Dragon Quest Monsters 2 - Maruta no Fushigi na Kagi - Iru no Bouken (Japan / SGB Enhanced / GB Compatible)
Game Boy Color
🇯🇵
Reviewed in 2001
78
Ad
✪ Reviewed on July 10, 2024
72
An ambitious sequel led by heroine Iru, hopping between islands linked by magical keys. The catch and fuse system goes deeper still, environments stay varied and the lifespan is monstrous. Delightful in portable doses.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Young Iru explores magical islands connected by the Maruta keys and collects monsters in this Dragon Quest Monsters entry. Published by Enix, released in Japan in March 2001. Wild monster collection, fusion to create more powerful creatures, interconnected islands with varied environments. Japanese Iru edition.
Dragon Quest Monsters 2 - Maruta no Fushigi na Kagi - Iru no Bouken review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Still fed by Koichi Sugiyama's themes, the sequel unfurls warm melodies across the islands linked by the Maruta keys. Rousing refrains and dynamic battle themes pace the gathering of creatures. This melodic generosity, joyful and polished, wonderfully extends the pleasure of the first game.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Raising your monsters, scouring generated worlds and fusing two beasts to reveal a stronger one endlessly extends the quest for the perfect team. Each exploration yields new companions and each crossbreeding holds its surprise, enough to relaunch an expedition the moment the last one ends. The dungeons look alike, but the breeding obsession keeps a stubborn hold.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Exploring magical islands linked by the keys of Maruta draws you into a long hunt for monsters to tame and crossbreed. Synthesising rare creatures and building the ideal team demands patient investment over many hours. That wealth of collecting and combination, true to the series, offers a lifespan dear to Dragon Quest Monsters fans.
Technical info
💾1,2 MB📅09/03/2001
Published by Enix
Dragon Quest Monsters 2 - Maruta no Fushigi na Kagi - Iru no Bouken (GBC) price, value & rarity
The Iru version of Dragon Quest Monsters 2 on GBC, a Japan-only release never translated, from Enix. The diptych splits into two cartridges with different protagonists, Iru here, and the collecting angle rests on that paired set to complete plus the acclaimed depth of its capture and fusion system. A pillar of Square Enix's pre-Pokémon monster lineage, the title holds firm values in Japan. The lack of a Western localization makes it a sought-after import for portable JRPG enthusiasts.
A questionable morality
Here you don't fight the monsters, you recruit them: you coax them mid-dungeon, breed them together for finer specimens and send them to brawl in your stead. Sold as tender domestication, the breeding really amounts to engineering a stable of creatures bred for combat, which raises a smile the moment you stop to think about it.
