So while the rest of us are suffering through the typical summer gaming drought, fans of the RPG genre are as happy as pigs in poop. It seems as though they've been getting treated to one 60 hour epic after another, and this week is no different. Hitting shelves today is the latest chapter in the storied Dragon Quest IX franchise and if history serves us correct, I'm pretty sure we can expect another gem here.

Thanks to the DS' wifi capability, you'll be able to team up with 3 other players anywhere and anytime to "explore mysterious dungeons and tangle with fearsome monsters throughout a spellbinding world of adventure." Another great social aspect coming to the title is Tag mode. In that mode, even if your DS is closed and in your pocket or bag, players can exchange customized greetings, items, and treasure maps. The treasure maps will provide info for secret boss hideouts and, well... treasure.

If you have a DS today, I salute you. If you're too nervous to make the jump on your own, you can always just wait around for our review from our in-house RPG guru, Chad Awkerman! Just be patient, because like you all, he's jumping from one 60 hour RPG to another all summer long.

Let us know what's your favorite Dragon Quest so far in the comments section!