Last July, we looked at the Japanese release of Dragon Quest Swords and talked about the game's features -- and some flaws, like certain issues with the sword controls and lack of support for the Nunchuk. (...) For the upcoming English version of DQS, none of that has changed: the Nunchuk remains ignored (granted, the hub town of Avalonia is the only place you can move freely in 3D anyway) and the best way to attack is still to hold the remote laterally and try to move it in straight lines. The only changes reported by Square Enix are a Payback mode (likely some sort of "New Game Plus" adventure) and the addition of new hidden boss fights -- presumably on top of the ones already in the Japanese version, where powering yourself up enough to break down boulders in each area leads to new encounters.

As for the story part of the localization, Swords is full of the same type of European voices (and grammar) used in Dragon Quest VIII, ensuring that things feel as medieval as possible within the confines of a mostly-whimsical Japanese RPG. Without much new in regards to the game itself, our initial impressions remain the same: it's a decently fun, arcadey take on a classic RPG series. Look for our final review upon the game's release late next month.

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is a little bit role-playing game -- you walk around town, talk to people, get new equipment, build a party, fight random battles, use items and cast magic -- and a little bit on-rails shooter. This certainly isn't the first time the two genres have been merged, but unlike Elemental Gearbolt, Swords feels more RPG than shooter. Especially since you don't really shoot -- it's called "Swords" for a reason, after all.

Unsurprisingly, the gameplay revolves around the Wii Remote -- though unlike certain other Wii-based spin-offs, Swords plays out somewhat similarly to a real Dragon Quest game. A streamlined, fast-paced and fairly shallow Dragon Quest to be sure, but it's easy to see how Square Enix made it from point A to point B here. Players take control of a young knight aspirant; after a quick gameplay tutorial and a survey of the local town, they head out into adventure.

"Adventure" here consists of moving down a linear path, fighting off occasional monster ambushes. Everything is controlled with the remote -- the D-pad moves you along the path, the 1 and 2 buttons bring up menus, and B blocks. Most importantly, the remote itself functions as a sword with 1:1 analog control, or close to it. A vertical, diagonal or horizontal stroke performs a similar sword slash capable of hitting multiple enemies, while a thrusting motion performs a precise stab. Foes appear in waves of two to six, and while they're initially simple to defeat -- puny Slimes that broadcast their attacks well in advance -- things quickly become more complex as moles appear to blind players by flinging dirt, archers attack from outside the sword's range and flying foes perform tricky aerobatics.

Combat consists of waiting for openings and performing the proper sword techniques to take down enemies, alternating offense with defense. Although it initially feels strange to use the remote for shield as well as sword, it allows pinpoint defense. Players can block incoming projectiles precisely, which becomes a necessity as your shield gradually disintegrates under the abuse of enemies, offering a smaller and smaller area of protection as your foes chip away at the edges.

If all of this sounds like a brilliant infusion of Wii quirkiness into Dragon Quest tradition, that's because it is. Well, "brilliant" might be a stretch. It's all very clever and fun, but not quite as polished as one might hope. The sword input can be frustratingly inconsistent and unresponsive, often performing the wrong strokes even when you take extensive pains to make sure you're doing it right.