Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure

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Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005N9WT
• Media: Game Cartridge
• Release Date: September 25, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,991 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Tara's Adventure takes you to the island of GreatLog, where, playing as Tara--a member of a family of monster farmers--you complete a series of missions to keep the island from sinking. Tara looks for magical keys, explores a number of alternative worlds, performs reconnaissance for an impetuous king, and even joins the circus. But collecting and breeding monsters is the real meat of this game, and is the area with the most intricate and addictive gameplay.

Each monster has its own complex set of characteristics, and can be matched with any monster of the opposite gender to produce a new member of Tara's monster menagerie (don't worry: the actual breeding takes place offscreen). The results of monster breeding can be surprising, and allow for nearly endless experimentation. Of course, your responsibilities don't end with breeding: you must also take your monsters out on missions to give them experience and keep them sharp. Let your monsters languish for too long on the farm and they'll get lazy and disobedient.

The monster breeding by itself wouldn't be much fun if it weren't for the game's imaginative settings and strong characters. Despite the Game Boy's modest graphics and sound capabilities, the game evokes distinctive atmospheres and personalities through an inventive use of textures and dialogue boxes. The multiple menus necessary for successful navigation of this world at first appear dauntingly complex, but the interface does a good job of leading you along until you get the hang of things.

Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Tara's Adventure stresses creativity and constructive behavior over conflict. While it's true that you can hardly take three steps without your monsters getting into another fight, the violence itself is not at all graphic, and outcomes rely as much on strategy and relationships as on brute force. The world of the game is a gentle and whimsical one where nothing too bad ever happens. Even if one of your monsters has the misfortune of getting killed, it follows you around in a cute little coffin until you can arrange for a resurrection.

The one disappointment with Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Tara's Adventure is not so much with the title itself as with its much-hyped interaction with its companion title, Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Cobi's Journey. Linking with another Game Boy Color running either the same cartridge or its companion title enables, among other things, monster swapping and multiplayer adventuring, but the layouts, plots, characters, and dialogue are virtually identical in Tara's Adventures and Cobi's Journey. The addition of a few extra monster types and spells hardly justifies the expense of a second game cartridge.

But never mind. Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Tara's Adventure provides more than enough fun missions, engaging characters, and imaginative settings to rate as a smashing success as a standalone. --David Stoesz

Pros:

• Minimal violence
• Battery save feature lets you bookmark your progress without using passwords

Cons:

• Virtually identical to Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Cobi's Journey
• Missions can lead to aimless wandering

Amazon.com Product Description

Tara and Cobi, sister and brother, move to the island of GreatLog to take up monster farming. Soon after, the island starts to sink into the ocean, forcing the siblings to find, capture, breed, and train an army of Dragon Warrior monsters to save their beloved GreatLog. Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Tara's Adventure features the daring Tara, while her brave brother Cobi is featured in the linkable companion title Dragon Warrior: Monsters 2, Cobi's Journey.

Combined, these releases let you collect more than 300 engaging monsters from up to 11 monster families as you explore strange and mysterious worlds. Each version offers exclusive monsters and items. While these games play fine by themselves, you'll need to link up or purchase both to collect all the items and creatures. Each title has different hidden quests accessible only with secret keys. Trade keys to uncover the mysteries contained in both titles. Best of all, it's up to you to breed the most powerful monster by customizing it with magic abilities and inherited skills. Link to another system to fight your friend's monsters or join up to fight as a team!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work by Enix, November 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure (Game Cartridge)

When I purchased Dragon Warrior Monsters II; Tara's adventure, I was expecting a Dragon Warrior Monsters experience, and what I got was better.

Not only does all the "old" stuff included in DWI show up in the sequel, but tons of new monsters were added, as well as new skills, and the warp gates were evolved to a new level.

If you like a catch-your-monster-RPG, get this one, or Cobi's Adventure. Both are brilliant pieces of work, as you battle for keys to new worlds to ultimately become the champion of GreatLog!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best RPG games ever!{my favorite!}, January 24, 2002

By 

Jerev "redcardus" (Mt. Kisco, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure (Game Cartridge)

This game is unbeliveble! I love it! It is very addictive and interesting and exciting! Don't think of this game as another boring old pokemon, it is more conplex with a much better plot. There are 312 different monsters to catch! Another reason this game is great is because you can breed your monsters to make more and better monsters. This game is great for all ages!
Must Have! *****

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best RPG games ever!{my favorite!}, January 24, 2002

By 

Jerev "redcardus" (Mt. Kisco, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure (Game Cartridge)

This game is unbeliveble! I love it! It is very addictive and interesting and exciting! Don't think of this game as another boring old pokemon, it is more conplex with a much better plot. There are 312 different monsters to catch! Another reason this game is great is because you can breed your monsters to make more and better monsters. This game is great for all ages!
Must Have!