For the first time, Red the bandit and Monster Arena owner Morrie join your party as playable characters! Dragon Quest, titled Dragon Warrior when initially localized to North America, is the first role-playing video game (RPG) in the Dragon Quest media franchise.It was developed by Chunsoft for the Family Computer and published by Enix in Japan in 1986 as Dragon Quest and by Nintendo in 1989 in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Dragon Quest VIII was the first game in the series to bear the Dragon Quest name (rather than Dragon Warrior) in North America. In the 3DS version, the player can choose to instead begin a romance with Jessica. For Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King on the PlayStation 2, GameFAQs has 28 guides and walkthroughs. The only one left unaffected is the unnamed protagonist, a Trodain guard. All screenshots and videos on this website have been captured in 2D mode. © SUGIYAMA KOBO. His special attribute is humanity. The protagonist also appears as a playable character in the 2018 crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Available now $39.99 Buy download. [10] The game retains the series' tradition of allowing the player to name the lead character, reconciling the two by having the voice acting script skip incidences of the Hero's name, (e.g. Join the Dragon Quest Wiki Discord channel to discuss this wiki, and meet other contributors. Dragon Quest Yangus, a roguelike Mysterious Dungeons game developed by Cavia for the PlayStation 2, follows the storyline of a young Yangus. [39] It was the first Dragon Quest game to receive a score of 39 out of 40 from Famitsu. [17] Dragon Quest's North American name had been changed due to a trademark conflict with the pen-and-paper role-playing game DragonQuest, published by wargame publisher Simulation Publications in the 1980s, until the company's bankruptcy in 1982 and purchase by TSR, Inc., which then published it as an alternate line to Dungeons & Dragons until 1987. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King . Dragon Quest VIII focuses on four main characters, each joining the battle party early in the game. [13][17][18] Nich Maragos of 1UP.com praised the game's British tinted localization, saying how the humor is often successful except for "a few puns that will, on occasion, make you want to die. These free events gave away Dragon Quest merchandise and also featured live entertainment. In Dragon Quest VIII, the player controls the Hero in a fully three-dimensional environment. [14] Unlike some earlier games in the series, which were censored during localization for North America, Dragon Quest VIII had no such censorship. the line "Okay, Hero, my boy..." appears on-screen, while the voice acting says, "Okay, my boy...") and occasionally replacing the name with Yangus' nickname for him, "'guv" (as in "governor", pronounced with a Cockney accent). As the king’s retainer, it is your duty to accompany the king as he seeks to cure himself and the princess of their new forms. The English translation is credited to Plus Alpha Translations and AltJapan Co., Ltd. Richard Honeywood, of Square Enix's localization office and famous for his work with Final Fantasy VIII and Chocobo Racing, was the main force behind the game's English localization. Uncover the story of the Cursed King as you save the world from a twisted magician in this genre-defining role-playing game. [ファミ通App]", "Nominees for Destructoid's Best Portable Game of 2017", "Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards", "Dragon Warrior VII for PlayStation Reviews", "Dragon Quest IX full guest list revealed", "Dragon Quest characters join Super Smash Bros. She uses magic but can also equip whips and knives, and she can stun enemies with her special attribute Sex Appeal skills. © 2004, 2015, 2017 ARMOR PROJECT/BIRD STUDIO/ SQUARE ENIX. [17] In a Nintendo Direct in November 2015, it was shown that the game would be releasing for the 3DS in 2016. [15] Medea was transformed into a horse by Dhoulmagus and has a romantic interest in the Hero. 9/10. [12] The visual controls allow players to examine people and objects more closely than the top-down perspective of the game's predecessors. [20] A demo disc for Dragon Quest VIII was also released during the fall of 2005 through Shonen Jump magazine. January 2005, p.78. Dragons Quest VIII is a fantasy story that has elements of Grimms fair tales. Gaining enough points in a skill can allow the character to gain strength in weapons and learn new abilities and magic spells.[15]. Two non-player characters journey with the protagonists: Trode, the titular cursed king who rules over Trodain but was transformed into a toad-like creature by Dhoulmagus; and Medea, Trode's daughter, who is the same age as the Hero. In battle, he can use both magic and physical attacks effectively and has the most healing spells. Eventually, the scepter comes into the possession of Marcello, Angelo's power hungry half-brother. