Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies 2009

Is it still worth playing?

Level-5's 2009 role playing game for the Nintendo DS, the ninth mainline Dragon Quest, released by Nintendo overseas the next year. You play a customizable member of the angelic Celestrian race, after a disaster scatters magical fruits across the mortal realm. Battles are turn based, with enemies shown as roaming sprites rather than random encounters, and the display is split, with the map and party status on top and the immediate surroundings and menu below. Much of the game sits beside the story. Characters around the world give optional side quests, some standalone and some in chains, from errands to defeating monsters, and several can run at once. As for saving, it is only possible at a church in town. A hero of your own and side quests running in parallel still let you set your own pace today.