Dragon Quest IX

The pastel shading in the cutscenes is gorgeous on the DS screen, and the furigana makes the Japanese text so much more approachable for a learner like me. Really adds a layer of charm to an already great RPG.

I’ve put over twenty hours in and the furigana is a godsend for someone like me still learning kanji—keeps the flow going without a dictionary. The story pacing feels just right for a handheld, easy to pick up for a quick dungeon crawl or two before bed.

The pastel shading really makes the world pop on the DS screen, and having furigana throughout is a huge help for practicing my reading. I've sunk a good few hours into the quest without even noticing the time fly by.