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Dragon Quest X working on a PC port, overseas release
Did you know that there's a Dragon Quest MMO? The popular and long-running RPG series came out with a console MMO version in Dragon Quest X, although to date it's been confined to the boundaries of Japan. This may be changing, however, as Square-Enix is eyeballing the PC and overseas market. Producer Yosuke Saito confirmed that the studio is working on a PC port of the console MMO: "The drive to release a PC version was there from the start of Dragon Quest X development. The biggest reason was that, when thinking about which platform was most likely to be connected to a network, the PC was the first that popped into our minds." The PC port of the game will be available in Japan in September. Square-Enix has been a little more secretive about an overseas release but did say that it's in the works. The studio isn't sure that it'll be rolled out in the same way that Final Fantasy XI was, as Saito thinks that Dragon Quest X will need to be released on separate servers for various countries and regions. "This is just my personal viewpoint, but different countries consume their games at different speeds and the way the communities are run also differ," he said.
Rumor: Japanese trademark suggests Dragon Quest Monsters 2 remake
A recently registered trademark in Japan hints that Square Enix may be planning to remake its 2001 creature-battling RPG Dragon Quest Monsters 2.The trademark for "Iru to Ruka no Fushigi na Fushigi na Kagi" – yes, that's two fushigis – translates to "Iru and Luca's Wonderful Mysterious Keys." Iru and Luka were the stars in the Game Boy Color's Dragon Quest Monsters 2.Dragon Quest Monsters 2 was originally released as a set of two cartridges, as was the popular thing to do back when the Pokemon craze was at its peak. Each cart featured a different playable protagonist and its own unique set of collectible monsters, which players could trade with others via the Game Boy's link cable. Both versions were later released in North America as Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Tara's Adventure and Cobi's Journey.A remake of 1998's Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland launched for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan last year and met with stellar sales. The remade sequel will likely join its predecessor on the Nintendo 3DS, and the trademarked subtitle indicates that it will consolidate content from the two Game Boy Color releases.A U.S. release for Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D has not been announced.
Dragon Quest X to offer ten years of DLC
While some Wii owners have all but abandoned the platform, others (in Japan) just bought an MMO for the thing this week. Luckily for those new Dragon Quest X owners, Square Enix has pledged longterm support.Square Enix told Nikkei that it plans to release "version up" patches every ten weeks. More significantly, the developer's plan calls for additional downloadable content to be created for ten years.The game is currently only out on Wii, but a Wii U version is also planned. It supports USB keyboards, which we note only to point out the official one.
Hey Japan, stop making me save the world
This is a column by Jason Schreier dedicated to the analysis (and occasional mocking) of his favorite genre, the Japanese role-playing game. Whether it's because they're too antiquated or just too niche, he believes JRPGs don't get enough attention in the gaming industry today. It's time to change that. You've seen this play before. Some ragtag heroes are standing at the edge of some interdimensional space portal or subterranean crystal labyrinth or evil god's castle. They're holding powerful weapons -- acquired after hours of tedious mini-games -- and staring down some nasty monster or deity or demon squirrel. Their goal? Save the universe from imminent doom. If you're anything like me, you're probably already yawning. The go-forth-and-save-the-world trope is so worn out in video games by now that it's hard to muster up even an iota of compassion for all of the artificial people that need rescuing. Japanese role-playing games are the worst offenders of all, spitting out bombastic villains and supernatural events with reckless abandon and little regard for reality. Games like Tales of Vesperia and Lost Odyssey might start you off with small tasks and adventures, but at the end of the day, you know you're going to have to prevent the apocalypse.
Dragon Quest X is an online RPG, still for Wii [update: also Wii U!]
