That is fantastic.

Snu-snu. ;)

Missed this thread, awesome topic.

I prefer Dragon Quest 5/6's method the most. Also incorporated in Mystery Dungeon games too.
I remember the first time a slime got back up after a battle and joined me. It was pretty sweet, especially because I had no idea that was even a thing at the time. Then I got to name them as well, that was even crazier.
I was planning on buying the DS versions, but it seems the new versions have set character monsters you recruit, instead of randomly running into a monster willing to fight for you. Very lame.

I also enjoy SMT's devil bargain system too. I've only played Strange Journey though.
Fusing is also fun.

Summons don't feel like monster recruitment to me. You just conjured them up and they can usually be re-summoned after death. They don't have personality, or maybe I won't be emotionally invested in some creature formed of a spell from a book.

I had to google that as it sounded familiar. Turns out I played a bit of one of those games, or rather it was a translated romhack that presented it as a Pokemon game!

The problem I have with the system in Dragon Quest 5/6 is that, IMO, it is too RNG dependent. This is especially an issue in DQ5, where there are many interesting abilities that can only be found on monsters, and many on monsters that are hard to recruit. I would prefer it if I could get monsters like the King Cureslime and Great Dragon, both of which I like to use, without having to deal with the equivalent of a 1/64 chance item drop. There's also the fact that you can only recruit certain monsters.

The one thing I like about the DQ5/6 system is that the monsters are first-class party members, able to level up and use equipment just like the human characters; in DQ6, you can even give them classes and have them learn skills that way, like giving a Boss Troll thief skills, for example.

As for the change to monster recruitment in the DS and smartphone versions:
* DQ5 keeps things the same, except that some monsters that didn't use to be recruitable now are, and some new recruitable monsters (from DQ7 and DQ8) have been added to the game; this has the interesting side effect of making IceBolt/Crack actually useful (it was originally enemy only in the SFC version, and in the PS2 version couldn't be learned until the spell has long outlived its uefulness). (One change I don't like is that stat growth at level up now has a random element; also an issue in the DQ6 remake (and, from what I hear, DQ7 3DS).)
* DQ6 is the one that changed it; instead of recruiting monsters by winning a fight with a certain class in your party, you instead find a few slimes in the world (generally in towns or similar areas) that will join if you talk to them. To be honest, this doesn't feel like monster recruitment; it feels like recruiting normal characters who happen to look like monsters. (The one non-slime monster party member who wasn't recruited through combat is still recruitable, however, and that character even has full party talk dialog, unlike the slimes.)

Pokemon Jade/Diamond are infamous, but there is a proper translation patch these days.

I have to admit, I'd only played DQ6, so I can't/shouldn't have said anything regarding it.
Your description of the DS version makes me want to get it though. Increased number of recruitable monsters, all through RNG. I prefer random elements in my games, so the stat growth thing is kind of a plus for me.

I definitely agree with you about DQ6 monsters being compete characters, it was fun gearing up a normal ass slime with top tier stuff or a kung fu Boss Troll.
Is that still doable in DQ5/6? It's too bad 6 now only has Slime family recrutables, but everyone likes slimes.

There are actually quite a few games like that, but all of them (and this too) are not exactly RPGs.

In Final Fantasy 13-2, you have 3 spots for your party, but 2 are taken up by the characters. So the third slot you can put a captured monster.

Every so often when fighting a monster you might capture it by it leaving a crystal behind. You then fight with the monster and it will level up on it's own to it's maximum.

And... you can put bows or accessories on them (that is just cosmetic, a cactus with a pink bow or something, or a gear on it's back).

Though the 13 series isn't very popular. Though 13-2 and 13-3 both including the NG+ in a way that lets you re-fight and take different approaches to areas i thought was fun. I love games with multiple endings and NG+ modes.

DQ5 doesn't have any sort of class system; skills learned are predetermined by the character or monster in question. Only some monsters, for example, can reach level 99. (Slimes are one such monster, and if you actually take the time to do that, they *do* learn a powerful breath attack, interestingly enough.)

In the DQ6 remake, you're more limited in which monster types you can have in your party, but you still have just as much freedom with the class system.

By the way, if you like random elements in games, you might consider playing some of the randomizers that are out there; that can make the game *really* random (see my other recent topic about chaos in roguelikes for an attempt at a discussion on this). Pokemon randomizers, for example, have randomized pokemon encounters with random stats, moves, and abilities; if you want to play with random monsters, that might be up your alley.