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, is a role-playing video game developed by Level-5 and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2.It was released in Japan in 2004, in North America in 2005 and PAL regions in 2006, making it the first main series installment released in the PAL region. After the party releases Jessica from her possession, Jessica tells them that the scepter contains the spirit of Rhapthorne, the Lord of Darkness, who was imprisoned in the scepter long ago by seven sages. To further differentiate him from the other protagonists, he is referred to by the name "Eight". The 1UP.com staff suggested that the player stop playing "to just look around and absorb the scenery" and said that it rivals Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' map of San Andreas in size and detail. DRAGON QUEST, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. As this installment of the series was the first after 2003 to be released outside Japan, it was the first to receive the Quest in its title.[23]. Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, "DRAGON QUEST VIII on the App Store on iTunes", "DRAGON QUEST VIII - Android Apps on Google Play", "SQUARE ENIX will release DRAGON QUEST VIII for iOS and Android on December 12, 2013 in Japan (For Japan)", "The New Year Brings a New World to Save When DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King Releases for Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 20", "DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King releases for Nintendo 3DS on January 20th 2017", "The New Year brings a new (DRAGON) quest, on 21st January 2017! [35][36] By September 2008, total worldwide shipments of Dragon Quest VIII surpassed 4.9 million copies,[37] of which over 430,000 were from the North American release. Dragon Quest Wiki is a Dragon Quest encyclopedia that anyone can edit. [22] In 2003, Square Enix registered the Dragon Quest trademark in the US, making the Dragon Warrior name obsolete. [41][42] The iOS version became the 2nd top-seller of Japan AppStore in the debut half day, highlighting the influence of the series. In addition to this the game possess powerful new features including … Like the other games in the series, Yuji Horii was staffed as the scenario director. Marcello kills the last remaining descendant of the sages, but manages to contain Rhapthorne for a time. [9] In an interview with Horii, he mentioned that the 2003 merger between Squaresoft and Enix (creating Square Enix) allowed the company to release more games in more localities, with producer Ryutaro Ichimura adding that "European tastes have changed because of the influence of anime and cartoons, so Europeans are more willing to receive this type of artwork."[25]. These battle scenes have visually changed dramatically from earlier games in the series, yet retain a similar text based menu system for battles. [50] Jessica, Angelo, and Yangus also appear opposite other Dragon Quest characters, as well as Final Fantasy and Mario characters in titles of the Fortune Street franchise, a cross-over board game spanning multiple platforms. [10] A version of the game for Android and iOS was released in Japan in December 2013,[4] and worldwide in May 2014.[2][3]. There are currently 5,307 articles. *If eligible for a Just for You offer, the final price reflects the combined Sale and Just for You offers. [21] The game was released in North America on November 15, 2005 and shipped with a playable Final Fantasy XII demo disc. [17][18] Koichi Sugiyama composed the music for the game. [48] IGN writer Jeremy Dunham wrote that the "only exception in the game's mass list of progression is the plotline," explaining that it has one of the more basic Dragon Quest stories; but he also mentions that the game still manages to take a simple plot and make it entertaining. [11] The game retains most of the series' role-playing game elements, such as turn-based combat and the experience level system. Games are property of their respective owners. ", "Square Enix Releases Tomb Raider, Dragon Quest Sales Data", "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King", "Dragon Quest VIII Review at psxextreme.com", "The GameSpy Hall of Fame: Dragon Warrior", "GDC 2007: The Square-Enix Approach to Localization", "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for PlayStation 2 Reviews", "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for iPhone/iPad Reviews", "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for 3DS Reviews", "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King for the