So, not only is the Wii getting one more huge game -- it's getting a huge online game. Series creator Yuji Horii introduced the first trailer for Dragon Quest X tonight at a reveal event, which culminated in a logo for "Dragon Quest X Online." Horii called it an "online RPG," which could refer either to an MMO-style game or a game in which a few players join up into small parties. The trailer showed a convincingly cel-shaded game with a look similar to Dragon Quest VIII, with characters identified only by classes, including ogres, elves, and dwarves. A party consisting of multiple classes is shown running on a world map, and many of the series' familiar monsters, including various Slimes, are shown. While Level-5 was responsible for the development of Dragon Quests VIII and IX, only Square Enix was named this time. We'll have more details following the conclusion of the event. Update: A version is also being developed for Wii U. This release will have improved graphics, and will be playable cross-platform with the Wii release. In addition to this, the team is considering 3DS compatibility in the form of character transfers. Save your character to your 3DS to trade with others, basically.
Square Enix streaming reveal of new Dragon Quest next week
Square Enix will reveal the next Dragon Quest game live over Ustream and Nico Nico on September 5 at 2PM Japan time (1AM Eastern). While it's entirely possible this is a new game announcement, we find it more likely that it'll be a blowout of Dragon Quest X, which was announced for Wii in 2008 and never shown off in any capacity. Square Enix will throw a trailer for DQX into the Wii anniversary collection that's coming out in Japan on September 15, so it will definitely have something ready to show next week. We'll probably get our first look at that trailer on the stream before it ships to retail.
Square Enix considering Wii U-compatible Dragon Quest X [update]
During a shareholder meeting, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada noted that Square Enix is considering a Wii U version of its upcoming Wii RPG Dragon Quest X. According to a transcript of the proceeding, an investor asked Wada if he believed it was time to make the game for Wii U instead of the original Wii. Instead of releasing it only on the successor system, however, Wada said that Square Enix was in the midst of "technical investigations" on how to support Wii U, and stated that the company "must consider" compatibility with both systems. While the Wii might be on its way out, Enix's SOP with the series has always been to wait for an established, high-selling platform to emerge, and then put the game on that. A multiplatform release would be enough of a break from that tradition; we wouldn't expect Square Enix to stray so far as to launch the game only on a new platform. [Update: The blog that provided the transcript has since clarified the statements, reporting that Wada was talking about Wii U experiments separate from Dragon Quest X, and not DQX on Wii U.]
Dragon Quest 25th anniversary merch features plushie slimes, business card cases
The legendary Dragon Quest series (originally published in Japan in 1986, and of course in North America as Dragon Warrior after that) turns 25 this year, and Square Enix is giving all of its gifts away. We've already heard about a Wii collection coming out, but as you can see above, some of the prizes are a little less practical. That's a pair of plushie slimes on the left, and on the right is a Smile Slime Crystal Mascot figurine, measuring about 6 centimeters tall. Both special slime items also have a DQ 25th anniversary logo on the back. Both of those will be 1554 yen, or about $19 US. Additionally, Square Enix is offering some special edition tote bags for the anniversary for about $26 each, and some Dragon Quest business card holders (with art featuring the first three games) for around $20 US. All of the swag is supposed to be available starting late July in Japan.
Dragon Quest 1, 2, and 3 collected on a Wii disc
Square Enix saw the success of the Super Mario All-Stars limited edition, and has decided to mark Dragon Quest's 25th anniversary in much the same way, with a Wii disc loaded with unaltered old games. The Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Famicom & Super Famicom Dragon Quest I, II, III collection (that's the title!) shows more interest in completeness than Nintendo's set, however, packing the Famicom (NES) versions of Dragon Quest I, II, and III, along with the updated Super Famicom (Super NES) versions of the Dragon Quest I & II cartridge and Dragon Quest III, in a single package. It's slated for release this September in Japan. Technically, translations for all three games exist, since all three were released in North America on the NES. However, given that they were NES-era translations, some freshening of the text would probably be required before releasing them these days.
