Game: "Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen"

Console: Nintendo DS

Developer/publisher: Square Enix

Genre: Role-playing game

Number of players: One or two (wireless)

Rated: Teen, for alcohol references, animated blood, mild fantasy violence, mildly crude language, simulated gambling, suggestive themes

The premise: Somewhere in the world of Dragon Quest, the Lord of the Underworld has arisen and it is foretold that the Chosen One will stop him. There are other warriors who will join him, and your quest is to lead the others to the Chosen One.

Game play: This is old-school RPG at its core. Your combat is turn-based and party-oriented. After you collect everybody, you have eight warriors to choose from. You will find yourself fighting familiar enemies who have been brought over from previous titles, the most common being "the Slimes."

The good/bad:

Good: You will find this game to be very addictive, which is both bad and good. The bad part is that you will want to spend all your time on it; the good is that the game play is that good.

Bad: Besides enhanced graphics, I really don't see any difference between this game and its Nintendo Entertainment System incarnation. If someone is going to buy a game again, at least give them new reasons to come back.

Good: Since this is an early RPG, it's actually quite relaxing to play. There are no strategic military battles, no item-forging or multiple points of no return. For instance, in other games, if you use an item too early, you're stuck and have to start over.

Bad: There's no option for automatic battles or a way to auto-scroll the messages that come up during fights. Easy battles get tedious, and having to keep pressing buttons to scroll battle messages gets old fast.

Tips: Take advantage of the shopkeeper Torneko's ability to find treasure chests in the wild. This is a great way to earn extra money and score free items and equipment.

Take advantage of the mercenary help during Torneko's chapter. They are a small cost for all the help they give during battles.

Money doesn't cross over to other chapters, but items, equipment, casino money and tiny medallions do.

My take: Just when I thought Square Enix couldn't produce decent games anymore, "Dragon Quest IV" comes out. I think the company had the idea of republishing older games with modern updates; for example, they've been updating "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Warrior" games for some time now. It seems the more popular a series becomes, the more likely its original name and chronologies are restored. "Dragon Quest" is everything you would want a remake of a remake to be: better graphics to go with nostalgic game play. I really enjoyed this portable RPG throwback. I am rating it a 4, however, because there are things they could have added to make the game even better.