PlayStation 2 Review", "Notable Japanese Game Developer Level-5", "Four million Dragon Quest VIIIs shipped", "国民的RPGの底力を見た 『ドラクエVIII』が早くもトップセールス2位!! [12] They are joined by Yangus, a bandit whose life the hero saves from a collapsing bridge; Jessica, a mage seeking to avenge her brother; and Angelo, a Templar Knight with a penchant for flirting and gambling. Released for the PlayStation 2 on November 27, 2004 in Japan, Dragon Quest VIII went on to ship over three million copies within its first week, making it the fastest selling Japanese PlayStation 2 title upon release. [12] He is accompanied by Yangus, a former thief and friend of the Hero's who owes the Hero a life debt after the Hero rescues him from the side of a cliff. The spell turns the king, King Trode, into a troll; the princess, Medea, into a horse; and the rest of the castle's inhabitants into plants. Eligible for up to points Something special. *MSRP: Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. [19] Dragon Quest VIII was released in Japan on the morning of November 27, 2004 with a celebration at Starbucks in Shibuya, Tokyo, starting at 6:30 am. Through the traditional experience point system, characters advance through experience levels and develop their abilities, similar to previous games in the series. [10] After characters gain an experience level past level four, they accrue skill points distributed as the player chooses among five different skills—three different weapon skills (which vary from character to character), "fisticuffs", and a character-specific special attribute. With Rhapthorne dead, King Trode, Princess Medea, and the people of Trodain are returned to normal. Players can guide the Hero across vast landscapes to reach full-size towns and buildings.[10]. [16] Critics praised the colorful designs done by art designer Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame. Actual price may vary. [13] He is a member of the Knights Templar and decides to battle against Dhoulmagus when the villain sets fire to his abbey and kills the abbot. Defeating enemies grants experience points and gold to the party, which allows the player to purchase items and weapons at in-game shops. Yangus is also the featured character of Shounen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon spin-off. By using it multiple times in succession, the character's attack will do more damage. Ultimate", "Smash Bros. Director Comments On Dragon Quest And Banjo Kazooie Additions, Finds Console Wars Boring", JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dragon_Quest_VIII&oldid=1005146881, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles using Infobox video game using locally defined parameters, Articles using Wikidata infoboxes with locally defined images, Articles using Video game reviews template in single platform mode, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 February 2021, at 05:39. Jessica claims Dhoulmagus' scepter, and soon after disappears. It was released in Japan in 2004, in North America in 2005 and PAL regions in 2006, making it the first main series installment released in the PAL region. The main protagonist of the game, an eighteen-year-old royal guard of Trodain and the only person present in the castle to escape Dhoulmagus' wrath unscathed, is a silent hero, and named by the player. The Just for You offer is discounted from the sale price. Across the vast world you'll wage turn-based battles against more than 250 monsters designed by artist Akira Toriyama. As you level up, upgrade your warriors' skills to learn mighty attacks. In an unlockable extended ending, it is discovered that the protagonist is the lost prince of Argonia, and upon this revelation, the King of Argonia decides to allow the protagonist to marry Medea. [13] Edge magazine, however, commented that the game's substance seemed out of place for 2005. Dhoulmagus is eventually revealed to be a pawn of Rhapthorne, a demonic lord and the game's true antagonist, who is manipulating the jester in an attempt to free himself from the scepter inside of which he has been imprisoned. Across the land, you’ll meet the mysterious Tockles—creatures that allow you to visit 2D, 16-bit versions of areas from popular entries in the series like DRAGON QUEST IV and DRAGON QUEST VIII! [38] Dragon Quest VIII is the biggest selling game ever for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. Battles are randomly occurring and turn-based. You can share the pictures you take via StreetPass™ encounters. [19] In the Japanese release of the game, the game features sequenced music, whereas the North American and PAL versions contained the symphonic suite orchestral recordings performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, with Sugiyama serving as the conductor. The newest