''Digimon World Championship'' (デジモンチャンピオンシップ Dejimon Chanpionshippu, lit. ''Digimon Championship'') is a

life simulation Life simulation games form a subgenre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual characters (human or otherwise). Such a game can revolve around "individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation ...

video game for the

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

developed by

Epics The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) is a set of software tools and applications used to develop and implement distributed control systems to operate devices such as particle accelerators, telescopes and other large sci ...

and published by

Bandai Namco Games is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are resp ...

as part of the ''

Digimon , short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise encompassing virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures, who inhabit a "Di ...

'' franchise. It was released in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in February 2008 and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

in August 2008. In-contrast to its localized title in North America, the game is not part of the ''

Digimon World is a video game by Bandai on the PlayStation, released in 1999, about the Digimon virtual pets. It was followed by various sequels released for the PlayStation and other platforms. The story focuses on a human brought to File City on File Islan ...

'' sub-series of

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

Gameplay

''Digimon World Championship'' is a simulation title which focuses singularly on the virtual pet raising, caretaking, training, and battling with no RPG or world exploration elements. It varies from other ''Digimon'' games released on

in that the player does not give commands in a fight but the Digimon choose their attacks themselves. It also requires that the player feeds and looks after their Digimon, also having to heal, cure, and clean up after them, much like the older ''Digimon'' games. This is also the first ''Digimon'' game to include the

Dracomon The characters from the anime series ''Digimon Fusion'' are, for a time, divided as separate groups; as the series progresses, the factions eventually come together as the final stages of the battle for the Digital World approach. Fusion Fighter ...

line of Digimon, featuring Petitmon, Babydmon, Dracomon, Coredramon (Air), Coredramon (Ground), Wingdramon, Groundramon, Slayerdramon, and Breakdramon. The starting Digimon is

Botamon ''Digimon Adventure'', ''Digimon Adventure 02'', ''Digimon Adventure tri.'' and '' Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna'' anime series and films produced by Toei Animation for the ''Digimon'' franchise, are centered on the , a group of childre ...

Reception

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

staff writer Lucas M. Thomas listed the game as one of the "tears" on his "Cheers & Tears" list of DS fighting games. He bemoaned the confusing nature of the

Digivolution , short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise encompassing virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures, who inhabit a "Di ...

mechanic, adding that the ''

Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of ...

'' series offered a more straightforward approach to evolution.

References

External links

Digimon World Championship Hands-On
{{Digimon 2008 video games Bandai Namco games Nintendo DS games Nintendo DS-only games Digimon video games Video games developed in Japan Life simulation games