Hark! Great news has come! Niles West News is raffling off a Nintendo DSi XL and a game to go with it, Dragon Quest IX! Look for the table outside the cafe this week for $1-raffle tickets, and/or comment on this review for a free chance to win. Your NWN editors sampled these products, and here’s what we thought:

Ivana:   In Dragon Quest IX, you are an angel guardian for someone in the village. You encounter “bad guys,” and it is your job to duel with them and exterminate them so the village is free from harm. Everything about it reminded me of Zelda and Pokemon. The graphics are bad, the object of the game is lame, and no matter how you “duel,” you will always end up winning. Dragon Quest is targeted towards a younger audience. High school students won’t find much enjoyment from it.

On the other hand, the Nintendo DSi is the way to go. I don’t like video games, so me saying this says something about the system. It is wider than the older models of the DS, but all the features of it make it worthwhile. The two built-in cameras work very well. You can also edit your pictures on the DS. The DSi comes with a few games already programmed onto the system, so technically, you don’t have to buy a separate game just to use the system. Just like older models, it is portable, but you can connect to the internet on this model. As long as there is a wi-fi network somewhere in the vicinity of the DSi to which it can connect to, you can surf the web, check your email, and chat with people of Facebook. Setting up the connection for the first time is tedious and confusing, but after that, it is a breeze to use the internet. I would definitely recommend the DSi to anyone, regardless for their interest in video games.

Colene: I agree with Ivana.  Dragon Quest was horrible.  It has a lot of references to religion and angels, and the general concept wasn’t very interesting.  Fighting slime drops and cruelcumbers to protect the city?  I wasn’t very interested. Even the game’s imagery was horrible; it looked like it was from an Atari game in the seventies.  Overall, the game was a waste of time.

On the other hand, the system was awesome.  The big screen made it easy to use and almost seemed like a netbook.  The DSi looked appealing and had a big stylus that was like a pen so it was really simple to use.  The only problem was that it was hard to connect to the internet.  My younger brother (age 7) loved playing on it as well though, so I’d say it’s a perfect gift for just about any age.

Nick: I initially thought the game would be cool, but boy was I wrong. It was boring, annoying and couldn’t hold my attention for more than a few seconds. The game play was like Pokemon (which I never got into as a kid), with your character going around talking to people, trying to save the city, and making the tree of benevolence explode, lost? So was I. I had no idea what was going with the angels (your character is one), cruelcumbers helping protect the city, and random people blowing up trees. Overall, Dragon Quest was a let down: with the bad graphics, odd game play, and a completely non-existent story line, it was not nearly as good as the name made me think it would be.

Just like everyone else I also agree that the DSi is amazing. With the two giant screens, down-loadable games, preloaded games like (Brain Age) and two cameras (one on the front and back), the DS is fun even when the game you have is not. I had the DS over Thanksgiving break and I have to say I couldn’t put it down; I was constantly playing Brain Age (that game is addictive). There is also a flipbook app where you can make and then display flipbooks; this was also addictive (note to self: don’t spend an hour making a flipbook of a stick figure walking back and forth, not very productive). Overall, the DS is extremely cool, and an excellent gift for any gamer, or anyone really. Dragon Quest on the other hand, not so much.

Maggie: Although Dragon Quest wasn’t my style, it could appeal to people who like sci-fi style or mythical themed games. The entire game was about this flying fairy boy who traveled around some mythical world and talks to random strangers. The whole time I was playing the game, which was maybe a good 10 minutes,  I never saw one dragon. Then I thought, “What’s the point of calling it Dragon Quest, if there aren’t any dragons?”

Although I didn’t enjoy the actual game, the DS itself was cool. Any 10 year old boy would agree that the Nintendo DS is awesome! With it’s advanced technology, and perfectly clear screen, it’s the next big hit after the game boy. I really enjoyed playing Brain Age, which is already downloaded on the DS when you purchase it. It’s just a mixture of fun “Brain Testing” games including math problems and memorization. If you’re looking for a gift this Christmas, or something to entertain yourself, the Nintendo DS is it.

Rozy: In all of my 17 years, I have never played a video game. So getting this opportunity was an exciting moment for me. Dragon Quest was one of my very first games I’ve ever played. Now remember when said I never played the Nintendo? Well, I was actually amused with the game, as opposed to my staff members. Yeah, the graphics were terrible; and the monsters were cruelcumbers, sacksquatch, batterfly, and other lame things; and you had no idea where the dragons were, but if you had nothing to compare it to you liked it.

I played the game for a while, I was at level 8 combat and walking around town like I owned the whole place (virtually speaking). For me, the only reason I stayed in the game as long as I did was because I wanted to know how it would end. It’s the reporter in me,: I need to know everything. I’m not going to tell you how awesome the DS is everyone has already said that, but give the game a chance. Dragon Quest may not be the gory, gruesome games you are used to but it has it’s cool stuff.