I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of Blue Dragon when it came out a year ago on the Xbox 360. Sure I was glad that the Xbox 360 was getting some RPG love from Japan but it certainly didn’t light a fire that burned brightly for fans of the genre. Then along came the anime series that introduced the characters and the world seen in the game and thus renewing interest from those who might have missed out on playing the game. Blue Dragon Plus is a sequel to the console original but this one finds its home on the Nintendo DS instead.

Oh, and don’t think that moving from a powerful next-generation console like the Xbox 360 to a handheld like the Nintendo DS is a bad thing because it isn’t. In fact, I’ll even go as far as saying that it’s an improvement that makes this one of the best Blue Dragon games yet. Unfortunately, the game assumes you know all the characters already and only offers a very brief description of each character down to their abilities and weaknesses. A brief rundown of the first game’s story would have been nice for those new to the series.

The game’s main campaign mode begins a year after the events of the first game. Shu and his companions had defeated the evil Nene and now the small band has come to serve King Jibral. The King himself ask Zola - who now works closely with the King - to take young Shu, Marumaro and the Mecha Robo named Szabo - to investigate a mysterious cube that appeared not too far away from their own cube. You see, the world as they know it has been altered in a way that the world is composed of a number of cubes. The mystery behind the new cube leads Shu and the others on another adventure to save the world from a new threat that comes in the form of a three-headed dragon.

Unlike the console game, Blue Dragon Plus plays like a real-time strategy role-playing game and takes a few pages from the Final Fantasy Tactics playbook. Thankfully, the game includes a tutorial option in the main menu and those unfamiliar with the genre should definitely consider going through the tutorial before jumping into the main story mode. For seasoned veterans, Blue Dragon Plus’ gameplay style isn’t radically different from other similar games. Of course, the game adds its own twist that comes in the form of Shadow Dragons.

While Shu and his companions have their own individual attacks, the real power comes in their Shadows each character can call upon to unleash powerful attacks. Zola, for example, commands her Killer Bat Shadow while Marumaro commands his Sabre Tooth Tiger Shadow. Thankfully, as you play the game, you’ll gain access to more characters and the freedom to customize your own party, or units, the way you see fit. Half the fun of strategy games are coming up with your own formations and playing on each character’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, Shu is an overall powerful fighter while Zola is a Speedster, which allows her to move quickly but makes her a lousy choice to have in the front of the battle lines.

Aside from commanding your characters that also include Mecha Robos that are able to generate the light that souls make in order to unleash a Shadow Dragon, you’ll have to complete Mission Conditions that range from the simple (win the battle) to more challenging (win the battle without losing a member of your unit). Some battles even involve more than just hitting your enemy repeatedly. Early in the game you face off against a giant Mecha Robo that requires you to lure it to a spot where another character can flip a switch to electrify the enormous enemy. You can also do a bit of exploring and hit the shops to purchase better weapons and items. 

The battles take place on a map that makes use of the touch screen so to move a character all you have to do is tap said character with the Stylus and move then anywhere on the map. Thankfully, you can rotate the map around in order to see your surroundings well enough to make full use of each character’s skills. To add some variety to the battles, there are Shadow Fights that occur when your character and the enemy unleashes their Shadow at the same time. When this happens you must take the Stylus to elongate your shadow before your opponent does to dish out some major damage.

Visually, Blue Dragon Plus looks beautiful when it comes to the cut scenes. It’s impressive to see the DS capable of displaying some crisp and fluid animation. The environments that make up the maps look decent enough and each character - although small - is instantly recognizable. There’s also an amazing score here that plays throughout the game without getting old. There are no voices in the game and the sound effects are only minimal, though.

As far as sequels go, Blue Dragon Plus for the Nintendo DS certainly does overshadow the console original. Its problems are few and noticeable but it makes up for it with a satisfying tactical role-playing game experience that not only has a lot to offer fans of the genre but also gives us a far better Blue Dragon game.

Gameplay: 8.0
There’s a solid story here that’s true to the Blue Dragon series and the adventure is actually lengthy enough to keep you busy for quite some time. There’s a healthy dose of tactical planning that goes on in the battles and learning all the spells and your characters unique abilities is half the fun.

Graphics: 7.5
The Nintendo DS is capable of displaying some rather gorgeous visuals and Blue Dragon Plus definitely does just that when it comes to the cut scenes. The in-game visuals aren’t bad at all either and you’ll recognize all the characters on the field.

Sound: 7.5
There’s no voice acting to be found in this game and the sounds effects aren’t plentiful but adequate. It’s the soundtrack that really stands out since the original score is simply beautiful.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
The further you advance in the game the harder it is to defeat the parade of enemies you’ll go up against. Shadow Fights add a more challenging element that requires strategy. 

Concept: 8.0
Shu and his friends are back and this time the battles are far better than the Xbox 360 game. Shadow Fights add some diversity in the fighting and the story is actually fun to follow even if you didn’t enjoy the console game.

Overall: 8.0
As it turns out, the Nintendo DS is the perfect home for a strategy-based RPG and Blue Dragon Plus is proof of that. Deeply involving, lengthy and delightfully rewarding when it comes to battles, this chapter of the Blue Dragon definitely deserves a place in your collection.