Dragon Quest IX coming July 23rd

Nintendo have announced that its upcoming Cooperative Multiplayer Adventuring game for the DS, Dragon Quest IX, will launch in the UK on the 23rd of July.

The game, which was developed by Square Enixis already a hit in in Japan, selling more than 4.2 million units.

In Dragon Quest IX players create their heroes as they like, choosing their face, hair and clothing to create a unique character and throughout the game can discover over 1,000 pieces of clothing, armour, weapons and other items that will provide them with a unique appearance and special abilities.

The main selling point of the game is the special modes that let players to share their adventure with others, allowing up to four players to team up via a local wireless connection and experience the fun of tackling challenging monsters and dungeons cooperatively with their own unique characters. Players can even leave the game active in their backpacks, pockets or purses and still interact with other players via an interactive "Canvassing Mode." Information about players' unique characters can be wirelessly transmitted to others, and treasure maps and customised greetings can be exchanged automatically by players who come within range of one another when their games are set to Canvassing Mode.

Players looking to enjoy a variety of different game activities can take on special side quests. Some of these quests will be earned by progressing through the game, while additional quests will be made available for free download for players with broadband Internet access after the game launches, providing hours of additional content for virtual adventurers to enjoy either on their own or with friends. Some downloadable quests will continue the main storyline of the game, while others offer standalone missions.