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DQIX gets pushed back to 2008
Those of you who've been eagerly awaiting Square Enix's latest title on the DS will have to wait extra long, as the company has announced that Dragon Quest IX has been delayed until 2008. The reason for delaying the game? Square Enix apparently needs to improve the quality of the game, but we're going on machine translation, so it isn't the best. Who will be joining us for a cry session in the corner?
Dragon Quest IX ditches the Wi-Fi Connect?
Apparently, a couple of scans from the latest Famitsu over at Jeux-France showcase new screens for the upcoming Square Enix romp Dragon Quest IX., but portray the omission of a very important game feature: Wi-Fi Connect compatibility. Well, perhaps that's a bit of an overstatement, as the article apparently does say that Wi-Fi will be used "for something else" aside from what we would normally expect it to include (co-op gameplay, versus multiplayer etc.). That isn't to say this is all set in stone, though. The page has been translated by an individual (registration required) over at The Platformers, so we're mainly going on their translation (darn our inability to read Japanese!). [Via The Platformers]
Etrian Odyssey is 'the last great turn-based RPG'
Etrian Odyssey director Kazuya Niinou has been posting fascinating, and disarmingly honest, blog entries on the game's official website. The fourth page was just posted, and contains a rather bold statement: "So I've decided! Etrian Odyssey will be the last great turn-based RPG." This was a reaction to the rumors of Dragon Quest IX going action-RPG-- rumors that turned out not to be true. While we admire Niinou for his confidence that his game is good enough to exemplify a genre (confidence that increases our frothing demand for the game significantly), we're afraid Etrian Odyssey is going to continue to face stiff competition from Dragon Quest. And we doubt that any number of awesome blog posts will put down that particular cultural phenomenon.
Dragon Quest IX in full color
We've seen some of this before, particularly the lower right panel, but only in scans -- look at the difference in the full color screenshots! The production values on this are staggering; remember the jaggy screenshots from Chocobo Tales? The backgrounds in Final Fantasy III? Those games are beautiful in motion, but suffer somewhat in stills. If this comparison is any indication of what's in store for us with Dragon Quest IX, we're not sure we can handle that much awesome.
Dragon Quest IX screenshots fly into view
Supplementing this afternoon's Dragon Quest IX gameplay details post, we have some new screenshots of the much-anticipated RPG. Square Enix hasn't skimped on this production at all, as it already looks to be one of the most visually impressive games on the Nintendo DS. Graphics aside, the scanned Shonen Jump pages also give a glimpse of this title's character customization options and turn-based multiplayer combat. Head past the post break for a couple of the Dragon Quest IX scans.
New details to feed your Dragon Quest IX addiction
It seems some people were concerned that in trying to keep Dragon Quest fresh, the upcoming iteration might be heading too far away from the basics of the franchise -- specifically, by moving away from a turn-based combat system in favor of something a little more action-oriented. But don't worry, DQ buffs; the rumors were just that, and according to the latest Shonen Jump, DQIX will in fact retain a turn-based combat system. Also, players will be able to customize the appearance of their characters, from height and weight to hair and face, and even their costumes. There's no word yet on how extensive this system may be, but even a small dose of customization can go a long way. Next month, we hope to see more than a trickle on the upcoming DS exclusive at the Square Enix party.
FFV: Dragon Quest IX already rocking airwaves
We didn't expect a commercial for months yet -- but it seems fitting that just days after Dragon Quest IX was announced for the DS, there's already a commercial airing in Japan. Big news for big franchises demands big gestures ... or very short, teaseriffic ones. The brand new commercial is this week's Featured Friday Video, and you can check it out after the jump.
