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In 2007, Mistwalker released Blue Dragon for XBox 360. Now that story continues with Blue Dragon Plus... and even though the characters may have stayed the same, the format and the medium has changed. Get the scoop here.

The Gist

After the battle with Nene, the world was split into two, causing strange "cubes" to appear. A frightening and powerful three-headed dragon named Balaur emerges from one of these cubes and the trouble begins.

It is up to Shu and his friends to stop Balaur and set things right.

This is the basic premise behind the new adventures found in Blue Dragon Plus for Nintendo DS, the sequel to the 2007 release created for the XBox 360. Both are still true RPGs and both are based on the Blue Dragon anime series but unlike its predecessor, Blue Dragon Plus has moved away from the traditional "turn-based" format and implemented a strategic tactical play instead.

For some gamers, this might sound like a questionable move but BDP pulls it off nicely.

The Review

Blue Dragon Plus picks up one year after the time line in the first game, with all your favorite characters showing up for the sequel.

Gamplay is controlled with your stylus and you can control each member of your team simultaneously by tapping the character you want to move and then directing them accordingly. This can make for some pretty hectic gameplay at first, especially for those that aren't used to this type of format but once you get the hang of it, BDP is actually very addicting.

Each character has their own Shadow to control in battle and each also has their own special talents and powers - using these wisely will help you make great strides in the game.

Obviously, the graphics aren't nearly as complex as in the console version but they are fairly impressive nonetheless, especially during the cinematic storyline segments. Which brings me to my one small complaint - I can't figure out how to skip past these interruptions. While some might enjoy these breaks in the action, I would like the ability to skip past the dialogue if I choose to. Some of them are lengthy and I'm ready to move to the next level - "let's get on with it, shall we?!" Other than this minor (and it is really minor) inconvenience, I like this game. There's plenty of spells and other fun things to play with besides the main quest so you don't have to worry about running out of things to do. All in all, Blue Dragon Plus is definitely an RPG worth having.