have ever played. 215 monsters, in the first game?! That's 114 more than Pokemon had in Red, Blue, and Yellow! This is a great way to lose track of time, get in trouble in English class, and miss the bus! But all of those thing are definitely worth the great memories I have.

-------Graphics 10/10
I would have to say, if not just for the hundreds of different, well distinguished sprites, there would still be the color. The color is absolutely stunning! Each of the monsters have there own well drawn picture on the menu and dictionary, and each has his or her own sprite as well. The old Dragon Warrior NPCs still have their sprites as well, and they look every bit as good on the GBC. There are also a few cut scenes, mostly shots of the tree the game takes place in.
The movements are all very smooth, as smooth as the GBC will allow. The three monster you have following you are shown walking behind you, and go every where you go.

-------Story 9/10
Games like this don't exactly need a story, but Dragon Warrior Monsters at least puts forth a good effort. You take the role of Terry, whose sister is stolen at night by a dark monster named Warabou. After that, a light monster named Watabou comes in the room, and beckons you into the dresser. Once inside, Terry is whisked away to the land of Great Tree, where monsters are found through the Traveler's Gates, and trained to compete in tournaments with other trees. There is also the Starry Night Tournament, in which Terry is urged to compete in by the King of Great Tree, to fight against the rival tree of Great Log.
Not only is Terry trying to win the Tournament, he is also trying to find his sister, so they can return home again.

-------Sound 10/10
Man I love the music from this game! It's been so long since I've played this game, but those tunes still play on loop in my dome! They are mostly all old Dragon Warrior songs, with some new ones stuck in there too. Whether you are in the town, in a Traveler's Gate, or in a battle, the music just feels so much more in place then the ancient songs many people are used to on the GB's speakers. There are also nice sound effects that come from many actions, such as jumping from cliffs, entering gates, or using spells in battle.

-------Game play 10/10
Game play is very competitive if you have a pal with this game, because of the extra link features in this game. They include battling and breeding. Solo play is also fun, because there are virtually endless ways to raise monsters. The higher monsters require precise breeding, and since you must save before breeding, one error can spell the end of your breeding chain towards the final monster. The challenge is intense, but it doesn't start to feel like a chore like Pokemon does. Competitions are also cool, because if you are ready you just waltz down to the coliseum, and prepare to fight. If you feel you are really confident, you can jump ahead a few classes to gain a higher rank.
When in the areas in the Traveler's gates, the maps are randomly generated. They are then filled with treasure and an occasional NPC, which often give you treasure or help you out in some other way when defeated. Some gates lead you to small tournaments, shops, or places to be healed by a cleric. One particular feature I enjoyed was the ability to steal other trainers monsters. Crom! All you do is bribe them with meats, like beef jerky and sirloin, and the monsters display their loyalty to their original trainers as they hop onto your team after you beat them down.

-------Replay Value 10/10
I'm not kidding, this game has one of the highest replay values ever. It is through the roof. If your game gets erased, or it stops being a challenge, just restart your game. I never found myself wanting to skip portions of the game, they were all met with equal interest. The humorous and light hearted part were still comical the second or third times around, and the monsters all still awesome.

-------Final Score 10/10
Probably the best game available on GBC. I've never played the sequels to this game, save a few minutes at a friends house. They seemed all right, but all you really need is this game. If you are really interested, it shouldn't be too hard to locate Dragon Warrior Monsters, check your closest used game retailer.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/01/02, Updated 12/01/02