Dragon Quest X almost done, announcement 'by the end of this year'
Series creator Yuji Horii announced Dragon Quest X, in development for Wii, at a press conference in December 2008. And that was the last anyone heard about it until the April 2011 issue of Nintendo Power. The subject came up in an interview feature about "Dragon Quest through the Ages," when Horii stated that it's nearing completion. "All we can say is that development is going well and we're on the last parts of the game," Horii said. "We can't really share much else at this point, but by the end of this year we should be able to announce something regarding it." Horii explained that the move to Wii was motivated by his feeling that "some users will want to play Dragon Quest on the big screen," noting that the choice of platform, including the decision to put a particular game on a handheld system, is "really a case-by-case basis." He also said that the team hears "that players want a new Dragon Quest that follows the same system of Dragon Quest VIII, so that's something else we're taking into consideration while in development of a Dragon Quest for Wii."
Rocket Slime setting sail on Japanese 3DS this Winter
Square Enix has launched an official website for the next installment in the Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime series -- this time, the explosively-propelled blob will save the world on the Nintendo 3DS. Subtitled Daikaizoku to Shippodan, the game will see the cast of once-antagonistic heroes set out to the open seas, create their own ships and engage in hectic naval battles with pirates. We bet the series' staple "fire whatever you want" cannons make an appearance. The game will also feature two-to-four player multiplayer, SpotPass and Wi-Fi support and, of course, 3D visuals. The site lists a Winter 2011 release window for Japan, but doesn't mention a North American localization. If Square Enix is waiting to find out if we'd be interested in three-dimensional cannon duels, allow us to give them a definitive answer: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
NEStalgia mixes old school RPGs with new school MMOs
Are WoW's battles just not random enough for you? Does DCUO look a little too three-dimensional? Do the modern trappings of MMOs genuinely bring you down? Ben Mallahan has created a delightful, free-to-play solution to your dilemma: NEStalgia, a Dragon Quest-esque classic RPG with some built-in MMO functionality, like player grouping and a billion super esoteric, hard-to-collect pieces of armor and weaponry. You can download the game for free on NEStalgia's official site, or check out a bunch of gameplay videos on its YouTube page. We'd suggest starting with the trailer posted after the jump!
Dragon Quest VI shows its love with a trailer
Above is the t-shirt Nintendo included with review copies of Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation -- which just happens to have a Valentine's Day release date. We can only imagine this pun was the motivation for the scheduling. Nintendo also sent out something of wider appeal than this delightful, silly, pun-filled shirt, something in which we can all share: a new trailer, which you can see after the break. Dragon Quest IX players will notice right away that this remake looks different, with a huge avatar on the world map and 2D enemy sprites in battle.
Dragon Quest IX is Japan's favorite Dragon Quest
Last month, Square Enix asked Japanese fans to vote on their favorite Dragon Quest game. Dragon Quest IX on DS took the honors, despite early backlashes about the Sandy/Stella character. Fans also voted on their favorite creature from the series, which we don't even need to name, do we?
Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest heroes get into Mario Sports Mix
Unsatisfied by their stellar performance in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, a number of characters from the Final Fantasy universe will once again show their athletic prowess in Square Enix's Mario Sports Mix. Gaming news site The Bit Block recently compiled a bunch of gameplay clips from the title's official website, featuring the special moves of the White Mage, Black Mage, Cactuar, Moogle and Ninja. The Mario Sports Mix website also references some Dragon Quest cameos -- though none of those appear in the aforementioned reel, which is posted after the jump. Once again, the Final Fantasy characters appear to be really sportsmanlike about the whole thing. For instance, that Black Mage would have a much easier time of making a three pointer if he took out all his defenders with a well-timed Ultima, yet he takes his knocks like everyone else. Good form, Mr. Black Mage.
