Originally released in 2004 for the PS2 and ported for smartphones last year, the eighth installment of the Dragon Quest JRPG series is now finally coming to the 3DS, Square Enix announced. Currently only a Japanese release date is set on 27th August 2015. No word yet on a western localisation.
The game won’t be a straight port as it will have the following exclusive additions:
– Brand new scenario
– New party characters ( female thief Garuda and Morrie from Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road)
– Voice-overs of the game’s events
– Orchestral soundtrack
– StreetPass support
Square Enix is bringing Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, which first launched for PS2 in 2004 and more recently for smartphones in December, to 3DS in Japan on August 27 for 5,980 yen, the company announced.
The 3DS version will have a new scenario, new party members in the form of a female thief named Gerda and Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road‘s Morrie, full voice-overs, music by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and support for the handheld’s StreetPass feature.
A number of retailer specific pre-order bonuses are planned:
- Square Enix e-Store – “Candy Cane” (weapon for Yangus) – A mysterious spear that will absolutely cause damage and is even effective on metallic monsters.
- Amazon.co.jp – Healie T-Shirt (armor for everyone) – A mysterious shirt that recovers HP little by little as you walk.
- Aeon – Healie Cap (helmet for everyone) – A hat that increases your dexterity and maximum HP.
- Game Tsutaya – Golden Bamboo Spear (weapon for the protagonist) – An expensive spear made of pure gold. If you don’t want it, you can sell it for 5,000 gold.
- 7-Eleven – Lucky Pendant (accessory for everyone) – A magic pendant that makes it easier to dodge enemy attacks.
- Yodobashi Camera – Metal Slime Tray (shield for everyone) – A metal tray that slightly defends against magic attacks.
Visit the game’s official website here.