game in the Dragon Quest franchise is Dragon Quest Tact, released to worldwide audiences 28 January 2021.Originally released in Japan during July 2020 for smartphones, players take on the role of a hero who finds himself in the world of Orchesterra with a mysterious baton. This updated classic also includes new dungeons, bosses, items, quests, scenes, and a new possible ending! He is the most balanced party member, able to equip swords, spears, boomerangs and use magic. Tracking Dhoulmagus' murderous path, the party journeys west, across the ocean. [40] It won both 1UP.com's and GameSpy's "Best RPG of E3 2005" award, ahead of runner-up Kingdom Hearts II. JOURNEY OF THE CURSED KING is a registered trademark or trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. Nintendo 3DS is a trademark of Nintendo. The 3DS versions swaps the soundtracks with the Japanese version using the symphonic suite orchestral recordings, while the North American, PAL, iOS, Android, versions use the sequenced music. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is an action RPG designed specifically for handheld play on the DSi. Other important non-player characters include Empyrea, a powerful god-like bird; Marcello, Angelo's illegitimate half-brother and the Captain of the Templars; Red, a female bandit and former colleague of Yangus' with whom she shares a rivalry; and Morrie, the proprietor of an underground monster-fighting arena. Bethany Massimilla of GameSpot wrote that the lack of "dozens of characters of all types" allows the game to remain simple, letting the player become very familiar with the main characters. r/dragonquest: A community dedicated to the Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior series by Square-Enix. The ninth game in the beloved Japanese Dragon Quest series, like its predecessors Sentinels of the Starry Skies features third-person oriented turn-based battles and a deep combo/multiplier system. The party, aided by the godbird Empryea, faces Rhapthorne and defeats him. Jessica can put her feminine assets to use after investing 38 points into her Sex Appeal skill tree. [14] This command allows the player to skip a character's turn in order to build "tension", making that character's next attack stronger. Unlike the original Japanese version, the North American and European localizations of the game mark a departure from previous Dragon Quest titles due to the inclusion of voice acting in certain parts of the adventure pertaining to the advancement of the storyline. He seeks to escape from his prison by killing the descendants of the sages. [46], The US release of Dragon Quest VIII received mostly positive reviews, receiving a score of 89 out of 100 on Metacritic. © 2016 Nintendo. In addition to this, Level-5 incorporated a secondary skill development system to allow players a chance to customize each character to their liking. The international PlayStation 2 release uses a new menu interface, allowing its players to access items and equip their party. [17], Characters from the game have made appearances in other Square Enix properties. With a new fully integrated world, towns and dungeons are no longer identified by two-dimensional icons found on the world maps. In it, you are the hero in a fantasy kingdom called Trodea, where the King has been turned into a troll, and the princess into a horse. Munchie, the Hero's pet mouse, becomes temporarily playable under certain circumstances. Jessica later returns, possessed by the staff and battles the remaining party members in an attempt to murder a young man. [13] In the earlier games, battles were shown from a first-person perspective. [56] He was specifically included due to Dragon Quest VIII being the most popular entry outside of Japan. [11] Additions and changes to the North American version of Dragon Quest VIII included voice acting, new animations, enhanced music and sound effects, additional spells and attacks, and a new menu interface. Eventually, the party engages Marcello and exhaust him to the point of losing control and releasing Rhapthorne. This can be done while walking on the world map. [49] It was released in Japan in 2006. She proceeds to speculate that it is Rhapthorne, and not Dhoulmagus, who maintains the curse on Trodain: therefore, Rhapthorne must be defeated if the curse is to be broken. © 2021 Nintendo. When encountering an enemy, the game switches to a battle scene with the enemies facing the party where characters from both sides take turns attacking each other. An official soundtrack for Dragon Quest VIII was released in December 2005, published by Aniplex. Players are able to pan the camera a full 360 degrees around the character, as well as look in a first-person perspective mode. Awards. 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