Battle of Giants is a suitable name for this series of fighting games from Ubisoft, as it is all about fighting to see who is the biggest and the baddest. There aren't any mini-games, puzzles, or activities to distract; it's solely about whuppin' some dragon butt. There is a "dragon designer" feature, but it's not fleshed out enough to count for a whole lot. A fighting game, pure and simple.

Not that this is a bad thing, if the fighting and storyline is handled well. And, it is. The designers have presented a game that is deep enough to challenge and entertain, but is also wholly accessible to everyone, even pitiful real-time battlers like me. I am really bad at most real-time fighting, as my reflexes are nil and my thought processes slow. Turn-based duels are my kind of game. But even I can succeed with Battle of Giants Dragons.

The story is minimal, as is usual. The dragons created a dragon land and spread their magical gems around the world to hide them from humans. Unfortunately, the evil dragons want to take all the gems for themselves, so the good dragons must fight the bad dragons. This story is all dressed up in mythical language, but that's essentially it.

Right from the beginning of the game, players will be instructed on fighting techniques and presented with graduated challenges, which mostly deal with finding certain dragons and fighting them. In the early part of the game, sometimes players will be directed to find a location or an item which is used as an introduction to a new ability for the dragon.

At first, I had a hard time with the initial attack move, as no matter how I moved my stylus I could not get my dragon to react. The move is a simple one that just requires players to move the stylus quickly toward the front of the dragon, but for some reason it just didn't work very well in the training segment. However, once I did it enough times to advance from training, I never had a problem again.

The game is controlled by the stylus, which players use to fight and also move the dragon. Everything works very smoothly and realistically. It's a lot of fun to soar around with the dragon, and "feel" the thuds as he stomps around the ground.

The fights are in real-time, but there is plenty of time to attack the opposing dragon, even later in the game when the enemies become more difficult to defeat. There is always a pause before the other dragon will attack, giving players plenty of time to dodge or attack first. I'm not very good at real-time battles, so my main method of winning these battles is to hammer away at the other dragon, without any subtle dodges or defense moves. Works for me, anyway.

Each battle consists of attack or defense moves, choosing a battle gem to increase certain powers, and drawing a quick diagram with the stylus between set points on the screen to power up the dragon. The dragons are situated on an elevated square of rock facing each other, where they can move back and forth, and sideways. Depending on the position of the dragon, they can launch tail or head attacks, or flying attacks. They can also dodge and defend. These moves are activated by moving the stylus across the dragon.

The battles are satisfyingly animated when a successful attach is launched. When the opposing dragon is hit with an attack move, an animated sequence is played where the player's dragon flips the other dragon in the air, who then crashes resoundingly to the ground. During the battles, status bars are shown that detail the health of each contestant.

After a number of battles with the dragons, a boss battle will be on the menu next. Sometimes these are quite hilarious, as the type of enemy could be anything ranging from a vehicle to a robot.

Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun playing Battle of Giants: Dragons. I'm really more of a Pokemon fan. However, the battle system is quite fun and engrossing, and easy enough for most levels of players. That is not to say that it's all easy, it gets harder as the game continues. It's never too difficult, though. Moving the dragon around is a hoot, as well.

However, this is a one-trick pony game. There isn't anything else besides fighting. While players can design their own dragons and add power gems, there aren't enough visual contrasts between the different dragon parts or gems to make any real difference. The quests are too simple to offer any challenge, and only serve as a means to initiate an attack.

For those who simply want a fighting game with cool opponents, this is a good game to have. For others who may want challenging puzzle-based quests or mini-games, then this game may feel a bit lacking. I enjoyed it, but only for short times of gameplay.

Gameplay: 7.0
The gameplay is fun and interesting, due mostly to smooth mechanics for moving the dragon and fighting. The battles are engaging, and not too difficult, or too easy. However, there is a lack of variety and players may get tired of just fighting endless battles.

Graphics: 8.0
Everything looks really good on the DS. The environments are highly detailed, and the dragons are, as well. The colors are good, but the dragons all look pretty similar to each other.

Sound: 7.0
The music and sound effects are average in quality.

Difficulty: Medium
The game begins with easy battles, but they become increasingly more challenging. However, it never gets too hard.

Concept: 7.0
There isn't a whole lot that is new, but the presentation is good.

Overall: 7.0
Battle of Giants: Dragons is a fun fighting game on the DS. The battles have several options for players during the battles, and this, combined with the pauses before the opponents attack, lends a turn-based flavor to the real-time gameplay. It is real-time, though, and those who hesitate are lost. Flying around the environs is exhilarating, and is a lot more fun than flying a certain other famous dragon on the Wii. However, fighting is all there is, and there isn't anything else. A good choice for those looking for an accessible, pick-up-and-play fighting game and who don't require anything else.