TUAW's Daily App: Voice Fantasy
Voice Fantasy is a weird little app from Square Enix, creators of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series of role-playing games. You may remember Song Summoner, the original RPG created for the iPod a while back (that later came to the iPhone as well). That game had you creating soldiers with songs. Voice Fantasy has you creating heroes with a different audio source: your voice. Just pull up the create-a-hero screen, speak or sing into the iPhone's mic, and the game will create a custom-made hero just for you from whatever auditory groans or screams you can come up with. Unfortunately, unlike Song Summoner, there's no RPG element to this one. Instead, the game is just a short series of arenas, with your heroes fighting their way up to and defeating the Demon King. You don't actually control the heroes -- they just fight for you, and you can pit them against friends' heroes as well to see whose voice is stronger. If it sounds like a gimmick, it kind of is, but the graphics look great, and the game is just interesting enough to play around with for a while. There is supposedly more coming, including some characters from a favorite series (perhaps the final part of a fantasy series?). There's also another game mode on the way, and hopefully it's a story mode of some kind, because what's currently there isn't very deep. But it is the latest in a series of interesting experiments by Square Enix on the iPhone, and for US$2.99, it's almost worth supporting just to give the classic game makers a vote of confidence in providing original games for the platform. Voice Fantasy is a strange one, but especially if you're a Square Enix fan, it's worth checking out. And if you're not enticed by this, go get Chaos Rings. That's the full-featured Square Enix RPG for the iPhone that you're looking for.
Metareview: Dragon Quest IX
With the release of Dragon Quest IX for DS, Nintendo and Square Enix are trying once again to convert American gamers into Dragon Quest fanatics -- or at least sell some games. While we wait to see how the public responds to the multiplayer-enabled RPG, we decided to check in with reviews of the game other than our own. (We already know how that one went.) 1UP (A): "... The move to DS was a strategic trade-off, and a canny one at that; DQIX sacrifices visual splendor in favor of more subtle technological benefits. In unchaining the series from the television, its creators freed themselves to design the open-ended, player-driven experience the series has always aspired to be." Nintendo Power (9/10): "The idea of adding multiplayer features to a story-driven, turn-based RPG originally struck me as insane, but Dragon Quest IX has made me a believer." GamePro (4/5): "Dragon Quest's appeal lies in its sense of warm, welcoming familiarity. It's refreshingly free of the pretension and overwrought cinematics of much of the current JRPG crop, instead presenting a lighthearted, charming adventure romp akin to what made the original Chrono Trigger such a beloved classic." Game Informer (8/10): "It's the first in the franchise to debut on a handheld, and it changes the classic formula in some significant ways. In many cases, these changes push the genre in interesting directions, but they never go far enough. The end result is an enjoyable Japanese RPG with mere hints of greatness." %Gallery-95770%
Review: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
If you're familiar with the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies will feel like a revolution to you, thanks to changes brought in to accommodate its emphasis on multiplayer. If you're a casual or occasional RPG player, however, it's going to feel old-school to the point of being conventional. But it works well in either case: new players will find an unusually accessible, entirely pleasant RPG, while Dragon Quest diehards will delight in the addition of new features to the gameplay they've loved for years. %Gallery-95770%
Yuji Horii explains the Dragon Quest Slime's origin
This Sunday, with the release of Dragon Quest IX, thousands of gamers will begin the time-honored tradition of slaughtering adorable Slimes, over and over and over again. Don't feel bad, that's what they're there for. But how did Akira Toriyama's cutest character design ever (take that, all Dragon Ball characters) come to be? "I was really hooked on Wizardry the PC game, and that's kind of where I got the inspiration for the Slime," Dragon Quest producer Yuji Horii told MTV Multiplayer. "There's ... slime-looking characters [in Wizardry], so I got the inspiration from it. I was doodling the slime-looking character and I took it to Mr. Toriyama, who did the character design, and he made it the Slime we see today." The Slime went on to appear not only in every Dragon Quest game, but also in its own games, along with plenty of adorable merchandise.
Dragon Quest IX trailer is a grand adventure
Nintendo released a new trailer for Dragon Quest IX, on the same day it announced the news of the new DSi XL color. It's kind of co-marketing the two without explicitly making a connection. This trailer features the wonderful animation seen in the North American announcement trailer, with one welcome addition: actual gameplay footage. Nintendo also released a ton of character art, depicting the various character classes you can choose to play. You can find that treasure trove of Akira Toriyama artwork in our gallery. %Gallery-94727%
