Dragon Quest VI on DS is one of those RPGs that just feels cozy to play—like slipping into a well-worn fantasy novel. You start off as this amnesiac hero (classic JRPG move) waking up in a small village, and within minutes you're pulled into this whole parallel worlds thing where the "dream" and "real" realms actually affect each other. Neat twist.

The battles are pure old-school Dragon Quest—turn-based, no frills, but with just enough party customization to keep it interesting. I remember getting stuck for ages trying to figure out which vocation combinations worked best (pro tip: don’t sleep on the Gadabout class early on). And the monster designs? Still some of Akira Toriyama’s goofiest, most charming work.

What really hooked me was how the two worlds slowly reveal the bigger story—you’ll be scratching your head at first, but when pieces start connecting, it’s weirdly satisfying. Just expect to grind a bit between plot dumps. That DS port still holds up surprisingly well if you’re into pixel art and chunky menus.